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Peter was over at Tony’s lab every Tuesday after he got off school. It was their little ritual. They’d invent and create, laugh, play music, talk about high school drama, and Tony loved having him. They would always end up losing track of time, so much so it was a regular occurrence for May to call and tell Tony he needed to get Peter home because it was still a school night. Tony would go on and on to Pepper about how great of a kid Peter was. He would tell her that he was so incredibly bright, that he was going places, that maybe one day, Peter would do things Tony never could. Not only was Peter brilliant, but he was such a kind soul. If someone told Tony that this kid that won one of his scholarship programs would be over at his house every week he would have laughed—he hated kids! At least, that’s what he thought.Tony went ahead and continued a project he and Peter had been working on for a couple months now, figuring he would get a head start before the kid got here. He had been having Peter reconfigure his helmet, he had had a lot of great ideas for it, and was so excited he was working on the ironman helmet! Tony heard footsteps—heels—obviously Pepper. He didn’t look up, just absentmindedly fiddling with a locking mechanism.
“Hey, Pep, did Happy tell you about that shipment of new parts?”
“Tony…”
“I really wanna get those parts in here before Peter comes, he’s gonna be so pysched. I ordered them just for him.”
“Tony,” Pepper said in a louder voice.
“Speaking of the kid, where is he?” He finally looked up and his heart dropped. Peppers face was no where near normal. Her breathing was shaky, her eyes were puffy.
“Pepper?” Tony stood, going to her side immediately. “What-what’s wrong? What happened?” He said, grabbing her by the shoulders.
“Its…uh, it’s Peter and May, Tony. Something happened.” Peter sat in the emergency room, eyes set on the fluorescent lights hitting the floor. He would hear people come and go but he couldn’t bother to look up. Looking up would insinuate that there was other things going on and there wasn’t. Nothing else was happening, because his aunt…his sweet, lovely Aunt May, would never be around to see it.
His world was going in slow motion, all he could do was think of the last moments. Why wasn’t he crying? He should be crying. His aunt was gone and he couldn’t express anything at all. How could this have happened? All he could do was look down at his blood-stained clothes and the dried blood that still remained on his hands and under his fingernails. I guess they hadn’t thought to give him anything to clean himself up with, but that was okay. This was a reminder. Something he had to endure because he failed her. He should have helped, he should have saved her, but he couldn’t. Just a stupid teenager who saw his aunt die and did nothing. He could still see that look of terror in her eyes, was she disappointed in him? Dear god, he couldn’t ever handle her being disappointed in him.
Peter heard voices, familiar voices, far off, but he still couldn’t look up. A couple minutes later two people knelt down in front of him, trying to get him to look up. One of them grabbed his hand. It was warm, and reassuring. He didn’t know until someone touched him that he was trembling.“…Peter?”
He finally looked up. It was Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark was here, and Pepper was here. Tears suddenly began welling up in his eyes. Someone came for him…
“M-Mr. Stark…” Peter cried. He practically fell out of his chair as he reached out to grab ahold of Tony, wrapping his arms around his neck.
And there, on the ER waiting room floor Tony sat with a young boy in his arms, rocking him back and forth.
“I know, kid…I know.”
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Pepper and Tony walked into their penthouse. It was dark, darker than usual. Even when they turned on the lights the place did not feel as it once did. Things had changed. Their poor kid had changed, and they were at a loss for what to do.Peter walked into the penthouse after them. All his movements were slow, and he always held a far-off gaze.“Pete, I-I had Happy go get you some clothes. We’ve got you set up in a room down the hall from ours.” Tony said, unsure of what tone to take with the boy who remained emotionless.“Come on, Peter, I’ll help you get cleaned up.” Pepper said, putting a hand on his shoulder.He flinched. “It-it’s okay, I got it.”“Are you sure?”Tony motioned at Pepper to drop it, she did.“Did you want anything to eat?” Tony asked.“I think I’m just going to shower and go to bed.”“O-Okay, bud, let us know if you need anything. Again, we’re just—”“Right down the hall.” Peter finished his sentence. “Got it.”The two adults watched as the teenager headed off to the bathroom. They looked into each other’s eyes.“Oh, Tony.”“I know, Pep.” He hugged her tight.“What are we going to do?” She said in her calm, even tone.“Well, we’re gonna be there for him…and we’re going to help him through this. It’s the only thing we can do.”“First his parents and his uncle and now this…poor kid can’t catch a break. We still don’t even know what really happened.”“He’ll tell us…eventually.” Peter closed the door to the bathroom, seeing the remnants of blood that remained on his skin. He could still smell all the iron, he could feel the stickiness of the blood as he tried to stop May from bleeding out.He inhaled deeply and clamped his eyed shut. He slid down to the floor, feeling the cold tile beneath him. “May…May, I’m sorry.” He cried, the tears burning his skin. “I’m so sorry, Aunt May.”Peter scrubbed at his skin until it was raw. He had been in the bathroom for over an hour. He thought maybe Mr. Stark or Pepper would come knocking to check on him but they left him alone. They knew he needed time. He appreciated the privacy, but also he wished Mr. Stark would just hold him again like he did in the hospital. He needed someone, he needed Tony…well…what he really needed was Aunt May, but—Peter made it to his room. The rest of the lights in the penthouse were out, signifying everyone was in bed. Peter thought about going to their room. He thought about knocking, but he didn’t want to be a bother. They were already letting him stay for the night, he shouldn’t annoy them. “Do you think I should go check on him?” Tony asked worriedly, getting up from bed.“Give him space, if he needs something he’ll ask.”“But maybe he won’t, maybe he’s hungry, I’ll just go ask him real quick—”“Tony…” Pepper said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let him breath, he needs time.”“You’re right, you’re right, I’m sorry, I just…I know how I felt when my parents died. I-I don’t want him to feel alone.”Pepper grabbed Tony and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “You can go check on him if it’ll make you feel better, Tony.”Immediately Tony got up, squeezing her hand before he left. He put on a robe and walked down the hall. The kids light was off, probably asleep by now, but he still wanted to check. He cracked the door open to find Peter sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed and staring out the large window. You could still see some of the other buildings lights on. They were like stars across the city.Tony debated going in. He thought of Pepper’s words, that he just needs some time—that was true—but maybe he didn’t want to spend that time alone.He walked in, sitting himself down beside the teenager. Peter didn’t flinch or even acknowledge Tony, he just accepted his presence.They sat in silence for a bit until Tony finally said something. “You wanna talk about it?”The boy shook his head.“I’m sorry, I can leave you alone—” Tony went to stand but Peter grabbed his hand.“Don’t go.”Tony sat back down and smiled, out of sight of Peter. He couldn’t fathom what was going on in this boys head right now, but he was just glad he could be there for him. Peter deserved the world, and yet all he had ever gotten in his life were scraps. He hated seeing him like this. Especially since he was usually so bright and energetic.Tony put a hand on the back of Peter’s neck, letting him know he was there for him—that he would always be there for him. He could feel Peter’s muscles unclenching.A few hours later Peter ended up falling asleep on the floor. Tony scooped him up and put him in bed, making sure he was nice and warm. And even after Peter was asleep, he couldn’t leave. He stayed, making himself a cot on the floor. He knew it would do a number on his back, but he wasn’t going to leave Peter’s side, not on a night like this.Tony could remember the first night he was without his parents. He wished he had someone to stay up with him, someone to stay by his side. Peter woke up the next morning, not even remembering falling asleep. He looked at the clock, 11:34 am. Extremely late for school—was all he could think.He swung his legs to the side of the bed and found a pillow and a couple blankets on the floor like someone had fallen asleep on the floor beside him…Mr. Stark. He realized now how he got in bed.Peter walked to the door of his room, feeling nervous for some reason. He felt the anxiety you feel being the last one to wake up at a sleepover—no one around and you’re in a foreign place so you don’t know where to go or what to do. He finally opened the door, walking down the hall towards the living room. Before he got there he could hear Tony and Pepper bickering a bit. He walked out and they both stopped, their faces smiling as soon as they saw him.“Morning, Peter.”“Did you sleep okay? Do you want anything to eat?”“I-I’m okay right now, thanks…” He said softly. He sat down in a chair across from them. “Thanks for letting me stay the night…you-you guys are good people.”“We’re happy to have you kid.” Tony smiled genuinely.“So…wh-what comes next?” Peter asked hesitantly.“Well… Pepper has volunteered to take care of your Aunt May’s funeral. It’s going to be on Saturday, is that okay with you?”“Um…yeah…yeah that’s fine.” He couldn’t believe she was gone—a funeral, they were talking about funerals right now.“The police called…they want to take down your statement of what happened—”“No.”“Peter, you have to tell them what happened.”“No, I can’t, I can’t go through it again.” He said, beginning to rub his scalp with worry. He started pulling at his hair unconsciously. Even thinking about it was too much, let alone talking about it and people asking questions.Tony shot up, making his way to the teenager’s side. “Hey, hey, kid—”“No! I said no!”Tony hugged him, trying to stop him from pulling at his curls. “Okay,”“I can’t, I can’t,” Peter’s voice trailed off.“Okay, it’s okay. We’ll talk to them.”Peter’s breath once quickened was now slowing down with the tight embrace.The first few days were hard. Extremely. Peter barely ate and would sleep all day. It got to the point where he would wake up and he wouldn’t know if it was five in the morning or five at night. Peter stayed distant from Tony and Pepper. He didn’t want to bother them, didn’t want to rely on them even more. He felt bad every time Tony felt like he needed to hug him or talk to him—it wasn’t Tony’s job, he shouldn’t have to be doing this. He knew that they wanted to help, but he just couldn’t let them, at least not a lot.Tony and Pepper kept trying to bring up talking to the police but each time it made Peter get angrier and angrier. He couldn’t, and he never would. The police were supposed to be there to help. If they would have been there, May wouldn’t have been dead. Fuck them. Peter was done with them. If they wanted to know what happened, they should have been there.At one point Peter was getting back to his room from a shower and he saw someone had left a journal on his bed. He picked it up, opening it to the first page.“I thought this might help if you needed to write some of your thoughts down, Love—Pepper.”Peter picked up a pen that had been placed next to it and locked the door, going to sit on his bed. He looked down at a blank page. He felt empty, he kept feeling empty. His mind raced, going back through the incident with all possible scenarios of what could have happened—what should have happened.Then he started writing…And he didn’t stop, not for a long time. He wrote for hours. He didn’t even think he had it in him but once he started, he couldn’t stop.Once he was done, he sighed in relief, wiping away a few tears that had fallen unbeknownst to him. He laid the journal onto his nightstand and laid back, closing his eyes. Within seconds he dosed off, finally feeling a moment of peace.
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Pepper rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. “Tony, they keep calling, I don’t know how long we can actually hold them off.” She said, with the NYPD on mute.Tony sighed, trying to think of a plan. They told Peter he wouldn’t have to do it, but the police still needed to do their jobs and file their reports and all that stuff.“Okay…tell them they can come this afternoon. I don’t know what we’ll do, but we’ll figure out something. Maybe us talking to them in person will help the situation a little bit.”Pepper nodded with a sullen look. She hated having to put Peter through this, but there wasn’t much they could do.“Does 2:00 work?” “Okay,” “Okay, perfect, we’ll see you then.” And with that Pepper hung up.She sighed as Tony took her into his arms.“What are we going to tell him?” She asked.“I don’t know… for now we’ll just wait till he wakes up, he’s still sleeping right?”“Yeah, I thought about going into his room though and tidying up. It always helps me when my space is clean and organized.” She gave him a sarcastic look.“What are you insinuating, Pepper Potts, that I’m not clean and organized?” He gave an offended look.She laughed, “Not in the slightest.”Tony had missed seeing her smile. With all that had been going on there wasn’t much room for it these days. Pepper opened Peter’s door, he was sleeping soundly, she savored at the peaceful look on his face, ‘poor kid,’ she thought. She went around gathering up some dirty clothes that had been left lying on the floor, and she made a mental note that once Peter was up she would clean his sheets for him. She looked over the room one last time. It looked so empty. There was nothing of Peter’s, nothing that said ‘this is a teenager’s room’ aside from the dirty clothes. If Peter was ever going to gain some control he needed his things to make it feel like his. Going back into that apartment would be hell for everyone involved though.Suddenly something on the nightstand caught her eye. It was the journal she had left for him. She wondered if he had managed to write anything in it, so she walked over quietly and picked it up. She saw her little note she left, and then she saw the pages. Pages and pages of his thoughts and feelings. Her first instinct was to put it away immediately, but her eyes helplessly flitted over the words, “Aunt May,” “killed,” and “blood.” She closed the journal.Pepper rushed out of Peter’s room with the laundry and journal.“Tony.” She said, meeting him in the living room.“What’s up?” He asked, seeing her worry.“I-I gave this journal to Peter yesterday, thinking it might help, and…I-I looked inside.”“What? What is it?” Tony reached for it but Pepper held it back.“Please don’t read it, Tony, I shouldn’t have even been reading it, I just wanted to see if he was using it.”“No, you look worried, let me read it.” Tony said with authority.“Tony…I think we should give this to the police.”“What, why?!”“Peter…he describes what happened. Maybe if the police have this…maybe they won’t need to talk to Peter. Peter can just verify it with them and he won’t have to say anymore.”“He…he really wrote down everything that happened?”“I mean, I’m not sure, I didn’t read a lot of it, but…I’m pretty sure.” Pepper held the notebook close to her chest. It made her nervous to be holding a part of Peter with her, she could feel the anger and the pain in his written word. Soon the police came. Tony and Pepper were grateful Peter was still asleep.“Officer Roberts.” One of them introduced themselves with a handshake.“Officer Keith.” The other said.“Nice to meet you.” Pepper obliged, as did Tony.The beginning of the conversation went by in a blur for Pepper. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what they were saying, she just kept thinking of Peter.“Do you know what happened?” Officer Keith asked them.“N-no, not exactly, no one’s told us.” Tony said. “Do you guys?”“We…we have an idea, we just need verification from someone who was there.”“Peter…he’s not in a good place. I know you need his statement, but I don’t think he can.” Tony says.“I have something that might help, though.” Pepper interjected. She hesitantly handed them the journal. “This is his own recording of it.”The officers looked intrigued. Roberts grabbed the notebook gingerly and opened it.The four adults stood there for a while in silence as the officers read.“Please…tell us what happened.” Tony said.“Well, according to Peter, they were at home about to go to sleep, someone broke in, started taking stuff, and his aunt went to his room for them to both hide. The woman then called 911, and then Peter saw that the person was leaving but he didn’t want him to get away, so he tried to stop him. His aunt went to go protect him and she got stabbed. And then I guess the guy ran off from there.”Pepper and Tony could only imagine. The boy had to witness his aunt getting stabbed and then dying right in front of him. Their hearts broke for the poor boy.Tears began slipping down their cheeks.“So…” Tony sniffled. “Have you found this guy?”“Not yet, sir, we’re still looking.”“And…what happens now?” Pepper asked. “You’ve dealt with enough cases probably…what will happen to him with his aunt gone?”“Normally we look for any other family members to take him in…but,”“But he doesn’t have any.” Tony answered.“Correct.” Said Officer Roberts. “We did, however, find that May Parker has put you down as the boys guardian in case anything happened to her…”Tony and Pepper looked into each other’s eyes. Even though neither had said anything, they both knew in their hearts that if Peter didn’t have any other family, they would of course take him in. They loved the boy dearly and couldn’t stand for him to be put into the foster care system.“Are you willing to take him?” Officer Keith asked.“Absolutely.” They said in unison. Peter’s eyes began to open groggily. He stood, straightening out his red plaid pajama pants and his ACDC shirt Tony had given him to wear.He opened the bedroom door and walked down the hall, he could hear voices, and then he saw them—police officers, standing with Mr. Stark and Pepper. He was suddenly filled with fear, and then anger, because he saw it—he saw the notebook.The adults noticed him standing barefoot in the hall and turned around, solemn looks on their faces.“Hey, kiddo.” Tony said.“Is that—” Peter started walking towards them. “Is that my notebook?”“Peter, we can explain—” Pepper said.“No! I see what you did! You violated my privacy, I should have fuckin known!”“Peter, do not talk to Pepper that way!”“I don’t fuckin care what you want, you’re not even my parents!” Peter started pacing, angry tears swelling in his eyes. “I-I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be staying here, I shouldn’t have trusted you.”Before anyone could say anything, Peter ran for the elevator. Pepper went to go after him.“Let him go, he needs some time to cool off.” Peter went to the lobby of the building. He had no idea where he was going, what he was going to do. He felt like shit, he looked like shit, he was trying to stop himself from crying and he felt so angry and betrayed. How could they do that? How could they show off what he wrote? It felt like they were laughing at him behind his back.Peter ran to the front door, and then stopped right as his hand touched the door. There he was barefoot and in pajamas, thinking now was his time to go out on his own—he knew it wasn’t. He had nothing. He had no one.May. Happy made his way down to the lobby.“Hey, Jessica.”“Hi! Day going okay?” The secretary asked, setting down her coffee.“Oh, you know.” He smiled.He pointed to the back conference room with a questioning look, the woman nodded with a smile.Happy entered the empty conference room, going to the back corner. There he found a young boy hugging his knees to his chest and looking intensely out the window.Happy sat down next to him, looking out the window as well.“So…you wanna talk about it?”Peter turned his head the other way.“Okay…fair enough.”“Did they send you down here?”“No, Tony said you needed time to cool off.”Peter chuckled with a sniffle. “He was right. Gave me enough time to realize I don’t have anywhere to go.”“That’s not why he wanted you to cool off. He knows the severity of what you’re going through.”“Then why did they take my notebook like it was nothing?! They should’ve known, why did they do it?!”“They did it because they were trying to protect you, they knew how hard it was for you to talk about it and they wanted to find a way around it.”Peter stayed quiet, contemplating.“Why don’t you want people knowing about what happened?” Happy asked, his tone was careful.And Peter once again paused. He hadn’t thought about it and yet he had thought about it repeatedly.“I…I guess if nobody knows…then it’s like it never happened.”“I know…and I know its hard to accept…but the fact of the matter is…”“I know.” Peter began to cry, folding in on himself even more. “I know she’s gone.”“You may not want people to know, but they have to know in order to help you.”“But I don’t want people’s pity. The reason I didn’t want to tell Mr. Stark and Pepper was because I didn’t want to see that look, that exact look they gave me when they turned around from those police officers.”“Peter, people aren’t pitying you, they just want to help you.”“No, they want to look at me like I’m a lost puppy.”Happy chuckled, “Then maybe don’t go out of the penthouse barefoot with pajama pants.”Peter looked at Happy and smiled. “I admit, it was an oversight on my part.”They both laughed, as if there wasn’t a weight to their conversation.Peter put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do, Happy. I-I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t have any other family to go to. The only reason Mr. Stark is letting me crash here is because I don’t have any family.”“I don’t think that’s the reason, Peter.”“What do you mean?”“You’ve spent enough time with Tony, you know how he feels about you.” Happy elbowed Peter.“He hasn’t exactly told me.”“I guess I’ll let him tell you then…when we go upstairs…are you ready?”“…I guess so…I am a little cold.”Happy smiled once more, standing with a grunt and putting a hand out for Peter to grab onto. Happy returns to the penthouse with Peter right behind him. The boy looks disheveled, exhausted, and ready for some relief.Tony and Pepper sat on the couch, patient as he made his way over to them.“Hey, Pete.” Tony smiled gently.“Hey…” Peter responded.“Peter, I’m so sorry about the journal, it really wasn’t deliberate, I just—” Pepper blurted out.“Happy told me what happened…I-I understand why you did it, just…”“We know there was a line crossed, and we apologize. We’ve just never done…this whole…thing before.” Tony motions to all of them. Peter nods solemnly.“What Tony is trying to say is that if we step out of line, know that that is not our intention, and come to us when we have. This is all new and we just want to be there for you and do what’s best for you.” Pepper added.“Yeah, absolutely.”This made Peter smile. It was soft, and delicate, but it was still a smile.“Peter…we have something to discuss with you.” Tony said.“Is it about Aunt May?”“No—well, in a way—yes.”Tony looked into the boys eyes. He looked like he was bracing himself for pain.“The police told us that you don’t have any remaining family left—”Peter’s eyes started to well up and he started nodding. “—so they’re putting me in the system.”“Well, just slow down a minute, kid. Apparently, a few months back, your aunt May put in her will…well, she named me as your guardian.”Peter’s brain went blank for a second. Mr. Stark? His guardian? When had May done this? Did Mr. Stark even want to take care of Peter? Did May not ask Stark before doing it? Why didn’t she tell him any of this?Tony watched and tried to evaluate Peter’s expression. He looked to be searching his own mind for answers, but coming up empty.“I guess, Pepper and I are wondering…” Tony takes Peppers hands in his and smiles. “Is that something you’re interested in?”Peter looks worried, scared, exasperated even. He doesn’t know what to think or how to feel. He just feels hot tears slip down his cheeks.“Y-you’re being serious?” He asks, feeling a lump form in his throat. “You-you really want me to live here? Like, forever?”“Absolutely, as long as it’s okay with you.” Pepper smiled.“We love you, Peter. I probably don’t express it enough—”“Try, at all—” Happy butt in jokingly, to which he received a fake sour look from Tony.“We do love you though. I couldn’t be any more proud of you, and I’m just so sorry that you’re having to go through this.”Peter looked down, and then back up. He was trying to control his tears but to no avail.“You-you really want me?” Those words coming from Peter’s mouth broke Tony’s heart. Of course they wanted him. He was the most special boy they had ever known, and yet Peter treated himself like someone’s tosses out trash. He wasn’t trash. He wasn’t broken. If only he could see himself the way Tony saw him.“We want you, buddy…come here.” Within seconds of Tony outstretching his arms, the boy was wrapped around him. Peter buried his face in Tony’s chest, hearing the whir of the machine in the mans body.Tony could feel his shirt get damp from the tears on the boys face. He cried, he cried for a long time, but Tony didn’t mind. He never minded.
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The days that followed were hard for Peter. He was overjoyed that Mr. Stark and Pepper wanted him to stay with them, but that didn’t negate the fact that his aunt was still gone.They went to the funeral.Many people said many kind words, shaking the boys hand or hugging him as they left, going back to their own families and resuming their lives. Peter wishes he could do that. He wishes that all of this was just a dream, that he could go back to his and May’s apartment and she would be back there waiting for him.All Peter could do throughout the funeral was dissociate. He felt like he was 5 feet away from his own body. He said nothing, did nothing, only followed where Mr. Stark, or Happy, or Pepper directed.They returned to the penthouse. Peter stood in the doorway in a trance, his suit disheveled and his tie undone.“Peter, do you wanna go get changed? We can order food or something, anywhere you want.” Pepper smiled.“Not hungry.” He said.“Okay, that’s okay, do you wanna watch a movie or something?”“I want to go to the apartment.”Tony stood from where he was once seated at the kitchen counter. “Peter, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”“I need to go back. I-I need to see it…at least for one last time. And I still have all my stuff over there.”“We can always have your stuff picked up for you.” Pepper added.“No…I need to go back.”There was a moment where Pepper and Tony just looked at one another, as if having a silent conversation.“Okay, let’s go.” Tony said.They hopped in their car, Happy drove. Happy and Tony kept exchanging glances and kept looking to Peter to make sure he was okay. Peter acted like he didn’t notice.They finally arrived at the apartment building. Peter got out of the car and looked up. He remembered being just a boy and arriving here on May and Ben’s doorstep after his parents died. It was such a long time ago, now look at him. He had lost them too.Without a word, the three men made their way up to the apartment. Tony ripped off some caution tape that still remained on the door. Tony opened the door, letting Peter be the first one to walk in.Peter was met with flashbacks. He was met with the spot that he and May had collapsed onto the ground. He remembered trying to stop the bleeding. He could still smell all the iron in the air. He couldn’t tell if he was still smelling it now or if it was just a memory. The crime scene clean up team had done well…you would have never been able to tell someone had been murdered here, that is as long as you weren’t met with the overwhelming empty feeling that Peter felt.“Are you okay?” Tony asked.“Let’s just get my stuff.” Peter said.Happy and Tony began hauling a few things down to the car while Peter went off to his room to pack his stuff up.Tony walked into the apartment, about to grab something to take down when he heard crashing and something breaking. He quickly ran to Peter’s room, panicked.“Peter!” He burst out. He found the boy crying on the floor surrounded by broken glass. Sitting in the floor was a now broken framed picture of him and his aunt and uncle. He looked to be at the most 7 years old in the picture.Tony bent down and grabbed the broken pieces.“It’s okay, we’ll get a new frame, it’ll be okay.”“IT’S NOT OKAY! I don’t want a new frame, I don’t want anything, I just want her to be here! Why aren’t they here?!” Peter cried. “She shouldn’t have been protecting me, she shouldn’t have been anywhere near that guy, it was my fault! I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED, NOT HER! IT WAS MY FAULT!”Tony grabbed Peter, pulling him in close as they both sat on the ground surrounded by broken glass.“Stop that, it was not your fault, do you hear me? The only person who’s fault that was was the killer. He did this. You can’t direct this at yourself because it’s not your fault. You know why she was protecting you? Because she loved you.”“I need her here with me, though.” He cried.“I know, Pete…but things don’t always work out like that. I know right now it seems like everything is bad, but you’ll get through this—we’ll all get through this.”“I don’t want to get through this, I just want her back.” The boy cried harder.“I know, bud.” He hugged him tight.As Peter’s crying died down, Tony began helping the boy up. It was then that he saw drops of blood on the floor.“Peter, you’re bleeding!”“I am?” The boy said, a hollow, exhausted expression on his face.Peter opened up his hands to find bits of broken glass and blood on them.Tony looked at him, worried. Peter had acted like he didn’t even feel it.“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”Tony had used a first aid kit he found under the kitchen sink to clean Peter’s wounds. When he finished, he let out a big sigh.“What do you say we call it a day, okay? Happy can organize some guys to pack up the rest if that’s okay with you.”“Okay.” Peter said softly, nodding. “Just as long as we can grab my backpack. I’ll need it for school.”“School? Are you sure you’re ready to go back?”“If I delay any longer I’ll just get more and more behind, I don’t want to—”“Peter, you know you don’t have to worry about that. We can get things sorted out with the school if you need some extra—”“No, I want to go back. It’ll be good…to get out of the house.”“Okay, if you’re sure.”“I’m sure.” Peter nodded.They headed out of the apartment. Peter looked back, unsure if he’d see this place again. He knows that if he asked Tony would have this place bought up for him in a second, but he didn’t want to cause any more trouble for Mr. Stark and Pepper. They had done enough. Looking over the apartment, he started to recall all the memories he had shared with May in this place, but they were all tarnished now. Like a beautiful drawing that had been smudged. There was no hope in restoring it. You could still see some of the beautiful pictures, but it would never be the same. It would never be what it once was.“Ready?”“Ready.”It was now Monday morning.Peter got ready for school.Mr. Stark and Pepper kept telling him he didn’t have to go, he could always wait, he could do school from home for a while, but Peter refused. He had to get out, he had to face the world. He had to show the world that he was strong, and that he was pressing forward, no matter how much he didn’t want to.Mr. Stark and Happy dropped him off. There was a continuous worried look on Mr. Starks face, but again, Peter pretended like he didn’t notice.When Peter entered those school doors, he was struck with an overwhelming feeling. All.Eyes.On.Him. He walked down the halls, trying to ignore the pity glances from student and teacher alike.“Sorry about your loss, Peter.”“We’re sorry about your aunt, Peter.”“We’re thinking about you, Peter.”Acknowledging them was like knives in his heart. Them saying it hurt more than if they didn’t say anything at all.Peter went to his locker, fumbling with the code. Was it 2375? Or 2357? He kept fumbling.“Hey, Parker.” A familiar voice said from behind. He turned. Flash Thompson.“Not today, Flash.”“No, I was just—”Peter grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the locker. “I said, not today!”All eyes, still on him.“Listen, man…I-I just wanted to say…I’m-I’m sorry about your aunt. I’m really sorry.” He stuttered.Peter let go of him and stepped back, the bell rang, kids began shuffling off to class. People pushed passed him as he just stood, unsure what to do. He felt like he couldn’t move. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. He wiped some sweat from off his brow and went to the back of the school.Air.He needed air.Peter went out the back doors. He recalled a little secluded area back by the dumpsters, where hopefully no one would find him. He needed to breathe, but before he knew it he was hyperventilating. He ran to that back corner, only to find a couple other teens. He paused, about to turn around and find somewhere else when one of the boys, with dark curly hair just like his, stood up. “Hey, are you okay?”“I-I, no, I don’t know, I think I just need—”A girl with long frizzy hair stood as well, making her way over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.“Hey, maybe you should sit down, just take it easy for a bit.”“Th-thanks.” Peter said, throwing down his bag and slumping against the brick wall, knees to his chest.“Just breathe, take long, deep breaths.” The other boy said, imitating the motion with his own chest.Peter did as he said, taking long, slow, deep breaths. Before he knew it he was calming down.“Thank you.” He said.“No problem, school is a shit show most times, we totally understand.” The boy said, sitting back down. “My name’s Reese.”“I’m Jade.” The girl said, doing a quick wave. This is Andy,” She said, motioning towards one of the other kids. He had short dirty blond hair, freckles dotting across his skin. He was wearing a red flannel and Peter remembered thinking his multicolor gages looked really cool.“I’m Sam.” The larger teen with a tough exterior but a warm smile said. He had faded turquoise hair and a bunch of cool rings and jewelry.“Nice to meet you guys…my name’s Peter.”They all looked at each other. “You’re that kid, the one the whole school’s been talking about.” Andy piped up.Peter took a deep breath, “Yeah, I guess I am.”He expected them to ask more questions. He expected to have to make a mad dash whenever they broke out all the ‘heartfelt’ condolences, but he didn’t have to.“Do you wanna just hang out here for a bit?” Reese asked.“Yeah…yeah I would like that.”“Cool.”“How come I’ve never really seen you guys around before?” Peter asked.“Well, were not exactly the popular kids.” Jade laughed, pulling out a joint and lighting it. She took a drag and started passing it around.“Still, I figured I would have seen you at some point.”“Eh, we tend to just blend into the background, you know?”“…I wish I could do that.” Peter lamented. “I just wish people would stop staring at me. They treat me like I’m this fine china that’s on the verge of tipping off the counter and shattering into a million pieces…I’m sorry…I’m sure that sounded lame.”“Hey, don’t apologize to us, we get it.” Sam said, taking a hit himself.“I just…I just wish things could go back to the way they were. I don’t want people to pay attention to me, I don’t want people to treat me different, I just want to be normal.”“That sucks, man, I’m sorry.” Reese said.There was a moment of silence. It felt nice to sit in silence and not feel alone. Finally, Reese looked up at Peter, “You want some?” He asked. “No pressure, I just thought with the way your days going you might need it.” He chuckled.“Yeah…yeah I’ll try it.” Peter took a hit. It burned going in, felt funny, he couldn’t feel anything, but as they continued to pass it around the effects came. They all started chatting about school, about life, anything and everything. Peter laughed for the first time in a while. He had a moment sitting there, where he just felt so happy. He didn’t know if it was the company, or the weed, or both, but he wanted it to last. He wanted it to last as long as possible. Taking a break from feeling everything was the most freeing thing he could do, he needed it to last. As the weeks progressed, he hung out more and more with the kids in the back corner of the school. Peter had never really skipped classes before, but he liked it. He had enough eyes on him he didn’t need to be stuck in a classroom all day surrounded by judgmental people. Peter and his friends would get high every day, and he loved it, he looked forward to it, many evenings he would find himself stuck at home, wishing he could just go meet up with them and take a breather. Talking to them was like talking to friends he had known his whole life. They got him, they understood him, and most had come from similar backgrounds. Reese’s parents died when he was four, he’s lived with his grandma ever since. Jade lived with her single dad, never having met her mom. Sam’s parents were separated, he barely saw them even when the court requires him to, and Andy lived with a foster family. They all understood what loss was and what it was like living an unconventional life.“Guys, I scored big time,” Reese said. “I met up with my guy who sells me weed and look what he got me.”He held up a small baggie with white pills in it.Jade started to laugh. “Alright dude, hand em over.”“Chill, I thought we should let our newest member of the group go first.” He smiled.“What are they?” Peter asked.“Oh, you know, just a little Adderall.” He laughed. “You wanna try some?”“Or are you a pussy?” Jade joked.“The weed’s getting a little mundane anyway.” Peter smiled. He grabbed the bag and popped three pills.“Jesus, dude, I just meant one, take it easy.” He looked concerned but all he could do was chuckle.“Tony and Pepper want to have a ‘talk’ with me once I get home, trust me, I’m gonna need it.” Peter laughed.“Whatever you say!” Reese agreed.They continued talking about dumb shit like they always did, escaping the monotony of the day to day. By the time Peter got to the Penthouse, he felt wired. He felt like his bones were going to vibrate out of his skin. Maybe he took it too far by taking too many pills.“Hey, Pete! How was school?”“Fine.”“Well…that’s good I guess.” Tony responded, unsure what to say. “You ready to sit down and have a quick chat?”“Sure.” He sighed, rolling his eyes.Peter was trying to act chill, was he coming off as chill? He couldn’t really tell, everything just felt so fast and unfocused, he thought this was supposed to help you focus not throw you into a panic. Jesus christ they were going to find out he had taken something. They’d never let him leave the house again. He’d be stuck here forever with just Pepper, Tony, and Happy. He couldn’t let that happen, he had to see his friends again.“Well, are you coming?” Tony asked.“Yeah, I’m right behind you.”Tony led the way to the living room seating area. Pepper was already there sitting with her tablet and cup of coffee.“—Tony, I think the shipment of the—oh, hey Peter.” She smiled warmly. “How was school?”“Fine is the answer I got.” Tony butt in.“Yeah, it was fine. So what do you want to talk to me about?” He sat down.“Well, Pepper and I have been thinking, we probably should have started this sooner but we weren’t sure if you were ready, now that things have calmed down a bit, we decided to book you an appointment to see a therapist.”“What?! No! I’m not doing that!”“Peter, just listen.”Peter could feel his heart racing faster and faster as his breathing quickened. No. No, no, no. No one was going to go poking around in his head.“No! It’s ridiculous! I’ve never needed one before and I DON’T need one now!”“There’s no shame in seeing a therapist, especially after everything you’ve been through.” Pepper said softly.“No, I’m not going and that’s final.” He stood up, thinking that maybe if he started walking around he’d stop shaking.“You ARE going, and THAT’S final!” Tony said, standing up as well.“Do you think you’re saving me by doing this?! Is this some weird complex where you always have to be the hero? I thought you wanted to help me, not hand me over to some shrink.” Peter barked back, getting in Tony’s face.“Kid, we are trying to help you! Therapy is going to help!”“And I’m saying it won’t! Do you wanna listen to me or do you want to listen to a fuckin therapist?!”“You better sit your ass down right now or you won’t be seeing anything but the inside of this house for months.” Tony said through gritted teeth.Peter sat down, folding his arms and bouncing his leg up and down to stop the restlessness.“You are going to therapy, for at least a month! We can reevaluate after that, okay?”Peter didn’t say anything, just looked the other way.“Alright you can go to your room now.”Peter got up and marched off. Once he was gone Tony turned to Pepper and sighed. “I’m at a loss, Pep, I don’t know what to do.”“He’s just a kid, Tony, who’s probably still reeling from his loss. We have to just do what’s best for him.”“But how do we know what’s best for him, we’ve never been parents before.”“I know, but…we’ll learn.”There was a pause in the conversation. Tony was thinking.“Something’s been off with him, I don’t know what it is, but…he’s different.” Tony said.“He’s grieving, Tony, cut him some slack.”“You’re right.” Tony said, rubbing the worry out of his brow.“As usual.” Pepper smiled, leaning in for a kiss.“You must be a psychic of some kind.” Tony joked.“It’s definitely possible.” She quipped.Peter was off in his room. He had locked the door and changed his clothes. He put on sweatpants and a hoodie, drawing his hoodie strings around his head. He sat scrunched up on his bed. He didn’t feel good, he felt scared. Was this how he was supposed to feel after taking Adderall? Was it normal? He needed to talk to someone.Reese.He got out his phone and started texting him.Peter: Hey, I’m kinda freakin out manReese: I told you you shouldn’t have taken that many lolPeter: Little late for that now, I’m scared Mr. Stark is gonna find outReese: You’ll be okay, most adults only see what they wanna seePeter: I guess so…I just really don’t feel goodReese: Just take deep breaths, you’re gonna be okay, how about I help you take your mind off it, got anything you want to talk about?Peter: Well, Mr. Stark and Pepper had their talk with me tonight.Reese: And?Peter: They want me to go to a fuckin therapistReese: Dudeee that fucking sucks!Peter: I know, I’m going to lose itReese: Anyway you could just…not show up? Would they know?Peter: Idk, I’ll tryReese: Atta boyPeter: lolReese: Don’t get me wrong, some therapists are great, but if you’re not ready to go, your parents forcing you isn’t going to help you. You need to go when you’re ready.Peter: lol they’re not my parents, but I agree with what you’re saying.Reese: Yeah, so what’s the deal with them anyway? I don’t mean to pry I just know you’re Aunt died and now you live with Tony fucking Stark, makes me pretty curious.Peter: I met Tony a while back through like this internship scholarship thing. We really got close through that, he was like a dad to me, but now since May passed away…idk things have changed. I just feel like such a burden to him and Pepper. I’m glad they took me in…but it kinda felt like they had to. They probably hate me for that.Reese: I doubt they hate you, they probably just want to see the best for youPeter: Yeah…I guess so idk. I just feel like…idk like I just lose everyone. I lose people and then I just get passed off to the next person. Makes me feel like bad luck.Reese: You’re not bad luck, you’re an amazing person. And I’m sorry you keep losing people, it sucks and I wish there was something I could do to helpPeter: You’ve already done so much. You’ve made me feel better than I have in like…forever. I really appreciate you guys taking me in.Reese: No problem, we love having you around dude!Peter: Thx…and thanks for helping calm me down, I think I’m starting to feel betterReese: Yeah, absolutely, let me know if you need anything!Peter: Will do
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Chapter 5:Peter remained distant from Tony and Pepper as the weeks passed. He acted how he thought he was supposed to act, having lost his aunt and dealing with a new environment. Truth be told he was trying his best to act normal. Sometimes being high got in the way of that though. But it was the only way he could cope.His friends understood. They understood how hard it was, and they were helping him through it. What did Mr. Stark and Pepper have to offer him? A fucking therapist. Did they not want to talk to him themselves? They just wanted to pay someone else to do it? He wasn’t going to do that.Peter told Tony and Pepper that the only way he would go to a therapist is if they wouldn’t communicate. He told them this was his therapist, that having them all talk to one another would only make him say less. He didn’t want them knowing what they were saying. Tony agreed apprehensively.After school, or after the time when school was supposed to be done (often times Peter would just show back up when he needed to, having been away with his friends) Happy would pick him up, drive him to his therapist, and drop him off. Peter would make his way into the large office building, waiting several minutes, and then would exit, meeting back up with his friends. His friends would laugh at all the hoops he had to jump through, but it was the price he paid for keeping Tony off his back.Things went on like this for a month. Peter would have Happy drop him off at school, and Peter would meet up with his friends, usually at Andy’s house because it was the closest to school. Peter would continue his escapades throughout the day, making sure to be back in time for Happy to pick him up again.Peter ended up experimenting with a lot of drugs during school hours, anything he could get his hands on, so long as he could just have those moments of unfeeling. Sure the weed was good enough at first, but then suddenly it wasn’t. He had had the Adderall, it was good, he liked it here and there but wasn’t what he was looking for. Jade had let him try Vicodin with her, it was nice. He remembered sitting on the couch with her one day, they snorted it and immediately it was euphoric. He felt free, it was like nothing bad had ever happened to him. Sometimes he couldn’t remember his name let alone the pain that always seemed to stab at him subconsciously.Peter wasn’t stupid. He told himself that over and over again. His friends weren’t stupid either. He knew he shouldn’t have been doing what he was doing. But what else was he supposed to do. Go to school? Get good grades? Act like nothing happened? Wasn’t possible.He liked the drugs because they were different. He knew it was serious stuff, and that’s why he wanted to do them. Serious problems require serious solutions. Having all your relatives die was a fucking serious problem, one that therapy wasn’t magically going to fix. He needed a fix here and now. Oxy, Coke, Weed, PCP, it didn’t matter, he didn’t care, so long as he didn’t have to feel everything. It was Tuesday, supposed to be the last day of going to therapy, except per usual, he wasn’t going. Peter was coming down from a high in Andy’s basement when his phone started to ring—Mr. Stark.“Shit.” *earlier that day*“I think I’m going to call Peter’s therapist.”“I thought we said we weren’t going to talk about Peter with her? It’s unfair to him, us butting in.” Pepper said.“I told him after a month we were going to reevaluate. I need to know what’s going on if he’s so dead set that this isn’t working for him.”“Shouldn’t you communicate that with Peter first?”“He doesn’t have to know everything, this is just for my own peace of mind.” Tony dialed the number.Pepper watched as Tony made the phone call. He was fine at first, then suddenly his expression grew confused, then worried, then angry. He thanked whoever was on the other line and hung up.He rose to his feet, beginning to pace. “I swear to god.”“What is it? What’s wrong?”“Peter never fucking went to those goddamn appointments.”“What? None of them?”“No! On his first day he went in and canceled them! He’s just been having Happy drive him there this whole time!”“Tony, maybe he was just scared, it’s gotta be hard for him to talk about what happened.”“Scared my ass!”“Tony!” She yelled, stern. “Sit down!”He sat.“This kid is dealing with a lot. You can be angry, I don’t care if you’re angry, just don’t take it out on him. Maybe if we just talk to Peter we can get to the bottom of this. There’s gotta be an explanation.”Tony sighed. He knew she was right. Him getting angry wasn’t going to solve anything. Peter probably was scared, going to a stranger, and talking about your feelings wasn’t exactly easy.“I’m sorry, Pep.” He rubbed his face. “He’s just…he’s really been worrying me. I thought the therapist could help him—I want the therapist to help him…but maybe he just wasn’t ready yet.”“I’ll call the school, see if we can pull Peter out of school to talk to him.” Pepper said, placing a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay.” A few minutes go by and Pepper returns, looking more worried than she did to begin with.“What is it, don’t tell me.” Tony got up.“Peter hasn’t been at school either. I guess he forged our signatures to get him out of classes.”“Are you serious?! Alright this has gone too far.”“Tony, don’t lose your temper.”“It’s a little too late for that.” Peter hopped up off the couch and scrambled to gather his stuff.“Where’re you going?” Reese asked.“Mr. Stark’s calling me, I gotta go.”“Why?”“I’d imagine he put two and two together.” Peter knew it was only a matter of time. He knew Tony would never call him during school hours unless something was up, he had probably figured it out.The call dropped and he left a voicemail, telling Peter to get home this instant. Just as Peter suspected. The phone started ringing again.“Fuck, dude, we barely got to hang out!” Jade said.“I know, I’m sorry guys, I’ll catch you later if I don’t get locked away for life.”“Peace, man.” Andy said, putting out a joint.“You want some for the road?” Sam asked, holding up a little baggie with pills.Peter knew he shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t risk taking that into the tower, but he couldn’t risk going without. He knew he was going to need it to survive.He snatched up the bag. “Thanks, dude, I appreciate it.”Reese stood up and went to Peter. “Tell Mr. Stark I’ll beat his ass if he’s mean to you.” Reese laughed, doing a fake punching motion.“I’ll be sure to tell him.” Peter smiled. “Definitely sure you can take on Iron man by yourself.”“I’m positive about it.” He smiled, then suddenly growing more serious. “Be safe, okay?”“Sure thing…” Peter nodded. He was pretty sure Reese was the only one out of the group that understood the severity of the situation.The rest of them said their goodbyes, nonchalant, Peter knowing full well what was about to happen. Peter stepped foot into the penthouse. He had a splitting headache, but even worse, anxiety was making his chest pound. He knew this was coming, but he still wasn’t ready for it. He walked farther in, seeing Tony sitting on the couch, and standing to his feet when he saw Peter. He looked furious.Peter sat his bag on the floor, making eye contact with Tony. Tony motioned for him to sit down insistently.“You know what this is about?” Tony asked as Peter sat down in front of him.“I think so…” He tried to stay calm.Tony scoffed. “You’re lucky Pepper’s not here right now.” He said under his breath. “And tell me, Peter, what is this about?!”“I…I skipped school…”“Not just skipped school, you’ve been CONTINIOUSLY skipping school, and what else?”“I…didn’t go to therapy.”“God, Peter, I’ve tried to let you have your space, but this is ridiculous!”Good. Peter thought. He didn’t know about the drugs.“What have you been doing with all this free time, huh?!”Shit.“I…I don’t know, I’ve just—”“You don’t know?!”“I hang out with friends, okay?!”“And who are these friends?”“Like I’d tell you.” Peter grumbled, folding his arms.“Peter, you’re walking on thin ice, now tell me who these people are.”“They’re people that understand me! That are nice to me! They don’t stare at me like I’m going to break like everyone else in this fuckin’ place!!!”Tony folded his arms, looking taken aback.“Yeah, you don’t think I notice the way everyone here looks at me? Even everyone at school—that’s why I stopped going. I knew it would be the same with the therapist too, why would I even try? I’m tired of feeling like-like I’m just some burden others have to look at. I don’t wanna feel like that!”Tony sighed, finally sitting down across from Peter. “I’m sorry you feel like that, Peter…but it’s still no excuse to skip school and skip therapy and not tell us where you were, do you understand?”“Yeah…” Peter said out of obligation.“Why didn’t you come talk to us about all this?” Tony asked.“I TRIED talking to you about therapy, you wouldn’t listen! You just kept telling me it was what was best for me.”“Because it is!”“See, this is why I don’t wanna talk to you.” Peter said, getting up from where he sat.“Peter, please, sit down.”He did as he was told.“Peter…I know there’s a lot going on…I know I haven’t been the best at this…I’m trying to do good by your Aunt May, but I’ve never been-uh-a parent before…this is all new to me, I just…I just want to see you get better, and I’m sorry if I haven’t helped in the ways you need me to. I’ll try to do better, just…please bare with me.”“Okay.” Peter said solemnly.“Will you tell me? Will you tell me if you need help?”Peter paused. “Yeah…I will.” He lied.“Okay, good.” Tony smiled softly. “I love you, kid.”“Love you too.” Peter said softly, half-heartedly. He did love Tony, he didn’t love the situation though. He was never meant to have this kind of relationship with Mr. Stark. Aunt May was his parent, Mr. Stark was someone he could go to when he needed a break from the day to day, when he needed advice, when he needed to get his mind off stuff.Now…May was gone, and Mr. Stark was the one looking after him, being the parental figure, being strict, enforcing the day-to-day monotony. Mr. Stark wanted him to come to him like he used to, but it was too late for that. He couldn’t. Not anymore.“Peter…there’s gotta be some boundaries set. Some preventative measures put in place.”“Like what?” The anxiety was coming back in full swing.“I’m putting a tracker on your phone.”“What?! Why?!”“Because I can’t trust you, at least not right now. You have to earn back that trust. Happy is going to be taking you to all your therapy appointments and we are going to be in close contact with the school to make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be.” Tony gave Peter a watchful eye.Peter didn’t say anything, he folded his arms and looked away.“You understand why I have to do this, right?” Tony looked almost hurt.“Sure.” Peter huffed. “Can I go to my room now?”“…Yeah, you can go.”“Great.” Peter blurted out.He didn’t know why he was giving Tony such a hard time, he understood, but it didn’t mean he liked it any. The situation just made him feel more and more trapped. But he had to keep his head down. He’d wait until Tony trusted him again. He’d do and say all the right things—all the things Tony wanted him to, and then he’d go back to doing what he was doing before—except this time he’d be more careful. This time he’d cover his tracks. If he made waves now Tony would only make it worse, and he had the resources to do it too.So for now, he hid the drugs away.He would keep his head down—don’t make waves. A couple days go by.He’s miserable, but he’s still surviving.Tony tries to act like everything’s normal, like Peter should be fine, but he’s not. Everything’s not normal. A couple more days go by.It’s been 4 days since he’s had any form of drugs. He thought he could hold out longer, he thought he was stronger than this, but he was just itching to get high. The feeling was awful. He was so miserable he couldn’t handle it. How much longer could he last? The next day…Peter got home from school.Tony and Pepper were away on business, tasking Happy with looking after Peter. Peter told Happy he had a migraine, so he was going to go lay down and sleep it off. Happy believed him, saying he had other things he needed to do and asking if Peter would be okay by himself, Peter happily agreed…He went off to his room.He dug through his dresser drawer, and in the very back, tucked in a pair of socks, a little baggie.
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Peter breathed a sigh of relief, as if seeing the most precious thing in the whole world. Some part of him was worrying if it was even still there, but no, he didn’t have to worry anymore. The anxiety was going to melt away.He opened the bag and popped two in his hand. Oxy. Thank god.He swallowed them with such satisfaction.He collapsed onto his bed, feeling such relief. Even just the feeling of knowing that he was going to get high soon put him at ease. He couldn’t stand the constant worry, the constant anxiety, the constant depression…what was the worst was the survivors guilt. Drugs made him forget just how much he wanted to die…But soon, all those fears and worries dissipated, and he was only feeling what he wanted to feel. The days progressed.Peter’s whole ‘keep your head down’ plan was not going…exactly according to plan. It hadn’t included him doing drugs under Mr. Starks roof, but hey, nothing always goes according to plan.Peter timed it well though. He timed his high’s to where no one would ever see him or suspect a thing. He was slowly but surely putting Tony and Pepper at ease. One day, per usual, Happy had dropped him off at school. Peter was walking to class, trying to steer clear of the pitying glances—which thankfully had slowly started to fade away (Peter could only hope something else had finally caught the school’s attention besides him). Suddenly, he heard something.*pst*He looked around.*PSST*A head poking out of the men’s bathroom caught his attention.Reese.He held up a finger, telling him without words to just give him one minute. Peter went into his next class, then asked to use the bathroom. Being in the bathroom was more excusable than showing up late to class if Tony were to find out.Peter then made his way to the bathroom, eager to see Reese since they hadn’t talked since all of this had happened.When Peter entered, Reese grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, it surprised him—it also surprised him by how much he needed it.“Are you okay? What happened? Me and the group have been worried about you.” He said urgently.“I’m okay, just got into some shit, nothing I can’t handle though.” Peter tried to reassure.“Did he give you hell?”“He put a fucking tracker on me, turned off my service for a little bit so I wouldn’t talk to any of you guys. He just today turned it back on though, so that’s a plus. And he’s making me go to a therapy appointment today. He also doesn’t let me do shit.”“Dude, I’m so sorry, we shouldn’t—I shouldn’t have drug you into all this—”“Hey, don’t say that, I wouldn’t have been able to survive without you guys, this isn’t your fault, it’s Tony’s, he’s the one being an asshole.”“Yeah, but…we shouldn’t have roped you into our bad habits…”“You didn’t rope me into anything, I wanted to, I needed to. Getting high is the only thing that keeps me sane in that stupid tower…” Peter chuckled. “That and knowing I have you—I mean you guys.” Peter suddenly cleared his throat.“We like having you around too.” Reese smiled, running his hand through his dark curls.There was an awkward silence in the conversation until Reese spoke back up.“So, are you actually doing okay or are you just saying that?”“I’m…I’m surviving. I just…I don’t know, it’s been hard. Being in that tower just makes me feel so alone. They don’t treat me like I’m normal. They treat me like I’m a toddler, tiptoeing around me trying to make sure they don’t ‘set me off’ or I don’t know. It’s just so demeaning. And they don’t want to talk about how I actually feel, they just want to talk about how I should feel…it probably sounds stupid.”“No, it’s not stupid. I totally understand where you’re coming from. It’s like parents just think they know you and how you should feel, and they don’t want to treat you like you’re…like you’re just a totally different person from them, you know?”“Yeah…yeah I do.” Peter took a deep breath. “I’m trying to keep my head up but it’s fucking miserable there…”“Yeah, I can imagine.”“Speaking of which, does Sam have anymore Oxy? Or anything for that matter? I really need something to get me through, and I just used my last a couple days ago.”“Sam’s not here today I don’t think, and I don’t have anything right now otherwise I would give it to you, but we’re having a party tonight at Sam’s house if you wanna come, it’ll be at his dad’s house, and I can text you the address if you decide you wanna come.”“I don’t think Mr. Stark would look kindly on asking to go to a party right now.”“That’s why you don’t tell him.” He smiled. “Is there anyway you could sneak out?”“I-I don’t know…”Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know if I should risk it.”“Well, no pressure, if you decide you wanna come just shoot me a text!”“Alright, will do. Thanks for talking with me…I-I really appreciate it.”“Anytime.” Reese smiled, his dimples creasing his tan skin.“I should probably get back to class.”“Oh! I know I said I don’t have any Oxy or anything like that for you, but there is something I do have.” He smiled, pulling a joint out of his backpack.“Hey, I’ll take anything.” Peter smiled. “Thanks, man.”“Alright, I’ll catch ya later!”Peter finishes the school day. He hates every second of it. He used to enjoy school but now it all just seemed so trivial, like none of it really mattered in the end.He walked out to find Happy waiting with the car for him. “Hey, how was it?” Happy asked, trying to keep things upbeat. Peter hopped into the car, dreading what was coming.“It was school.” Peter sighed.There was a pause in conversation as Happy drove them to their next destination.“I know you don’t want to do this Peter, but—”“Please don’t tell me it’s for my own good.”Happy gave a slight chuckle. “Tony’s trying his best.”“So am I, and I just get shit for it.”Happy grew somber. “I know, and I know it’s gotta suck, I’m-I’m sorry you’re having to go through all this.”Peter didn’t say anything else—couldn’t say anything else or he might break down. He couldn’t show up to this place already fucking crying.The car ride was silent the rest of the way.Then they arrived.“I’ll be waiting out here in the car until you’re done.” Happy smiled at him.“Thanks…” Peter said half-heartedly.He walked into the office. He hadn’t been in here since he had canceled his appointments. He waited in the extremely beige waiting room until they called him back.“Hi, Peter, I’m Dr. Hartman, please have a seat.” He smiled, motioning to a brown leather armchair.The room was decorated in red and gold striped wallpaper with little ornamental brass objects here and there—giraffe on the coffee table, a goose in the corner, and also fake plants that needed some dusting. There was rather large bookshelves, all with older books nothing paperback or with book sleeves. Peter wondered if they were for decoration or if he actually read them. The man’s desk was off in one corner of the room, with papers neatly put in their place. Did he have a paper of Peter anywhere?The doctor sat in the chair across from Peter, crossing his legs to reveal his fancy patterned socks and leather shoes.“So, how has your day been, Peter?” He said in his quiet, even voice.“It’s been fine…just school.”“And how have your classes been going?”“They’ve been fine…school’s been fine.” Peter said almost insistently.“So…I was told about what happened with our previous appointments…can you maybe tell me a little about that?”“What’s there to tell? I canceled them because I didn’t want to do this.”“Understood.” The man nodded. “And why is that?”“I’m a teenager…I don’t think any teenager wants some doctor poking around with their head.”“Well, I’d say teenagers are probably the age group that need therapy the most. You’re…coming into your own, developing as a person, trying to figure out your world. It’s hard for anyone, let alone a teenager who’s been through as much as you have…”Peter crossed his arms. He let his eyes wonder the office.He didn’t want to do this.“I’ve heard a little about your backstory from your guardians…why don’t you tell me what’s been going on?”“And what if I say no.” Peter said.“Then we can sit here and talk about anything you want to talk about.”That surprised Peter. The man looked thoughtful, and kind when he said it. Was he playing him? Messing with him? Manipulating? Probably.“I’ll just have you know, though…the less we cover about what’s really bothering you, the less I can help.”“I don’t need help.”“Everybody needs help. It doesn’t always have to be from people like me, but they need help.”“I’ve done fine on my own this long, I can do it without these stupid therapy appointments.”“Can you tell me why you actually don’t want to be here? Aside from someone ‘poking around in your head’ as you put it?”Peter paused, looking around the room. He debated making something up, but in the end he couldn’t.“…Feels like a cop out…”“How so?” The man said inquisitively.“When you’re young…and your guardians, or whatever you want to call them, pay someone to talk to you…it feels like a cop out. Feels like its their way of being like ‘hey, we don’t want to talk to you about what’s going on, so here’s someone we’re paying to take care of the situation.”“That makes sense, I definitely see where you’re coming from. So, you wish they would just talk to you directly?”“I mean yeah…but no. I don’t know, I just wish they would either leave me alone or…I don’t know. I don’t know what I want, I just…”“Do you expect them to know what you want?”“No, but…kinda. I mean, they’re smart people…why can’t they just figure it out.”“I think there comes into play an issue of them wanting to do right by you, and not knowing how, and not wanting to mess things up. They wanted you to see a therapist, not because they don’t want to talk to you, but to make sure you’re getting the help you need.”“I don’t need help! Not from you, and not from them. I-I just want people to leave me alone.”“I don’t think you do want people to leave you alone. I think you say that because you don’t want anyone to get too close. Maybe you’re just afraid of losing more people that you care about.”Peter suddenly looked the man in the eyes, rage filling him, tears welling up.“Fuck you.”Peter had checked out from the appointment, giving one-word answers, or not talking at all until the hour was up. He got out of that room as fast as he could, making a B-line for the car. He hopped in, not saying a word.“How was it?” Happy asked.Peter just looked out the window keeping his rage filled expression.“Oookay.” Happy answered his own question, pulling away.Out of sight, Peter wiped away a tear. Tony watched as Peter practically stormed into the penthouse, walking in a determined way, away from Tony.“How did it go?” Tony calls out after him.He doesn’t answer, just keeps walking to his room.“That bad?” Tony asked Happy.“I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me anything either.” Happy shrugged.Tony sighed, feeling a wait on his chest. He hated seeing Peter like this. Part of him wanted to just cancel the whole thing but he knew he had to stick to his guns. If his father taught him anything it was that you never back down from a fight.Tony got ready, changing into a tux Pepper had instructed him to wear. He adjusted his cufflinks and then went into Peter’s room.“Hey, kiddo.” Tony said softly, looking to Peter as he sat hunched on his bed.Nothing.“Listen, Pepper and I have to go to this charity dinner thing or whatever…will you be okay by yourself? I gave Happy the night off, but if you need him, you can call him, and you can always call Pepper or me, got it?”“Yeah, sure.”“Did everything go okay today?”“I don’t want to talk about it.” Peter slumped even more.“Totally understand…well, Pepper and I probably won’t be back till late, feel free to order a pizza or something and…you can always go down to my lab for a bit if you want to…take your mind off anything. Sound good?”“Yeah…”Tony patted Peter on the arm and smiled. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow, kid.”“See you tomorrow.” Peter responded solemnly.Tony returned to Pepper, she was finishing up putting on her earrings. “Is he okay?” She asked.“I don’t think so…but he doesn’t want to talk to anybody.”“He’ll get better, Tony, I know he will.”“I just hate seeing him like this.” He couldn’t help but look away, feeling tears well up in his eyes.“Hey, look at me.” She smiled softly, grabbing his face.“He’ll be okay…we’re doing everything we know how.”“But what if it’s not enough?”“It’s never enough for the people you care about…” After Peter heard Tony and Pepper leave, he came out from his room. At first, he just laid around the house, not really sure what to do with himself. He knew he had homework to do but he didn’t really care. Then he decided he would order pizza. Eventually it got there, and he ate with ravishing hunger. He hadn’t realized he hadn’t eaten all day.Suddenly he got a text. He looked down at his phone, Reese.Reese: Just checking in and seeing if you were coming tonight!Peter: I don’t think I should…I probably shouldn’t risk it.Reese: Totally understand, I’ll miss seeing you :( catch ya laterPeter threw his phone down on the couch. He hated disappointing him. He wanted to go, but knew it would be back to square one if Tony caught him.He decided to go down to Tony’s lab. Walking in sent a swarm of memories and emotions back to him. He remembered all the times he would come here after school to hang out. He thought he had hit the jackpot, having Tony like him so much—and he liked Tony.It’s not that he hated Tony now, things were just different. Having someone you used to be your friend suddenly tell you what to do, who to talk to, where to go, one could say it put a strain on the relationship. I guess it’s different with parents and family because you grow to expect that. When it happens out of the blue there’s no way to prepare for that. And having to deal with that on top of losing the only family he had left…Peter thought about what the doctor told him… “Maybe you’re just afraid of losing more people that you care about.”How could he say that…He said it so casually…Like saying it wouldn’t send someone into a tailspin.Peter started getting that familiar itch. He needed it. He needed something.He remembers the joint tucked into his pocket and pulls it out. “Better than nothing.” He mutters to himself. He looks around for a lighter. Peter knew occasionally Tony would smoke cigars down here, he had to have one somewhere.He looked all around the lab, looking through drawers and scattered tools on workbenches. He found a box with his name on it. It was filled with stuff he and Tony had been working on…he turned away and just kept looking. Finally, he found one, a small metal lighter engraved with the name Howard Stark. He lit the joint and took a puff. The sent filled his nostrils, coated his tongue, burned the back of his throat in a familiar way.He suddenly found himself halfway through the joint. He hadn’t intended to smoke that much of it, but it made him feel so much better.His eyes began to wonder around the lab, surveying the ‘organized’ genius as Tony liked to call it. When suddenly he spotted it. A camera. Pointed at the lab.Fuck.Peter quickly put out the joint, but the damage had already been done. Friday had probably already alerted Tony about the smoking or something, he didn’t—no, couldn’t remember exactly how it worked. Tony probably put a protocol in place to keep tabs on Peter and make sure he wasn’t doing anything stupid. This was probably classified as stupid.He panicked, he didn’t know what to do, Tony was going to be so mad, so disappointed. He racked his brain for a solution but couldn’t find one.Then suddenly a wave of calm came upon him.There wasn’t anything else to do.Tony was going to be mad.He was going to give him a lecture.He was going to take his phone away—his friends away.There was only one thing left to do.He went upstairs and grabbed his phone.Peter: Text me that address, I think I’m coming after all.He put on his jacket and left.If he was going to get in trouble, he was going to make it worth his while.
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Tony and Pepper were at their charity dinner hobnobbing with the social elites, when Tony suddenly got an alert from Friday, telling him someone had entered his lab. He knew it was just Peter, but he needed an excuse to step away. He told Pepper he would be back in a second, going off to a corner to review the footage Friday had sent him. He watched as Peter walked in sluggishly, then pulled out something from his pocket, Tony couldn’t make out what it was. He searched around a bit and then lit it. It was a joint. Tony couldn’t help but laugh, he didn’t know why. He probably snuck down to the lab to do it ‘in secret’ not realizing the penthouse was the one place he didn’t have cameras. He smirked, putting his phone away, leaving Peter to be a teenager.“What was that about?” Pepper asked when he returned.“I’ll tell ya later.” He smiled, patting her gently on her lower back, going back to discussing god knows what with whoever Pepper said he needed to talk to.***Peter made it to Sam’s dad’s house. It was really fancy and modern looking, something Peter wasn’t expecting. Sam had told him his dad was rich but he didn’t expect this. He racked his brain trying to remember what he told him his dad did. Something with bioengineering? Maybe something with tech? He couldn’t remember.Peter walked into the house, music was blaring and it was so incredibly crowded. He was slightly overstimulated, but he would get used to it.Suddenly Reese met up with him, grabbing a hold of him and giving him a drink.“You made it!”“Yep, I made it.” Peter smiled, feeling a bit awkward having Reese wrap around his shoulder.“What made you change your mind?” Reese asked.“Well…only live once I guess.” Peter said, downing the drink in one go.“That’s the spirit!”An hour in and Peter was drunk and so very high. The music pounded in his ears. He screamed songs at the top of his lungs, dancing in the living room with Jade and a bunch of other people, just trying to let go of all his worries. But suddenly, his head started to hurt. The noise was booming now, and the booze was making him feel too dizzy to keep dancing. He staggered away, opening the sliding glass door onto the balcony. It was quiet, the loudness of the night fading away. Peter sat down on the ground, letting the cool air brush against his face.“Hey.” A familiar voice said.“Oh, hey, Reese.” Peter smiled, rubbing at his eyes.“Yeah, it was just getting too much.”“Yeah, I get it.” He sat down next to Peter.“I…I don’t know why I’m here.” Peter questioned. “I don’t even really like parties.”“Eh, they’re fun, but they can get old kinda quick. I’d rather be hanging out alone with you guys, playing video games, talking, doing whatever.”“Me too.” Peter smiled, he looked over at Reese as he stared into the night sky. Suddenly Reese looked over at him and he quickly jerked away.“Peter…”“Y-yeah?” He said nervously.“Are you drunk?”“Maybe a little bit.”“So am I,” He laughed. “So maybe we can go ahead and get this out of the way while we’re both not in our right minds.”“Wh—”Reese grabbed the back of Peter’s hair and pulled him into a kiss. It was sudden, and it put Peter on edge, but it was amazing. Reese pulled away and looked into his eyes.“I’m-I’m sorry, I just—I just thought”“No, don’t be sorry.” Peter begged. “I…I like you too.”Reese smiled, giddy and excited. “Come on, let’s go somewhere more private.”Reese got up, grabbing Peter by the hand and they pushed through the crowd upstairs into Sam’s dad’s office. It was large and spacious, with lots of cool inventions and things Peter had never seen before. If he wasn’t so distracted maybe he would have taken time to analyze all the things laying around, but Reese quickly pulled him back to the present. He pushed some things aside off the desk, picked Peter up, and put him on the desk. Before Peter could say anything, Reese put a hand on Peter’s face and kissed him again. Peter liked it. He liked feeling the heat of him along his face, he liked feeling his hair brush against him.Peter reached for the bottom of Reese’s shirt, pulling it off him. He let his hand run across his chest. His skin was smooth, warm, and it was exhilarating. Peter hadn’t realized it, but he had never felt this way about anyone before. Just thinking about being with Reese made his heart beat faster.Reese pulled away, taking a breath. He rested his forehead on Peters, and looked him in the eye. Reese’s eyes melted Peter.“Are you okay? With-with this?”Peter smiled. “Shut up and kiss me.”Reese smiled and did as he was told. Reese began pulling off Peter’s jacket, then his shirt. He threw the shirt across the room, not taking his eyes off Peter for a second. Peter’s shirt hit something, they both cringed hearing the noise, and then laughed.Peter began kissing Reese all down his neck.What neither of them realized was the shirt—Peter’s shirt—had done damage having been thrown. It jarred something loose, something that they weren’t supposed to see—a spider.The spider crawled across the floor as the two made out. It scurried up the leg of the desk Peter was sat on. It crawled onto Peter’s hand that was bracing him where he sat.And it bit down, injecting its venom into its victim.“Oh!” Peter yelped.“Oh my god, are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Reese panicked, taking a step back instinctively.“No, no it wasn’t you.” Peter said, holding his hand close. “Something just…just pinched me or something.”“Are you okay?”“Yeah, yeah I think so. What time is it anyway?”“It’s 12:28…you need to go home?”Peter sighed, thinking about what was probably waiting for him. “I don’t want to go home…” He said wistfully.“Don’t.” Reese smiled. “Stay here with me.” He said, wrapping his arms around Peters neck.“I wish I could.”Reese leaned in to kiss him, but suddenly he didn’t feel so good. His ears started to ring, his head pounded, his hands began to shake, his heart felt like it was beating faster and faster. He could feel beads of sweat start to form on his forehead.“I-I think I need to go.”“Oh, okay.” Reese said, looking a little disappointed. “Do you need a ride?”“No, I-I think I could use the fresh air.”“Okay, let me walk you out.”Reese does so, confirming with Peter one last time that he’s sure he’s okay, to which Peter convinces him he is. Peter begins walking back home.Walking it off.Yeah, maybe that would help.But soon, the cool night air sent shivers down his spine. He was so hot, but so cold. His jacket wasn’t enough. He must have had a fever.He continued walking, when suddenly a street vendor calling out sent a wave of pain through his head. He stumbled back.So loud.IT WAS SO LOUD!How could anyone stand that?!The noises of the city erupted in his skull, banging around inside his head. It was dizzying. Was this the drugs? Did he take something he wasn’t supposed to?A guy came up to him, “You okay, kid?”“SHUT UP!” Peter yelled, pushing him away, but one push and the way was several feet away on his back.“What the hell?!” A woman called out.Peter saw what he had done, panicked, and started to run.He didn’t mean to. He didn’t mean to. He didn’t mean to.Too loud. Too loud. Too loud.Things started to jumble togetshau ndhdju jdhu ukio esdfu.Peter collapsed into an alley, grasping at his hair, as if that would ease the pain in his head.“Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop!” Peter chanted.His whole body was shaking now. Was this it? Was he going to die? He had never felt this way before, he never wanted to feel this way again. He needed something—OXY—HE NEEDED OXY TO TAKE AWAY THE PAIN—he didn’t have any. He had forgot to ask Sam for more.Peter began to feel…everything…he could feel the hairs rising on his arms, dust hitting his face, air whistling passed his ears. He was in tune with everything around him. And it was too much. He went to stand, but his legs caved underneath him, he fell down, hitting his head against the pavement, and he fell into darkness.***Tony and Pepper got home at 1:30 a.m. Tony yawned, undoing his tie as they walked in the door. Pepper turned the lights on, taking off her heels as quickly as she could.“Well, I’d say that was a successful night.” She said with sleep in her eyes.Tony scoffed. “If you say so.”“Tony.” Pepper looked at him with annoyance.“Just kidding, just kidding.” He put up his hands, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Everything you do is successful, honey.”“Thank you.” She said with pleasure. “So what happened with that alert with Friday? Nothing serious I assume.”“Nah, nothing serious.” Tony smiled. “Pete just went into the lab for a bit.”“You think he misses being down there with you?” She smiled thoughtfully.“Hmmm, probably not that.” Tony chuckled. “He was down there smoking weed.”“Wait, you’re serious?”“Yeah.”Pepper let out a short laugh. “He really is like a mini you.”“Don’t tell him that, you’d probably upset him.” Tony laughed with her. “I’ll go check on him, see if he’s okay.”Tony walked to Peter’s room, knocking lightly on the door before he entered. When he went in though, his demeanor quickly changed. The bed was still made, no one in it. He started walking frantically around the penthouse. “Friday, where is Peter?”“Peter left the tower at 10:21 p.m.”“Friday! Why didn’t you tell me?!”“You did not put a protocol in place for me to tell you every time Peter leaves the tower.”Tony sighed exasperated. “Thank you, Friday.”“What is it, what’s wrong?” Pepper said, seeing Tony march out of the hallway.“Peter’s gone.”“What?! Where could he have gone to?”“Probably one of his friends’ houses, I’ll find him though.”“I’m coming with you.”“No, I need you to stay here in case he comes home.”Pepper nodded, Tony headed off to his lab, putting on his ironman suit as he instructed Friday to track Peter’s phone. As soon as she got it, he flew off in that direction.“I swear, kid.” Tony muttered to himself. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
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Tony landed in front of a huge house. There were cars all around the block—house party. Tony burst through the door, looking at all the teens spread out across the house, either drunk, or high, or both. None of the teens were in enough of their right mind to give much attention to him.“Where’s Peter? Have you seen Peter?” He asked some of them. They shook their heads, most confused and not even knowing where they were let alone where his boy was.He walked into the living room, and stumbled upon a girl snorting a line of something from off the coffee table. His heart skipped a beat, surely Peter wasn’t involved in this, surely he didn’t make a habit of hanging out with these kids.“Woah, look it’s Ironman!” A boy said.“Hey, that’s Peter’s dad!” One said.“Where’s Peter, I know he’s here somewhere. Just tell me where he is and I won’t hand your asses over to the cops.” Tony wasn’t sure if he really meant that or not…he’d figure it out later.No one answered.“WHERE IS HE?!” He picked up a bottle of booze and threw it at the ground. He didn’t know what made him do it, but to think of Peter of somewhere high on whatever this shit was made his skin crawl.One of the boys put up his hands. “He-he left, okay? Reese saw him leave.”The boy who was apparently named Reese stepped forward, holding out Peter’s phone. “I-I’m sorry, sir, he left his phone here and didn’t realize, but he left around 12, just-just please don’t be angry with him, it was my fault, I wanted him to come.”Tony took the phone.Fuck.Now he had no idea where he was. What good is a tracker if he didn’t have it on him at all times!“Thanks, kid…but me being angry with him is none of your concern.”“Peter’s my friend.”“Some friend you are, getting him mixed up in all this. Just tell me where he went.”The boy named Reese suddenly looked heartbroken. Maybe Tony shouldn’t have said what he said. Pepper always told him his anger would get him nowhere.“H-he said he was going home.”“Great.” Tony muttered under his breath.He walked to the door. “Do me a favor, you guys. Don’t talk to Peter again…and I won’t call the cops and your parents about all this.”The teens looked frightened.Good.With that, he flew off.Tony combed the streets. He had Friday analyze security footage from the subways and bus stations—nothing.Dear god, where was this kid. He was alone in New York late at night, how was he supposed to protect himself?***It was around 5 a.m. when Peter woke up. His head pounded from the hard smack he received hours before. He sat up, trying to reestablish his surroundings. He didn’t know where he was, or how exactly to get back home, he remembered where he came from though. He should go back—find Reese—Reese could help him. But would he be too much of a burden on him?Peter looked at his hands as they trembled. His senses still felt like they were on overload, but things had dulled, the pain was still there but it was more of a soreness, an ache, than a continuous stab.He felt hungover x10, like nothing he had ever felt before.He got up, stumbling in the alley. He could hear voices like they were right next to him, he looked around and saw in the distance there was a couple arguing on their fire escape. Was that what he was hearing? Surely, they weren’t that loud. They didn’t seem like they were yelling.He walked out onto the street, hearing everything. People in cabs on their phones, people all the way down the street, a cat fighting with a pigeon in a dumpster across the street. How was this happening? Was he hallucinating? He’d done it before, but it had never been anything like this.He had to get back to Reese.He walked, all the way back to where the party was. He could only hope Reese was still there—that one of his friends were there to help him. He couldn’t go to Tony like this, he had to get the pain under control first.He made it to the house. Most of the crowd had gone. He knocked on the door, hearing familiar footsteps approach.The door opened.“Oh my god, Peter.” Reese said, pulling the trembling boy into a hug. “You don’t look so good, are you okay?”“I-I don’t know.” Peter stuttered.Reese led him back into the house, helping him down onto the couch. Jade quickly went to Peter’s side. “Babe, what’s wrong, what happened?” She said worriedly.“I-I don’t know if I took something bad or what, but everything hurts—everything hurts really bad.” He said, tears welling up in his eyes. He finally felt the release of being with people who were there for him. He could stop trying to be strong, he could release all his emotions. He started to cry. “It hurts so bad, I’m scared.”Reese sat down next time him, letting Peter fall into his lap, cradling his head.“Shhh, shhh, it’s okay, we’ll help.”“It can’t be anything you took, I took all the same stuff, fuck, I probably drank way more than you too.”“Maybe he’s sick?” Sam offered.“Allergic reaction?” Andy asked.“What do you need, Peter? What can we do to help?” Reese asked.Peter’s eyes opened, looking at Sam. “I need something to help with the pain.” He whimpered.“I gotchu.” Sam said, going to the kitchen to grab what he needed.“Peter, are you sure this is a good idea? What if it hurts you more?”“It’s not going to hurt me.” Peter said, grabbing ahold of Reese’s hand for comfort.“Yeah, don’t be such a pussy just because his dad showed up.” Jade nudged Reese.“Wait, Tony showed up? Are you serious?” Peter asked worriedly, looking at Reese and Jade.“Yeah, he came looking for you a few hours ago, we told him you left.”“Oh shit, fuck me.” Peter said, slamming his eyes shut. “He’s going to kill me!”“It’s alright, dude, he threatened all of us so he probably doesn’t think any of us would touch you with a ten-foot pole.” Andy laughed. “Jokes on him, most everyone was too high to remember it.”Sam came back, holding out a couple pills and a glass of water to Peter. Peter grabbed onto it like is was the most valuable thing he’d ever seen. God, he needed this, he’d been waiting for this. He downed the pills and finished off the water feeling so extremely thirsty.He waited, and waited, and nothing happened. It wasn’t hitting him. The pain still raged on.“It’s-it’s not working, I need more, do you have more?” Peter asked.“Uh, y-yeah, I have more.” Sam pulled out the bag and Peter snatched it up, downing way more than he should have.“Woah, slow down, dude.”“It’s-it’s not working, it has to work, the pain is killing me.” Peter said, eager to stop the feelings.A couple moments went by and he then fell back into Reese’s arms, finally feeling a moment of peace. The time spent in Reese’s arms seemed to go by in a blur. Peter finally felt numb to all his overwhelming senses. Everything finally felt normal, god, he missed this feeling. Feeling nothing except happy.It didn’t last long.“Shit, my dad’s home! Go, get out!” Sam gestured for them to leave, jumping up, picking up the drugs he had laying out in front of him.They all quickly got up, things passed in front of Peter’s eyes like waves of colors. He remembers running but he doesn’t remember how, his legs hadn’t seemed strong enough to carry him. And he certainly doesn’t remember deciding to run and separate from his friends, but then he found himself at the penthouse. His eyes were droopy, his body felt like it was going to cave from gravity as any second. And there he was, the elevator doors opened, and he was in the lions den.He took a few steps forward.Everything seemed to go by in a blur.He felt himself falling.He watched as Tony and Pepper, expressions frantic and worried, ran to him as he began to collapse.Tony caught him … of course he did … he caught him and Peter fell out of consciousness.Gone to the world.***A couple hours had gone by. Tony had doctors come in to check things out, Peter had still not waken up, and they said all they could do was wait.Tony had the urge to just shake Peter until he woke up, screaming at him to tell him what he was thinking, why had he done the things he had done. Pepper talked to him—soothed him. Tony knew his reactions were grotesque and out of hand, he just didn’t know what else to do.“You went through this before yourself, Tony, what good did it do for your dad to yell at you?” She had asked him.He knew she was right.One of the doctors sat down with Tony and Pepper, wanting to go over some of the results they’d found.“Tony, Pepper, we’ve got labs back on Peter.”“And?” Tony asked, taking a step forward in the hallway of the med bay.“He’s got cannabis, oxycodone, and alcohol in his system.”“Oxycodone?!”“Yes, a lot of it.”“Oh my god, oh my god.” Tony started pacing. “So he’s done this before.”“Not necessarily. The way the tests look he is completely healthy and doesn’t show any signs of having done any drugs in the past.”“Take a breath.” Pepper said, putting a hand on his chest. “Is he going to be okay?”“He should be fine, we just have to wait for him to wake up.”“Can I see him?” Pepper asked.“Absolutely.”Pepper hurried away, not waiting on Tony. He took a step forward to follow her but the doctor put out a head, as if asking him for a second of his time. “Something else I think you should see.” He held out a folder. “We ran every test, just like you said, and something is weird with his metabolism and functions.”“Like what?” Tony said with such concern, he then took the folder, looking it over.“His metabolism works at an insane rate, and his cells…they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen.”“Should we run more tests?”“We’ve done everything we can…I think the best course of action is to keep an eye on him, see how he does. We can take regular blood samples to see if anything fluctuates but as of right now…all we know is that his body works differently than the majority of the population.” The doctor let out a small laugh, completely baffled.“Oh, I’m definitely going to keep my eye on him.” His eyes started to flutter, still feeling incredibly heavy. His body felt like it was pinned down, also heavy. He looked around, white and blue walls, monitors, chairs, counters filled by machines and medical supplies. His body was covered by a white cotton blanket. He was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor.What had happened? Where was he? Was he in the hospital? Had he made it to the penthouse? He couldn’t remember… he could barely remember anything. He just remembered fear, anxiety, and pain. Lots of pain.Then suddenly he noticed people sitting in chairs next to him. As he stirred they started to move.“Peter! You’re awake!” Pepper said, reaching up to give him a kiss on the forehead.Tony grabbed his hand, looking him in the eyes with a soft expression. “Hey, kid.”That broke Peter. He started to cry, he didn’t know what happened but he was scared and he was sad. “I-I don’t know what happened.” Peter blubbered, freely admitting. “I-I didn’t—I didn’t mean for-for any of this to-to happen.” He said, closing his eyes and trying to hide his face in his hands.“It’s okay, Peter, shhh.” Pepper comforted him.“You don’t have to explain, right now Peter. Get some rest…it’s been a long night.” Tony smiled at him. And with that he closed his eyes and let sleep take over once more.***Peter slept off and on for several days, floating in and out of consciousness. The doctors had told Tony he was going to be alright, but now suddenly they weren’t sure. They didn’t know what was happening to him, why he couldn’t stay awake. He kept running a fever, they thought maybe he caught something on top of everything else that happened but they weren’t sure.Peter kept feeling like his skin was vibrating. That his insides were on fire. That his brain was bouncing around inside his head, unable to sit still, and he couldn’t stay focused. He didn’t know what was happening to him and he didn’t want to know. Every time he would wake, the doctors would try to keep him awake, Tony and Pepper would try to keep him awake, but it was no use. He remembered in those split seconds of consciousness feeling so much fear and so much pain. It wouldn’t go away.Finally, one afternoon, Peter woke up—actually woke up. His fever had broken, and although he still felt awful, he also felt some semblance of normalcy.Tony was right by his side.“Pete.” He said, his eyes looking a bit frantic.“I-I really hurt.”“I know buddy, we’re trying to give you some morphine, but…”“But, what?” Peter asked. He knew his body was probably so used to the drugs it didn’t influence him. It scared him, having Tony know that.What Tony wouldn’t say is that Peter’s metabolism has completely changed. It burns through everything so quickly that nothing will be effective.“It’s…it’s complicated.” Tony sighed.Peter kept his mouth shut. He knew Tony was probably beyond disappointed with him. He began to worry what Tony would do, lock him up for good? Throw him out on the street? He wouldn’t be surprised—but no, Pepper wouldn’t let him do that—besides, he seemed relatively calm now, surely things wouldn’t get worse case scenario.***A few more days went by, the doctors had cleared Peter and he was able to move about like he normally would. They said he was fine…but he didn’t feel fine. Of course, he wouldn’t tell any of them that, he needed to be able to get out of that hospital bed. He still felt like his skin was tingly, that his brain was bouncing around. His senses as a whole just felt like they were on overdrive. He could feel things…and sense things. He realized he didn’t even need his glasses anymore, his vision was so much better, and so was his hearing. He didn’t know what had happened that night, but he feared Tony finding out.It soon came time for the sit down. Peter, Tony, and Pepper all took a seat at the dining table. Peter kept his mouth shut, not wanting to divulge anything if they didn’t happen to know it already.“Peter…we obviously want to talk about what happened that night. Why did you go off without telling anyone?”“I…I saw your camera in the lab, I knew I’d get in trouble for smoking, so I just left…I-I was tired of doing everything you wanted me to.”“Okay, and then what happened?” Pepper asked.“I went to my friend’s house…we…we did what you do at parties. I started to not feel well so I…I was gonna come back here…” He started to stutter, this is where he was getting a little hazy. “I-I think I fell down, I hit my head.” He said, grabbing his head as if to react. “I don’t…I don’t really remember anything else.” He said, looking to both of them as if to ask them to fill in the gaps.“You came back here early in the morning, we got the doctors to check you out…and…” Tony hesitated. “You had weed, alcohol, and oxy in your system… does any of that ring a bell?”“…Yeah…yeah I think so.” Peter said solemnly.“We know you haven’t done drugs before, because you don’t have any signs of it, we just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”This surprised Peter. They didn’t know? He had been doing drugs for a while now, and it didn’t show? He knew all the drugs he’d done before wouldn’t still be in his system but he knew there had to have been some consequences to his body’s functioning—but nothing, it didn’t show up.“Peter, were you pressured into taking drugs?” Pepper asked softly.“No, no, I just… I don’t know…I don’t remember what happened.”“You had a lot of Oxy in your system, way too much for someone to take and still survive.” Tony said, looking him dead in the eye. “Peter, did anything else happen that night?”“No, nothing else…I just remembered going into that alley. I think I was there until I woke up and wandered here.”“Okay.” Tony said, backing off a bit. “Regardless…I don’t want you talking to those kids ever again.”“What?! You can’t do that!”“Peter, they almost got you killed. We could have lost you.”“It was my decision, it wasn’t their fault, don’t blame them!”“I don’t care who’s fault it is, they aren’t good for you, and you shouldn’t see them.”Peter stood from the table, feeling panicked. “THEY’RE ALL I HAVE!”That made Tony flinch.All he had.Was that really what he thought?“I’m sorry, Peter…my decision is final.”“See, this is why I ran off, I don’t get to have anything of my own around here, I can’t even make any decisions for myself.”“You’ve proven yourself untrustworthy multiple times, how am I supposed to let you make your own decisions?!”“Guys, just calm down, emotions are high, we all just want what’s best for Peter, right Tony?” Pepper said, grabbing ahold of Tony so he wouldn’t do or say anything rash.“Peter,” Pepper began. “I know it seems unfair. I know it seems like we’re trying to ruin your life, I promise we’re not. There’s been a lot of stuff happening lately, and we don’t want to lose you. We-we were so scared you weren’t going to make it out of this but here you are. We just don’t want something like that to happen again, does that make sense?”“Yes…”“Tony, he needs friends…if Peter says he needs them, he needs them, you have to listen when he’s communicating to you.”“Okay…but we want to meet everyone you’re talking to and hanging out with. The only place your allowed to hangout is here and school, okay?”“Okay.” Peter agreed.They finished up their conversation and Peter began heading off to his room. Tony followed after him.“Peter,”Peter turned around.“I’m…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for giving you a hard time, and I’m sorry for always being…angry. I’m just so worried about you, and I don’t…I don’t want to see you go through the same things I did when I was your age.”“Like what?”“I started doing drugs with my friends too… my dad helped me get out of it, but…the only reason I did them was to stop…feeling like a disappointment to him. I felt so much stress from home that I just…I had to do something to stop it. I should be more understanding of you, I know that, I just get so caught up in what the right thing to do is. So just tell me… what do you need from me?”Peter was… confused, and also angry. He didn’t know what he needed, and he almost felt like Tony should know. But then this just went back to his fuckin therapy session—not knowing what he wants from them, not knowing if he wants them to leave him alone or be there for him whenever he needs them. Finally, he came down to a decision on what to say.“I just need you to listen.”“O-okay. I’ll do my best. If I listen to you, will you just be honest with me?”“Yeah…I’ll do my best.”
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In the weeks to follow, Tony kept a careful eye on Peter. He continued to have tests run on Peter but he couldn’t do too many without raising a lot of suspicion. He debated telling Pepper about his findings, and how unreal the test results were—nothing like he’d ever seen—but he didn’t want to rope her into this. He would wait until he gathered more findings and then he would tell her when the time was right. As for Peter, he couldn’t really tell if the boy knew or not.He knew Peter was hiding something, but it could have been anything, it could have just been his true feelings about his situation.Tony knew he’d fucked up. He’d fucked up a lot in his life.This was his chance to be a dad. To do something good—to be something good, for Peter. He knew Peter hated him right now, but he wanted to keep him safe. If Peter couldn’t keep himself safe, it was up to Tony. Peter had actually seen a slight change in Tony. He was a bit softer. Pepper had talked to him and got him to lift quite a few of the restrictions. He still had the tracker on him, instructed to keep it on him at all times, but other than that he was given a little more freedom. Tony had also booked out all the usual therapy appointments, but told Peter he didn’t have to go, that they would be there when he did want to go. That, Peter appreciated. He couldn’t say he forgave Tony for all the shit he had given him before, but things were getting better.Peter knew he needed to do away with the drugs, but every time his friends offered it to him at school…he just couldn’t say no. It was right there! Staring him in the face! He had to take it—had to have the chance to not feel again. His friends were beginning to question him though, why had it been taking SO much more for him to get high? It wasn’t normal.But Peter couldn’t tell them. He didn’t quite know himself. Until Sam mentioned something one day after the party. They had just sat down to eat lunch in the cafeteria.“Hey, were any of you guys in my dad’s office that night?”Reese and Peter exchanged guilty glances, neither of them having the courage to tell the group what had happened that night between them. They had barely discussed it themselves.They all shook their heads no.“Why, what’s up?” Reese asked.“Oh, some stupid ‘experiment’ or whatever went missing. I guess it’s pretty important, my dad’s bosses are shitting bricks about it being gone. It’s probably pretty dangerous.” Sam said, poking absentmindedly at his food.“H-how dangerous?” Peter asked, feeling his hand quiver.“Don’t really know, I just assume.”Reese quickly changed the topic after that, not wanting to draw suspicion, but Peter knew.He knew that whatever that experiment was, it had got out. And it had changed him.Soon, the bell rang and Peter flinched, feeling the sounds pulse through his body like it was going to shatter him—he still couldn’t get used to it. It made it worse that he was already high strung from the topic of conversation.“I don’t feel so good.” Peter said, bracing himself against the table, looking white as a sheet.“Do you need to go see the nurse?” Jade asked, looking concerned.“No, no, I’ll be fine.” Peter smiled a bit, trying to hold it together. The students around him were getting louder and louder. Everything was so loud it was like it was going to explode his brain.Peter ran off, he needed to find a quiet place, he needed to be alone, but what if the noises would never stop. What if they went on and on and on and on forever? What would he do? He could hear his own heart beat louder and louder. He burst into the boys bathroom and locked himself in the handicapped stall, slouching down on the floor and trying to steady himself.Not a moment later, Reese had followed.“Peter? Are you okay?”“It’s-it’s okay, Reese, just go back to class…I’ll be fine.”Reese slid under the stall door, on the floor right across from Peter. “I’m not leaving you. You can talk to me or we can just sit here until you feel better, sound good?”Tears began streaming down Peters cheeks. “I’m sorry.” He cried.“Hey, hey, you have nothing to be sorry for, okay?”“I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I-I don’t feel right.”“What do you mean?” Reese said, scooching in close, they were practically sitting in each other’s lap.“Everything feels wrong! I’m not normal, things don’t feel normal anymore, everything is just too much. At first I thought maybe it was just anxiety—lots of anxiety—but it’s not that. There is physically something wrong with me, things have changed and I don’t know how to describe it. My senses are overloaded constantly. I’ve been taking some Vicodin to help me get through it, but I don’t have any more and it’s all flooding back…I’m-I’m scared.”“It’s okay, hey, you’re gonna be okay.” Reese cupped his face, trying to wipe away some of the tears. “Here, take this.” He offered some pills he pulled out of a baggie.Without a second thought, Peter took them, continuing to shake. “I’m sorry, Reese, I-I feel like such a burden.” Peter cried.“You’re not a burden, do you hear me? You’re struggling and I’m here to help, no matter what.”Peter leaned into his body, feeling Reese’s warmth. “I wish I didn’t feel like this, I-I just want to be normal.”“I’m not normal either…what’s so bad about that?” Reese smiled.Peter smiled back, wiping away more tears. “I…I think we should hang out after school. I need to talk to you about some things…and show you some things.”“Interesting and mysterious, okay, I’m in.” Reese smiled.Was it a mistake telling Reese all the things he had been feeling? All the things his body was capable of? Shit, he didn’t even know all he was capable of. But Reese was the only person he could tell. The only person that made him feel safe and loved, like more than just some orphan boy, like a whole person. Tony may have been getting better, but he was still enforcing restrictions, still treating his friends like criminals, still treating him like a poor little orphan boy who’s lost his way. The past couple weeks would not make up for the months of grief Mr. Stark had given him.Peter decided he needed to phone home per Mr. Stark’s new rules if he wanted to go have some free time with Reese. So that’s what he did. It rang and rang, except he didn’t answer. Figured.He wasn’t going to wait around for Mr. Stark to pick up the phone. He got into that tracker Tony had put on his phone. It was easy to hack into, he was honestly surprised Tony hadn’t made it harder for him. He quickly rewired his location to be set at the school even if his phone was moving. Easy.Just then Reese came down the stairs of the school, smiling at Peter as they met up.“Well? Where are we going?” Reese asked.“I don’t know, I was hoping you’d know a place. Somewhere private and…maybe a little bit spacious?”Reese looked at him quizzically. “Alright, weirdo, I think I know somewhere.”Reese took Peter out to a large alley behind an abandoned factory, it wasn’t extremely far from the school, but far enough away Peter felt safe from Tony. Dingy dumpsters lines the alley, there was trash and pallets and scrap metal laying about. And thankfully, there was no one around.“Alright so what are you gonna show me?”Peter’s hand started to shake. He wanted to tell him everything, and show him, but he couldn’t help the fact that he was nervous.“You-you know how Sam was talking about his dad’s office?”“Yeah…the experiment or whatever?”“Yeah…I think I know what happened to it—at least partly what happened.”“Okay…”“Whenever my shirt hit something…it must have knocked the experiment over…and it somehow found its way to me. I think that’s what bit me whenever I flinched—that’s what started to make me feel wrong.”“Oh my god…” Reese look terrified, he didn’t want to even think about the possible danger Peter could be in. “Is it making you sick? Are you dying? What’s happening?”“I don’t think it’s make me sick… it’s just… changing me. There’s things I can do now, that I couldn’t do before. It’s been healing me I think. I don’t even need glasses anymore.” He let out a soft chuckle, glasses were the least of his worries though. “It’s changed my metabolism I think too. That’s why—”“It’s been taking you so much to get high.” Reese butted in.“Yeah, it’s also heightened my senses. I can hear and see things I shouldn’t be able to. I can sense things before they happen—I’m still getting used to all that, and…it can be really overwhelming sometimes.”Reese looked dumbfounded.“I’m…” Reese hesitated.Peter didn’t know what he was going to say. Was he going to call things off between them, whatever they had? Was he going to say he feared him? Was he going to tell the authorities?“I’m so sorry you’ve been having to go through this.” He sighed, reaching out to grab Peter’s hand.Peter smiled, feeling his chest finally let him breath.“I…can also do other things.” Peter nervously walked over to a large piece of scrap metal and picked it up with ease. “It gave me like super strength or something, and also…” He went over to the side of the building near them and braced his fingers against the walls, testing out the grip, then he began to climb up, just a little bit—he didn’t want to go too high, at least not yet.“Dude.” Reese said, then suddenly a smile spread across his face. “You’re a fuckin superhero!”“I don’t know about that.” Peter laughed, jumping back onto the ground.“You have super strength, you can climb up walls, and you have super senses…I think that qualifies as a superhero.”“I don’t understand what it was that bit me…I just wish I knew more.”“Should I ask Sam?”“No! I don’t want to draw any suspicion…I can’t risk anyone finding out.”“So you haven’t told anyone at all?”“Just you.”Reese blushed. “I’m honored.” He smiled. “I’ll protect your secret until the day I die.” He saluted him in jest.It made Peter laugh, a warm and genuine sound.“Wow.” Reese smiled.“What?”“You’re awfully cute when you laugh.” He smiled again.Peter blushed. “Shut up.”Reese pulled Peter into a kiss. It was soft, yet passionate. Peter loved the feeling of Reese’s hand on the back of his head when he kissed him, like he was cradling him for a blow that wouldn’t come. He would only ever be met with those soft lips against his.Suddenly a sound could be heard from across the alley. Both of them quickly pulled away to see what it was. Three men began approaching them. It registered in Peter’s mind that Reese knew who they were. He instinctively grabbed Peter’s hand, and went to turn in the other direction, only to be met with three more guys on the other side.“H-hey fellas.” Reese stuttered, trying to keep an eye on all of them. “What’s up?”“I think you know what’s up…” The leader of the pack said.“I-I know, I just need to talk to Sam—”“We don’t wanna talk to Sam, we wanna talk to you. YOU’RE the one that owes us money.”In a muttered tone, Peter asked, “Ree, what’s this about?”“Don’t worry, I can handle this.” He tried to reassure.“You sure about that? Cus from where I’m standing it doesn’t look too good.”“Look, I needed the money to help pay for my grandmas medical bills, I swear, I wasn’t trying to cheat you, I’m gonna get you that money back.”“I don’t care what the fuck you needed it for, it’s payday and I’m here to collect!” The guy began to shout.The gang of guys began closing in. “And if you don’t have it… maybe I’ll just have to take it out on your little boyfriend here.”“No!” Reese shouted.One of them reached out to grab Peter, but before Peter even realized what was happening he had flipped the guy over, his back slamming against the pavement.“What the fuck?!” One of them yelled.“Two can play at this game.” The main guy yelled. He grabbed his gun, beginning to aim it at Peter. Peter quickly pushed Reese out of the way and began dodging the oncoming attacks. The main guy kept trying to get a clear shot but his own men were standing in the way of his target. Peter was knocking them down one by one, struggling to get a feel for his own strength. A couple guys he ended up throwing into the side of the building, not realizing how much force he was exerting.Then suddenly the more and more he exerted himself, the more he could feel the effects of the drugs he had taken earlier. He started to slow. He started to feel hazy.Protect Reese.Just protect Reese.With most of the men on the ground, fighting to get back up to make another attack, Peter knew they had to go. Reese had been busy trying to fight for the gun out of the one guy’s hand. The man finally batted Reese off as Peter reached down to grab his hand and begin running. The man fired at them as they were fleeing. The sounds of the gun going off made Peter’s heartbeat faster and faster.Too loud.Way too loud.Peter checked Reese as they rounded the corner to make sure he hadn’t been shot or grazed with any bullets. He was perfectly fine.“We have to get out of here, they’re coming!” Reese said.“I-I don’t feel good…I don’t think I can go far.”Reese looked to the factory. It had been locked up for years, no way of getting inside it, otherwise someone would have claimed it as their terf a long time ago. But there is one thing no one had tried.“The roof.”“What?!” Reese asked.Peter grabbed Reese by the waist, holding on tight, and he began scaling the wall. It took a lot out of him, but it wouldn’t be for too much longer. He just needed to make it up there and he could rest. There was no way those nitwits were going to find a way up here, let alone know they were there.They finally made it to the roof, and just as they did the gang had rounded the corner to find no trace of them. They ended up just continuing to run, hoping they could find the two boys that had escaped them.“Peter! That was incredible! I’ve-I’ve never done anything like that, usually I just get my ass beat, but that! Wow!”Peter began to stumble, feeling like he might fall over at any second.“Woah, Peter, are you okay?” Reese questioned, trying to help Peter stay on his feet.“I-I think I need to rest somewhere.” He said, hugging his stomach. He suddenly felt really dizzy and cold.“O-Okay, lemme try to find a way inside from up here.”Reese looked around, eventually finding the door that led down from the rooftop into the actual building. It was padlocked, but it was rusty and in rough condition. Reese picked up a broken piece of cinderblock from nearby and banged it against the lock. One…Two…Three! The lock crumbled. He opened the door, hearing the metal of the hinges squeak.Reese scooped Peter up and led him down the stairs. Down the staircase they found a hallway of the top floor lined with a couple dingy office spaces. Reese opened the door to one, finding a small, dilapidated kitchen and a room connected which houses a desk and a dusty old couch. Reese placed Peter down gently on the sofa.“Is this okay?” Reese asked worriedly.“Perfect.” Peter smiled through the pain.“I wouldn’t call it that.” Reese laughed. “This place looks old as shit.”Peter tried to make himself comfortable, suddenly wincing as he moved back on the couch.“What is it? What’s wrong?”Peter moved his arms away from his stomach, feeling that that was where the pain was coming from.“Oh my god! Peter, you’re bleeding!”“Figures…” He gave a slight chuckle. He didn’t know why he was being so calm. Most definitely the drugs.Reese knelt down, slowly pulling up his shirt. From Reese’s face Peter could tell it was bad. “You-you’ve been shot—it’s-it’s bleeding.” Reese looked rather pale.“C-could you find me something to stop the bleeding?” Peter winced.Reese looked all around, finding a couple old pieces of clothing that he packed against the wound.“What do I do? What do we do?!”“I-I don’t know, just give me a second.”“We-we should call 911.”“And tell them that we got caught up with some drug dealers? No.” Peter said, batting away the idea.“Okay, well then at least let me call your dad.”“NO!”Reese flinched. “But, Peter—”“No, he’d kill me if he found out what happened, we can’t.”“But Peter, what are we going to do?” Reese’s eyes began to well up, looking down at the wound. “What happened to the super healing?”“Well, I imagine it makes it hard when there’s a bullet stuck inside your body.”“So we need to get it out?”“Preferably.” Peter gave a slight smile.“Don’t act smug, this is serious!”“Hey, they were your friends that shot me.” Peter gave a slight smirk. Even though he was in pain he couldn’t resist the urge to poke fun at him.“Oh, shut up.”“Okay, here’s what you need to do. Find a first aid kit, there’s gotta be one around here somewhere, and I need something for the pain—anything.”“I…I don’t think I have any, but I’ll start looking for the first aid kit.” Reese got up and started to look around, eventually traveling to the other rooms to see if he would have any success there.“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Peter muttered under his breath. Anxiety began to build in his chest.Nothing? Nothing to dull the pain? Could he do this?He had to.If they didn’t take the bullet out now who knows what would happen, the skin could heal around it and then how would he get it out?No.He had to, but it didn’t mean he was happy about it. He began to grow more and more angry. He was overwhelmed by the pain. Overwhelmed by the pain to come. He didn’t want Reese to see him like this but he supposed there was no other choice.Reese returned with the supplies.“Found one!”“O-Okay.” Peter tried to breath steadily. “I, I won’t be able to see well, so I need you to take those tweezers in there…and pull out the bullet.”Reese looked terrified. “Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to call someone, I don’t have to—”“Reese!” Peter grabbed his shaking hand with his. “You can do this.”“O-okay…”Reese grabbed the tweezers and took the cloths away from his wound. He began pulling up Peters shirt. It was wet and sticking to his skin. If Peter didn’t know any better he could have sworn Reese swallowed down his own vomit looking at it.“Shouldn’t I have gloves for this?” Peter gave him a look. “Right…”The pain began to intensify.It burned.Felt like something was carving out his insides.He tried holding it back, but he eventually just screamed.He screamed so loud it hurt his own ears.Then he blacked out. ***When Peter woke up Reese was laying asleep right beside him. He looked down at his stomach, pulling away the blood-soaked cloths to reveal no sign of a wound. Wow. That would never stop being weird. Reese soon awoke as well.“Hey, how are you?” He said groggily.“I’m okay, I’m assuming I passed out?”“Yeah…”“And you got the bullet out?”“Yeah, I debated stopping once you went out but figured it was best that I keep going.”“Thanks.” Peter smiled. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”“Don’t apologize, I’m the one that should be sorry, I got you into this mess.”“It’s okay…I don’t mind. You…you said your grandma has medical bills?”“Yeah…I got them paid off, it’s just…still owe those guys money.”Peter nodded.“So…what’s next?” Reese asked.Peter looked at his phone. Twenty missed calls from Tony. Twelve from Pepper. Ten from Happy. And text messages that went on for forever.Peter call me.Peter, where are you?Did you change your location?PETER WHERE ARE YOU?!PETERPETER, ANSWER ME!! “I’m not going back.”“What?”“I don’t want to go back to the penthouse.”“I thought things had gotten better?” Reese asked, grabbing his hand for reassurance.“It-it had a little bit, but…I just can’t take it anymore. I feel so trapped there, like I can’t do anything right. I can’t do it.” A tear slipped down his cheek.“Hey, it’s okay.” Reese smiled softly, wiping away the tear for him. “I think I might know of a place.” Reese directed him into a one room apartment. The walls looked like they were withering away and there was a damp smell to the place, but all that mattered was that it wasn’t anywhere near Tony.“Who’s is this? You and your grandma’s?”“No, we live closer to school. No, this is my stepsisters! She’s gone to Nebraska to be with her mom, asked me to look after the place while she’s away.”“How long will she be gone?”“Not sure but I doubt anytime soon. So…the place is ours! Well, more specifically yours if you want it.”“You’re amazing, thank you so much.” Peter smiled, feeling overjoyed. Finally, a way to be out from underneath Tony’s thumb. Peter walked over to a desk that sat in the corner. There was a computer and a makeshift lab. “Woah, your sister has some really cool stuff!”“Yeah, she majored in Computer Science and Chemistry I think, something along those lines, I can’t remember.”Peter analyzed her stuff. Some of these things Tony even had in his labs. But nothing was advanced as Tony’s was.“So, what do you wanna do?” Reese asked.“Does your sister have any weed?” Peter chuckled.“Of course, she does.” Reese laughed. “You ask stupid questions, Peter.” *** “I’ve done everything I can, sir. Unfortunately, I do not see any sign of Peter.”“Fuck!” Tony yelled. He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes and trying to think. “A-alert the police. Put out a missing persons case on him.”“Yes, sir.” Friday responded.“Nothing?” Pepper asked.“Nothing. I don’t know how he changed his location or why I can’t find him on any of these cameras in the fuckin city!”“Wh-what if he’s out there, hurt. What are we going to do?”“I put a missing persons alert out on him…”There was a lull in the conversation.“Pepper, I don’t know what happened… what did I do?” Tony felt tears welling up, but then his expression went hard. “I should have never loosened up on him, I should have enforced more rules, I should have been more rigid.”“Tony—”“No! I-I shouldn’t have let up on him, it was stupid of me to think I could trust him.”“TONY!” She yelled. “Stop…you need to stop. What good is it saying what you should have done. You’re so focused on doing the right thing that you lose sight of Peter! He’s just a boy. How many times do I have to tell you that he is just a hurting kid who needs our help?”“I’m…I’m sorry, Pepper. But if I find him, when I find him…I’m not letting him out of my sight.”
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Tony sat at his desk in his lab, reviewing Peter’s passed test results. They completely baffled him, something wasn’t right, he needed Peter’s previous files to compare. He looked into some records and files that had been given to him when they became Peter’s legal guardians. His Primary Care provider was based out of a small office in Queens. It was a family practice, apparently Peter’s parents had been friends with them for a long time. The doctor had since retired and the practice had shut down, he wasn’t sure if anyone still had his medical files on hand anymore. They had to be on file somewhere. He emailed the contact information that had been attached to their website that was still up. He would just have to wait.Tony was also keeping tabs on every security camera in the city, if Peter was walking around out there he’d find him.The fact that as the days went on and there still was no sign of Peter… just made him more and more worried.Pepper could be right.He could be hurt, or…He couldn’t think about it. He just had to hope the things he said to Peter would stick in his brain. And if not, he hoped Peter would slip up on one of the cameras, and he could track him down. *** Days had passed and Peter hadn’t ventured out of the apartment. He knew Tony would be looking for him and he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of catching him.In his free time he began experimenting with the stuff Reese’s sister had on hand, he would also request Reese bring him things if he could.Peter began by making web shooters. He got the idea whenever Reese yelled at him for “crawling up the wall like a fuckin’ spider.” He could sometimes freak Reese out but it only made them both laugh in the end.Once Peter got the formula for the web fluid right, it was a piece of cake.He began taking everything Reese said about this superhero stuff to heart. Maybe he had these powers for a reason, maybe he was meant to do something with them.One night, Reese and Peter had curled up on the couch together, watching TV. The past couple days had really brought them together—why wouldn’t it—Peter saved Reese’s life, Reese saved Peter’s, they were indebted to one another.They were watching some TV show Reese had always wanted to watch with Peter, when Reese decided, he was going to get up and go make popcorn. When he did, he had accidentally changed the channel without either of them really realizing it because Peter had been looking at his phone during the commercial breaks. Reese was in the kitchen area when suddenly the news came on. Peter looked up. It was a breaking news headline, saying a man responsible for a string of burglaries had finally been taken in and was in police custody.Peter’s hands began to shake. The rest of his body went rigid, and the color drained from his face.The mugshot they showed.He knew it all too well.He had tried to block it from his memory, so much so it was hard to tell the sketch artists what exactly he looked like, but coming face to face with him now. He knew without a doubt.Eventually Reese returned to his seat.“What happened to the show?” He asked, sitting down.“N-nothing, I think I accidentally changed the channel or something.” Peter changed it back quickly.“You okay? You look a little pale.” Reese asked, feeling Peter’s forehead.“I-I’m fine.” Peter batted him away. “I think I probably just need to go to bed.”“Do you want me to stay with you?” Reese asked, getting up.“No, it’s okay, go back to your grandma, I’ll be okay by myself.” Peter tried for a smile, he needed to make Reese think he was okay.“Okay, if, you’re sure.”“I’m sure.” Peter smiled again, grabbing the boy’s hand, and bringing it to his lips to kiss it.Reese smiled, blushing slightly. He bent down and kissed Peter on the forehead. “I’m only a phone call away.”“Thanks.”Once Reese had packed up some of his things he had brought over he was wishing Peter goodnight, locking the door behind him.Peter wasn’t about to go to bed though. He knew what he needed to do. He had these powers for a reason…He would put them to good use. *** Peter stood outside the police station.There was a chill in the air and it was pouring rain.He wore all black, pulling his hood up over his head. He needed to focus on keeping his head down, no one could see his face. That’s why he decided to wear a mask. He had already been working on one to help focus his vision, and now was the perfect time to test it out.The holding cells had to be towards the back of the building. He made it to the back alley, walking passed some of the cop cars.He didn’t really have a plan, he was running on instinct and most importantly anger.He found a way in through the ventilation system. Once he was inside, he found it easy to maneuver around the building where no one saw him. Whether it was climbing on the ceiling or sensing when people were coming and hiding.Walking through that building felt like a blur to Peter.He kept imagining what he would do once he found him, what he would feel, how the man would react. Would he laugh in his face? Or would he beg for his life? Peter hoped it was the latter.Walking through, Peter stumbled upon the evidence locker. The door was locked, but Peter imagined all the drugs that were hidden away in there. He probably wouldn’t have to ask Reese for any for who knows how long. The temptation got the better of him. He broke the lock on the door and went in. He grabbed a bag from one of the shelves and began going through it, filling it to the brim with whatever he desired.“Okay, now just find that pig.” He whispered to himself.He searched the halls, and he finally found it.He found the cell.As he walked up to the cell door the man looked at him.“Who the hell are you supposed to be?”Peter didn’t respond, he just stood there.What was he going to do? Talk to him? Kill him?No time to decide, he hadn’t been paying attention.“Stop right there!!!”The police.“Put your hands in the air!” They yelled, drawing their guns.Peter turned, feeling exhaustive anger set in.“I don’t think so.”Peter ran, launching himself off the wall and taking down the officer.Another came up, firing at the boy, all of which Peter dodged. Once his bullets were out, Peter calmly took him by the neck and slammed his head against the wall. He didn’t bat an eye at the blood coming from the man’s head.“Shouldn’t get in my way.”He could hear more coming. He ran back to the man’s cell, at this point he was backed into the corner. “I-I don’t know what you want from me, please don’t hurt me.”Just what Peter wanted to hear.“You’re coming with me.” Peter had snagged one of the cops handcuffs and slapped them on his wrists. Peter grabbed the man forcefully and ushered him out of the cell. They began to run, having the entire police station chase behind them.While it made for a challenge, Peter got out with few scrapes and bruises. He pulled the man along behind him. He took him to the abandoned warehouse, all the way to the roof.The rain was still pouring overhead, they were both soaked.“Wh-what is this about man, please just tell me what’s going on.” The man yelped like a whining puppy.“What’s your name again?” Peter asked, pacing slowly back and forth in front of him.“It-it’s Andrew.”“Well…Andrew…you haven’t paid for what you’ve done…and I don’t trust the cops to do what needs to be done.”He hit the man square in the jaw. He fell over. Then Peter kicked him in the stomach, again, and again, and again. Every time he kicked him he saw May. He saw her, bright, glowing, and bubbly. And then he saw her bleeding out on the ground in front of him.Tears began to well up in his eyes.“Pl-please, I’m sorry, I don’t even know who you are.” The man put up his hands, trying to get him to take pity on him.“Oh, you don’t know who I am?” Peter ripped off his mask. “What about now, do you remember this face?”The man looked at him—really looked at him.“You…you’re the boy from…”“You killed her.” Peter cried. “You killed my entire world!”“Kid, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean—”“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU MEANT TO DO, YOU KILLED HER!” He kicked him in the face. He just kept kicking, and he couldn’t stop screaming. It was a deep intense scream, full of agonizing pain. Peter could feel it all. It felt like the first time he realized he wouldn’t see May again. The first time he realized they would never go out to dinner again, they would never get to talk about any of the important things, she would never be there to see him grow up, or see him go on his first date, or watch him get his first job, or a place of his own. And she wouldn’t get to live out the rest of her life, she wouldn’t get to find love again, or travel, or impact lives by just being there, or even fucking retire, she was lost to the world. All her potential, all her life, all her joyousness—gone…forever.She was gone.“YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH, YOU KILLED HER! YOU MURDERED HER!!!”“Ple—”“SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU DID, YOU TOOK HER! YOU FUCKIN TOOK HER!”Peter finally fell back, watching as the man lay practically lifeless on the ground in front of him. His teeth had been knocked out, his face was smashed in, he was bleeding everywhere, his eyes were swollen shut.“I-I did-didn’t mean t-to.” The man rasped out.Peter got up. He picked the man up by his shirt collar, and he walked with him to the edge of the building.“I-I don’t care.”And Peter let go. The boy collapsed to the ground, feeling as the rain mixed with the tears that streamed down his face.His May, his sweet Aunt May.How he missed her.Peter trudged back to the apartment. He looked through the bag he got from the police station, and he took anything that was going to numb his pain. He didn’t want to think, he didn’t want to feel, he would just float off into oblivion, it was the only thing that mattered right now.
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Tony finally got Peter’s old records sent to him. He had just received them in the mail when Happy walked into the lab.“Hey, they just found the body of that burglar you said you wanted me to keep tabs of? Apparently, some guy just like…kidnapped him from the station…Tony? Are you listening?”He wasn’t.“Not now, Happy.” He waved him off, beginning to compare test results.Happy shrugged and walked off, leaving Tony alone. He had been alone a lot these days. The more and more he buried himself in his work, the further and further Pepper and him became. It wasn’t on purpose, it never was. But this was just one of those patches where Tony kept to himself, and Pepper kept to herself.As he put the old records into the system, he began to run a full comparison test to ensure he didn’t miss anything. Heaven knows he was tired and not on his game.He had Friday alert him when it was done.“Scan complete, it appears Peter’s scans are entirely different. His body has changed on a molecular level in very similar ways to that of Steve Rogers.”“No fucking way.” Tony said, awestruck at the similarities she was suggesting. Why hadn’t he seen it before? Probably too overcome with worry. He was so stupid. He should have seen it, should have noticed.“Sir, I suggest doing more testing, the changes, if left unchecked, could result in severe damage for Peter and those around him.”“Well, I would if I could, Friday.” He huffed. “No shit Peter could hurt himself; he already has been.” Tony sighed, feeling all the exhaustion set in. “I’ve gotta find this kid.” ***Days turned into weeks. Tony and Pepper were frantic and worried sick, sure that something had happened to Peter, but there was no way of knowing. Tony had decided not to tell Pepper about the results until further notice—it would only cause her more alarm. Besides, they didn’t talk that much anyway. Pepper had been making herself busy with work, leaving the finding Peter up to Tony.Just like Tony, Peter had been distancing himself too. Reese would come to check on Peter every day, and every day Peter would be off in another world, or aggressive and angry, there was no in between. Finally, Reese asked him.“Peter, where have you been getting all these drugs? I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”Peter was passed out on the couch. “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”“No, it’s not fine!” Reese said, finally having enough. He was tired of coming to see Peter and not knowing what he was going to get. “This isn’t just popping some pills and having fun with friends anymore, this is serious!” Reese began to pace, running his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, I never should have got you started on this shit.”“Hey! This ‘shit’ is all I have, I don’t care what you say about it!”“That’s not true.”“Oh yeah?” Peter stood, shaky, from the couch. “And what do I have Reese?! Name one thing!!”“Me! You have me! I’ve been trying to help you Peter, I’ve been trying to keep you away from Tony so that he can’t hurt you, I guess I was too stupid to realize I should have been stopping you from taking god knows what.”Peter stopped, not saying anything—he didn’t know what to say.“Peter, where is it?”“Where’s what?”“You’re stash, Peter. I know you have one so where is it?”“N-no, I’m…I won’t show you.” Peter folded his arms. “You can’t tell me what to do.”“I can, because I’m the only one able to take care of you, now tell me where it is.”“You-you know what? You’re just like him. Just like Tony, telling me what I can and can’t do, you’re just trying to control me.” Peter’s eyes looked frantic and crazy.“I’m going to say that you don’t mean that because you’re high as fuck right now, just tell me where it is, Peter.”“No.”“Fine, then. I’ll find it myself.” Reese began digging through drawers and cabinets.“Stop!”Reese wouldn’t listen.“I SAID STOP!” Peter slammed his fist against the wall, creating a crater size dent in the drywall. It shook the room and also Reese.Peter looked at what he had done, then looked at Reese.Scared.Reese was scared.And then suddenly Peter was scared. Scared of himself, and of Reese thinking he was a monster.Peter began to cry. He fell against the wall and slid down to the ground, eyes falling to his lap as he whimpered.“Hey, hey, hey,” Reese tried to comfort, rushing to Peter’s side and getting on his knees in front of him. He grabbed Peter’s face. “Talk to me, talk to me.”“I-I-“Peter cried. “I hate having these powers…I-I don’t want them.”“But they’re incredible, you’re incredible.”“No, I’m not.” Peter pulled his head away. “I can never outrun this. I can never get away from this.” He got up and walked to the other side of the room.“What do you mean?” Reese asked.“I mean look at this!!” Peter pulled his sleeves up.Reese looked, suddenly overcome with worry, and then relief. “There’s nothing there.”“EXACTLY! I can’t even…I can’t have any relief. As soon as I cut it just heals right back up…nothing…nothing will ever make a mark.”“Peter, I—”“Drugs are the only thing that even minutely help! They’re the only thing that makes a difference in my body…because I’m just one big fucked up mess now…”“Peter, you’re not a mess. I know you feel like things are out of your control…that this is the one thing you can do to help…but you’re hurting yourself.”“I want to hurt myself. I want to FEEL something other than the-the emotional pain that always seems to follow me. If I can’t get rid of it I have to find something else to replace it.”“I know, I know that that feels like the only way, but it’s not. You’re not just that pain you feel. You’re a person—a human being—that has the chance to work through this, rather than kill yourself trying to avoid it.”Peter began to cry again. “I can’t—I can’t go through this anymore.”Reese grabbed Peter by the shoulders. “Yes, you can. I believe in you, and I’m gonna be right here beside you. Just, please don’t go down this path you’re on…I’ve seen where it leads.”Peter looked into Reese’s eyes. He grabbed Reese’s face and just kissed him. It was passionate and heavy. Reese had tried to protest but Peter kept on, pulling him in closer and closer until his tongue was practically down his throat.Peter led Reese to the couch, pushing him down and starting to undue Reese’s pants. When Peter’s lips finally parted from Reese’s mouth, he could finally get a word out.“Peter,”Peter didn’t stop.“Peter, I love you, but—”“I love you too, let’s just keep going, please.” Peter breathed heavily.“Peter, stop!”Peter looked up at him like a wounded dog.Reese stroked Peter’s face, running a thumb over his lip and then letting go. He buckled his pants again and leaned forward, grabbing Peter’s hands in his. “Peter, where’s the stash.”He grew angry again. He walked away. “Reese, don’t do this to me, don’t make me choose. You know I can’t do this.”Reese stood to look at him, tears welling up. “Just tell me, please. I know it’s hard, but I just want to help, please, Peter.”Angry tears flowed down Peter’s red-hot cheeks. “NO! You can’t do this to me! You can’t take this away from me!”Peter looked to Reese, their eyes pleading with one another.Peter’s eyes said: don’t make me do this.Reese’s eyes said: I don’t want to do this.And that was that. Neither was wavering in their stance. Peter began grabbing his things. He had them in a bundle in his arms, then he went to the bedroom and pulled out a black backpack he had shoved way under the bed—his stash—and then he shoved his things in there with the rest of his “things.”Reese sighed. “Peter.”“This-this isn’t on me, it’s on you.” Peter said, eyes darting around erratically. “You made me decide, I didn’t want to have to do this but you made me do this!”A tear slipped down Reese’s cheek. “Peter, please, let’s just talk about this! You don’t have to go, just give me the bag and it’ll be okay!”“No! I can’t talk to you anymore, clearly you don’t understand.”As Peter went to the door of the apartment, Reese went after him, and tried tearing the bag off his shoulder. Peter’s grip remained strong. He turned and managed to grab Reese and slam him up against the wall. Reese watched as he remained in Peter’s grasp. Peter was sweating, eyes darting, heart racing, adrenaline pumping.“Don’t fucking touch my stuff.” He said sternly, breathing down his neck.“Peter—”And with that he left, slamming the door behind him. Reese slid to the ground, feeling his hot tears flow.“It’s not him, it’s not him.” He told himself.Reese thought about what the right thing to do was. How could he help Peter now that he was on the streets? Things would only get worse for him out there.……… “…Hi, is this Mr. Stark?...Peter…he needs your help…” ***Peter fled to the only place he knew of—the abandoned warehouse. It wasn’t ideal living conditions, but he would make things work. He was coming up on the back alley, getting ready to scale the walls, when suddenly he felt a prickle on the back of his neck.Out from the other side of the alley came Tony walking up.Peter sighed, feeling like crying, feeling like he would burst from all the emotion he’d been carrying.He remembered that first night, in the emergency room, seeing Tony’s face after everything that happened. He had been so relieved, and now…now he was just tired of this bullshit.Finally…Peter turned to face him. “How’d you find me.” He phrased it as a statement.‘Jesus…’ Tony remembered thinking. ‘The kid looks like hell.’“Does it matter?” Tony asked, looking a bit weathered in his stupid band tee and sweatpants. His hair was disheveled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept. ‘The nerve’ Peter thought. Showing up acting like he was heartbroken when all he was probably worried about was his own self-image if he couldn’t find him.“It matters to me. I’ll know what to do different for next time.” He sort of chuckled to himself.“Peter, just come home. We can sort things out there.”“That’s not my home…it’s never been my home.”“Okay, okay, let’s just have a good night’s rest and we can figure out where to go from here in the morning.” Tony began walking closer to Peter, as if walking up to a stray cat, afraid they’ll bolt at any moment. Tony even looked frantic, hoping Peter wouldn’t just suddenly disappear from his life for who knows how long.Peter took a step back. “Fuck you.”“Peter…I can’t do this…I’m tired of this, I’m tired of the back and forth.”“Oh, yeah, and I wouldn’t know what that’s like!”“I didn’t mean—agh, Peter! You know what I mean! Let’s go, this part of town isn’t safe.”“You mean because of that murder that happened here the other day?” Peter looked to Tony maliciously.He looked like he wanted something out of Tony, some specific response, but Tony didn’t know what to say.“Wh-what murder, what are you talking about?”“Huh, I figured Happy would have told you…there was a man murdered here…dropped right off the side of this building.” Peter looked up. “You know who he was?” Peter laughed. “Of course, you weren’t fuckin paying attention, you never do.”“Peter, tell me what you want to say.” Tony’s expression was hardened.“The man! He was the one that killed May! He had been out there, robbing other people just like he had us and you didn’t stop him. You didn’t catch him. You should have caught him!”“I’m sorry, is that what you want to hear?! I was a little busy, okay?”“You’re Tony fucking Stark! You’re ironman! And you could catch a fuckin burglar.”“I-I didn’t know he was out there, I’m sorry, okay? I-I know I could have been better, but…it doesn’t matter now, right? He’s dead now.”“Yeah… yeah he’s fuckin dead.” Peter began to smile. Then laugh. He was laughing harder and harder.“Peter… Peter what’s going on.” Tony began to grow more worried. “Peter, what did you do?” A tear leaked down Tony’s cheek.Oh god.“I did what you didn’t have the balls to do!! I killed him!” He laughed, staring intently in Tony’s eyes. “I punched him and kicked him so hard until he couldn’t even speak. And then he told me, through a mouth full of blood that he ‘didn’t mean to’ kill May, and you know what I said? I said I don’t care. And then I threw him off the building.” Peter smiled, if he hadn’t been in such a drug induced haze maybe he would have started to cry, but it all seemed funny now. He didn’t know why it was funny, but he couldn’t help but laugh.Tony stuttered. He fumbled with his words. He was crying, not because he cared about the burglar, but because he was scared of what Peter was becoming. “P-Peter, how…I—”Tony looked at Peter, really looked into his eyes. His pupils were blown out, then he started to notice his hands shaking. And that laughter…it was enough to make Tony’s skin crawl.“Peter, are you high right now?”“Does it matter?” Peter huffed.“Yes, it does… we-we don’t have to talk about…about that man, let’s just go home.” Tony looked scared for Peter’s safety.“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Peter threw down his bag, then put up his fists, ready for a fight.“Don’t do this, kid, it’s only going to end badly.”“For you.” Peter laughed, “Now come on, old man, let me beat your ass once and for all.”Tony debated calling his suit. He didn’t exactly know what Peter was capable of, and if he called it now it would only serve to escalate the situation. But before Tony knew it Peter was on him, punching him square in the jaw.Tony spat out some blood. “Feel better? Can we go?”“Not even close.” Peter took a few more jabs at him.“I don’t want to fight you, kid.” Tony sighed.“How bout now.” Peter grabbed Tony by the neck and threw him down on the ground, his back hit the concrete hard, taking the breath out of him.Now was the time.Peter crawled on top of Tony, smiling down at him. He was getting ready to land another punch when part of Tony’s suit came whirring in the air. It attached itself to Peter’s wrist and flew him back, slamming him in place against a brick wall. Peter struggled, trying to get it off, while Tony got up and stood as the rest of his suit collected onto his body.“I’m taking you home, Peter, one way or another.”Peter grabbed ahold of the suit on his other wrist and pried it off, then crushing it into a million pieces.A shiver ran down Tony’s spine.That was new.“You knew I had powers?”Tony sighed. “Yeah.”“So you know I’m going to destroy you, right?”“You can try.” That made Peter furious.Peter got out his web shooters and webbed Tony’s feet to the ground. He then launched himself at Tony, trying to get a few hits in. Tony got free and threw Peter against the wall once more. What would normally send any average person into unconsciousness, Peter walked it off with a smile on his face. Peter grabbed one of the dumpsters with ease and threw it at Tony. Before Tony knew it he was trapped underneath it.“Sir, suit integrity is at 83%”“I know, Friday.” Tony heaved, using his thrusters to get the dumpster off him. But before he knew it Peter was launching more and more stuff at him. He did his best to dodge, only failing a few times.At this point Tony had had it. He was tired and worn, and he wasn’t going to let Peter get the best of him. He had to stop treating him as a kid and start treating him like an enhanced.He began blasting at Peter, most of which Peter avoided with ease. One hit had grazed his shoulder, synging off part of his clothes, but that’s the only one that landed.Peter threw some ruble from a neighboring building at Tony. It made the man fall back, and while he was down, Peter grabbed a metal pipe and bashed it against Tony’s head. The ironman helmet began to deteriorate, revealing Tony’s face. He looked dazed and scared.Peter lifted himself up off the ground with his webs and swung his feet into Tony’s chest, the man fell back once more. Peter climbed on top of him, webbing the ironman’s hands and feet down onto the pavement. Peter ripped off his thrusters with ease.“Suit integrity at 54%, heart rate and blood pressure extremely elevated, would you like me to call reinforcements, sir?”“N-no, no, I’ve got this.”“You’ve got this?” Peter laughed. “Because I’m pretty sure I just broke your ribs.”“Peter, just stop this, please.” Tony breathed heavily. He knew what he needed to do, he was just hoping he didn’t have to.“I’m done with you telling me what to do.”Peter wrapped his hands around the man’s neck. Peter tried looking him in the eyes, but his vision blurred, unable to see straight. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.‘Finish it’ the voice in his head told him.“P-peter, Pe-Peter, please—”Peter began to squeeze. He squeezed harder and harder. He could feel his hands shake. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes as a smile stay spread across his face. Part of Peter thought that all this might be a dream. Another part of him could only hope it was.To Tony, it was all too real. “PETER!” A voice called out.Peter snapped his head back. Standing off in the distance was Reese. Peter immediately got up and rushed over to him.“Reese, what are you doing here? How did you find me.”Reese couldn’t take his eyes off Tony who laid bloodied in the alleyway. “I-I-I knew this is where you’d come.” He said, just as dazed as if he were the one who was beaten on the road.“You shouldn’t be here, Reese.” Peter put his hands on his shoulders. “Please, you have to go.”“I’m not leaving…” He finally looked at Peter. “W-were you going to kill him Peter?”“No! I-I don’t know, I just—”“Pete, this isn’t you…you have to stop…you have to let them help you…” He grabbed Peter’s face in his hand, trying to stop Peter’s wandering eyes and make him look at him.Peter paused, finally connecting the dots. He stepped back from Reese.“You…you called him. You were the one that told him where I was. I didn’t make a mistake, it was you!” Peter let tears fall. “You fuckin ratted me out, Reese?!”Reese also began to cry. “I didn’t know what else to do, Peter!! You didn’t give me a choice!”“YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST LEFT ME ALONE!”“Alone to overdose by yourself in an abandoned building?! I don’t think so!”“I can’t overdose, I’m a fuckin superhero!” He laughed, tears streaming down his face.“Well last I checked; superheroes are supposed to save people…I haven’t seen you do much of that.”Peter looked at Reese with a vengeance. “Fuck you, fuck all of you! You-you didn’t love me, none of you did. Was I just a fuckin trophy? A thing for you to fix, then you could show me off to your friends? Jesus, dude, you do know I’m just a person, right?!”Reese paused feeling like his heart was shattering. “Don’t say I didn’t fucking love you. Don’t you dare say that. I love you more than I’ve loved anybody else. You hear me?”Peter stumbled to the ground, overcome by emotion. “Then why did you tell him. Why did you bring the one person you know I hate to come and find me? Why’d you do it?”“Because I realized he can help you more than I can. I’m-I’m not an expert in this stuff…I don’t know how to deal with all this, but I just knew…I didn’t want to lose you.”Reese kneeled in front of Peter, wiping away his tears. “Peter, you have so much love to give… but you also have a lot of hate too. Hurting Tony, or even…even killing him…none of that is going to help you heal. It’s not going to make things okay, it’s just going to hurt other people.”“I-I don’t…I don’t care. I want to hurt him. I want to make him su—” Suddenly, up from behind him, a needle had been jabbed into his neck. He turned to look, Tony stood looming above him, tears in his eyes. Peter jumped up, pulling the needle out of his neck, and putting out his fists. Tony approached him cautiously, telling him to stand down.He couldn’t. He couldn’t go down without a fight. Even as his vision began to cloud and his eyes started to close, he couldn’t stop.All he could feel was panic.He was terrified.He knew he was going down, and he had no idea if he could stop it. Tony would have him right where he wanted in no time, wouldn’t he? And all Reese could do was stand back and watch. They planned this. Reese was out to get him. Tony was out to get him. Everyone was against him…But they couldn’t get him if he ran.Peter began to scale the wall. The voices from below faded out. He crawled, looking ahead of him as his vision seemed to go in and out. He went up higher and higher, his eyelids began to close on him and his legs began to give out, and pretty soon he was gone.He fell.He fell hard.His body plummeted to the ground, but Tony, unable to use his thrusters, still managed to catch the boy’s limp body in his arms. Peter had managed to hit his head on the way down, and blood began to drip from his scalp. His curly brown hair quickly grew damp with the red liquid.“I have to get him back to the tower.” Tony said worriedly to the boy beside him.“I’ll come with you.”“No…I think it’s best if you go home…I’ll call you if I need you.”“But Peter needs—”“Peter needs to get better. Whether that involves you or not I’m not sure, but for now I need to stop this bleeding.”And Tony left with Peter dangling from his arms.Reese remembered thinking how small Peter looked with Ironman carrying him like that. He already began to wonder if he’d done the right thing.
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Tony took Peter to the tower’s med bay. There, they were able to stop the bleeding from his head, they also managed to tend to the burn wound on his shoulder.“Peter has a concussion.” Dr. Cho told Tony.“He hit his head pretty hard…” Tony felt guilty for that.“You need to sit down and let me take a look at you.”“No, I don’t have time, I don’t know how long the tranquilizer would be in effect. I have to get him to the compound before he wakes up.” He told her.At this point Tony still hadn’t told anyone else aside from the doctors obviously, that he had Peter. First, he needed to get Peter in a secure location, and then they would talk.Tony asked for a helicopter to be readied and in no time at all Tony, Peter, and Dr. Cho were headed to the Avenger’s compound.When the landed, a team was waiting to help assist the transport of Peter.Tony looked at the boy, laying in that hospital bed unconscious, he hated that it had come to this. He hated that Peter was hurting. It should have never come to this; Tony shouldn’t have let it come to this.Tony directed where to put Peter. It was a wing they created in order to detain enhanced people here on base. They had never used them until this moment…Dr. Cho made sure everything was in order as far as Peter’s care went, while Tony tried to make sure the room didn’t look like a prison cell when Peter woke up. There were certain things Tony couldn’t bring in for the safety of Peter and others, but he tried to make sure it looked a little homey—which was hard considering it was wall to wall sterile, white, vibranium walls. The rooms were built with not much in them. A bed, a heavy-duty plastic chair, a table built into the wall, and a bathroom. It was pretty spacious, but that just made it look even more empty with the few items that were in there.Tony brought in some clothes for Peter, some books, mechanic magazines, and some of Peter’s favorite snacks. He didn’t know when Peter would wake up to find all of this, but it made him feel better to do it.He watched as Dr. Cho finished cleaning Peter’s head wound again. “Anything else you need from me?” She asked.“…Yeah…go ahead and put the restraints on him…”“…Okay.” Tony walked out onto the helicopter pad, feeling the cool air on his skin. It was nice to get out of the city for a bit, but not under these circumstances.Tony took out his phone and texted Happy; ‘Need you at the compound, it’s Peter.’Then, he made the phone call.“Pep?”“Tony, have you found anything yet?”“Yeah…yeah I did.”There was a pause on the other end. “Tony…is he…is he alive?”“Yes, he’s…he’s alive, he’s just got a concussion, it happened during our fight.”“Fight?! What fight?!”“There’s something I need to tell you about Peter…a recent development…”“What is it?”“Peter’s got…well, he’s got superpowers.”***Pepper was there as soon as possible. When she arrived, Tony was there to greet her. She looked stern, worried, and most of all angry.“Tony, what the hell?” The two began walking into the building.“I-I know it’s a lot to process.”“You knew about this didn’t you? You knew and you didn’t tell me.”“I didn’t know for sure.”“Bullshit!” Pepper stopped. “That’s why you were cooped up in your lab all the time, that’s why you wouldn’t talk to me! Why didn’t you say anything?!”“I didn’t want you to worry.”“Little late for that now!”“Pepper, I’m sorry, please, just—I didn’t know what to do!”“We’re married, Tony…for better or worse. And we took Peter in as a part of our family. He’s not JUST your responsibility. You should have come to me, and we could have gone through this together. Instead, YOU wanted to play hero, and have everything figured out before you let anyone else in on your discovery. This isn’t a science experiment, Tony, this is a boy, without a family.”He put his head down. He knew she was right. She always was.Once again, he had led the situation with his head, letting his feelings, his morals, his humanity, take a back seat… it was just what his dad had always told him to do.“Where is he?” Pepper asked.“He’s in the wing with the enhanced cells.”“Are his powers that bad?” She stopped short. She was in such a rage she hadn’t realized how banged up Tony looked. “He did this to you, didn’t he?”Tony hesitantly nodded. “It was my fault…I should have just taken him out with the tranquilizer to begin with, then he wouldn’t have hurt his head…”“Wh-what’s wrong with him, what happened?!”Tony began explaining what had happened in the alleyway. He told her about the powers he had witnessed, and together they wondered if there were any more. He took her to the wing where Peter was being held and they walked into the observation room right outside the door to the room. It had a one-way glass in which Pepper got to see Peter for the first time in forever. Tears began welling up as she watched him lay there breathing in and out. They were giving him oxygen and making sure he was getting enough fluids, but he was still unconscious.“Have they done an examination?” Pepper asked.“Yeah, Dr. Cho should be here soon with what all they’ve found.”Pepper sighed, Tony put a hand on her should, she grabbed it and squeezed. She wouldn’t admit it but she had missed him.Soon, Dr. Cho came in. “Good, you’re both here.” She nodded.“Is he okay?” Pepper asked.She gave a brief sigh, feeling the weight of what she had to deliver. “As far as external injuries go, he does have a second degree burn on his shoulder, and he also split his head open, and gave himself a concussion. The burn is being treated, we’ve tended to his head and stopped the bleeding, and I expect he will wake within a day or two.”“And-and internal?” Tony was afraid to ask.“Peter is severely dehydrated; we’re given fluids to him now. And…from what we can tell Peter does have advanced healing capabilities.”“Well, that’s great news! Isn’t it?” Pepper questioned based on Dr. Cho’s expression.“They aren’t working…he isn’t healing like he should.” Tony, being able to read Cho well, filled in the blanks.“Correct… based on Peter’s perceived abilities, he should already be healed up for the most part by now.”“So what’s causing the issue?” Pepper asked.“I believe Peter has been struggling with…a-a drug addiction… something that’s been building up over the course of a long period of time. We didn’t see it at first because I think at that point his healing was working correctly. But I think he’s gotten to the point where he’s abused drugs so much, and so often, that it has hindered his healing process. Due to the abuse, he’s underweight, has high blood pressure, he has a hard time breathing, and he has a weak heartbeat. And these are just the start of the physical aspects of his symptoms. I won’t be able to tell the mental ones until I can evaluate him when he wakes up.”The room went silent as Tony and Pepper took it all in.“I-I should have known…I should have been there for him, I should have done more.” Tony racked his mind with worry.“You didn’t know, none of us did.” Pepper tried to console him.“I SHOULD HAVE! I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE SIGNS! They were right there and I missed them!!”“Tony, beating yourself up isn’t going to help, Peter.” Dr. Cho said. “What you choose to do now, that’s what’s going to help him. When he wakes up he’s going to be scared, and confused, and angry. It’s your job to make sure he feels safe—after all, this is all to help him. Make sure he knows that.” Dr. Cho patted Tony on the arm and said her goodbyes, going on to her job.Tony grabbed Pepper’s arm. “Will you sit with him with me?”“Of course.” Pepper nodded. She grabbed Tony’s hand and began walking to the door.“N-no, I think I’ll just wait in here, you go in.”“Don’t you want to be there when he wakes up?”“I will be.” Tony smiled. “I just…I think it would be better if you’re the first one he sees when he wakes up. Me being there, it would only anger him.”“Are you sure?” Pepper asked.“I’m sure. I’ll watch him from in here.”Pepper scanned her keycard and the door opened. Tony watched as she grabbed a seat and scooted up to Peter’s bedside. She grabbed the boy’s hand in hers as it lay limp. Tony noticed how pale his skin looked compared to hers. Tony hadn’t realized Peter was underweight before, only noticed that he looked…different. But in the harsh medical lighting it was all too apparent.Tony stuck his hand on the glass.“I’m sorry, Pete.” ***Tony was getting several calls from Reese every hour, until finally he picked up.“Is he okay? What happened? Can I see him?”“Peter’s okay, he has a long road ahead of him but he’ll be okay.”“Thank god.” Reese breathed.“Now I have a question for you…how long has Peter been doing drugs?”“I-I don’t know…I think it was when he first moved in with you guys…after his aunt died.”“Were you the one that started him on it?”“N-no, I mean…a bunch of us were doing stuff just…to have fun, it wasn’t a big deal, but—”“Peter is sick, and you say it’s not a big deal?!” Tony said irritated.“That’s not what I meant! I’m sorry, I-I knew Peter had a problem…” Reese began to cry. “I knew it had gotten out of hand, I just—I didn’t know what to do—that’s why I called you!”Tony sighed. “I’m…I’m grateful you called…I just…don’t appreciate you and your gang dragging Peter into this shit.”There was a pause in the conversation.“When can I talk to him?” Reese insisted.“I think it’s best if you guys don’t have any contact for a bit…Peter needs time to recover.”“I-I understand.” Reese said, trying to hold back his tears. “Just, please tell me how he’s doing, yeah? I want to know he’s okay.”“Okay.” Tony responded.***Tony sat in the observation room, trying not to doze off, when suddenly a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up, and it was Steve. Happy had shown him in.“So what’s the situation?” Cap asked.“He’s got powers, a bit similar to yours I might add.”“He strong?” Cap smirked.Tony gave a slight chuckle. “You could say that.”“So why’s he really here, he must of done something to warrant being locked up, or are you just the over protective parent type.”“Yes, to both.” Tony smiled.Steve took a seat next to him.“He’s… he’s going through some stuff… I don’t want him to hurt himself, or anyone else for that matter.”Steve nodded.“You know how I told you…after my parents died…” Tony hesitated. “Well, I told you how things got bad for me. I started hanging out with people I shouldn’t, trying to drown my feelings any way I could…”“Yeah, Obadiah made you go to rehab.”“Well, Peter’s in the same boat… I guess this is going to be his rehab… can’t send him to a real one, because—”“Because he might burn the place down.”They both laughed softly.“Listen…joking aside, Tony, I’m sorry about all this. I want Peter to get better. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”“I’m sure I’ll find something for you.” Tony joked.With that, Steve got up and left. Happy came in after him.“Figured you might have needed an old friend.” Happy smiled.“Thanks, Happy.” Tony smiled.“How’s he look?”“Well, it’s been a whole day now… Dr. Cho said he should be up soon.”They both looked to Peter through the glass.Suddenly, as if on que, Peter began to stir. Pepper sat up and watched Peter intently, daring his eyes to open.The boy, not even opening his eyes yet, had a confused and puzzled look. He began wiggling his feet underneath the blanket.Then finally, his eyes steadily came open. His eyes went to Pepper, again, he looked confused.“P-Pepper? What…what happened?”“You’re gonna be okay, just keep looking at me.”But he couldn’t. His eyes went to his arms which were strapped down to the bed, unable to move.“Pepper…Pepper!” He grew more and more anxious. He fought against them in vain. “Pepper, let me out!”The woman’s eyes began to well up. “Peter, I can’t do that…not right now.”“What are you talking about? I’m fine, just let me out!”Tony could see Pepper getting more and more upset. He didn’t even think, he just swiped his keycard and went into the room, wrapping his hands around her shoulders, trying to usher her out. It was clearly upsetting both of them.“You!” Peter said, as soon as he set eyes on Tony.“You fucking did this to me! You did this to me, you son of a bitch!!!”“Peter, please calm down.”“Shut up! Don’t tell me to calm down!”Tony yelled at Happy to get Dr. Cho in here. Tony helped an upset Pepper out of the room, and then remained, watching as Peter fought again and again in the bed he lay in.“I know this is a lot for you right now, and I’m sorry. I promise, as soon as you’re safe, we’ll take the cuffs off.”“YOU ASSHOLE, YOU DICK, YOU’RE A FUCKIN DICK!”Soon, Dr. Cho made it in. “Peter, I’m Dr. Cho, do you remember me?”“How much is he paying you to fuckin kidnap me?” Peter said angrily.“Peter, it’s important to remain calm. I know this is difficult for you—”“You’re not the one strapped to a bed, god knows where!!”Dr. Cho went over to Peter’s bedside and grabbed something from her lab coat—a syringe. She took Peter’s IV and he began to thrash around.“Don’t you fucking dare, don’t put anything in me, stop!”Dr. Cho injected the substance into the IV, and soon Peter’s thrashing came to a holt. His eyelids grew heavy and it felt like he was in the clouds.“What was that?” Tony asked.“A sedative…he doesn’t need all this excitement with his body the way it is.”“But that’s only a temporary solution…when he wakes up again its going to be the exact same.”“That’s why YOU need to figure out a solution.” Dr. Cho smiled.***How was Tony going to ensure Peter wouldn’t go berserk when he woke up again? How was he going to ensure people’s safety? Peter would be waking up soon so what was his plan?He walked into the room where Peter lay and Dr. Cho stood.“Take the cuffs off.” Tony said.“A-are you sure?”“Yes…everyone should leave, I’ll talk to him when he wakes up…this has been a long time coming.”“Tony, this isn’t safe for you.”“It doesn’t matter. At least for a moment, maybe he won’t feel like an animal backed into a corner.”“Take this, just in case.” She gave him a syringe.“Thanks. Now take Pepper and Happy out of the observation room and make them relax.” He chuckled. “Peter and I need to have this moment to ourselves.”She nodded, taking the cuffs off Peter and scanning her keycard in the dead silence to leave the room.Tony watched Peter in this calm state.He had a feeling it was the calm before the storm.***Tony sat in the chair next to Peter’s bed, but he sat a good distance away from him, not wanting to startle him when he woke up.And then, Peter’s eyes began to open. He looked groggy, and confused, but then he saw Tony.Tony immediately went on defense, trying to make sure Peter didn’t flip out.“Peter, it’s okay, you’re safe, you’re not in trouble, everything’s gonna be okay.”“You… you forced me to come here…” Peter said, trying to regain his composure.“We only want to help.”“Fuck you.”“I-I understand where you’re coming from…I’m sorry things went down the way they did.”Peter looked down at his arms and legs—no restraints, that was Tony’s mistake. Peter grabbed the IV and pulled it out.“Peter, please!”“You’re not gonna dose me with anything else.” Peter said angrily. He swung his legs to the side of the bed and began to stand, he was wobbly, but did his best to convey strength.Tony got up, motioning for Peter to sit back down. “Take it easy, Peter, please, let’s just talk about this.” He said as Peter got closer.“We’ve done enough talking.” Peter said.The boy quickly put a hand on Tony’s throat, beginning to choke him.“You always want to be the one in control…well now I’m in control.” Peter smiled, getting a kick out of seeing Tony squirm. He backed him up against the wall as Tony sputtered out a cry for help.“You know how strong I am, don’t you? Unlike you I don’t need a fancy suit to kill someone.”“P-Pe-Peter,”“What was that? Did you want to ‘help’ me again?” Peter took Tony by the neck and slammed him into the ground.Tony laid on the floor, breath knocked out of him, unable to move, and Peter just simply laughed.“I don’t need you’re fucking help anymore. I don’t need you’re fucking advice or your pity or your anger. What you can do for me is leave me alone!”Peter got on top of him and began punching him, over and over again.Blood was on the floor, his knuckles were bleeding, Tony was out cold.Peter was surprised no one had come to stop him yet, but they probably thought Tony had things handled. Tony had probably told them to leave him be, because ‘Tony didn’t need help.’ Good. It gave more time for Peter to get out of here.He picked up the keycard off Tony’s body and buzzed open the door, and then the next one. Suddenly he was in the hallway. He had no idea where they were—definitely not in the tower. He began running down the hall, fearful of even looking back.He came up on a guard but quickly knocked him out.Peter was still struggling a bit keeping his eyes open and running without a few stumbles. The drugs they gave him were still in his system, but he tried to power through. Happy and Pepper went back to the room to check on Tony, however the doors were wide open, they immediately started to panic. They both rushed in to find Tony on the floor.“Tony?! Tony, can you hear me?!” Pepper said frantically, trying to get him to respond.Happy hopped on the radio, “Attention, Pete—I mean cell 2A—has escaped, I repeat, cell 2A is on the loose, capture unharmed at all costs.” Peter heard Happy’s voice over the speaker…this was going to present a challenge. Steve heard the transmission over the speakers as well. “Wanda, I think we should go, these guards aren’t going to be equipped to deal with him.”“He’s just a boy, you think he’s that dangerous?”“Not sure, but I told Tony I’d help in any way.” Steve said. Peter used Tony’s keycard to push through several exits.“Where the fuck is the door out of this place?” He whispered to himself.Suddenly he came upon a large room, some type of sitting area, and his heart sputtered a bit. There stood Captain America and the Scarlet Witch.“G-get out of my way.” Peter put up a hand, taking a few steps back.“Can’t do that, kid, you need to come with us.”“I’m not going anywhere with you guys…I don’t want to be here—Tony—he should have never brought me here.”“You’re right…he shouldn’t have. He shouldn’t have had to. It’s an awful situation to be in, but this is what needs to happen for the time being, until you get to feeling better.”“I feel fine.” Peter grew more angry, and then he attacked.He punched Steve right in the jaw, making him stagger back. Peter could tell by the look on his face he was surprised the hit had affected him so much.“Get out of my way, old man.” Peter said, landing several more hits. Then Wanda stepped in. She used her powers to push Peter off of Steve, sending him flying across several chairs.“Don’t hurt him!” Steve yelled.“Little late for that.” She huffed.Peter began to get up whenever Wanda came up behind him. She began to move her fingers rhythmically, but Peter didn’t let her have the chance to play her little mind games. Peter threw his head back, nailing her in the face, then he swung his leg around, effectively kicking her legs out from under her. Peter made a mad dash for Steve. He went to throw another punch, but Captain America caught his fist in his hand. They struggled, fighting against one another’s strength. Steve couldn’t believe this scrawny looking kid had this much strength.Meanwhile Peter was getting angrier by the second. He just wanted to leave, but this maze of a building was keeping him trapped. Then two of Tony’s hired help were fighting him off and talking to him like they knew him—what a joke. Peter wanted to bash their brains in just thinking about it.Finally, their standoff broke. Steve was able to push Peter back, but only for Peter to crawl up the wall and then kick Steve in the face. Steve went down, and Peter quickly pounced on him, climbing on top of his chest and punching him again and again. His vision kept switching, one minute he was seeing Captain America lying in front of him, the next it was Tony—face all bashed up. He continued to land hit after hit. His anger kept bubbling up and up and up. He forced his eyes to stay open, still feeling drowsy.Steve was struggling to try to get Peter off of him, but Peter wouldn’t give him a chance.And suddenly, Wanda came up behind Peter and grabbed his head, and willed her way into Peter’s mind.And just like that… Peter didn’t know what happened. One minute he was pounding Captain America’s face in, the next he was in his and Aunt May’s apartment. Suddenly he couldn’t remember what exactly he was trying to accomplish.“Aunt May?” He called out, hearing something coming from the kitchen. He got up from off the floor and walked towards the noise.“Peter! There you are, where were you?”“I-I don’t…I don’t know.”She laughed a bit. “Okay, weirdo, come on let’s eat.”It appeared she had just gotten take-out from their favorite Thai place. They sat down at the table, Peter couldn’t take his eyes off May, something didn’t feel right. This didn’t feel real, and Peter felt like he was in danger.“What’s the matter?”“I…I don’t know…just don’t feel right.” He looked around the apartment, nothing was happening, no one else was there, no danger in sight, so why did he feel like he needed to run?May grabbed his hand from across the table. “Peter,” He snapped back into the moment with her.“I’m sorry, May.”“Don’t be sorry.” She smiled. “Just eat your food before it gets cold, you’ll feel better once you’ve eaten.” She smiled softly.Peter nodded, taking a bite, then suddenly he felt a prick on his neck. “What was that?” Then suddenly things started to go dark. “Aunt May?”Suddenly he was back at the compound, people crowded around him. The doctor had just taken a step back, syringe in hand.“Wh-what did you…”Steve came up behind him and caught him as he fell back into his arms. “No, no I can’t, I don’t want to go to go back.”“It’s okay, Peter, just relax.” Steve said.Peter couldn’t fight it.He was gone.
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It had been several days… no one had come to see him or talk to him… they’re afraid he’ll do something to them…he wanted to. Fuck, he’d do anything for a couple pills right now. Something to take the edge off. His thoughts were overwhelming.Peter sat on the floor criss cross looking at the tiles on the ceiling.They had moved him to a different room, it was made out of vibranium or something—couldn’t get out.It was a lot bigger, had a bathroom and everything. Still all white. It also had an “observation room” it was bigger than the other room had. Able to fit more people just to look at him and stare from behind tinted glass. Tony had designed it so they could lift the tint with the press of a button so Peter could see them. Then they would talk to him over a speaker. That was his only human contact aside from the nurses coming in when he was sleeping to check his vitals.He was hooked up to an IV and told that if he took it out they would cuff him to the bed again—he couldn’t have that.Dr. Cho came into view in the observation room.“Morning, Peter.” She said over the speaker.“Oh, is it morning? I wouldn’t know…” He said dryly.She just looked at him, not giving him the response he wanted. “I see you didn’t touch your dinner. You need to eat.”He just looked at her, not giving her a response this time.Not eating was his last resort. If they wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he wouldn’t give them what they wanted.Unfortunately that meant not touching food since he had gotten here. He didn’t mind too much, he hadn’t had much of an appetite anyway, but it meant that he felt weak…he didn’t want to feel weak in case he had an opportunity to get out, but if he was being realistic, there wasn’t any way out.“So where are my so-called ‘parents’ haven’t seen either one of ‘em.” Peter said, standing up (he admitted he felt a little light-headed)“You said you didn’t want to see them.” Dr. Cho said.“Well when has that ever stopped them.”Dr. Cho crossed her arms. “Peter…we’re trying to help—we’re all trying to help you.”“You wanna help me? Get me some fucking Oxy, Morphine, Weed, anything to help me feel like I’m not a fucking prisoner here!”“You know I can’t give you anything…”He chuckled under his breath, sitting back down on the floor. “Yeah…”“Peter, I’m starting psychological analyses on you tomorrow. These are going to help us assess how you’re doing during your detox and recovery…I hope that you’ll cooperate.”“What do I get out of it if I do?”“Closure? Peace of mind? What do you want out of it?”“I want out of my fucking cage!”There was only so long you could count the ceiling tiles until you went a little crazy.“I’ll talk to Tony…but considering what happened before…”“He had it coming.” Peter huffed, turning his back on Dr. Cho.“I’ll see you tomorrow, Peter.” Dr. Cho went to the boardroom. Tony, Pepper, Happy, and Cap sat around it, awaiting her report. Wanda sat off to the side in the shadows. She knew she didn’t really have business being there, but Steve told her to come—she had nothing better to do, after all, just like Peter, she was also confined to the compound.“So? How was he?” Pepper asked.“Still angry,” Dr. Cho shrugged. “And he still won’t eat. He’s only losing weight at this point, we need to get some food into him.”Tony rubbed his eyes. “Okay, what about a feeding tube?”“You really think we’re at that point?” Pepper said in shock.“Well, I don’t know what else to do, Pep.”“He won’t like it…” Dr. Cho said.“Of course he won’t, but it’s what has to be done.”“I told him about the sessions coming up, I doubt he’ll be cooperative with those either.”“I-I don’t know what else to do with him anymore…he’s…”“—he’s in pain.” Wanda said softly. The room looked to her. “You need to think about this from his perspective.”“Wanda,” Steve said.“—No, let her finish.” Pepper said.“I know that you all are frustrated with him. I know emotions are high. But he’s just a kid. A kid who lost all his family. And since he didn’t have a good way to express his feelings…he tried to-to drown them out. Now here he is, trapped in a box, with nothing to do, no one to talk to, feeling like his last bit of control relies on him not eating to piss you guys off. He doesn’t have anybody.” She couldn’t help but feel like it rang true for her as well.“He-he has us…right?” Pepper said, looking to Tony.“It doesn’t feel that way to him.” Tony said, looking into Wanda’s eyes.It was tense. Wanda didn’t know whether she’d gone too far, and if Tony was going to ask her to leave.There was a moment of silence.“She’s right.” Tony said. “So herein lies the question of how do we get him to see us as being on his team?”“I-I don’t know.” Wanda said. “But he needs someone on his side now. Someone who knows what he’s going through.”“You.” Steve said.“No, I don’t—I mean I don’t even know if he’ll open up to me, I helped him get captured again—”“He’ll trust you, I know he will.” Steve said.Wanda looked at Pepper and Tony. They agreed. Wanda stood outside Peter’s door. She took a deep breath and walked in.His head snapped back, looking to her. His eyes looked soft, innocent, and scared. Then the shock went away, his gaze changed to one of anger and resentment.“What do you want?” He said, backing away from her.“I came to sit with you. Is that okay?”“They’re not scared I’m going to hurt you?”“I can handle myself all on my own.” She gave a soft smile.She sat down opposite him as he fully turned around to face her. He held his knees to his chest.“Did Tony send you here?”“No, I wanted to come.”“Why?”“Because…I know what you’re going through.”Peter laughed. “That’s what everyone says, but they don’t, they just say that so I’ll tell them what they want to hear. People don’t want to make you feel better. They want to ‘fix you’ so that they can feel better. You’re only here to do Tony’s bidding.”“I’m not here to lie to you, Peter, I don’t care enough about Tony to do that for him.”There was a moment of silence.“I know I haven’t been through exactly what you’re going through, but…I’ve felt loss…I’ve felt like a prisoner…and I know it’s scary.”Peter looked at her with questioning eyes. He couldn’t decide whether she was telling the truth or not.There was silence once again.“Whenever we were fighting…that moment with my aunt…that was you?”She nodded.“How did you—”“I could see some of your memories. I knew you’d feel calmest with your aunt around…I just wanted you to feel comfortable.”Peter fought to keep tears out of his eyes. “Would you…” He stopped. “No…nevermind.”Wanda began reaching out her hands. “Would you like me to—”“NO!” Peter grabbed her hands with such a force. She wondered how he could be so strong as frail as he looked.“Okay, okay, it’s okay, I won’t do anything.”Peter let go. He got up and went to sit on his bed.“You should go…report back to Tony or some shit.”“Peter, I’m not—”“I want you to go. Now.”She looked at him as she stood.“Or do I not even have a say in that anymore…” He said coldly.With that she left.***Peter sat on his bed criss-cross, facing the observation window. Dr. Cho sat on a bar stool on the other side. She had a clipboard with a few papers. She had a pen in hand, ready to jot down anything that came to her. Peter wondered if she was going to get some revelation about him that not even he knew…he doubted it.“Listen, I know you don’t want to be here, and I’m going to try to make this easy for you, you just have to be honest with me, okay?”Peter didn’t speak, just turned his head away.“Can you describe your mental state? How you’ve been feeling? Even if it’s just in a few words.”“Angry…” He said.“…Okay…” She nodded. “Understandable. Have you been feeling…depressed? Anxious? It’s common when going through withdrawal to feel—”“I’m-I’m not going through fucking withdrawal. I’m not…that’s not happening.”Dr. Cho paused, then nodded again. “Okay.” She said in a calm, even tone. “Peter…in your own words…can you describe why you’re here?”Peter scoffed. His first reaction was to just say that Tony wanted to control him…which was true, but…that wasn’t why he was locked up here.He knew why he was here.He knew he had a ‘problem.’Tears began welling up in his eyes, he tried not to let Dr. Cho see.“I-I don’t know.”“Yes you do…come on, Peter.”There was a long silence, Peter was trying to collect himself. God, he wished this was over.“It’s…it’s because, I…I have a problem…w-with drugs.” He tried to act like it wasn’t getting to him…he was failing.The session felt like an eternity to Peter. He hated Dr. Cho for asking him all those fucking questions. It was like she was trying to pry him open and take out his insides.Tony was sitting in the board room waiting for Dr. Cho to come back. She was just walking in when he began getting another call from that kid Reese for the umpteenth time. He silenced it and shoved his phone into his pocket.“How is he?”She sighed, sitting down across from him, and taking off her glasses. “He’s…angry. I…wouldn’t say he’s in denial necessarily, it’s more just that…he doesn’t care to fix his issues. He knows he has issues with drugs…he really just doesn’t care, or maybe he just doesn’t think it’s as big of an issue as it is. This could also be just a side effect of the drugs, he might be depressed and thus has a lack of care for himself, I’m not sure. We can get him on anti-depressants but I can’t guarantee he takes those if we can’t even get him to eat food.”Tony sighed. “Thank you for your time…I’ll talk with Pepper and see what she thinks.”“No problem, I’ll send over my report as soon as I have it finished.”Dr. Cho got up to leave, Tony’s phone started going off again.He picked it up. “Hey, kid, listen—”“Mr. Stark, please, just let me see him. I just need to see him and talk to him and make sure he’s okay.”***Peter had been thinking a lot about Reese lately. He liked to think about them sitting on the couch eating popcorn and watching movies. He liked to think about their lips meeting. He liked to imagine one day he would wake up in his arms and all this would be a bad dream. But all those memories left a bitter taste in his mouth after a while. To think that he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him… that all those things would still be possible if it wasn’t for him telling Tony. It made him mad. It made him bitter and angry, and he didn’t know what he would do if he saw him again. What could he even say to him?Peter walked into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. He looked at himself.He was so pale.And thin.He really couldn’t recognize himself. He hadn’t really given his appearance much thought until now.Suddenly he heard the door to his room open. It startled him, his automatic thought was that it was Tony coming to yell at him for something.He poked his head out of the bathroom, slowly walking out.“Hey.” Wanda said.“Another psychological evaluation?” Peter said, sitting back down on his bed.“Nothing like that.” She laughed softly like she normally did. “Just thought I’d come to keep you company.”Peter crossed his legs as she sat down.They sat in silence for a little bit. Peter didn’t know exactly what to say. But the longer they sat the more calm he felt. Every other person he saw in this goddamn place made him boil over with anger, but she was different. He kinda felt like they were in this together…trapped together.But no, she was an Avenger, she could go or do anything she wanted…right?“So you gonna break me outta this place or what?” He gave a slight smile.“Mmm, I’ll have to think about that.” She smiled.“My ‘psychological’ evaluation was shit. Didn’t know if they’d broadcasted that to the compound or what.”“Tony and me aren’t exactly close like that.”“Well that makes two of us.” Peter rolled his eyes, laying back in bed.Peter didn’t know why he continued talking to her, for all he knew she could be lying to him, reporting back to Tony, but he hated being silent all the time. He hated keeping it all in especially when he didn’t have any type of release in here.“I know they think I’m crazy…but…I don’t know. I don’t really care.” He lied.“Well if it’s any consolation, I don’t think you’re crazy.”“What do you think I am?” He said, glancing over at her.“I think you’re a kid…who’s lost a lot. You were coping in the best way you thought possible.”A lump formed in his throat. He started playing with the strings on his hoodie.“So do you not like Tony too or what?”“I don’t exactly…agree with his methods.”“Like being an asshole?”She laughed. It was such a warm sound, it made Peter smile.“I wasn’t going to say that…but…”“Tell me.”“Tony signed a deal with the government. Since I’m not a US citizen, and I also have powers, they were scared of me. So Tony brokered some deal where the Avengers would contain me, basically trapping me here. It wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to me, but…I do wish…I don’t know, that I could lead a life like anyone else?”Peter sat up. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”“It’s not your fault.” She smiled, but there was pain in her eyes.“Well, I guess we really are in the same boat.”“How are your powers? Do you feel any different?” Wanda asked.“They’re…weird. I don’t know, I haven’t felt that different as of late.” He thought about how weak he had been feeling lately. “When…when I hit Tony though…it didn’t feel real. I think part of me thought I was dreaming, I’ve just…never felt like that before.”“I know how you feel…when I first got my powers everything felt off. I don’t think my brain realized what I was doing.”Peter laid back down in bed. Another beat of silence.“I-I know I have problems… but…I feel like admitting it…it’s just admitting that I’m…stupid or something. I know I shouldn’t have done all the things I did, but it was like I couldn’t stop. And admitting it now, it just…it makes me feel stupid. Does that make sense?”She looked a little taken aback. Then she nodded. “Peter, you made some bad decisions. You were coping the only way you knew how. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that none of it was you’re fault, you’re actions are you’re actions, but you were dealing with extremely difficult circumstances and a kid—a person—can only take so much. I promise you that no one here thinks you’re stupid, and they don’t think you’re crazy. I know that you’ve heard this a million times but they really are trying to help.”“I know.”“I’ll go…if you want me to.”“No! I mean…you can stay if you want.”She nodded.He thought it over…was it too much to ask?“W-Wanda? Would you…would you mind—showing me my aunt? If not it’s okay, I just—”“I’d be happy to.” She smiled.Getting up, she walked over to him. As Peter lay in bed, she danced her fingers around the red mist. Peter watched in a trance as her eyes burned red, then all of a sudden he was back in their kitchen. Aunt May was playing one of her favorite records, and he watched as she danced around the kitchen, inevitably burning dinner. He could only smile and laugh.He felt at peace.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Peter sat down on his bed, Dr. Cho sitting on the other side of the glass.“How are you today, Peter?”
“Fine.” He said.
She sighed. “Okay…” She began writing something down. Something longer that the response Peter gave. What was it she was writing exactly? “Peter, we need to talk about something.” “We need to talk about you’re eating.”
“What about it?” Peter’s expression hardened.
“You’re not doing it…”
“I’ll eat as soon as Tony lets me out of here.”
“Peter, that’s not how this works. We can’t let you out, you have unexplored powers, and you’re still going through drug rehabilitation.”
“Then it looks like I’m not eating.” Peter crossed his arms. He was starting to get used to that faint growl in his stomach. He held onto it.
“Peter, if you don’t eat I’m afraid we’re going to have to take extreme measures.”
“No one’s going to touch me, not you, not your nurses, not anyone…I have powers, remember?”
“Peter, please, you don’t have to act like this.”
He invited them to try, he wouldn’t stop fighting them. ***Peter laid in bed like he always did, bored out of his mind. Then suddenly he felt a tingle go down his spine, something was about to happen. He looked up, right as he did someone came into view from the observation window.Tony.“Hey, kid.”
“What are you doing here?” Peter said, sitting up.
“I hadn’t seen you in a while, figured I’d say hi.”
“Well I’ve been here…”
“I know…just kind of figured we could stand some time apart.” “Peter, I haven’t stopped worrying about you. I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying about you. Seeing you go through all this…it just makes me angry. I’m angry that I can’t protect you from all this, I’m angry that you feel the way you feel because I want to help. I always want to help. And I realize I can get in my own way when it comes to caring about people. I’m-I’m sorry, Peter.”Peter fought back tears. He didn’t want to cry in front of Tony, but a few tears slipped passed despite himself.“You don’t have to say anything right now, Pete. Out of good faith, I wanted to be able to do something for you…”
Peter perked up. Something for him? He was intrigued but he didn’t know what exactly Tony had up his sleeve.
“I brought him here to see you.”Peter’s heart stopped.Reese came into view.“No. No, get him out of here.” Peter stood up.
“Peter, wait, please, I just want to talk to you.”
“No…no you did this to me, you both did this to me. You put me here.”
“Peter! Let me speak!” Reese said, tears in his eyes, but he remained stern. “It’s okay, Mr. Stark, I got this.”
“I’ll be right outside.” Tony said, walking away.It was just the two of them. And a wall of glass.“Peter, I know that you hate me for calling Tony. You have to understand though that I didn’t know what else to do! You were sinking fast, and I didn’t want to lose you. I couldn’t lose you.” He looked broken.
“I love you, Peter.”Peter thought about all the people Reese had lost. He knew he was telling the truth. Really, Peter knew everyone around him was telling the truth, but he hadn’t wanted to hear it. He didn’t want to be the one with the problem—the one who was wrong. He thought about the time he’d shared with Reese. He knew Reese cared about him, and he cared about Reese, and he wouldn’t lie to him. He knew all of this, everything he had said and done was just a façade he had made up to convince himself he wasn’t the one with the problem—he couldn’t be the one with the problem, it had to be everybody else didn’t it? Because if it wasn’t where would that leave him?
Turns out all roads led to this one…no matter what Peter told himself was true.Peter didn’t say anything, he couldn’t. Tears began to flood his face, his knees hit the floor.Reese began to move inside the observation room.“Wh-what are you doing?” Peter asked.
“I’m not going to watch you from behind glass.”
“But the door—”
“I swiped a keycard.” Reese said. He scanned it and rushed into the room. He was at Peter’s side within seconds. He wrapped his arms around him, his strong grip holding him close. Peter cried. He felt like a real person for the first time in weeks. Feeling Reese’s warm body against him, smelling his musk, he felt whole for a little bit.“Please, Reese, you’ve got to get me out of here.” Peter found himself saying.
He didn’t know why he said it.
He knew Reese couldn’t get him out.
But inside he longed to be normal for one fucking second with Reese.
“Peter…I can’t. That’s not my decision.”
Peter’s heart broke again. He knew the answer…but it was still painful all the same.
Peter pulled away from him. “Y-you’re right…”It clicked with him for the first time. It clicked just how unfair this was for Reese. He had already had to deal with so much in his life, having a drug addicted boyfriend was too much to put on him. He knew that. He knew he was too much. He knew he was hurting people. It was time to let go.
“You-you should probably get going.” Peter said, trying to compose himself, wiping away tears and trying for a smile.
“What? Are you sure, I can stay for a bit longer?”
“It’s okay, really, I know you probably have other things you need to be doing.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?” Reese said.
“No, really, you-you don’t have to do that.”
“No, I want to!” Reese tried to reassure him.Reese wasn’t going to let him go.He knew that.“Reese,” Parts of him were shattering. To know he would never get to be with him again, he’d never get to kiss him again, or snuggle up with him on a cold night. They’d never get to have movie nights again, or go out on dates like they wanted. Nothing. They could be nothing to each other. “Reese, I don’t want to see you again.”Reese looked caught off guard. “Wh-you don’t mean that.”
“I do…I-I don’t think we should see each other.”
“You’re lying…” Reese began to back away.
“I’m not.”
Reese swallowed a lump in his throat. He looked like he was searching the air for something, anything to tell him that this wasn’t real.“O-okay, Peter…give me one good reason we shouldn’t be together. I-I know that you still want to see me, I know that you still want us to be together, so give me a good reason! Because all this shit isn’t for nothing. I fought to get here to see you and I’m not leaving you, I’m not leaving you like this!”“I don’t love you.”Peter’s heart fractured into a million pieces.
He watched as Reese’s expression broke.
They both were hurting beyond words.“Y-you…you mean that?” Reese fought back tears.“Yeah.” Peter said mustering up all the confidence he could, knowing that if he didn’t, Reese would never leave.With that, Reese rushed out of the room trying to keep his chin up.Peter walked up to the wall, pressing his head against the cold surface. And he cried. He cried and cried until all that was left was anger. Why’d he ever do this to himself? Why did he take those drugs? Why could he never be satisfied, always having to have more and more, not listening to anyone around him.He began punching the walls, again, and again, and again. The wall gave way slightly, but still remained intact, showing a slight dent. Peter looked down, his knuckles were bleeding profusely, he couldn’t even feel it. He continued to cry, slumping down next to the wall, holding his hand.Suddenly Tony appeared in the observation room.
“Peter, are you okay? What happened?!”
Drool fell from his lips as he cried.
Tony buzzed through the door, yelling for nurses to come in.
“It’s okay, let me see your hand.”
“I just wanna be normal, I just wanna be normal.”
“I know, Pete.”
“I want to be FUCKING NORMAL!!” He cried, slamming his fists down on the ground.
Tony grabbed ahold of the boy who seemed smaller than ever in his arms at that moment. Peter cried into his shoulder until he was exhausted from emotions.
Nurses came to his aid, looking at his hand.
Peter let them do whatever he needed to. He looked to the exit, the door was open…He could run.
But he didn’t have the strength.
He didn’t care anymore.
All those times of wanting to get out, wanting to escape the compound, he didn’t even have anywhere to go…
Everyone was gone.
Reese was gone.
Aunt May was gone.
His parents were long gone.The only thing left to do now was…to survive. Although he wasn’t even sure he wanted to do that.“It’s okay, buddy, I’m here, you’re gonna be fine.”
Peter wondered why Tony was reassuring him so much. But then he looked down at his hand. There was blood everywhere, his knuckles were so raw you could see bone. All the blood was starting to make him feel woozy, and before he knew it he passed out.***Tony spent more time around Peter in the coming weeks. He could see in Peter’s eyes, in his movements, in his submission. He didn’t care anymore. He had burnt himself out of being hardheaded, he no longer wished to cause a scene at every turn in the road. It was easier now to help him and make him do what the doctors wanted, but if anything, it worried Tony more than when he was resisting. He didn’t have any fight left in him.“This…this was never my intention, Pepper. He’s so…I don’t know, detached?”
“At least he’s eating now…” She sighed, still agreeing with Tony’s sentiment.
“Did I do this to him? He won’t say anything to anyone anymore. Not even Wanda…she could get through to him before. Now he just lays in his bed, not saying a word…and he looks so tired all the time. Even if he’s gaining weight back, he still doesn’t look healthy.”
“You know what Dr. Cho said, depression is just a sign of going through that withdrawal process, he’ll snap out of it.”
“I…I just don’t want him to hurt like this. Most importantly I don’t want him to hurt himself.”
“I don’t know how you’ll feel about this, but…I think once he improves health wise…I think we need to take him back home, put him back in school.”
“What? But that’s what got us into all this mess. What if he goes right back to it? We won’t able to monitor him like we do here.”
“Tony we’re losing him. And deciding not to relapse has got to be his choice. We can’t keep him locked up here forever. I know you want to protect him—we both do—but getting his life back is the only way he stands a chance at getting better.”
“You’re right, I know you are…it just still worries me.”
“Start now.”
“Start what?”
“Giving him some life back. Show him that you trust him. Give him a little bit of room to be able to spread his wings.” She smiled, grasping at Tony’s hands.Things had been rough in their relationship as of late. They both knew the stress of trying to help Peter was getting to them even though they tried to ignore it. Sometimes they just couldn’t agree on what the best course of action was, but they remained united in the hopes that these issues would get resolved in the long run.“You know what,” Tony said. “I think I might have a good idea about how to do that.”***Tony watched as Peter passed through the doors of his room. Peter looked around carefully, as if Tony would lead him into a trap. They began walking down the halls of the compound.“How do you know I won’t run?” Peter asked, sounding surprised that he was outside his room for once.
“I don’t. But I’m trusting you not to…does that sound okay?” Tony looked to him.
Peter couldn’t get any words out, just nodded.They ended up walking to the other side of the compound, until Tony took Peter into a huge room. The walls there were also made from vibranium. It was the largest room he had ever seen in the compound.Peter eyed the place up and down.“Well? What do you think?”
Peter paused.
“Are you keeping me here now?”
“What? No, this is for you! I figured I could help you explore your powers…I know you haven’t really had much time to do so except for…” Tony cleared his throat. “Anyway, the doctors cleared you for exercise, says your body is back to healing itself again—another one of your powers.”
Peter looked around again. There were rafters up above them that he could imagine himself swinging across with his webs he designed. There were martial arts dummies off to the sides of the room. He wasn’t going to lie, his body had been aching to get out of that room they kept him in, and he did want to see what all he could do. Something in him told him to deny Tony but he feared that if he did Tony would never let him out again.“Can I have my web shooters?”
Tony grinned. “Thought you’d never ask.” Tossing them to Peter.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Swinging from rafter to rafter, feeling the momentum flow through his body, the adrenaline, the harsh bite of wind on his face, he felt alive. Like his heart was beating for the first time in a while.Tony gave him exercises in strength training, seeing how much he could lift, how much he could throw, it was more than even he was expecting.He trained with Wanda and Steve, it felt nice having a friendly match like that for a change instead of fighting for his life trying to escape this place. Thinking back to it now brought up embarrassment.Tony sat on the sidelines, “Hey Pete! Come down here real quick!” He yelled. Peter dropped down from the rafters.Tony chuckled. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”Peter smiled a small smile.“Happy brought us lunch, something aside from the regular grub they serve.” It was a greasy brown bag with a red logo.Peter knew it well; it was Tony’s favorite burger place.The smell of the food made Peter’s stomach growl. He hadn’t been overly excited about eating lately but this was going to be different especially after having burned so many calories.Peter could feel Tony’s eyes on him as he unwrapped the burger and dove in.“What?” Peter said with his mouth full.“Nothing, nothing at all.” Tony forced back a laugh. “You got ketchup on your nose though.”Peter wiped it away, half expecting Tony to be joking around but he did in fact have ketchup on his nose. “Shut up.” Peter said, embarrassed. “Do you…” Tony hesitated. He didn’t know if it was overstepping his bounds, but he couldn’t help it. “Do you want to talk about what happened with Reese?”Peter felt his food suddenly stick to the inside of his throat. “N-no…”Tony was scared he’d stepped too far.“At least… not right now.” Peter said.Tony let out a sigh of relief. “I’m here if you need me kiddo.”“I-I know.” Peter tried for a smile to ease Tony’s discomfort. ***A week went by, Tony had been taking Peter to training every day and he was exceling, getting stronger and stronger. Tony really was proud of him, and it seemed like Peter’s mood was improving everyday as well. He was still quiet and reserved most times, but Tony saw the smiles he had tried to suppress. Being around Wanda made him happy and he was more conversational with her, being around Cap really brought out his competitive side, Tony thought maybe he was trying to show him up a little bit, which always brought a smile to Tony’s face. It was kind of fun to see Steve struggle against a teenager.“Tony, is it okay if I take Peter back to his room?” Wanda asked.Tony agreed and they went off, Wanda was stifling laughter, probably about how Peter had knocked Steve on his ass, and Peter was blushing, trying not to laugh outright as well.*** Peter walked alongside Wanda, she was telling him Steve’s weak points and how to play them to his advantage. Wanda began to turn in the opposite direction of his room.“Aren’t we going back?”“No, we’re taking a detour.” She smiled.“Is Tony okay with that?”“Look at you, following rules.” She smirked, walking along ahead. “Come on.”He caught up to her, smiling.She took him to a balcony; it was huge, and the view was amazing. Feeling the cold air on his face he took a deep breath in. It felt like he hadn’t actually taken a breath in since he’d gotten here. There was a strong smell of pine in the air mixed with dew.He leaned against the railing, not taking his eyes off the tree line. He had forgotten he still had his web shooters on him. Usually, Tony took him back to his room and took his web shooters away on the walk back. Tony must have forgotten when Wanda asked…He got up on the railing his legs shaking, he shot out a web, it grabbed ahold of a tree.He grabbed ahold of the web like a rope, and he jumped off.“Peter?” Wanda snapped him back to reality. “You okay?”“Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” He said backing away from the railing.“So…tell me how you really are though.”He hadn’t spoken to anyone about recent events lately. There was always Dr. Cho coming in asking about how he was but he was always vague. Never allowing himself to go into too much detail. He didn’t feel like she had earned that right.“I don’t really know…I’ve tried not to think about it.”“Think about what.” She said it more as a statement, not as a protruding question.“About Reese,” He knotted his hands together. “A-about how I feel, about any of it.”She nodded. I could tell she sympathized.“I…I regret what I said to him…” He swallowed. “But at the same time…I don’t want him getting mixed up in all this-this shit.”“Everyone has…shit, Peter. It’s the people who love you that wade through it with you.”“But I don’t want this for Reese, I-I don’t even want it for myself but it’s too late for that now. I’ve done…I’ve done bad things—things I can’t undo.”“It’s not up for you to decide what Reese does and doesn’t want though.”Peter nodded. He knew she was right. He also knew that it didn’t change how bad he felt about what he had said and done. And also how much he didn’t want Reese mixed up in this. He wished Reese would come back. He wished Reese chose to be with him again. He also wished he could believe that he truly loved him, but after everything he’d done, it was hard to believe anyone truly loved him.“Wanda,” Peter rubbed at his temple fighting back tears. “I hate…I hate me, it’s me who I hate, not anyone else.” He said it more as a realization to himself with Wanda as a bystander to hear.She went up to him and grabbed him, wrapping the boy in her arms.“I just want everything to change, I-I-“ He began to cry. “I don’t want to be this person anymore.”“You don’t have to be.” She pulled Peter away from her body, still gripping his shoulders for reassurance. “You have the time and the space to change, you already have changed, Peter.”“But I don’t feel any different! I still…I still crave…” Peter wiped tears out of his eyes. “I feel so much hatred and I don’t know why.”He thought back to his hazy memories on the rooftop.He thought back at how that man begged him for his life, and he just… he didn’t care. Peter had tried to convince himself the memory wasn’t real, most times it didn’t feel real, but now… now he didn’t know what to think. He’s still angry. He’s still mad that Aunt May was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he ever did was going to change that, and yet he had to survive in this world with that on his chest. He didn’t know if he could do it.“I’m tired, Wanda. I’m so tired of feeling this way.”“I know, Peter…believe me… I know that all of this can seem like it’s nothing—that it means nothing and that you’re not going anywhere. But every day is a steppingstone. Every day you are getting closer to being who you want to be, to getting where you want to go, you just have to keep trying.”Peter laughed a bit. “That seems a bit like some greeting card bullshit.” He smiled at her.She rolled her eyes. “Maybe so…”They stood there for a little while longer, then headed back to his room. Peter handed her the web shooters. “Tony usually keeps this with him.” Peter said.Wanda smiled, taking them in her hand. “I’ll get them back to him.”Peter turned to go back into his room.“Remember what I told you okay?”He nodded.“Don’t beat yourself up over the past…things will get better.”***After several weeks later, the day had finally come.Peter was cleared for leave; his body had recovered, and Dr. Cho agreed with Pepper that it would be a good idea to get him out of the compound for his mental health.The situation worried Tony but he was trying to be optimistic. He knew he tended to lean on the pessimist side—or at least that’s what Pepper told him. He liked to consider himself a realist, it’s what his dad had always taught him. Tony remembered him saying that; you won’t get anywhere unless you consider every outcome. It felt like an obvious sentiment to Tony.Tony had completed all the preparations, he had called the school to enroll Peter again, he booked his therapy appointments after confirming it would be a necessity with Peter, and Pepper had made sure Peter’s room was ready for him when he got home.Tony, Pepper, Happy, Dr. Cho, Wanda, and Steve were all standing outside Peter’s room as the door got buzzed open to reveal Peter standing with a few of his things ready to go.“We’re proud of you, Peter.” Pepper smiled, wrapping him into a warm hug.He smiled and nodded.Dr. Cho shook his hand, “I know you’ll do great things, Peter.”“Thank you.” He said quietly.Wanda wrapped him into a hug as well. “Let me know if you need anything, I’m always here.”He genuinely smiled at that. Tony noticed he almost looked longingly into her eyes, as if he wished her to come with or that he didn’t want to leave her behind. Tony suddenly felt guilty for how the situation had ended up with her…Steve clapped Peter on the back. “Stay outta trouble, kid, or I might just have to come over there and knock you on your ass.”“Language.” Tony prodded at him. Cap rolled his eyes.“I’ve seen your guy’s training, I think he has a better chance of doing that to you.” Wanda laughed.This made Peter laugh, it brought a smile to Tony’s face.“You ready to go?” Happy said.“Yeah, yeah I think so.” Peter looked back at the room like a prisoner being released from their cell. All it did was make Tony’s stomach sink.Tony, Pepper, and Peter all got into the car, Happy drove. They rode back to the city to Stark Tower. Tony couldn’t believe that they were finally bringing him home, it felt like an eternity. He could tell Pepper was ecstatic about the prospect of everyone being home together for a change. She had had to ride back and forth between the compound and the tower for a while now, still trying to take care of business while Tony focused on Peter’s care. Tony could have sworn he had had more grey hairs in the past few months than he had had over the past few years. He could see the ware of time on Pepper’s face as well. The worrying etching into every sentence she uttered. But now—now things were going to change. Things were looking up.They still had a long way to go, but Tony was happy to have Peter out of the compound again.Tony had sprung for a fancy dinner to celebrate Peter’s return. He wanted to make him feel as much a part of the family as possible, but he could tell Peter wasn’t really having it.He wasn’t being rude or mean, he just…his heart wasn’t in it. Tony saw him force a smile and try to pretend for their sake but he knew it was hard on him, it all had to be. And maybe it was wrong of Tony to try and go back—pretend like nothing had changed, like everything could go back to the way things were, but he just wanted so badly for it to happen.He’ll give him time, Tony thought. He just needs time.
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Peter spent the weekend with Tony and Pepper, he did his best to put on a smile but he was absolutely exhausted.He kept flashing back to the moments in the compound.Out of all the emotions that came flooding back to him, the worst was embarrassment…Why?Why was that the one that hurt so much? Because he felt guilty? Ashamed? He knew now why he had so much anger and also why in the end all that he felt was embarrassed.Despite taking it all out on Tony, he was only ever angry at himself.He only ever hated himself.And in the end, he was embarrassed that he took it out on Tony. It felt like he had aired his dirty laundry and he was embarrassed for how he had reacted. He didn’t hate Tony at this point—yes Tony had said and done some fucked up shit, but he didn’t hate him, he hated himself.He thought about having to go back to school tomorrow. He thought about how most likely lots of rumors would have circulated about his absence. He dreaded the thought of people asking him questions. Hopefully the hype had died down by now and he could slip into old routines as if nothing had happened, but he knew that was wishful thinking.This worry of everyone at school talking about him was only a distraction from his real fear—that once he saw all his old friends they would hate him. Reese probably told them what he said. They probably all thought he was a piece of shit, but he still missed them. Most of all he missed Reese. His heart ached for him, he ached to see him, to touch him, he missed the smell of him, the way it felt when he ran his fingers through his hair or touched the small of his back. It all sent Peter into a spiral.He dreaded the idea of going back to school…but he also ached to see those familiar faces. ***The next morning Tony had tried to give him a pep talk. Something about how he knew this was a hard situation but he knew that he could get through it and be better for it. It all went by in a blur for Peter but towards the end Tony grabbed him and smiled.“I love you.” He said. “I’m always gonna be here for you.”Peter smiled, feeling a pang in his chest.Happy drove him to school. Peter felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, his mind rushed through scenarios of what would happen, what his friends would say to him, what he would say to them! All of them weren’t good…“I know this can be overwhelming Peter…” Happy said. “Just know you can always call me if you need anything.”Peter suddenly felt embarrassed again—as if he had ever stopped feeling it.If he couldn’t handle this, what could he handle?“Thanks, Happy…I’ll be okay.”Happy smiled and Peter got out of the car. He walked into school, trying to keep his head down and noticing a few people had stopped to take a second glance. But for the most part, no one was making a big fuss. No one approached him or said anything at all to him—they had to know, didn’t they? They knew…If they didn’t know people would be making jokes and asking him what happened.They knew. They knew. His face flushed, he wanted to crawl into a ball but he knew he couldn’t, he had to be brave.He went to his classes like usual.Even the teachers tried to act like they weren’t staring.He remembered hearing somewhere that it got you no where to assume people were thinking bad things about you—that you should always assume they’re thinking good things about you. But that was complete bullshit. Of course they weren’t saying good things.He thought back to coming to school for the first time after May had died. How he had gone outside to get some fresh air—where he met Reese.And without thinking he went outside, to that same place where they always hung out.Sure enough, there was a group congregated there smoking weed per usual…But it wasn’t them.“D-do you guys know where Reese and Jade and all them are? I…” Peter hesitated. “I have to talk to them.”They all looked up. One of the guys went to speak, he was as high as a kite.“Yeah…they don’t go here anymore.”Peter’s heart fell out of his fucking body. That couldn’t be right. They were just high and didn’t know what they were saying.“Wh-what happened?”“They got ratted out for dealing drugs or some shit, I don’t know. School expelled them.”Suddenly the smell of weed was overwhelming—sickly sweet—intoxicating.“That can’t be right…that’s,” He thought of Tony.Tony?Would he really do this?Would he do this to him now?Peter thought he was doing everything he wanted but he took his friends away? He got them expelled?He was doing everything he wanted though.He did everything he wanted.And this wasn’t pertinent enough for Tony to tell him?He didn’t even have the energy to hate him, but he was still angry. More so he was saddened. The few friends he had made were gone and he was left empty again.“You okay, dude?”“Do you know what happened to them? Where they are now?”“Dunno, they’re probably grounded, or trying to lay low, I don’t know.”“Thanks.” Peter nodded.Peter could feel his face getting hotter as he walked away. He rushed into the bathroom, shutting himself in one of the stalls as he broke down crying.This couldn’t be happening, Tony wouldn’t do this, would he? It was something Peter would have believed a couple months ago but now? Would Tony really do this after all they had been through?Peter’s anger was growing. No. His friends didn’t lose out on this opportunity because of him. That couldn’t be the outcome. He didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s lives. They weren’t dealing drugs to the whole fucking school they weren’t criminals; they were just teenagers! THEY weren’t the ones that did this to him, Peter did this to him.Peter was the cause and the source for all of his own pain. It was his fault. All of it. And not only had Peter ruined himself, he had ruined the lives of so many others.JadeAndySamReeseTonyPepperAunt May…If he had been different, if he was stronger, if he knew what the right thing to say was… things could have been different. They should have.Peter Parker is a fucking jinx.Peter took out his phone and threw it on the ground. He hated himself for what he had become. He wanted to make things right, or at least talk to Jade and them about what had happened—that he didn’t mean for any of this—that he would work at a way to make it up to them or fix things!He left his phone, knowing there was inevitably a tracker in it and he didn’t need that where he was going. He put up his hood and crawled up the bathroom wall, opening the window at the top of the room. He slipped out and ran across the roof of the building, getting out of there as quickly as he could.*** It was nearing evening. He found himself at Sam’s door. Sam’s house was always unsupervised so if they all were going to be at any house it was going to be Sam’s.He rang the doorbell.His heartbeat quickened as he heard footsteps, a shiver ran down his spine—a spidey tingle—as Tony liked to call it.The door opened.“Sam, I—”“Peter! You’re back!”Sam walked him into the living room. Jade and Andy were there too.“G-guys, I just wanted to say—”“Peter, oh my god, it’s you!” Jade got up to greet him.“What happened to you, we thought you’d transferred like Reese cus we didn’t hear from you.” Andy said.“Reese? He’s not here? He transferred?”“Yeah, he didn’t tell you? I mean I’m not really surprised; he didn’t say a lot to us. Told us he didn’t want to hangout anymore, was swearing off everything and keep his nose clean.”Peter breathed a sigh of relief. That was at least one life he hadn’t destroyed with his presence. He probably should have walked away right then, but they were his friends, and they wanted to catch up…“Tell us what happened, where’d you go!” They’d asked.And Peter told them. He told them everything that happened to him. He left out the bits with Reese and what he had said to him—he couldn’t handle the embarrassment—the guilt he would most likely feel from even speaking those words again. ‘I don’t love you.’ They made Peter sick to his stomach.His friends tried to comfort him, tried to say anything to make him feel better. But nothing was going to mend the aching hole in his chest. He felt empty. He’d felt emptiness from the moment he knew Aunt May was gone.They said stuff like they didn’t care they got kicked out, that school was a drag, and they didn’t care. They said it wasn’t his fault, that they still wanted to hang out with him.It made Peter feel better to know he still had them as friends.“We’re going to a party tonight if you wanna come? One of Andy’s friends.”Peter went rigid for a second.A party.He knew what that meant and he craved it. He craved the gratification he knew he would get.He thought about what Tony would say. Then he thought about the emptiness he felt.What was the point?The point in prolonging the inevitable.This wasn’t a battle Peter was going to win.He thought back to his conversation with Wanda. How she said he could put the past behind him and become better…Better.Peter knew he wanted to change. He knew he didn’t want to continue the way he had…but at the same time… the idea of getting high was winning out. His resolve was fading as his friends looked to him for an answer about whether he would go or not.He could try to stay sober, but… He agreed to go.Jade drove them to the house. It was a shithole but at least Tony couldn’t find it. The small house boomed with loud music and flashing lights. The environment quickened Peter’s pulse. Part of him just wanted a taste, the other part wanted to dive headfirst.He was sitting on the floor with Jade, watching as Andy’s friends popped pills, drank, snorted coke, and he just…he didn’t know what he was doing. What had he been working towards before?He remembered all the stuff Dr. Cho had said about staying sober, about calling someone for support, but he didn’t want to call anyone. He didn’t want to admit this was the place he was in when he had just gotten out of the compound… why was he going to fight for sobriety when he was never the one who chose it for himself in the first place? Peter never said he wanted to give up the drugs.All he could think to himself was that he didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to see that white fucking room ever again, he would die before he went back there. To see the look of disappointment on everyone’s faces as he struggled to come down from god knows what drugs…but at the same time he couldn’t stop himself from doing what he was about to do.He grabbed a rolled-up dollar bill off of someone and snorted a line.It happened with such ease. As soon as he breathed it in it felt…better. Like the hole inside him was filling.Tony didn’t have to know. He could hide it from him, and he’d know how to do it better this time.Peter snorted another line.“Woah, slow down!” Jade laughed.“Crank up the music!” Andy yelled.And Peter finally felt relief.
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Peter did whatever drugs they offered him; drank whatever drinks they handed him.“We’re going to make you feel good tonight!” Jade yelled over the music.Peter felt like he was floating, like he was weightless, and he was never going to have a bad feeling ever again. This is where he belonged, this is where he wanted to stay. Fuck Tony and Pepper, fuck Dr. Cho, fuck all of them for taking this feeling from him.He was tired of thinking, of going back and forth about how he felt, why he felt it, what he needed to do differently, he didn’t want to think anymore, he was going to have fun.Peter and Jade sat next to each other on the couch, challenging the other to snort another line of coke together.They did it, lying back on the couch and staring at the ceiling together. Jade hit him on the knee absentmindedly.“You know what, man?” She said with slurred speech.Peter could barely speak, could barely even think.“I-I know we told yo-you that school was a drag,” She stuttered. “And I’m gladdd we got kicked out,” She started laughing harder than what made sense to the situation, “But I thought it was pretty cool how your dad stuck up for us.”Peter began to blink hard, as if blinking would clear the fog in his mind. “Wh-what? Tony?”“Yeah, h-he went and stook up for us… said we should have another chance or some shit like that,” She took a drink. “But the school said they couldn’t have drug dealers on campus or something I don’t know.”“He…” Peter felt like he was going to be sick.He let Tony down…Again.The sheer panic and anxiety bubbled up in his stomach. He was actually going to be sick.“J-jade…I don’t feel good.”“Here, have this—” She offered him a drink.“No-no, I can’t-“ He pushed it away, clutching his stomach. He got up and rushed to the bathroom, but he was stumbling all around. He could barely walk straight and as he walked he felt himself getting lightheaded.“Peter, are you okay?” She said absentmindedly, unable to leave the couch.He fell on the bathroom floor, he was no longer in control of his legs. His eyes began to sting with the headache that fell behind them.“J-Jade something’s wrong.” He said, knowing she couldn’t hear him—no one could.He began to panic.His body, this feeling, he’d never felt it before. Something was happening and he wasn’t in control anywhere, had he ever really been?Before he could say anything else his eyes began rolling back in his head. He was shaking and convulsing.Eventually it stopped. Peter lay helpless on the bathroom floor… until someone came in to use it.There was screaming. One of Andy’s friends said he was dead, that he didn’t have a pulse, that they needed to leave before they got in trouble for it. A girl tried to pull out her phone to call 911 but the other slapped it out of her hand. “Are you crazy?! We’ll all go down for this, we have to leave.” They were all too high and drunk for any of them to think logically.They ran.All of them.Peter opened his eyes. His body felt like cement. He wasn’t right. He was fading fast.“H-h-help,” He managed.He looked around for something to pull himself up with. He had to go find someone to help him.He saw a phone lying on the floor. He drug his body closer to it and picked it up.Tony.He dialed his number.“Hello?” His voice sounded frantic. “Hello?! Peter is this you? Are you there?!”Peter didn’t have the strength to speak. He tried making out words but only stuttered. “T-Ton—"The phone died in his hands.Peter stared at the black screen, seeing his reflection. What had he done? How could he have been so stupid?! He was so stupid! Tony was going to hate him for the rest of his life if he didn’t already.***The call dropped. Tony breathed out, calling his suit.Pepper was worried but she could see Tony was furious.“Pepper, I should have never trusted him I should have never let him take a step off the compound.”“Don’t let your temper get to you, just go get him and bring him home, we can talk about this later.”“I swear, if he’s just messing with me—”“Tony. Bring him home.”Tony looked at her and sighed.“Friday, show me where that signal last came from.”It appeared in his mask and he used his thrusters to launch himself into the sky.Tony made it to the location; it was a small rundown house. The front door had been left open and LED lights were the only thing on in the house.Tony wanted to hold onto his anger to distract himself from his worry and utter panic but it didn’t work.“Peter?!” He began calling out.He searched each room frantically…until he got to the bathroom.He pushed the door open, finding the boy’s body on the floor sprawled out and clutching onto a dead cellphone.Tony’s heart practically leapt out of his chest. He rushed to his side, scooping him up in his arms. He searched Peter’s face, was he even—“Peter, wake up.” He tapped his face. “Peter…Peter don’t do this to me, wake up!” Tony scanned Peter’s body, what was going on, what had he taken, why was he here?“Friday, check vital signs!”“Faint pulse detected; would you like me to call 911?”“Yes! Do it!” He barked the order.He held Peter closer, not being able to hold him close enough. “Peter, please, please wake up.”Peter’s eyes fluttered. “Mr-Mr Stark…you came.”Tony laughed with relief as tears escaped his eyes. “Of course I did, bud, that’s what I’m here for. Now what did you take?”“I-I don’t wanna die like this.” Peter cried, not being able to move. “I-I’m scared.”“You’re not going to die, okay? You don’t have to be scared, ambulance is on its way! Friday, what’s the ETA on the ambulance?”“10 minutes.”“Peter, can you tell me what you took?”“I-I don’t…” Peter felt cold to the touch.“It’s okay, you’re okay, you’re okay.”“Tony, I’m-I’m so sorry.” Peter couldn’t keep back the tears, neither could Tony, he just kept trying to hold him closer.“It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re not going anywhere, I’m staying right here with you.”“This is never what I wanted…I’m-I’m sorry to put you through all this…I didn’t mean to make you hate me.”“I don’t hate you, I don’t hate you, I love you.”“B-but I did this! I did this to myself, and I hurt everybody else too.”“Save your strength, just focus on breathing, okay? We have time to talk about this later.”“I need-I need to say this now.” Peter cried. “I’m so sorry…I’m sorry for putting you through this.” Peter said breathlessly. This was all happening in such a haze, Peter couldn’t even be sure if Tony was there or not or if this was some drug induced dream. “Tony, I don’t hate you. I know…I know I’ve said bad things, but I don’t hate you.”“I know,”“And I don’t hate Reese, you have to tell him—you have to tell him that for me.”“You can tell him yourself! Nothing’s going to happen to you okay?”“I-I don’t feel good…Tony, I’m scared,” Peter stared at the ceiling, Tony was trying to keep him grounded, keep him looking at him. “Look at me, Peter, look at me!”Peter’s eyes wavered, his pupils were huge, he looked like he couldn’t keep his eyes trained on any one thing.“Peter, I know things have been difficult, I know you’re struggling but we can work through this! We will work through this! You’re not in trouble, okay?”“I-I’m not a g-good person, Tony… I ruin everything, I ruin everyone…”“That’s not true, Peter, just stay with me!” Tony’s voice raised, he was losing him.Peter’s eyes began to roll back in his head.“I-I-I love you… I-I’m sor…” Peter’s words trailed off.“Peter? PETER?!”Tony grabbed the boy tighter in his arms. “Friday, what’s happening?!”“I’m sorry boss, it appears his pulse has stopped.”“No, no that’s not true, he has superpowers, he can’t die from this. He’s alive, he has to be alive. PETER?!” He yelled at the boy’s body again.Peter lay limp in his arms.Tony felt like someone was strangling him, this wasn’t real, it couldn’t be real!“WHERE’S THE FUCKING AMBULANCE?!”....................