Chapter Text
The elevator ride to the lab seemed to take forever. I couldn’t help but imagine every reaction Tony could have. Will he be sad, or disappointed that I didn’t tell him? Will he lecture me?
Finally, the elevator comes to a stop. I take a deep breath to brace for whatever reaction I’m about to get, and step out. Tony is nowhere to be seen.
I walk further down the hallway and into the main area of the lab.
“Tony?” I call out.
“Overhere kid.”
I turn the direction of his voice.
“So. Flash huh. How come I have never heard of him? And, why did you tell Friday not to alert me that you were here?”
“Well, I… I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think it was important.”
“You didn’t think it was important?” Tony raised his voice. “The Flash thing or the field trip?”
“Both.” He stared at me for a few seconds,
“Both. Both!” He threw his arms in the air. “Peter, you have to tell me these things! I can’t guess what is happening in your life. If you are getting bullied, tell me, or May, there are things we can do.” His voice was getting louder.
“And not telling me about coming here, really? You are here every other day and have a room in this building, and you're telling me you didn’t want me to know?”
“Of course not! I didn’t want to go from no one believing me, to getting embarrassed by the Avengers!” I shot back.
“Oh embarrassed, huh? Are we embarrassing now? Would knowing us be more embarrassing than what that Flash kid has been saying to you? Natasha told me what he said. You should have at least told May!” He sounded less like he was yelling and more like he was lecturing.
“I did tell May,” I responded, my voice quiet. His face fell.
”What?”
“Flash started saying things not even a year after my parent’s deaths. He told me there was nothing I could do and if I tried he would make it worse. I was, like, 10, so I listened. I let that go on for months. One day, I came home crying and told May, and Ben, everything.
“They were furious. The two of them went to the school, and the school did nothing. They told May that Flash was just playing around. Later, we learned his parents have money and give generous donations to the school.
“When I became Spider-Man, I watched Flash fan-girl over me. Well, Spider-Man me. Knowing that he was practically in love with me made me realize nothing he was saying was true. His words no longer affect me.”
”Peter.” He said, staring at me, shocked by my monologue. “You don’t have to continue going through that.”
“I know.” I looked away for a brief moment. “I just don’t want him to go after someone else. I would feel awful if he stopped targeting me, just to go after someone else.”
Tony looked like he wanted to kill someone, hug me, and cry all at the same time.
He did end up hugging me