Chapter Text
Peter was asleep in his room at the tower when he heard it. A loud, shrill alarm rang out over FRIDAY’s speakers and he jerked awake. Peter was on his feet immediately pulling on a t-shirt and tennis shoes before rushing from his room.
“FRI what’s happening?” Peter asked as he rushed to the elevators.
“There has been a security breach. Mr. Stark requested that you go to the main lab on floor thirteen and protect it should the need arise. I will take you there now.” FRIDAY said, opening the elevator for Peter, who grumbled in annoyance.
“Yeah – of course. Stick me on protection mode – you know – I could be a lot more help to him somewhere else.” Peter said, reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Hey, what time is it anyway? Where is everyone?” Peter asked.
“It is currently four thirty-two in the morning, and the rest of the avengers in the tower are on the top floor fighting off a group of highly trained operatives. Their end-goal is not yet known, but the most valuable assets in this tower are in the lab. The team’s goal is to keep the men from getting anywhere near you.”
“Okay. I’m going to need my suit.” Peter said, jogging off the elevator.
“Of course, it is unlocked for you inside the lab already.” FRIDAY said as Peter swiped his thumb. He immediately pulled on his suit, readying himself for whatever may come.
“Hey – I’m on comms now. Is there anything else I can do for you guys?” Peter asked, sitting on the desk as he swung his feet, nerves rushing through his body.
“Good – just man the lab. Whatever these guys are here for, odds are they are here for some of my tech. Our goal is to keep them from you, so just hang out there in case one or two slip by.” Tony said.
“Okay, just, let me know if you need anything else.” Peter said his fingers tapping out a rhythm on his leg.
Ten minutes later Peter looked up at the hallway in front of him. He cocked his head, listening closely.
“Tony? Did – are one of you on the thirteenth floor?” Peter asked warily.
“Nope – go right Sam! About fifteen minutes and we should have this all under control!” Tony said, before he began to yell at Steve to go high. Peter just continued to watch the hallway – swearing that he could hear something.
To say that Peter wasn’t expecting for the lights to go out is an understatement. Everything cut out, and he jumped up onto his feet, looking around with no way of seeing.
“FRI? Wh-what’s going on?” Peter asked. “Lights up, maybe?”
FRIDAY didn’t answer. Peter knew it would only take about ten more seconds for the backup generator to kick in… but then he heard the hissing of the lab door and his blood froze.
With a blinding brightness the lights came on, red flashing throughout the building as Peter took a deep breath. About five men stood in the room with him, and he rolled his shoulders as the doors locked behind them.
“Hey guys – you know, I was wondering when the fun would come to me! I’ve been waiting forever!” He cried, as he went to web up the men. There were too many of them, though. He hit and kicked, but it wasn’t until he dropped four of the men before he realized that one, he was missing one.
Peter whirled around, his heart stammering as he looked for the fifth. He found him, at one of Tony’s strange contraptions in the corner. It wasn’t until he saw the man with some type of vial in his hand, about to uncap it when it clicked.
The device he was standing over was something Tony and Bruce had cooked up that was meant to act as a way to spread a quick cure for a biological weapon in case of emergencies. Honestly, Peter had never asked because Tony came up with thousands of ideas for ways to protect others, so he’d just figured it would be another device that would sit in the lab, unmoving.
But these guys were bad news. They definitely weren’t there to release a cure. Peter lunged across the room, but he heard someone behind him. Whipping his head around, he saw one of the guys he had dropped was opening the lab door. If Peter didn’t stop him and the other guys released the biological weapon – it would all be over.
He had a choice to make. Protect the world or try and protect himself.
“FRIDAY! Keep the door the locked!” He cried, but it was no use, he knew that she was still down. So he did the one thing he knew to do.
Tony had a built-in shut down button in case of a chemical emergency.
Peter leapt over a work bench, his hand reaching out just as the man behind him released the contents of the vial into the tube.
Peter pulled the lever and immediately a blue light and a new – louder – siren rang out across the tower. The AC units and doors sealed themselves shut, and Peter rested in the knowledge that the only way they would open was from the outside.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?” One of the men cried, but Peter knew that he needed to finish the job before he became too weak.
He went for the one by the machine first, delivering a sharp kick to the side of the guy’s head and dropping him like a rock. It was a matter of seconds before the other guy was down as well.
Peter turned, leaning against the wall – suddenly feeling violently claustrophobic as he ripped his mask off. He could hear the men around him coughing, blood dripping from their mouths as the weapon did what it was meant to do. Peter figured that with his accelerated healing, he had about ten to fifteen minutes.
“Pete – wh- why is the lab completely shut down?” Tony asked, already knowing that he didn’t want to know the answer.
“Tony – I – I need you to get down here…” His voice cut out as he bent over coughing. “Now.” He whispered. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do – no. Actually, he did. He knew that this was it. Staring at the wall of photographs that Tony had put up – Peter knew that he would never take a new one.
He grinned, seeing the picture of himself and Tony – their fake internship photo. He had been so happy that day – so overwhelmed and excited. Tony had made him take it after he found out about how much crap Flash was giving Peter about his fake internship.
Peter saw another picture that brought – mixed emotions. Him and Tony, suited up as they fought the crazy people from Space just before the dusting.
Then a picture of Tony and Peter at the lake house. It had been Christmas, the two of them laughing on the front steps. Pepper had taken the photo without them knowing.
The picture of Peter in his graduation cap, him and Tony holding the MIT acceptance letter between them. A look of pride on Tony’s face that just screamed – well, Peter couldn’t deny that it looked like the pride of a father. He was supposed to graduate in three months. That wasn’t going to happen. He was going to ask MJ to move in with him. He was relieved to know that he had left goodbyes to everyone he know, having written letters to them all in case of an untimely death.
Peter coughed once more, leaning heavily against the glass that was blocking him from the outside.
He turned his head when he heard footsteps. Tony, Bruce, and Sam came racing around the corner, worry screaming from their eyes.
“Peter! Open the door!” Tony cried, but Peter shook his head vehemently.
“NO! You – you can’t! FRIDAY has to clean the room. It’s -they released something.” Peter stated, and Tony looked around, his eyes landing on the dead bodies of the men as his heart stuttered.
“Oh God.” The man said, looking like he were about to collapse.
“Natasha- get FRIDAY running, now!” Bruce cried into the coms, but Peter knew. It wouldn’t be enough. His body was failing.
Peter felt exhausted as his knees wobbled.
“Okay – Peter – can you get to the medical kit that we keep in there?” Bruce asked, but the doctor already knew the Peter wouldn’t be able to. Just as he thought, the kid began to cough, bending over as he coughed and coughed.
“Breathe – just – just breathe buddy.” Tony said, placing his hand on the glass. He turned to Bruce, his obvious shock and fear lacing his eyes.
“Tell me there’s something we can do – please – please!” Tony begged.
“Tony – we don’t know how far this substance will spread. If we – if we open the door, everyone in this building will die – possibly spreading to the rest of the city. He wouldn’t want that.” Bruce said. “If – if he can hold out until FRI gets back running… maybe.” But the way Bruce’s voice trails off has a sob ripping out of Tony.
“Oh God, no.” He turned back around as Peter finally stopped coughing, pushing himself up with his hand but Tony only cared about the fact that Peter’s elbow, where he had been coughing into, was covered with dark blood.
“Mr. Stark?” Peter said, before his knees gave out on him. Peter dropped down, his back leaned against the side of a cabinet, his left hand pressed firmly against the glass. Tony put his own up beside Peter’s, relishing in being as close as he possibly could to his kid. Peter’s breathing was getting more and more labored, his face covered in sweat as his eyes rolled to meet Tony’s. Those eyes that would be plastered in Tony’s every thought. He couldn’t do this. Not again.
“Hey, buddy. You just keep those eyes on me, okay? I’m right here.” Tony’s voice was low and serious, only cracked by the sobs that threatened to take over.
“You – I am so… lucky. I can’t – when I lost my dad – “Peter coughed, not having the energy to cover his mouth as blood trailed down his throat.
“Buddy, just breathe, okay?” Tony said, but Peter gave his head a slight shake.
“No – I – when I lost my dad, I thought that I wouldn’t ever have another one. I – I was young, but I understood. But then Ben – and – and then I – “Peter coughed again. More blood. Too much. His lungs rattled. “Ben – everything happened – I didn’t… I didn’t think that I would be this lucky again – I didn’t – you – you did everything for me and me – thank you. I l- I lov- “Peter choked off again, leaning forward as he coughed. His small frame shook.
Tony waited for the fit to pass – but it seemed to last too long, carrying on until Peter’s coughs didn’t cease just grew more and more weak. As he finally choked out one last, pitiful cough, the kid sat back, his left hand still gripping the glass across from Tony’s.
“I love you too, Peter. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have been here alone. But I love you. I never -I never thought I would have kids. I never thought that I would find someone that I could be this proud of. And I am – I am so proud of you. Peter, I am so proud of you.” Tony watched as the kid’s eyes dragged over to meet his, he could see it, in Peter’s eyes. This was really the end. All the times Tony got the kid out. All of the times that Tony thanked God that he had another day with his kid. All the times they laughed, cried, joked. All of the times that Tony had never thought he would look back on in grief. He was utterly unready for this phase of his life. A faze of his life wracked with grief. A face of his life without Peter Parker.
Father’s shouldn’t outlive their sons.
Peter seemed to try and cough – but his lungs simply spasmed, as he seemed to choke.
“D’n’t – d’n’t leave me. L’ve you.” Peter’s voice was hardly a whisper, but Tony heard him. He heard him.
“I’m not going anywhere, Peter. I’m right here. You’re not alone. I’m right here, buddy.” Tony’s voice broke as Peter’s chest gasped- and didn’t move. The kid’s eyes stilling – a look that would haunt Tony for the rest of his life.
He should have never had to see Peter’s eyes without life behind him.
The kid’s hand fell from the glass, and Tony let himself weep, falling forward until his head was laid flat against the glass – his eyes plastered on the kid, because he wouldn’t dare look away.
Tony felt hands on his back, pulling him away but he tried to shake them off.
“No! I can’t- I can’t leave him! He’s just a kid, I can’t – he doesn’t want to be alone! Please!” Tony gasped around a sob. “Please – he can’t be alone!” Tony cried and pulled, trying his best to get back to his kid. Something pricked his arm – and his world was drowned in sorrow and grief.
-
There was a Spider-Man statue put up in honor of Peter. It never failed to have flowers, art, and notes of his good deeds laid at the base of it. The team had released Peter’s name, let the world know what the kid had done for them. There were memorials, people crying out their thanks to the boy from Queens who had given it all to save them.
The world grieved Ironman, too. The man who had seemingly retired after the snap. They hadn’t seen the man since news of that fateful night – rumors of a house in the woods of upstate New York, a quiet life on the farm. But every once in a while, – from under a dark baseball cap and sunglasses – someone visiting Spiderman’s memorial – might see it. Might see him.
The man who held the weight of the world, the man who had become Atlas, standing at the base of the memorial. Talking to the kid that had left him too soon. Telling him about his favorite memories, whispering to him about the new things in his life.
Every once in a while, someone would see a man who held the weight of the world, the world who had cursed him over and over again to lose those who he loved. But, as the man would tell anyone who asked him about Peter Parker, maybe if there was someone who would always love the kid, someone who would always visit his memorial to thank him once more for his actions – well maybe Peter Parker would never truly die.