Chapter Text
All of Ross’s exploits were now in the light. He was committing crimes everywhere. He used his position at the Raft to hide many of his crimes. It helped that he was also the United States Secretary of State for President Ellis. Ross had been helping inmates out by paying for their allies on the outside to continue their crime sprees. Ross hated enhanced persons, and he believed that if he paid for the crime sprees of the allies to the ones in the Raft, it would finally show the world that enhanced persons must cease to exist.
Ross was very wrong in his assumptions. The business dealings he had were all terminated now. This made very many on the Raft angry, but they were powerless to do anything. Ross’s underground bank accounts and illegal finances were seized and shut down. They were powerless to do anything about the money paid to Natasha though. Natasha had already drained and shut down her own illegal account. There would be no finding her unless she wanted them to find her.
Ross ran the Raft improperly while he was there. He even released a few of the lesser criminals to continue their crime sprees and make more news against enhanced persons. S.H.I.E.L.D. continued their investigation into Ross’s bad dealings, and eventually came to the conclusion that pretty much everyone and everything about the Raft is corrupt. Those involved in any illegal dealings were arrested and punished accordingly for their crimes.
The Raft was shut down within a few months after Peter was found and the investigation was completed. The criminals there were sent to other prisons that were capable of holding them. The Raft was destroyed. It and all illegal documents and experiments on it were obliterated. The Raft was blown up by a torpedo. Nothing of it remained. Not even a hollow husk of the submersible building remained. Any and all scraps from the destruction were cleaned up by S.H.I.E.L.D.. There were still some things confiscated from the Raft while they were investigating Ross that needed to be destroyed as soon as possible though.
Red Hulk had retired to a private island paid for by Tony. He wished to atone for Ross’s actions, but he could only do that if he worked with the Avengers when needed. He had everything he needed on the island, and could contact Tony anytime he had to. He preferred to stay away from people because of his obvious physical appearance, not to mention he was kind of anti-social.
Peter had recovered from the kidnapping very well. It’s January now, and he’s scheduled to start the second semester of his senior year in one week. The holidays passed nicely and Peter had been busy as Spider-Man ever since the end of November when Dr. Cho and Dr. Strange confirmed that there was no damage left over from the collar’s electricity. Peter’s healing prevented anything from harming his brain or nervous system. Peter was now being informed of the situation with the Raft.
“What do you mean the serums still exist?! They should have been destroyed with the Raft! No one should have the power to hurt someone or take away their powers like that! I know! Most of those serums were tested on me!” Peter angrily exclaimed as Maria explained the situation.
Tony stood to Peter’s side in support as Harry watched his best friend grow angry.
“Peter, S.H.I.E.L.D. confiscated everything from Ross’s office before they took down the Raft. Everything that details the experiments done on you still exists, but we need to figure out a proper way to dispose of everything without informing the public about the situation. We also need to keep it as evidence against Ross. There’s no way that we can...” Maria explained.
Happy walked in on the end of that conversation and interrupted “Bull! Ross is gone anyway! Nothing like that should have ever been created! If you let it stay, there will always be a possibility that it can be recreated or stolen to hurt more people. It must be destroyed. I do not care if you want to save your own backs for not catching Ross sooner! That stuff was used to hurt Peter. If your stupid agency does not do it, then I will somehow find a way to get in and destroy it myself!”
Hill sighed and said “Fine. Fury’s not going to be happy, but I happen to agree that everything about those serums must be destroyed. No one should have that kind of power in their hands. Every time someone comes up with something like this, it never ends well. I’ll make arrangements.”
“I want to be there when you do it. I recovered from most of that stuff being used on me. The Goblin serum is too dangerous to let loose, and I want to witness it being destroyed. I deserve to see that no one will go through the pain I did at the mercy of those serums.” Peter stated.
“Fine. I’ll see what I can do. I’ll inform Tony when I can get it done.” Maria said as she exited the penthouse. Harry hugged Peter. He knows how badly Peter wants that stuff destroyed. He cannot even fathom how much pain Norman and Ross had put his best friend through.
Before the end of his last week of the holiday break Maria had made the arrangements. Everything concerning the serums was set to be incinerated. The notes confiscated from Norman’s business when he kidnapped Peter before were set to be incinerated as well. Fury had caved and agreed to let everything concerning the dangerous serums be destroyed. He understood that something like those on the loose could bring even bigger problems to the world.
Peter and Tony were allowed to watch as the incinerator was loaded with all of Norman’s old notes, the reports about experiments done on Peter, and the serums themselves. Peter watched through the clear barrier of the incinerator as everything went up in flames. He watched as everything melted down and was completely obliterated. It was a huge relief for him to see the serums destroyed. Now all that remained concerning the experiments done on him were the reports that Helen Cho and Stephen Strange had turned in after Peter was brought back, and the memories. Her reports included nothing that mentioned the serums that had been tested on Peter.
Peter’s memories of his time as an experiment may live on, but he knew that nothing bad could come of it ever again. Peter was actually kind of relieved that it happened to him. Had someone else been taken, or had he not been taken at all, Ross would have completely succeeded. Peter was not happy that he had been tortured or kidnapped again, but he was happy that some good came of it.
Peter left the facility with a smile on his face and Tony by his side. The serums were destroyed. No one could be hurt by Norman and Ross’s work ever again.
Peter’s first week back after holiday break has been good. He had seen those serums destroyed before he went back to school, and he’s been in a great mood ever since. Peter was especially happy that he did not have to retake any courses from last semester. It was rough at first when he got back, but with the help of all of his friends he was able to completely catch up. He had become even more popular than before, but he still knew who his true friends were.
Peter and Harry had met their friends at the front of the school this morning and agreed that they should have a sleepover this weekend starting tonight. The bell rang and Peter left for his homeroom. He loved Fridays so much. They led to the beginning of the weekend. Peter went through the day normally. He glanced at his phone in between classes and noticed that Tony was still texting him constantly. He was happy that Tony cared so much.
Peter quickly texted Tony back and went to his next class. Once that class ended, it was time for lunch. He and his friends enjoyed the time to relax and converse. Flash actually sat at their table now. He had apologized to Peter quite a while ago, and Peter accepted him into the friend group after a while. They still did not trust him as much or invite him to the tower, but Peter could tell that Flash was truly sorry for his actions. Their day went on normally and Peter and Harry rode home with Happy. Maria no longer followed them around since the threats against Peter were both eliminated.
Tony and the team still worried about Natasha making a reappearance, but the last they heard from her was when she betrayed the team and drained her bank accounts. Peter was finally completely safe. Well, mostly safe, he is still Spider-Man after all.
The boys prepared their rooms for a sleepover that would begin in a few hours after Ned and MJ packed their overnight bags. Tony was more than happy to welcome the friends back over to the tower. They were practically family now. Everyone had grown much closer ever since Peter had been found. The remaining avengers were pretty much all his uncles. Peter had even met Vision once when he came for a brief visit before returning to Asgard for his research.
Peter greeted Tony and changed into his suit. He waved to Tony and Harry before he put on his mask and jumped from the balcony. It always scared Tony when he did that, but it made him feel so free. Tony watched as Peter swung away to help the people of the city. His kid is so awesome. Tony periodically checked the watch to make sure that Peter’s vitals were okay and that his location was close or wherever it was supposed to be.
“So, have you acquired those adoption papers yet?” Harry questioned.
“Yeah. I’ve had them since before the holidays, but I have been too scared to ask him. I love him, but I don’t want to replace his dad or uncle in any way. I don’t want him to think that he has to agree.” Tony replied.
“He won’t Tony. Peter’s a great guy, and he will do what he feels is right. Ned and MJ will be here soon. If you want we can all surprise him when he gets back, and you can ask him then, okay? It’s been long enough. There’s no denying that you two are super close.” Harry continued.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll do it. I may hurl at some point out of nerves because this is so not me. I don’t do emotions that much, yet here I am. He’s made me a much better person.” Tony said as Harry snickered.
A few hours later Peter arrived to see Ned, MJ, Harry, and Tony waiting for him in the living room.
Tony nervously began “Um, I’m not sure if this will be weird, but I have an important question to ask you.”
“Yeah?” Peter shakily questioned, quite unsure of what was going on.
“Peter, I care for you very much, and I would like to know if it is okay for me to adopt you?” Tony blurted out.
Peter’s eyes widened and he rushed to hug Tony.
“Of course it’s fine Tony. I love you like a father. The only reason I don’t do that is because I’ve already had someone go by that title, and I wanted you to have a different one. It took me a while to build up to calling you Tony, and I want you to know that I call you that because I consider you to be my father figure. I respect and love you Tony. Nothing could make me more happy than you adopting me. It’s not like it will change anything but a document in the eyes of the law anyway. All I ask is that I keep my original name and hyphenate the last name if you would be fine with that.”
“Of course, kid. Whoa, that took a lot out of me. Emotions are exhausting. I love you too, kid. I’m honored that you look at me as a father figure.” Tony said as he got the papers out for him and Peter to sign.
Peter was becoming Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark. They would schedule a meeting to get the papers official as soon as possible. Peter missed his birth family very much, and was still grieving them, but he has Tony, and Tony would help him through all of the rough patches he would inevitably come across like he already had been. Peter’s friends smiled and hugged him. They were happy for him as well. Tony called everyone and told them the news. Pepper released an official statement the next day, and everything was right in their world again. Peter was finally safe at last with his family close by. Even better was that less than a week later, Peter got his acceptance letter to ESU. Everything was going great...................for now.