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Chapter Text

The brilliant sun's rays peeked through the space where the curtains of the room's windows didn't quite reach each other. It was warm and comforting, but was also slightly irritating due to the fact that it caused Peter's face to contort, not exactly expecting the brightness to land right on his eyes.

He pulled the soft blankets over his eyes and groaned. He was absolutely exhausted from the previous night's patrol. He had come back to his home at roughly 4 in the morning, but for a good cause. He was also sore from taking a couple hits in the stomach after defending an older woman from being robbed of her belongings on her way back home. He had advised her not to be walking around the streets of New York City after dark, since he knew the night could drag in some nasty people searching for someone to prey on.

He carefully sat up on his small twin-sized bed, wincing slightly from his newly bruised ribs. His eyes stung dryly, glancing at the alarm clock right beside his bed and calculating how many hours of sleep he had. 

Three...

He groaned again, slipping his feet off the mattress first and allowed them to be placed gently on the carpeted floor. He raised both of his arms up and stretched, letting out a quiet yawn in the process. When he attempted to arch his back, however, his ribs bit back in protect, causing him to grit his teeth. He carefully eased the tension in his back and pulled himself off of the small mattress and focused on gaining his balance after his head started to spin from the lack of sleep. He shut his eyes and hummed quietly until the dizziness faded away.

After making his bed and throwing on a fresh blue shirt and jeans, he tip toed his way down the staircase in cause Aunt May was still asleep, although he doubted it. The scent of bacon and eggs wafted to his nose, making him to lick his lips absentmindedly. He peaked around the corner to see his aunt had actually already finished cooking and had set out an already assembled plate and a glass of orange juice for him. He grinned in response and walked up the the small kitchen table where the plate was resting.

His eyes rested on a yellow sticky note right beside his glass, saying: Love you bunches! Had to go to work early today so I had to leave a few minutes earlier than usual. Have a wonderful day at school today, and remember to take your phone! -May

Peter smiled at the note, reminded of how much he cared for his aunt. After everything that she had been through, she came out so strong and he was so proud of her.

He pulled out the chair in front of his plate and sat down, picking up his fork and eating hungrily, leaving nothing left after he was finished. He scooted the chair out and picked up the empty plate to place it in the sink before heading back upstairs to fix his messy, curly hair and to brush his teeth before leaving.

When he placed his backpack over his shoulders and was about to open the door the his apartment, he remembered suddenly to grab his phone, almost forgetting May's request, but thankfully didn't this time. He had forgotten his phone a couple times before, having to learn the hard way after once coming home to a worried and not-too-happy Aunt May at 1 in the morning. He had almost gotten his secret identity revealed to her that day... almost; and that was the closest he has ever gotten to getting exposed to his aunt.

The only people who knew about his secret identity as Spider-Man were his best friend, Ned, and Tony Stark.

Speaking of Ned, he felt his phone vibrate in his back jean pocket multiple times as he walked out his apartment door. He reached for it and pulled it out, pressing the circular button on the front of the phone, making the screen to light up brightly. There were 4 new messages from Ned.

From: Ned Leeds

Hey dude you up? 

From: Ned Leeds

HELLO??

From: Ned Leeds

I can't believe you sleep in this long on a school day man

From: Ned Leeds

Ugh anyways Im sick today with some nastly stomach flu crap so I won't be at school today. Sorry about the all-nighter plans this weekend :/ I hope we can do it another time

Peter stared down at the screen for a few moments before replying.

From: Peter Parker

Dude its totally fine. The flu sucks man, I hope you feel better soon. Feel free to shoot me a text if you happen to feel better :D

Ned didn't respond after a few minutes, so Peter assumed that he had fallen asleep, which was necessary for him to recover from the bug. He took a deep breath of warm, spring air as he walked along the side walks of the city. He placed his white earbuds in and plugged them into his phone, scrolling through his one of many playlists. Once he had chosen the playlist that he desired, he placed his phone back into his back pocket.

He had to squint most of the way there since the sun was still deciding not to be polite. His eyes watered painfully, so he placed a hand in front of his face and the fiery orb so that his eyes could experience at least some relief.

He continued to walk on the same sidewalk until he reached his destination: Middletown High School. His hope was that he was not too late for class, but since he could clearly see the kids were still filing into the fairly large building, he was relieved to know that he was not.

He shifted the weight of his backpack onto his other shoulder and placed his phone and earbuds into the one of many pockets of the backpack, remembering to zip it up safely. He started to walk up the steps leading to the front doors of the building and placed his hand on the handle of the large door. He began to open it when, without warning, he was roughly pushed aside and was forced to struggle in gaining back his balance. He let out a small, unnoticeable gasp as his brain caught up with itself. He immediately shifted his gaze up to who or what had shoved him, and he was not surprised at who it was.

"Step aside, Parker! Just because you are Tony Stark's stupid little pet doesn't mean you get to be treated like someone who's special. Because guess what! You aren't!" Flash chuckled, making eye contact with Peter before entering the school, his other friends behind him giving Peter dirty looks, some of them whispering things about him that shouldn't be repeated.

Peter looked down at his feet and didn't say anything. He was definitely sick of Flash and his gang of bullies, but he couldn't let them get to him. If only they knew who I was...

He shook his head, clearing the thought from his mind, knowing he shouldn't think that way.

He then felt another buzz from his phone in his back pocket, so he grabbed it and lit the screen up once more. His face dropped slightly, reading the new text, which happened to be from MJ this time.

From: MJ

Hey. wont be at school today. some stuff came up. sorry dude, talk to you later.

Peter let out a long, deep sigh, but he knew that he needed to understand.

From: Peter Parker

It's all good, hope everything's all good.

He shoved the phone back into his back pocket and continued through the brightly lit and crowded halls of the school. He occasionally opened his mouth to say something witty to Ned or even to MJ as he walked, but when he turned his head to look, his friends' absence was all that was there to greet him. 

Yet, he felt another buzz coming from his pocket and let out another sigh. He thought for a moment and gathered a list of friends in his mind to calculate who would be taken next, but he remembered that MJ and Ned were the only true friends he had at school. He shook his head and reached for his phone yet again, lighting up the screen.

The new text was finally the one that called a small smile to cross his lips.

From: Tony Stark

Hey kiddo, I thought I would ask if you were up to working on some update ideas for your suit tonight since it has been a little while since your last actual update. I'll even order that nasty pizza with all the mushrooms and crap on it that you like for some reason. Just let me know.

From: Peter Parker

Sounds good Mr. Stark! Heck yeah that pizza sounds great :) maybe if you just tried it you would like it!

From: Tony Stark

There's no way you're getting me to eat that, so don't even think about trying to convince me.

From: Peter Parker

But D: It's so gooooood

From: Tony Stark

Nope, ain't happening kiddo. I'll see you later then, stay safe and try to out of trouble as much as possible.

From: Peter Parker

Gotcha. I still believe you'll come around to the pizza though ;) just you wait!

Peter's grin was wide across his face now. He was grateful that Mr. Stark wanted to get together and work on his suit, and on a day where plans were changing quite rapidly.

He placed his phone into his backpack's small pocket this time to keep it a bit more secure. Peter let out a quick, relieved sigh. He loved spending time with his father-figure. They had grown quite close over the past year since the whole homecoming incident happened. Ever since... his uncle's death, Tony has managed to slowly fill up the empty void that Ben as well as his parents had left. Of course, he still had Aunt May, which he was so grateful for, but he couldn't exactly talk to her about the whole ordeal of being Spider-Man. The things that he sees on a day-to-day basis would be enough to give May a heart attack, and he feared that she wouldn't let him continue what he loved most anymore.

Peter eventually made it into his first class of the day, history. He wasn't too big into history, but he didn't mind it too much. Science was preferably his favorite subject, but there's really no way of getting out of history at the moment. 

The excitement of getting to spend time with Tony still lingered around him. Yeah, he spent time with him pretty much on a weekly basis, usually on weekends, but the fact that the Tony Stark was making time for someone like him was enough to blow his mind. He didn't really know why Tony wanted to spend time with him, but he was so grateful, and one of these days he needed to express to Tony how much he appreciated him being there for him in his life, filling the fatherless void that clung to Peter's heart.

-

Throughout the day, Peter's eyes always seemed to linger towards the clock. Time was going by so slowly. It was only the 3rd period of the day, and the excitement was still nagging at him, making time seem to go even slower than natural.

He rested his forehead on his crossed arms on the desk, for some reason he felt a bit chilled, or even more alert than he usually was at school. He lifted his head, his brows furrowed as he felt his spider-senses for some reason cause the hair on his arm to stand on end. What... He felt beads of sweat build on his forehead and his face paled slightly as he started to look around the room for any signs of a threat.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Everything was normal, the teacher was speaking in his normal and honestly pretty boring type of tone, the kids either whispering to each other or distracted by their lit-screened phones. There was nothing abnormal going on, or so he thought.

The school bell suddenly rang, but not consistently like it normally does when signalling that the period was now over. It was, instead, every second or so blaring loudly and shutting down, as if it were some sort of emergency alarm.

Emergency alarm.

The classroom got deathly quiet, all the kids froze in their seats and started to look around, and then all eyes eventually landed on the teacher in the front of the classroom.

A voice from the speakers in each classroom broke the silence.

"This is NOT a drill, we are now starting a lockdown, do NOT open the door to anyone who could pass by the d-"

The voice was suddenly cut off with a sound of a thud, causing Peter's blood to freeze. The lights were shut off, doors were locked, the kids were moved to a far corner of a classroom and told to stay quiet. Some girls were letting out panicked sobs, tears rolling down their cheeks and landing on the cool, tiled floor below them. Peter's senses were screaming at him to run, fight, hide, stay, and so many other messages, causing his head to spin. He had to do something, even if it meant risking being exposed.

Chapter Text

Panic, panic, panic, panic, panic.

His senses were going haywire, his head spun uncontrollably. He had a decision to make and he didn't know which way would be the best path for everyone's benefit. If he revealed himself and they all survived, absolutely everyone would know his identity as Spider-Man. He was afraid of being treated differently, even if it meant getting more respect. He still wanted to have the identity of just being Peter Benjamin Parker. The thought of attracting so much more attention gave him goose-bumps. Since his spider-senses heightened his ability to hear most importantly, all the noise of other kids around him trying to get his attention every single minute of the day would certainly drive him to insanity.

But, if he didn't do anything...

Everyone would suffer because he was too afraid, and he would have to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.

No. He had to do something, now. He had to make Aunt May and Mr. Stark proud. He would never forgive himself if he would be known for the rest of his life as a coward.

Peter took a deep, shaky breath. The ringing in his ears was the only thing that he could hear now, and that was discouraging. It should not be this quiet. What is going on?  The boy wished his best friend was hear to create a diversion, to distract the others from picking up on his disappearance so he could prevent whatever terrible things could happen in a few minutes. Peter shifted uncomfortably on the cold surface of the classroom floor. Whimpers came from a few of the students next to him, making his heart drop from his chest cavity.

The spiderling shut his eyes, trying to shut out all the noise so he could concentrate. His teeth ground painfully, causing him to wince almost noticeably. Letting out a shaky sigh, he reopened his eyes, successfully managing to ease his senses. He lifted himself slowly off of the floor, not even daring to look into any of his classmates' eyes. He carefully scooted farther from the corner of the room and towards the door, trying to make his actions as subtle as possible without drawing attention to himself. He knew that if he didn't hurry up, he would get caught, but should be the least of his problems right now. 

Suddenly, foot steps invaded his hearing, forcing him to absentmindedly bite his tongue and hold his breath. Whoever it was was in the hallway, and getting closer.

"Shoot..." He whispered to himself in defeat, and honestly in fear. He was Spider-Man, he shouldn't be afraid, right? Right.

The boy looked back at his classmates as well as the teacher, all their eyes were focused on the door, trembling in fear. The teacher looked ready to defend them if he needed to, but Peter could still clearly tell by the way he stared at the door that he was terrified and expecting the worst.

Now was not the time to think about himself, now was the time to act and protect the others around him. Oh how he did wish it could be easier than this, but that was life. His whole school, everyone here, were depending on him, even if they didn't know... yet... about who he really was. 

Suddenly, Peter bounded to the door, then squinting his chocolate-brown eyes to be able to focus on the door handle. His cold hands grasped it successfully, and he twisted it and opened it just enough for his body to fit through.

"Parker! Get back here! PAR-" The teacher's scolding was cut off as Peter closed the door, making sure it was still locked on the outside. He prayed that no-one in that room would leave to catch him, or else he would have even more problems on his plate.

The hallway was eerie and dark, but thankfully there were a few windows here and there to let in some natural light. He immediately scanned his surroundings for the intruder, not daring to move a muscle. He was sure he heard footsteps, he was so sure.. but, he didn't see anything.

His back still pressed onto the cool walls of the hall, he started to climb upwards. There were some banners hanging from the ceiling that could shield him from few, just in case someone was still lurking around. He spotted a cubby area where a few of the many lockers were placed, and rushed across the ceiling to get there. He then let his feet drop off of the ceiling so he could let himself land quietly back on the familiar floor.

He stood very still once he was safely on the ground again, his hands out to the sides in a ready position in case something or someone were to attack. His eyes darted around the cubby area as he tiptoed towards the open hallway only a few feet in front of him.

I wish I had my suit right now.. gah... or even my web shooters...

He hoped someone had already called the police, or at least someone who could help. If they didn't- well... Peter then mentally slapped himself. He had forgotten his phone in the room inside his backpack... There was no way he could alert the police if no one has already. If he left the school building, he would be risking all the lives here. C'mon, Peter...

He peeked once more around the corner, placing his hands on the cool wall. He could feel beads of sweat starting to form on his brow right beneath his curly, dark brown hair. The coolness was soothing to the touch, and he momentarily let one side of his face touch the wall. He let his eyes flutter shut, the sudden coolness soothing his flushed face. He stood like that for a few moments, trying to let himself calm.

His eyes, however, shot open at the sound of footsteps, once again. Peter swallowed hard, his hands now shaking, and his eyes staring directly at where the quiet steps were heard. After a few moments of frantic searching for a form in the dark, he saw a silhouette of a man. The surroundings were too dark and eerie to distinguish what the man's facial features looked like, and he couldn't even tell if the man had a weapon or not, so Peter just assumed that he did.

Since he was so focused on the intruder in his field of vision, he was unprepared when he suddenly felt cold, rough hands wrap around his frame tightly, one of the man's hands covering his face and mouth so he couldn't scream. Peter squirmed frantically, letting out muffled screams from beneath the man's hand. The man was yelling something from behind him, but Peter couldn't make out what the words were. Peter yanked one of his arms free and elbowed the man in the stomach, and since he was enhanced, it caused the man to let go of his smaller frame and fall back, grasping his stomach in shock. Peter took the chance to dart out of the cubby area. He had no idea that there were two men, and he criticized himself for not even thinking about the possibility.

He ran down the hall opposite of the first man he saw. He had to get these guys away from the other students, so he headed towards the large cafeteria room. He ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him, his eyes wide in shock. His lungs couldn't keep up with him, nor could his heart. It pounded harshly in this aching chest. His throat hurt from how dry it was becoming to the point where it hurt so much to breathe.

The corner of the hallway came into view, but he didn't have any time to notice the trash can that sat right on the corner of the hall. As he slowed to approach the corner, his shoes skidded across the surface of the floor, then he bounded forward but only to find himself crashing into the unseen can, causing him to trip and fall onto his elbow and knee. His body helplessly slid across the hall and he hit the wall with unbelievable force. His head hit first, causing his vision to instantly blur. He sat there, dazed, ears ringing; elbow, knee and head throbbing. He bit his tongue, tasting a slight amount of copper in doing so.

"Ow ow ow ow..." He mumbled to himself, quiet enough for only him to hear it. He hissed, propping himself up against the wall and taking a deep breath, grasping his screaming knee. The pain was bearable, but he was sure he would be unable to run nearly as fast, or even at all. Peter... Why do you have to be so clumsy...

He couldn't give up now, he couldn't. Though difficult, he pushed himself to pry himself off the chilled floor, groaning quietly in the process. The cafeteria was right in front of him, thankfully, so he limped painfully through the doorway and scanned the room over just to make sure no one was there for safety. Thankfully, no one was seen.

He could hear angry chattering now echoing through the hall behind him, his head snapped towards the sound, eyes widening. He needed to hide, so he could think of a plan. He spotted the large hanging light that hung from the ceiling of the cafeteria. It looked sturdy, he just hoped it will be able to hide him.

The spiderling placed his hands on the wall, then his feet. He crawled up the wall slower than he usually would be able to, due to his protesting knee. He let out a huff of air with every step he took. Then finally, after what felt like forever, he made it to the hanging light, letting his feet rest first on the lamp, gradually allowing his weight onto the structure to make sure it could manage to hold him up without dropping due to too much weight. He held his breath when letting his hands drop down to his sides, then let out a sigh of relief when the light didn't fall under him.

His head snapped back to the cafeteria entrance, knowing the angry voices were getting even closer. He ducked his whole body down, laying flat on the assumed stable surface. His stomach lay flat on the light, his head the only part of his body lifted up so he could watch the unwanted visitors trudge into the room, and soon enough they were there.

There was a bit more lighting in the room due to the many more windows than the hallway, so he could definitely tell that the bigger man, who he assumed was the one who grabbed him, did have a gun as well as a small knife tucked into his belt. Peter swallowed dry, not daring to make a sound or move.

"Where did that rat go?!" The larger man hissed, his eyes darting in all directions. "I'd like to watch him experience a slow, painful death with a knife to the neck." The man added with a sinister expression on his face. The guy's face was covered in small scars, but one huge scar was visible stretching right across his throat. Peter had to admin, this guy's presence was terrifying. How did these guys even get into the school?!

Peter's knee was throbbing even more painfully now, he let his forehead rest on his arms, hissing quietly. His head screamed in agony, a headache now throwing punches at his skull. He then tried to move his knee into a move comfortable position, but that was a huge mistake.

The hanging light shifted against his will, causing him to freeze and stare at the men below him. No no no... No don't look up, don't look up...

The men stopped talking, hearing a slight creak in the room, seeing the light barely move in their peripheral vision. Peter ducked his head, onto the surface of the light between his arms, begging- pleading.

Time was slowing down right before him, he could hear his heart thumping wildly in his chest cavity, trying to escape it's prison. The palm's of his hands were sweating profusely and his entire body was shaking now.

He suddenly heard the cocking of the gun that the larger man held. I can't die here, I can't die here, I can't die here, please... please, please pl-

The sound of the gunshot split through the air, his ears rang painfully, heightening the amount of pain in his head. But, the bullet never hit him.

He suddenly heard the ceiling cracking above him, then the support of the light snapped in half, sending he and the light falling to the ground far below. He leaped off of the lamp just before it smashed into pieces on the ground. He tumbled forward, his back crashing against the cement floor of the room so forcefully that he swore he heard a crack. His body limply rolled to a stop, the impact had caused him to lose his breath. The room was spinning as he gasped for breath, his lungs begging for even a small amount of oxygen. He curled into himself, his ribs now screaming at him, scolding him. He felt a tear escape one of his eyes and roll down his cheek. He could hear a scream forming in his throat, but he refused to let his mouth open to let it fully escape.

He lay there for a few moments before feeling strong arms heave him off of the floor, the man wrapped his fingers around his neck, cutting off his oxygen. Peter dangled there at the mercy of this man, trying to kick, but failed. His vision faded in and out, and as soon as he was about to pass out, he was dropped mercilessly to the floor. He laid there limply in front of the two men, his eyes fluttering open and closed. He pushed himself to stay awake, even though his body was clearly telling him otherwise.

"Now, little one, how did you get up there, hm?" The larger man asked, glaring down at him, his eyes full of hatred. "Ahh, wait, I know." He pulled Peter back up by the front of his shirt. Peter looked away, turning his head to the side limply, and not saying a word. The man must not have appreciated this action, because he grabbed Peter's face roughly and forced his head to face him, a low growl forming in the man's throat.

"Meet the heroic, Spider-Man, or..." The man suddenly dropped him again, this time actually pushing him to the ground.

I'm sorry... Mr. Stark.. May.. I'm sorry.

The man stepped over to him, his black boots only a few inches from Peter's head. "... not so heroic..." The man suddenly kicked him straight in the head, pain seered through his cranium for a few moments, but then everything faded around him slowly until it was left with nothing.

Chapter Text

The coffee maker gurgled noisily at the other end of the lab, working as it was created to do. The smell of the roasting beans wafted through the entire room, drowning out the smell of metal and other strong-scented materials. The billionaire took a long, deep breath of this familiar scent, realizing that he had already finished his cup of coffee from earlier. He closed his eyes, feeling another wave of drowsiness overcome his form. He couldn't remember how long he had stayed awake this time, but that didn't matter to him.

He had been working on getting some things together to continue working on his s- intern's suit. He had even gotten some of he crazy movies that this kid loved, like Star Wars and.. other obsessions like that of his. He shook his head slightly, letting his chin drop just a tad as a small smile formed across his lips.

He loved spending time with Peter, even if he was strange, well... that's a typical adjective for a teen, actually. But, Peter wasn't just a typical teen... He was more- much, much more, and not because the fact that he was unique due to his experience with a radioactive spider.

Honestly, he usually thought of Peter as his own son. His kid. But, he would never admit that to someone, and the fact that he wouldn't made him feel- guilty?

He had never told Peter about this, nor anyone else for that matter, but he clearly showed it in the way he spent so much time with the kid. I suppose this soft spot came from the empty feeling that was caused by his father, Howard. Tony scoffed at the memories of his father now playing endlessly through his mind. He wanted to be better than Howard ever was. He wanted to be there for Peter no matter what happens, which sadly was not true of Tony's father, who was never there... ever.

He shook his head, shoving the dreadful thoughts from his mind and stood up, placing a rough hand around the still-warmed coffee mug. Once firm in his grasp, he shifted his gaze towards the mug in his hand as he strolled to the coffee-maker. Ironically, this was the mug that Peter had given to him for his birthday. It was a nice shade of a deep-reddish orange, and on the one side said the words in a handwriting type of font: "OCD: Obsessive Coffee Disorder". No matter how many times he read it, it still made him force out a chuckle.

He really appreciated his k- the kid. It was almost there was a small, soft spot of Tony's heart just for Peter. The kid has been through so much, and all he wants to do is be the best- father figure he can be for him.

Tony placed the mug under the coffee-machine's spout and poured himself anther full cup. He sniffled, waiting for the mug to fill when he heard turned his head to the T.V. back where his desk was. He hummed, squinting his eyes to be able to somehow clear the fuzziness from his vision. He cleared his throat slightly and picked up his now filled mug and walked back over to his desk. As he plopped back into the familiar leather desk chair, his mug still in hand, he lifted his feet and placed them on the surface of his desk, then crossed them while leaning back in the seat. He took a deep sigh and sipped his hot coffee sleepily, then let his eyes wander back to the T.V.

He wasn't completely focused on the voice, however. To him, it just sounded like a jumble of words as the man spoke on the news channel. The billionaire lifted his wrist up into view, looking at what the time was on his watch.

12:30 PM

Tony sighed, lowering his arm and taking another sip of fresh coffee. He knew that he had a bunch of things to do, so he decided to continue working on the projects.

He placed his feet back on the tiled, lab floor and set his mug to the side so he could have a clear space to work. He had some blueprints set out for some new suit upgrades, and just as he was going to begin working, the T.V. caught his attention once again, and this time he actually listened.

The lady on the T.V. rambled on about some typical New York City news at first, mostly about some new business openings that would be taking place within the next month or so. But a few moments later, she switched topics. Video footage, taken from a helicopter most likely, was played on the screen next to the lady as she spoke.

"Just about 10 minutes ago there was a very unexpected attack on Middle Town High School." The footage then showed a closer shot of the school. Paramedics, firemen, and police men were rushing around the scene, the lights of the vehicles flashing against the outside walls of the school. "Five were killed in cold blood, and 11 were wounded. We still don't know who is behind this attack, neither do we know if they are still in the building or not-"

Middletown High School...

Middlet-

No- there are probably so many schools named this- right? right??

Tony stared at the screen, his eyes widened in panic, hoping that the question he was about to ask FRIDAY would be false.

"FRIDAY... Please confirm that this- Middletown High School is not the same school that Peter attends?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Sir, the school that they speak of is the same of which Peter Parker attends."

Oh gosh... no please-

This was all Tony needed to hear before he pushed against his desk and jumped to his feet. His suit immediately flew at lightning speed towards him, first attaching to his arm and then assembling around the rest of his body. "Get me the coordinates for the school! NOW!" He yelled, his emotions clearly poured into his voice to the point where his voice nearly gave out. Please... please be alright. I'm coming! I'm coming!

He couldn't fail his kid now.

"On it, boss." FRIDAY's voice, for as much emotion as an A.I.'s voice can muster, sounded troubled as well.

The thrusts of the suit caused the whole lab to shake as the mechanic crashed through the huge window of his lab, not even caring the slightest about the damage.

Back at his desk, the half-empty mug tipped over from the vibrations of the thrusters and spilled the liquid over the blueprints. The mug fell from the desk and hit the cold surface of the floor, a crack forming right down the center of the glass.

Chapter Text

It was dark... So, so dark.

Everything hurt, but his legs hurt the most. They almost felt numb, but the pain was still tearing at his nerves, so he knew they were at least still attached to his body. He had a terrible headache, and he couldn't think of any other time when he had a headache this excruciating. He bit his lip, not daring to move any muscle in his body at this point.

He had a hard time recalling what had happened, but the memories of the hanging light and the two strange men couldn't help but invade his mind eventually. He swallowed dry, eyes wide and searching for any source of light. He had a hard time focusing since his head was spinning like a carousel, but he could pick up a faint, bluish light coming from about 6 feet above him.

His hands on instinct were placed on either side of his head, the pain made him grit his teeth. He lowered one hand slightly to cover his eyes, attempting to somehow lighten this spinning sensation that gnawed at him. He sniffled, only to inhale the dust that lingered around him, forcing him to cough. Only when he coughed once did he realize how much his ribs hurt. A scream lodged in his throat, but he didn't dare let it out. His hands suddenly hovered over his chest area, his eyes welling up with tears at how much unbearable pain he was in. A slippery feeling on his side caught his attention. It was warm and flowing. He was bleeding out. Peter took a sharp breath in, which only stretched the wound. The dizziness started to overcome him, but he refused to pass out again.

After a moment of collecting himself, he managed to tilt his head up once again to look at the dim light. He was in some sort of circular ditch inside of- wait... He was still inside the school... Why was there a enormous hole in his school?!

How long was he unconscious? They must have some serious explosives to do damage like this. Speaking of which, where are those guys now?

And the most important question of all... where the heck are the police?!

He grit his teeth angrily, immediately starting to blame himself. His own mind threw curses and guilt trips at him, making him wince.

You should have saved them. This is YOUR fault! What kind of hero ARE you? You're weak! Now everyone could be DEAD because you didn't do ANYTHING!

Tears threatened to spill over again, causing him to sniffle. Why are you crying?! You're such a child, jeez, just GROW UP ALREADY! 

His mind tore him down, feeling his body just fall to the mercy of it. Everything felt numb. His arms, his legs, his entire frame just felt like- nothing. It hurt... it hurt so bad...

But, just as soon as he was going to accept his fate and give up completely, a voice almost seemed to speak to him right then and there.

"Peter."

His head snapped up, his eyes searching frantically above him for the source of the speech. "M-Mr. Stark?" He whispered with all of the strength he had.

"... What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right? Because that's on YOU."

Peter let his head carefully rest on the wall of dirt behind him, shutting his eyes forcefully as the voice continued to speak. He was right, this was all on him. His own classmates could be dead because he didn't do anything. He deserved this, he really did.

"But if you die..."

Peter's eyes fluttered back open, his heart starting to beat harshly against the prison of his chest cavity.

"I feel like that's on me..."

Peter stared at the emptiness in front of him, the words of Tony Stark replaying in his mind over and over again. His breathing rate started to increase, as well as his heart rate.

Yes, he NEEDED to get up. He could still do something, and he can't die here. He couldn't do this to May, Tony, Ned, or MJ. Now was the time to go. Now was the time to make things right. He didn't want them to have to attend a funeral. He couldn't bare the thought of May losing him, he couldn't do that to her, after everything she has already gone through.

He shut out the never-ending curses of his mind and took a few, small breaths before attempting to gain the strength to move his legs.

It was painful, but bearable. He could hear the relieving sound of his jeans brushing against the dirt below them as he moved the slightest bit. Now that he knew his legs could work as well as his arms, he needed to attempt at getting up.

With all of his might, and trying not to stretch his open, bleeding wound, he pushed himself up carefully against the side of the giant pit. He held his breath, grunting quietly as his ribs screamed angrily at him for trying to get up, but he paid no attention to their pleas.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, he managed to stand completely on his feet, although letting himself lean against the crumbly wall. He then let his lungs compress, letting out a fairly larger sigh than he had wanted. He froze, waiting a few moments and listening for any motion above him. 

Once clear, he attempted to push himself off of the wall, but kept a hand firmly resting on it in case he would fall. His legs did ache, but he could definitely manage. Peter swallowed nervously, letting his supporting hand lift off of the pit wall, and sighed quietly in relief as he stood there without any supports.

Now, he needed to climb.

This would definitely be the hardest part, but it was a risk he knew he had to take if he wanted to get out of this place. The spiderling very slowly placed both hands onto the wall, gently pressing on it to make sure it was secure and would not collapse. His muscles then strained to pull him up as he placed both feet on the wall soon after. Now, everything in his body was scolding him with poisonous bites.

He rested his forehead on the dirt, letting out a shaky sob. The pain was almost too much.

He rested there in that very position for a few minutes before trying again, this time with a more gradual use of his muscles. Yes, it still was very, very painful, but it wasn't as shocking as the first attempt. "Alright, Spider-Man, it's time to get out of here." Peter whispered to himself in attempt of self-motivation.

He could feel the warm, life-fluid trickle down his side and down his left leg, but he continued. He managed to climb up half the wall before he froze, his spider-sense now wildly warning him of a familiar, incoming danger, and then he heard the tune. First starting as a hum, and then became words as well. Peter reluctantly lifted his head, his heart pumping wildly as he met eyes with the man who had first put him into his dreamless slumber. The criminal was kneeling right above him at the rim of the put. His cruel gaze dug deep into Peter's soul. A cruel grin sneaked across the man's features, causing Peter's heart to sink into oblivion.

"The itsy bitsy spider ran up the water spout..." The man's slithering voice gave the song a totally different vibe, and Peter's spider-sense was now going hay-wire.

Peter was horrified, his eyes widened in absolute fear. His appendages were shaking wildly as they kept trying their best to just hold onto the walls as if his life depended on it. His eyes threatened to fill up with tears again, and one did manage to escape. This only made the man smile even more devilishly.

"Down came the rain..." The man hissed the next part of the song, and he raised his hand as if to signal something to someone, but he never took his eyes off of Peter. Now that his eyes were adjusting to slightly more light, Peter could see the man's features almost perfectly, which made him even more afraid that he could just see the hatred and malice in his eyes.

Peter then realized what the man was singing, the words fitting together like pieces of a puzzle, but before he could react, the man finished the verse.

"... and washed the spider out."

The boy suddenly heard what sounded like the ocean. The ocean.

Water.

He started to panic, causing his arms to shake so much that he started to slip down the side of the wall. "No... NO! No no no! P-Please don't do this! DON'T DO THIS! Please!" He begged, screaming out for mercy to this man. The sound of water plummeting closer and closer to him. Tears were streaming down his face like a waterfall, he didn't have the strength to pull himself up the pit any longer. "PLEASE DON'T D-"

Water engulfed the pit, dragging his form down from the side of the wall. A sudden rush of cold made his body just seize up. He struggled to stay afloat, and coughed madly as he was constantly being sucked back down into the rapids. He was moving. It wasn't just a pit, but some sort of waterway.

He tried to scream, but every time he tried, he was shoved back under, causing water to enter his mouth and making him inhale some of it. It was pitch black now, he was no longer in the pit.

He was able to plunge above the surface and gasp for air, but soon a giant rapid overtook him and slammed him into the side of the metal water-way. The noise of the angry water faded out, the pain subsided, and he was unconscious again, at the mercy of this riptide.

Chapter Text

The whole flight to the school felt like every minute was about years long. Horrifying scenes played through Tony's head as he pictured unimaginable things that could have or is happening to his boy. The very thought of someone dying as innocent and as young as Peter was too much to bear. He tried his so very hardest to shake those thoughts out of his mind but they never truly dissipated.

He just hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

The superhero had been trying to call Peter through Friday almost the entire trip, but he never picked up, and this drove him mad.

It eased him to remember how strong Peter was though, due to the superhuman abilities that the radioactive spider had "given" him. Tony suddenly remembered that Peter's suit was still in his lab resting on one of his desks. This absolutely made his heart drop.

Of all the days, why did he have to ask the kid for his suit so he could prepare it for updates? Why couldn't he have waited longer?! 

If anything were to happen to Peter because of this, it would be his fault. But, then again, he seemed to be alright the few months he had his homemade suit, but this still didn't make Tony feel any better about this situation. He just had a gut feeling, and he didn't know exactly what it was either. Tony grit his teeth, his face pale with worry as he continued to slice through the air, his thrusters roaring at their full capability.

After a few more minutes of intense worry and fear, he could see the school building below him, or what was left of it. His heart nearly dropped out of his chest, seeing how much damage this building has taken. Who even is responsible for this?! How did they cause this much damage and why?!

His thrusters screamed as he came plummeting full speed down to the earth, and landing full force caused an huge indent in the pavement. Tony stilled for a moment in his landing/kneeling position right in front of the school entrance. His eyes scanned his surroundings for any authorities or ambulances, but there were none. This happened nearly 20 minutes ago and the first responders aren't even here yet?

This angered him greatly, a sneer plastered onto his features. Hatred started to boil inside of him, but he took a deep breath and shook it off. He didn't have time to yell at whoever was in charge of first response. His main goal was finding Peter at this point.

The billionaire, still in his suit, stepped over to the doors of the entrance and kicked at the glass. Only one attempt shattered the glass to pieces and he trudged inside.

Alright, where are you kid?

"Friday, scan the building for life forms." Tony said bluntly as he stepped quietly into the hall. It was dark and dreary, the only light emitted from the outside and the glowing red exit signs that sliced through the darkness in the long hallway.

It was deathly quiet, and he absolutely hated it.

After a few long, dreaded moments, Friday's voice nearly made him jump as she spoke plainly. "I've finished the scan. There are many life forms, most of them in the classrooms with the doors locked. Though, there are two other forms who are not inside any of the classrooms. They are near the school cafeteria, but are heading towards the nearest exit as we speak." A large screen appeared, locating the two forms and showing Tony exactly where they are in the building. The two little dots were indeed moving to the nearest exit of the school, which meant there was no time to lose.

Tony was already at full speed towards the two flashing dots on the translucent screen in front of his eyes. He ordered Friday to contact the police immediately. Once these criminals were arrested and placed into the hands of the police, he would hurry to find Peter. He was already planning on how to beat the answers out of the men.

Although he did hope that these two figures, one of them could be Peter. He hoped, he prayed.

Tony crashed through the door, accidentally throwing it out of it's hinges and sent it flying to the other end of the large cafeteria room. The wooden door hit the wall with such force that it snapped in two, sending shards of the door in all directions. The piercing blue "eyes" of Tony's suit strained to find the two people who were supposedly in this room. Once the dust cleared, his eyes locked onto two large men, their eyes wide in shock as they stood frozen in place. Tony didn't hesitate to launch right up to them, grabbing the larger man by the neck and pounding him against the wall, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"Who are you?! What makes you think you can come into this place and traumatize kids like this?!" Tony nearly screamed these words, his vision red.

The man choked on his words, grasping onto the suit's arm to try to yank it off of his throat. Tony loosened his grasp onto a little so that the man could speak. "Just ta-king ca-re of s-some business." The man's slithering voice responded, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah? What kind of business would involve destroying a school building, huh?" Tony hissed, tightening his grasp once again, making the man squirm.

"Ah, and why shou-ld we t-tell you?" The man grinned darkly, even though his oxygen was nearly cut off then are there.

The other, smaller man who was with the taller one pulled a handgun out of his pocket and pressed it against the head of Tony's suit from the side. But Tony wouldn't have it, and he swung his free arm towards the man, hitting him hard enough to slam into the wall right beside them, and knocking him unconscious.

"You're going to end up in prison anyway, lifetime sentence I would assume." Tony only stared at the man, but something strange happened.

The man gasped slightly, an almost delighted smile formed across his features. It was almost as if something had clicked in the man's mind. "Ohh, I see what's happening here." The man spoke in a raspy tone.

Tony tilted his head, not liking the new change in attitude one bit.

"Why, Tony Stark, I nearly forgot that you were so special to that annoying little spider kid." The man grinned darkly.

Tony's heart skipped a beat, his arm started to shake, and this only made the man's sinister smile grow. "Awh, why should you care so mu-" The man's words were cut off as Tony gripped harder on his throat.

"Where. Is. He." Tony refused to let his voice shake despite how much fear was now gnawing at his insides. "You have 10 seconds to tell me!" Tony's free hand was raised right near the man's face, the whirring sound of the repulsor broke the silence, the LED light reflected off of the mans features. The police sirens were now audible.

"Ten"

Nothing.

"Nine."

Silence.

"Eight."

Worry.

"Seven."

Fear.

"Six."

Regret.

"Five."

Guilt.

"Four."

Helpless.

"Three."

Please.

"Two."

I need him!

"One."

"... The pit. He's probably dea-"

Tony dropped the man, not letting him finish the sentence. The officers ran into the room, guns in hand and aiming them at first, Tony, then the two men next to him. The billionaire turned his head to the officers and only nodded.

The officers ran over to the two men, having to haul the unconscious man off of the ground, and commanding the other to place himself flat on the floor to be cuffed. Tony only looked back once, staring deep into the larger man's eyes. The criminal returned the glare, but still with a smug look on his face.

Tony stood in silence as the men were carried away, and soon the only sound he could hear was his thumping heart. He was standing right in front of the pit the man spoke about. It made his stomach twist, knowing that his boy could be down there.

"Pete!" He immediately jumped down the pit and landed with a huge thud, and- unexpectedly a splash. "Kid, where are you?!" He looked around frantically, he was starting to panic.

"Friday, scan, now!" He ordered, his voice unintentionally shaking.

"Right away, boss."

Tony looked down at the water that nearly reached his knees. This is a waterway. He thought to himself as he could then point out two, large circular pipes that extended in either direction. The water was still slightly streaming below him to the left. So that is the way he has to go.

Then it hit him.

They- flushed water through these pipes... He- he could have- He could be-

No, no he's alright, he has to be. Gosh, he hated how sensitive he sounded right now, but he didn't even care about that anymore, he had one goal, and that was to find his kid.

Tony fired up his thrusters once again, the loud sound reverberating down the channels and sending echos back at him.

"Scan complete sir, there is one life form a ways down this direction, unconscious, but he's slipping away..."

Chapter Text

He pushed his thrusters to their full capability as he raced down the dark and dreary underground path. His mind was racing and screaming at him, making him wince in emotional stress as it threw blame and curses at him. For some reason, he blamed himself for not protecting the kid as he should. Now, Peter could be dying and he could be too late. It would be his fault. 

Tony grit his teeth, fighting back any kind of excess moisture that started to form in his eyes. He sniffled and shook his head, refusing to think any more of what he could run into.

"Sir, you are nearing the lifeform," FRIDAY's voice echoed behind the faceplate, her voice emitting as much concern as an AI possibly could. The mechanic's eyes narrowed in determination as he scanned his surroundings while the thrusters of his suit cut most of their power. Once he fully came to a stop and landed with a heavy thud, his eyes darted around. The large pipe led to a wide, open underground channel, almost like some sort of sewer system. The thought of that made Tony's brow crease, Why would someone even want to do something like this to the poor kid?

"FRIDAY, initiate a heat scan," Tony commanded, and FRIDAY immediately responded with a 'Right away'.

He had a hard time seeing, even with the enhanced sight and night vision in his faceplate. Maybe this was due to the fact that he was visibly shaking in fear for the kid he so cared about. "C'mon buddy, where are ya?" The mechanic whispered, his warm breath hitting against the back of the mask. He had to shake his head a couple of times to be able to clear his vision the best he could. His anxiety was starting to rise, and he didn't want Peter to have to see him go through an anxiety attack, with everything that has already happened to him. 

Gosh, what is taking FRIDAY so lo-

"Scan complete, sir. Bringing up the heat sensor visual now." And so she did.

Tony's eyes darted around the screen that lit up before him, everything appeared to be almost pitch black except for a small patch of bright orange near the flowing water, although, the orange was not as bright as it should have been.

His feet were already moving before he could even think about it, and his suit retracted away from him as he came to stand next to a small, limp figure. He immediately fell to his knees, not even caring if the force forced pain to shoot through his legs. The sight he saw made his heart just sink to the very bottom.

Peter was halfway submerged in the still flowing water, his head was dangerously close to the rippling water. His boy was covered in deep, purple bruises from head to toe. His clothes were soaked and tattered, and there was blood seeping on his side through his once bright blue shirt. His curls were dripping with ice-cold water and drooping over his closed eyes. He looked so fragile... like he could just suddenly shatter into a million pieces from the even slightest touch. This was so unlike the happy-go-lucky and wildly enthusiastic boy that Tony knew, and it broke something inside him to see him in this so vulnerable state.

"P-Pete," Tony stuttered, not even caring how his emotions were getting the best of him. He slowly lifted his shaking hands and did not hesitate to use all his strength to pull him out of the cold water protectively. He refused to let the ice water's grasp latch onto his boy any longer. Tony winced at how bitterly cold the boy's skin was, so he quickly pulled off his own black hoodie and carefully draped it over Peter's frame. The boy was not even shivering, which was not a good sign, and would definitely be a sign of a dangerous stage of hypothermia.

Tony let out a shaky breath, pressing Peter's limp form closer to his warmer one. He wrapped his arms around him and tried to rub any kind of warmth into the boy's arms. "P-Pete, c'mon buddy- You're going to be a-alright, I promise, c'mon-" He muttered nonstop promises into the spiderling's ear, not thinking twice as he pulled the small form closer, trying so hard just to give some warmth to him.

Anger threatened to surge through him but immediately shoved it far away from his train of thought. Now was not the time to let anger and hate towards the men who did this get the best of him. He needed to focus on Peter, and Peter only.

He sat there with his entire frame shielding his kid from the cold, damp air; practically curled around him. "You're- You're going to be okay, alright, Petey? C-Can you wake up for me?" He stared towards the closed eyes of his boy, hoping for any sort of response. He tried his best to press carefully on his bleeding wound, but hopefully not enough force to hurt the teen.

The billionaire was unfamiliar was this strange feeling of needing to protect someone like this. Sure, he always felt protective over Pepper and some of the other few who were close to him, but this- this was different. It was like this young kid right here with him was one of his own. Something in his mind told him to protect this precious thing like nothing before.

Feeling helpless, he decided to tell FRIDAY to call Hellen Cho and tell her to have the medical base prepared for Peter's arrival. He didn't want to risk Peter's identity by taking him to a regular hospital, plus, his personal medical lab would have all the necessities for Peter's enhanced system. FRIDAY alerted him that there was a personal medical plane on their way to pick them up.

In the meantime, Tony kept Peter as close to him as possible, constantly rubbing his arms and back to try to warm him up. This seemed to help only slightly, but he refused to drop the effort.

Tony lifted a free hand, letting Peter rest completely against his chest and his free arm supporting him. He gently brushed the stray curls away from the teen's closed eyes and then placed his hand over the boy's cheek.

Peter's eyebrows suddenly creased, and Tony could feel his jaw clench slightly. The mechanic let out a small gasp, his eyes widening as he stared down at the smaller form. He let out a breath before whispering, "P-Pete?"

The boy made a low sound in the back of his throat, groaning quietly. He opened his eyelids only slightly, his chocolate brown irises finally appearing after what seemed like hours of hoping and praying. His eyes looked absolutely exhausted and confused.

Worry sank to his stomach as he still noticed the boy didn't move any other muscles, so he was still practically limp.

"Pete, it's going to be alright, you'll be alright. Just stay awake alright?" Tony rubbed his thumb over the teen's cool cheek, trying to avoid a fairly large bruise around his eye.

Peter opened his eyes a little more, looking slightly dazed, but was definitely conscious, he turned his gaze to stare directly into Tony's eyes. His lip started to tremble, "M-Mis-Mister-"

"Yeah, it's me, buddy, I'm right here," Tony's voice was trembling now, and Peter seemed to catch onto this.

"A-are y-ou ok-kay?" The small voice asked, and Tony just let a shaky chuckle escape his lips. Oh, Peter... Always so selfless and worried about others...

"Yeah, Petey, I'm fine now. But we need to focus on you now," Tony let a small smile creep across his lips, stroking the side of Peter's cheek gently once again.

"Mm," Peter blinked slowly and then his face suddenly contorted, making him whimper quietly. Tony immediately noticed this and his gaze shifted into one of worry and fear.

"Pete, what's wrong? What's up, buddy?" Tony shifted slightly, trying to make sure Peter was as comfortable as possible.

The teen slowly opened his eyes and stared back into Tony's, his eyes gradually filling with moisture, "H-Hur's... I- It's c-cold.. and it hur's..." Peter suddenly started to shiver violently, making the boy wince as his wound reopened because of it. Peter let out another pained whine, letting out a gasp as he placed his freezing hands over his now bleeding side.

"Shh... Yeah- Yeah I know, I know buddy, just hang on," Tony felt absolutely terrible, everything was screaming at him to help his kid but he couldn't. All he could do was hold him close and try to keep him warm until help arrived.

"It hur's, Mr. Stark... I- I'm t-tired, I'm just g-gonna-" Peter started to blink sleepily, his breathing slowing gradually and his body becoming limper by the second.

"No, no, Pete, you gotta stay awake for me, okay? Peter-" But Peter had already drifted into unconsciousness and Tony's voice had faded into the quiet darkness.

Chapter Text

The half our that it took for his personal medical aircraft to arrive at their location seemed like it had taken centuries. He had failed to keep Peter awake, and even tried to rouse him after he had passed out, but it was no use. He had lost a significant amount of blood. The billionaire had carried the limp boy out of whatever horrific "sewer" system he had found Peter in, but kept them just in the entrance so they could still be located fairly easily, but still stay out of sight to avoid any unwanted and unnecessary attention from civilians.

Tony was sitting with his back resting against the wall of the system, the fiery orb in the summer blue sky reaching in and resting it's warm hands on the two heroes. Peter was slumped against Tony's chest, and Tony made sure he was in a position where he could breathe easily and where he was as comfortable as possible.

He absolutely hated how pale the boy was looking, and how cold his body felt. Tony sniffled while looking down at the boy's features, concern written all over his face. He had made sure to keep a significant amount of pressure on the side wound. Thankfully, the spiderling's enhanced healing capabilities were able to assist to heal over enough so that it wasn't nearly as critical.

Tony continued to look his boy over carefully, occasionally his gaze landing on Peter's facial features for any hope of him coming back to consciousness.

He opened his mouth to speak, and hesitated for a moment as nothing came out at first, but then it did, "Hey Petey?" He whispered down at the silent kid lolled in his arms.

He was about to repeat himself after a few moments of silence, but stopped himself as he could have sworn he heard Peter's breathing rate increase. Suddenly, Peter's features scrunched up as in frustration and... pain. Tony held his breath, even more worry overcoming him, but thankful that he could be now responsive.

Taking a shaky breath in, he noticed Peter's bottom lip quiver subtly, "Pete-" He whispered again, running his rough, worn hands up and down Peter's arm. "You alright, buddy?"

Peter's face scrunched up once again as he turned his face into Tony's chest and absentmindedly his hand lifted and grabbed onto Tony's sleeve. The mechanic placed a free hand in his mob of messy curls and combed through them gently to give this kid any kind of comfort.

He could see Peter's expression soften at this, and his grip on Tony's sleeve loosened and he turned his head slightly, and then, he opened his eyes just enough for Tony to notice.

"M-Mr.-" Peter couldn't seem to muster the strength to finish.

"Hey there. Get a good snooze, bud?" Tony let a small smile creep over his lips, trying to make light of the current situation.

"Mm... Still T'red.. D'zzy.." Peter managed to speak out.

Tony let out a sigh, his breath making Peter's curls shift a little. "Yeah, we're gonna get that fixed for yuh." Tony blinked, "Do you think you can stay awake for a few minutes for me?"

Peter only nodded, his glassy, doe eyes staring up at his mentor's face. The boy's skin was still dangerously pale, which is what forced a panicky type of feeling in Tony's gut. Still, Peter kept blinking as if he would just fall asleep again at any moment.

Then without warning, Peter's eyes shot open, his breathing increasing drastically and he could feel his heart thumping in his smaller chest. "T-The men... W-where-" His whole body started to shake, but he was too weak to move, causing a trapped sensation to lump in his throat. 

Tony sprang to respond, "Shh.. Shh it's okay, Peter, they're not and will not be able to hurt you or anyone again." Tony shushed him gently, but suddenly Peter's piercing gaze started straight into him.

"Y-You killed them?!" Peter squeaked, feeling tears threaten to form in his already watery eyes.

Tony knew he should have formed his words with more caution, "Oh- No, no." He would have gladly done so, however. After what they had done to Peter, the condition they put him in, he would have had the satisfaction to have ended them right then and there. But, his only goal at that time had been to get to his kid. "They are on their way to a very, very long sentence in prison."

Peter then looked down, relief clearly washing over him like the ocean's waves. He let his eyes flutter shut for a few moments before reopening them. "Okay..."

This was exactly why he loved this kid so much.

A few minutes of peaceful and gentle silence hovered over the two. Peter's head was now resting right over Tony's heart, the rhythmic beating of the organ soothing any worry that might threaten to grab at him.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony blinked, feeling another whirlwind of worry grasp at his insides, he hummed in acknowledgement towards his question, making a worried eye contact immediately.

"Thank you... You know- for coming."

The man let out a small huff, a small grin forming over his features, looking straight into the large brown eyes of the kid he pretty much considered his own. The sound of a jet engine gradually flooded his ears. He ran a gentle hand through the boy's curls yet again, and Peter closed his eyes and hummed peacefully.

"Of course, Pete... Anything for my kid, absolutely anything."