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The past few weeks had been hectic. As soon as chaos struck, Happy drove Peter and May upstate to stay with Pepper and Morgan until they figured out the whole situation. Happy kept calling it “the Quentin Beck situation”. That was one way to refer to it.
Peter didn’t know what to think. His whole life was going haywire at the moment and he wasn’t sure when it would end. People now knew about his secret identity, and on top of that, believed he murdered Beck.
“I wish I had murdered Beck,” May had said. “to make him pay for all the hell he’s putting you through.”
Media outlets were slandering his name, left and right. Pepper tried her best to threaten to sue and get them to stop, but it still happened. Some said good things to defend him as Spiderman but would end it with “it’s a shame he’s a murderer.”
“I don’t think you’re bad, Petey.” Morgan spoke, her little voice awakening him from his thoughts.
“Thanks, Morgan.” He smiled.
Perhaps the one good thing about all of this, was connecting with Morgan and Pepper. He had just met Morgan a few weeks ago, but she was already crazy about him. Pepper, he had met a couple of times before the snap while helping Tony in the lab.
He can’t even imagine what Tony would think about all of this. He’d probably sue and threaten everyone that would even imply that Peter did those things.
Peter grinned at the thought.
It’s not like it was a happy thought or anything, but he just missed that side of Tony. The side that would have done anything for the people he cares about.
Being here, in Tony’s house, where he spent five years of his life, felt unbelievably strange. As if there were still pieces of him to find all throughout the house. Everywhere you go, there’s a reminder of Tony.
He turns the corner, there’s a family picture of him, Pepper, and Morgan. He turns another corner, and there’s a picture of just Tony and Morgan smiling. And another corner, and there’s Morgan herself.
He, quite literally, sees Tony’s face everywhere he goes.
It’s sad. And in some ways, exhausting. However, he’s at a different level of grief than he was even a month ago. It slowly gets better.
“Peter,” Pepper calls his name. “I have a proposition for you.”
He turns to see Pepper and May sitting at the table. Happy is off somewhere with Morgan.
“What is it?” He asks curiously, sitting beside May.
“I just got off the phone with the lawyer.”
He still can’t believe he has to have a lawyer.
“And he has an idea that might help you out a lot.”
He nods at her to keep going.
“He thinks you should go live at a press conference saying you’re not spiderman.”
Peter blinks.
“I don’t see how that helps, though. Beck already leaked my photo. Everyone knows it’s me.”
“Except, they don’t. The edited video he shows of you ‘killing’ him doesn’t actually show your face. So, if we just say that you are an intern at Stark Industries and claim that Beck found that photo because he knew you and Tony were close, it might clear everything up.” Pepper explains, her eyes focused on Peter.
He doesn’t immediately respond. He thinks about it and wonders if it could even work at all.
“But what if it doesn’t work. People are still gonna think it’s me.”
“I’m sure they will, but the main focus is clearing things up legally. Once that gets cleared, the rest will start to fade away.”
Peter chews on his lip.
“Honey, it won’t hurt to try.” May finally says.
He nods. “Okay.”
The plan was to do the press conference on Tuesday which was four days from now. Peter was shaky and nervous as hell. He missed MJ and Ned and just Queens in general.
“Hey loser,” MJ greets over the phone. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” He smiles at the sound of her voice.
There’s a brief pause before she says, “I, uh, was walking home the other day and saw a bunch of protesters with Spiderman on their signs—“
“Probably protesting to get me in jail, right?”
“No, Peter. They were protesting for you. Against Beck.”
Peter stops breathing for a second.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. They love you and everything you’ve done. That doesn’t just go away because of some asshole named Quentin Beck.”
Something about what she’s saying about people actually protesting in his favor gets to him. He almost feels regret. Regret that he’s gonna just deny that he’s Spiderman and have things go back to normal even though it will never actually be normal.
Shouldn’t he just own up to it? Own up to the image that people are standing by and protesting for?
“Peter, talk to me. Are you okay?” MJ asks, breaking him from his series of internal questions.
“I’m fine. I just have a decision to make.”
The morning of the press conference, Rhodey flies in from D.C. He says it’s cause he missed Morgan, but Peter has a feeling it has something to do with the press conference.
“Petey are you nervous?” Morgan questions him as they eat breakfast.
May and Pepper glance over at Peter as he answers.
“A little, but it’ll all work out Mo.”
“You have nothing to worry about. Just stick to the script and you’ll do fine.” Pepper grins at him.
That’s the part he’s worried about.
Two hours before the press conference, Rhodey knocks on his bedroom door (the bedroom he had been staying in).
“Hey, Pete. Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
Peter is sitting on the bed and pats a spot next to him for Rhodey to sit.
“I’m okay.” He pauses. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“What was Tony’s press conference like? The one where he confirmed he was Iron man?”
Rhodey seems a bit confused at the question and then replies, “It was chaotic. I mean, not at the beginning, but towards the end obviously. Cuz’ he went right off script and me, Pepper, and Happy just stood there all shocked. Yet, at the same time, it was good, because Tony was ecstatic after. Like, you could just tell that he knew he made the right decision.”
“You think he would have been upset if he didn’t tell the truth?”
“I don’t know about upset, but being Iron man always gave him this kind of drive. At first it was arrogance and then it got more ambitiously selfless. And if he wouldn’t have confirmed it right then and there, I think it would have been a mess and driven him insane. But he did, because he felt that that was what he truly had to do in order to do right.”
Peter nods.
“Why? You’re not thinking of pulling a Tony today, are you?”
Peter laughs at the phrase “pulling a Tony.”
“No.” He says.
Truthfully, though, he’s not sure.
30 minutes til the press conference. Him, May, Morgan, and Rhodey are all sitting in the back room while Pepper paces around making sure everything is set in place and Happy is making sure security is properly secured around the building.
Peter keeps staring at the set of index cards Pepper had made for him earlier. He’s really not sure how today is gonna go, but he’s really just ready for it to be over.
“Hey,” May grabs his hand. “Everything is gonna work out the way it’s supposed to.”
He grins at her. “I hope so.”
He also cannot wait to get out of this suit. Pepper had it made for him last week and it’s so fancy, he feels as if he’s gonna fall over while he wears it.
Five minutes til the press conference and Rhodey has already taken May and Morgan to find a seat somewhere in the back.
It’s just Pepper who’s with him now, having him go over his cards for her.
“Just stick to the cards, Peter. You don’t even have to answer the questions from the reporters. This is just a statement. You’ll be fine. I promise.” She readjusts his tie, giving him a warm smile.
Four minutes til the press conference.
For some reason, Peter is thinking back to when Tony held a press conference and wanted to announce to the world that Spiderman was the newest Avenger. It ended up turning into Pepper and Tony’s engagement announcement.
He smiles at the thought.
Pepper looks at him curiously.
“It’s nothing.” He hums.
Three minutes til the press conference and Peter is now standing in the back area waiting for his cue to walk out.
Pepper waits with him a moment longer and then asks “Do you mind if I go sit with the others? Are you okay?”
Peter’s probably been asked if he’s okay over a dozen times today.
“Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
She smiles at him, her hand on his cheek. “You’re going to do great.”
He hopes so.
1 minute til the press conference and Peter is visibly shaking.
Hopefully this goes by quick.
The words “I am Iron man” keep running through his brain over and over.
Approximately 10 seconds til the press conference and a security guard has him close by the door ready to go.
“Go ahead, Mr. Parker.”
Here goes nothing.
He enters the room and sees around twenty reporters gathered. In the very back, he can see Aunt May, Pepper, Morgan, Rhodey, and Happy.
As the loud crowd goes crazy for his arrival, he carefully makes his way to the podium.
I am Iron man is pounding in his head.
He clears his throat.
“Hi everybody. There’s been quite a bit of speculation going around. Speculation about me being Spiderman, that is.”
I am Iron man I am Iron man.
“And today, I’m here to clear that up.”
His hands are shaking. He meets Rhodey’s eyes in the audience.
“Truth is,” He pauses.
I am Iron man I am Iron man I am Iron man I am Iron man I am Iron man I am Iron man.
“I am Spiderman.”
The reporters all stand up in an uproar. The adrenaline rush he feels is insane. He looks back and sees May, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. He can’t really tell what looks they all have but it’s somewhere between pride, nostalgia, and literal concern.
Peter can’t hear him through all the noise, but Rhodey laughs as Pepper glares at him.
“Here we go again.” He says.