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“Which way Pete?” Tony asked.
Peter chewed his bottom lip as he looked left and then right. He honestly had no idea. All the trees and shrubs in the lush rainforest looked the same.
“Um…” That tree to left seemed kind of familiar. Didn’t it?
“Maybe…I think we should go…that way.” He pointed in the direction of the sort of familiar tree.
“You have no idea.” Tony deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Uh…no.” He admitted.
“Kid you were supposed to be in charge of directions.”
“And then I told you I’m terrible with directions, so you said we’d figure it out together." Peter threw his hands up in the air. "Don’t try to pin this on me!”
Tony took a deep breath and looked up at the sky as if to ask for help from above. When he looked back at Peter, he gave a quick nod and said, “Right. So we’re lost.”
“I guess that depends on your definition of lost. We know we’re in a rainforest somewhere in Brazil, so I mean we’re not completely lost.”
“We’re lost.” Tony repeated.
“So…we should stay put?” Peter asked hesitantly. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you’re lost?”
“Yeah if you’re in kindergarten and baddies with guns aren’t chasing you.” Mr. Stark said, glancing back the way they’d came, as if mentioning them might make them appear.
“Ok so what do we do?” Peter asked, and he hated that he had to ask, because going on these missions with Mr. Stark always felt like a test for the big leagues, and when he didn’t know what to do, he felt like he was failing.
“We keep going and hope Rhodey finds us or we somehow stumble across the Quinjet.”
“Too bad we can’t use the suits.” Peter mumbled and they started walking again.
“Yep. It’s just not our day.”
The mission had been a success at least. They’d gotten into the remote Hydra hold out and planted incendiaries to blow the place, but someone had spotted them on the way out, and in their desperation to catch them, they’d fired an EMP which had fried both their suits, so Peter and Tony had ended up fleeing into the forest. At least the bombs had still detonated. And they’d gotten away. Although it was crazy hot here. And the dense foliage and bugs were starting to get on his nerves.
Peter pushed more hanging vines to the side while batting another huge fly-like beetle thing away from his face. The stupid insect distracted him just long enough that he missed the ground under his feet suddenly disappearing. His spidey sense flared, but the warning didn’t come soon enough.
The forest floor dropped out under his feet and he fell with a yelp.
“Kid!” Tony yelled from behind him.
His back slammed against the steep muddy incline and he slid down the hill, arms flailing, trying to grab onto something to slow his progression, but all the shrubbery broke away in his hands and his sticky powers wouldn’t work on the muddy ground.
He must’ve stumbled on some kind of steep river embankment because that was the sight that greeted him below his feet. If he didn’t stop soon he was going to end up taking a swim. And he wasn’t the best swimmer. And the river didn’t look particularly inviting with the turbulent white froth rising from its churning waters.
In desperation he threw his leg to the side, trying to wedge his foot between two small tree trunks that met near the ground. And it worked. A second later he jerked to a stop. And felt something snap in his ankle. He let out a pained cry. But at least he’d stopped. He wasn’t going to drown. Except now he was stuck. He hung upside down, foot caught between the tree trunks, and he was afraid to try to free himself because he didn’t want to end up tumbling back down into the river. Well, this was less than ideal. And his ankle hurt. Even breathing sent sparks of pain up his leg, so he tried his best not to move.
“Hold on kid!” Mr. Stark called from the top of the embankment and Peter craned his head to see the man starting to make his way tentatively down the hill toward him.
“Be careful!” He warned before letting his head flop back down into the mud. The blood had started rushing to his face, but he didn’t mind the sensation. He was used to it from being Spiderman.
It took Mr. Stark awhile to reach him, but eventually the man saddled up beside him, sweaty and red faced. “All right Pete. I’m here.”
Peter could see the tension pinching around his eyes, proof he was worried.
“You were right Mr. Stark.” He groaned.
“I always am.” The man answered distractedly, eyeing his leg and how it was jammed into the branching tree trunks. “What was I right about this time?”
“This is not our day.”
Mr. Stark huffed out a laugh and crawled up to examine his foot closer.
“Ok, I know how to get you out.” Mr. Stark said decisively. “First, we need to sit you up.” Mr. Stark snaked an arm under his shoulders and pulled him up to an awkward seated position. “And now I just need to…” Mr. Stark leaned toward his foot while still supporting him behind his back, and he grabbed the heel of his foot and yanked. His foot came free with a spike of agony.
“Sorry buddy.” Mr. Stark apologized.
“That’s ok.” He kept his eyes scrunched closed, trying to ride out the pain. “Had to be done.”
Peter took a few more slow breaths and opened his eyes, meeting Mr. Stark’s concerned gaze.
“You ok?” His mentor asked.
Peter nodded.
“Ok, then let’s try to get you in a better position. This might hurt a little.” Mr. Stark said apologetically.
“I’ll be ok.”
Mr. Stark held under his knee to keep his foot off the ground, and with a little help from Peter, twisted him around so his legs faced down the hill instead of up. He let out a relieved sigh when he’d settled into the new position. It was a lot more comfortable. “Thanks Mr. Stark.”
The man sat down hip to hip with him, resting backwards on his hands, mirroring Peter’s position. They rested like that in silence for a couple minutes before Mr. Stark asked, “Do you think you can walk?”
Peter tried wiggling his ankle and sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. Yeah that was going to be a no go.
“I don’t think so.” He said, wincing. “Sorry.”
“It’s ok. We’ll…figure it out.” Mr. Stark looked around as if the answer might be found in the trees.
“Maybe we should just stay here.” He suggested, not seeing any other option.
“Rhodey will never find us here.” Mr. Stark shook his head.
“Neither will the bad guys.”
Mr. Stark let out a quiet snort and kept searching their environment for some sort of solution.
Peter knew he wasn’t going to find one. “You should go Mr. Stark.”
“What?” Mr. Stark asked sharply.
“You should get out of here, and when you find Colonel Rhodes you can come back for me.” Peter explained.
“No. I’m not leaving you here by yourself. Hurt and undefended.”
“I’m Spiderman. I’m never undefended.” He argued.
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving you.” And the steel in his voice was enough to convince Peter there was no way he’d be able to change the man’s mind.
“Then what are we going to do?” He asked.
Mr. Stark looked up toward the top of the embankment and then back down at Peter before he nodded decisively and said, “I’m going to carry you.”
Peter eyed the man dubiously. “Mr. Stark you could barely make it down by yourself. There’s no way you can make it back up there carrying me.”
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do. Besides, going up is easier than going down.”
Peter supposed that was true, but he wasn’t in any hurry for Mr. Stark to drop him or for both of them to go plummeting back down the sharp incline into the river.
He didn’t get any more time to protest. Mr. Stark was already crouching down next to him, but with his back to him. Peter frowned.
“Come on kid. Giddy up.” Mr. Stark flapped his hands toward his back and Peter finally got it. Mr. Stark wanted to give him a piggyback ride.
“This is humiliating.” He mumbled, but after a few false starts, he managed to get on Mr. Stark’s back with his arms clasped together over the man’s chest as his mentor held his legs at his knees.
“Ready?” Mr. Stark asked once he was in a good position.
“Yeah.”
“Here we go.” Mr. Stark said as if to bolster himself, and then shakily stood, blowing out a long breath of air like Peter had seen people do when they were weightlifting.
“Are you ok Mr. Stark?”
“Oh yeah just great.” The man grunted as he took a step up the hill. So far so good. “You’re light as a feather.”
Peter knew he wasn’t. Mr. Stark made it about ten feet before he started puffing and Peter could see the beads of sweat starting to pop out on his neck.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” He asked again.
“Just peachy.” He grit out. “But no more talking. I have to concentrate.”
Peter had to admit that Mr. Stark impressed him. He didn’t think there was any way the man could carry him all the way back up. But it looked like he was going to make it. Fifteen minutes after he’d picked him up, Mr. Stark crested the hill. The man was audibly out of breath and drenched with sweat, but he’d made it. As soon as his feet hit flat ground, Mr. Stark abruptly fell to his knees, and Peter let an involuntary grunt as his leg bumped against the ground.
“Sorry kid.” Mr. Stark apologized between gasps. “But time to get off.”
Peter slid the rest of the way down to sit on the ground. The second he was free, Mr. Stark collapsed to the ground with a groan. Peter watched as the man flopped over onto his back and closed his eyes, chest still heaving.
He thought about asking Mr. Stark if he was ok again but he didn’t think the man would appreciate it.
“Let’s never do that again.” His mentor said after he’d had a couple minutes to rest and catch his breath.
“Agreed.” Peter said, leaning against the tree trunk behind him.
Mr. Stark turned his head and squinted at him. “How’s the leg?”
He shrugged. Terrible, but he wasn’t about to tell the other man that.
“Great.” Mr. Stark closed his eyes. “Just give me a minute and we can—”
The snap of branches interrupted whatever his mentor had been about to say. Mr. Stark shot to his feet, something Peter didn’t think he would’ve been capable of a second earlier. Peter hurried to stand on his good leg, using the tree behind him to push up. Mr. Stark moved to stand protectively in front of him, and Peter was about to protest the obvious babying when the person making all the noise burst through the forest into sight.
“Rhodey.” Mr. Stark greeted his friend with relief. “What took so long?”
“You never make it easy Tones.” Rhodey complained with a shake of his head and a smile.
Mr. Stark let out short laugh. “I don’t make it easy? You couldn’t have gotten here fifteen minutes earlier?”
Peter grinned.
“Why?”
“Never mind.” Mr. Stark waved a hand dismissively. “Just get over here and help me with the kid. He’s hurt.”
“What happened?” Rhodey asked and hurried over, no longer smiling.
“He had a little disagreement with gravity.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “I sprained my ankle. Mr. Stark’s overacting. As usual.”
Rhodey knelt down and examined his ankle, pressing in a few different areas. He sucked in a breath when the man’s fingers ghosted over a particularly tender spot.
“Yeah I don’t think that’s just sprained.” Rhodey decided and stood back up. “Let’s get you back to the Quinjet.”
“The EMP didn’t reach it?” Mr. Stark asked.
“No we must’ve been far enough away. Is that what happened to your suits?”
They both nodded.
“Bad luck.” Rhodey said.
“Parker luck.” Mr. Stark muttered with a grin.
Peter shot him a fake glare.
“Ready to go?” Rhodey asked.
Peter nodded.
Rhodey turned so his armored back faced him. “Hop on.”
“Again?” Peter asked in disbelief. Two piggyback rides in one day. He was never going to live this down.
“What do you mean again?” Rhodey asked. Right, he didn’t know about that.
“Nothing.” Mr. Stark said quickly and gave him a look that meant they weren’t going to speak of it.
“Right. Nothing.” Peter climbed onto Rhodey’s back.
“I’ll be right back.” Rhodey told Mr. Stark as soon as he was situated.
“I”ll be right here.” His mentor gestured to area around him with a smirk.
They took off into the air.
“So, Tony gave you a piggyback ride, huh?” Rhodey said, clearly amused.
“How did you—”
Rhodey burst out laughing.