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“See ya later dude,”
“Yeah, see you at school.” Peter finished off his and Ned’s handshake with a hug like they usually do. He waved as he turned and walked away. The streets were dark, the only light provided from the street lamps.
Peter felt a shiver roll up his spine and pulled at the drawstrings of his hoodie, his huffs of breath visible in the chilly air. Peter knew how May was with him roaming around Queens when it was past dark, she just worried and Peter completely understood her reasoning. But he was Spider-man, he could defend himself if some low-life tried to rob him or something.
Speaking of, he hung his head low when he walked through an alleyway that was filled with junkies shooting up, they looked at him and snarled like he was fresh meat and Peter couldn’t help but shudder and swallow the nervous lump in his throat.
Peter made it out of the alleyway and startled by his phone’s muffled ringtone coming from his hoodie pocket, Peter took a deep breath and pulled out his phone, seeing that Mr. Stark was calling.
“Hey, Mr. Stark, I just left Ned’s. What’s up? We’re still doing game night with the team right?” Peter worried, shivering at the breeze of wind passing by him. He should’ve worn a coat as May told him to.
“What? Oh- yeah of course. I just wanted to uh, call and chat, make sure you’re okay.” Mr. Stark coughed awkwardly and Peter chuckled.
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Peter inquired, turning down the next street.
“Well, y’know, just gotta look out for you because you know how May is with you being out when it’s dark. And I’m looking at your location and you’re not in the safest part of Queens and I just want to make sure you’re okay is all, y’know? For May.” he explained, rushing through his words.
“Right… for May.” Peter laughed, shaking his head. “You know... it’s okay to admit you’re going mama bear mode on me.”
“Am not!-” he cleared his throat. “I am not. I just want you to know it’s really not a problem if Happy or even I come and pick you up. It’s not because I’m going mama bear on you.” Tony mumbled. Peter smiled and waved his hand around as if the older man could see him.
“I’ll be fine, Tony. Spider-man, remember? I’m on my way to the El and I’ll be there in no time. Would it make you feel better if I sent you a message every five minutes to let you know I’m okay?” Peter mocked the last part in a pouty tone.
“You’re a little shit, you know that?”
“I know, I get it from you.”
“Fine, but I expect a message from you when you get on and off the train. Capisce ?” Tony’s tone stern in that motherly way he wouldn’t admit he was capable of.
“Yes, mom.” Peter smirked and swore he could hear Tony’s eye roll through the phone.
“See ya, kid.”
“Be there soon,” Peter smiled before hanging up and pocketing his phone.
Things were going smoothly. A few minutes later Peter could see the station a bit away. The only thing was the steady buzzing at the back of Peter’s neck.
Peter pretended to go through his phone, trying not to think too much about the old car he could hear slowly following behind him, the teenager's “spidey senses” as Tony liked to call it, warning him.
Peter’s fingers hovered over Tony’s contact just in case. He hated that he was so quick to judge but his senses were telling him that something was wrong.
The teenager forced himself to take a steadying breath, he could see the station getting closer.
But after five minutes of taking random turns and checking to see if the man was still following him, Peter decided something wasn’t right and he wanted Tony, now. He pulled out his phone and quickly pressed call, bringing the phone up to his ear. Maybe it would scare the man off if he could see that he was talking to someone.
“Hey, kiddo. You almost here?” Tony answered after the first ring.
“H-Hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter stuttered out, keeping his voice low. There was silence, and then.
“What’s wrong, you don’t sound okay.” came Tony’s mama bear mode.
“Actually you’re right. Something’s not right. A-And I actually wouldn’t mind that ride.”
“What’s going on? FRIDAY is pulling up your location, but what’s the problem?” Tony’s tone was edging on full blown panic.
“I might just be paranoid but I think a man is following me, or he and I are just going to the same place? I don’t know but something isn’t right. I can see the station. He’s in a car and he’s been following me for a while now and I’ve taken a bunch of random turns and he's still behind me. I don’t know what he wants.” Peter couldn’t hide the fear in his voice. He could hear the car come to a stop as well as the door slamming shut and footsteps approaching him. He took a calming breath and squeezed his eyes shut and slowed his steps.
“M-Maybe I’m just overthinking it, maybe he’s not from around here and needs directions?” Peter pondered, slowing down.
“Peter, no. You keep walking and stay on the phone with me.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Stark. I’m just gonna ask him if he needs something.”
“Peter don’t!-” Peter lowered his phone and slowly turned to face the man, forcing his shoulders and face to relax. Now he could see the man completely. Before he hadn’t properly looked at the man, just stole a few corner-eyed glances. But now he could see the man was average looking, shaggy brown hair and scruff on his chin, wearing a brown trenchcoat. The man was slowing his footsteps, now that Peter had turned around he looked jumpy, guilty. His hands fiddling with something in his pocket.
“Is there something I can help you with sir?” Peter asked politely, faintly hearing Tony’s frantic voice through the phone. The man nodded and reached into his pocket, Peter immediately bristled but relaxed when the man pulled out his phone.
“Y-yeah, can you help me figure out how to get somewhere? I’m not from here so…” the man asked nervously and Peter felt bad for the misunderstanding, thinking he was some creep or something. Peter perked up and trotted over to the man who had a finger pointed to his phone.
“Yeah! Of course. Where were you wanting to go?” Peter questioned as he looked down at the man's phone at the map pulled open. When the man didn’t answer right away Peter lifted his head.
His senses screamed last second before he could feel hot sharp pain spread through his entire body, the man pressing a taser against Peter’s side which shouldn’t have incapacitated him as much as it did. Peter hand cramped causing him to drop his phone where he could hear the team yelling for him.
The man didn’t stop until Peter was convulsing on the ground, his teeth gritted in pain. The electrocution stopped after what felt like forever and left Peter panting. Peter knew what to do in kidnapping situations and rule number one was to scream as loud as he can. So he did. But his screams were immediately muffled when the man slapped a hand over his mouth and tasered him.
“Shut up! If you know what's good for you, keep your goddamn mouth shut.” The man hissed. His shaggy hair falling over his eyes. Shaggy then reached in his pocket and pulled out a metal device of some sort. It was long and thin. Peter whimpered behind the hand covering his mouth and looked over at his phone which was face down on the sidewalk a few feet away.
His attention was brought back to shaggy when he felt something hard and cold wrap around his neck and being secured with a click. Peter was quick to realize it was a collar. Peter jolted up to push the man off of him, knowing he could with his superstrength. His heart dropped when the man easily wrestled his arms down to the sidewalk. At Peter’s confusion he smirked.
“Aren’t so strong and brave without your spidey powers are you?” he grinned and Peter began to hyperventilate, he screamed into the hand as the man reached down and pulled him up. Peter kicked his feet and shoved against shaggy as hard as he could but once again got tasered.
Shaggy dragged Peter over to his car that was parked against the curb. Peter was crying as the man opened the door and popped open the trunk.
“Kid, it’s nothing personal. I just need some money and you’re my way of getting that. Think of how much people would pay to have Spider-Man himself as their own little pet.” he sighed as he dragged him over to the trunk, lifting it and wrestling Peter into it.
Everything went dark as the trunk slammed shut.
X-x-X-x-X
“Peter don’t!” Tony yelled when Peter told him he was going to talk to the man. Damn the kid for being so naive. The phone was on speaker and the team was surrounding it, their faces pulled in concern for their youngest member.
“FRIDAY where is that location!?” Tony demanded.
“It seems Peter disabled the tracker, boss. I can’t get a location.” FRIDAY informed him. Tony grit his teeth and some others winced sympathetically for the teen, knowing how Tony was with that kind of stuff.
“Kid, after this you and I are going to have a serious conversation about you disabling things that I put there for a reason! ” Tony growled, running a hand through his hair, Steve stood and put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, calming him. They listened as Peter walked over to help the man with directions but Tony wasn’t buying it. His suspicions were confirmed when they could hear the distinct sound of electricity crackling and the sound of Peter’s cry.
“Peter!” the team gasped, some jumping to their feet from where they were sitting on the couch.
“Peter? Answer me bud, let me know everythings okay.” Tony was on the verge of a panic attack and Peters screaming did nothing to help. They listened, helplessly, as Peter whimpered and cried, the man threatening him.
‘Aren’t so strong and brave without your spidey powers are you?’ they heard.
The team exchanged looks. The man knew who Peter was, that was far from good. That means it must be some kind of enemy Spider-man had then, one that maybe escaped jail and wanted revenge, or one Peter was currently fighting that he hadn’t thought to tell them about?
‘Kid, it’s nothing personal. I just need some money and you’re my way of getting that. Think of how much people would pay to have Spider-man himself as their own little pet.’
Everybody’s blood went cold. This was human trafficking. And in some way, this was way worse than just some enemy of Spider-man.
The last thing they heard was the sound of a trunk slamming shut and the screech of tires. The rest of the phone call dead silent except for the occasional cricket of grasshoppers. Tony would’ve collapsed had Steve not been there to guide him to the couch, sitting him down.
“Tony, he’s going to be okay. The kid’s strong, he’ll get out of this.” Steve tried to reassure but Tony just shook his head.
“Did you hear what he said? He said something about Peter being without his powers which means this isn’t Spider-man. This is Peter Parker. And in this situation Peter is like any other kid being kidnapped, which means no superstrength, no nothing! And that terrifies me. This sick bastard is planning on selling my kid.” Tony was hyperventilating now and Wanda scooched closer, red light illuminating from her fingers and Tony’s breathing calmed slightly.
“We cannot freak out right now, Stark. We need to act quickly if we want to find Peter before he becomes untraceable. Which means you need to be thinking straight, you cannot panic. Peter needs us.” she told him. Tony took a few steadying breaths before nodding.
“Right, right. We need to hurry.”
“Peter said he was leaving Ned’s right? He also said he could see the station which means he had to be close to it. We scope out the area, find his phone, and continue from there.” Natasha instructed as she stood from her position on the couch.
“Let’s go get our kid back.”
X-x-X-x-X
Peter felt around the small trunk, he had to calm himself down before he could do anything, with him being forced into a confined space, it brought back unpleasant memories.
He couldn’t see or feel an emergency release. He tried curling up and shifting so he could shoot out his legs and kick at the trunk but that didn’t work either. It would’ve had he not been wearing the power concealing collar around his neck.
Peter stopped fighting and took in steadying breaths, the small space beginning to freak him out again. What if they got into a car accident, Peter would be crushed, trapped, just like he was in that warehouse.
Before he could freak out any further he felt the car pull to a stop. They had been driving for a while, maybe twenty minutes at most. Peter’s heart sped up at the sound of the door slamming shut.
He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the trunk to open up and the man to be grinning down at him. After nothing happened but the sound of the gas tank being opened Peter opened his eyes. He pressed his ear up against the trunk to hear that the man was getting gas.
Peter waited, listening intently. Eventually the flow of gas filling the tank could no longer be heard. The sound of fading footsteps could be heard though. Peter fiddled, unsure of what to do. Without his powers he was just an average teenage boy.
Peter took a deep breath. Readying himself for what he was about to do.
With newfound vigor Peter began to slam his feet against the trunk. He knew he was being loud but he didn’t care. He needed out .
Peter repeated his movements, curling his knees to his chest, shooting them out, curling his knees to his chest, shooting them out until finally the trunk burst open.
For a few seconds Peter just stared in shock. The collar must've not restricted his powers completely because there’s no way any average teenager would be able to bust out of a trunk.
But when Peter heard the bell of the convenience store attached to the station jingle Peter burst into action. The man cursed when he saw Peter dash from the trunk, dropping the bag of chips and pop he was carrying.
Pure adrenaline caused Peter to run as fast as he was, but the man was already hot on his heels. Peter had to focus on not tripping over his own feet in his panic of hearing shaggy’s heavy footfalls behind him.
But Peter wasn’t fast enough.
Shaggy surged forward and tackled Peter to the ground. They wrestled for a bit until the man managed to pin Peter’s wrists to the ground with one hand and swing with his other, slamming it against Peter’s jaw, darkness spotting his vision.
Peter’s head lulled as the man grabbed his arm and dragged him back over to the car, Peter blinked away his blurry vision to see the store clerk watching through the window, his face drawn in horror, before Peter was shoved back into the trunk.
X-x-X-x-X
“Got one! A store clerk reports to have witnessed a kidnapping. I’m going to play the call.” Natasha called through the coms. Tony was flying over the neighborhood, searching desperately for his kid while the others were scattered, doing the same.
“911 what is your emergency?”
“I believed I just witnessed a kidnapping.” the man told her, before telling her his location.
“Okay and can you describe what they looked like for me please and what you saw.”
“Uh, I’d say an older man in his late thirties, white, brown hair, scruff, six feet tall, black jeans and brown trench coat, he came in to pay for his gas. When he left I saw a kid climb out of his trunk and run. The man chased after the kid and tackled him to the ground, roughed him up a bit before pushing him back into the trunk and driving away. But before the kid went back in I saw his face. Looked about fourteen or fifteen. White, curly brown hair, he was wearing a red hoodie with golden writing on the front, I couldn’t read it though. About 5’5 at least. Scared.”
“Okay, and can you tell me what kind of car the perpetrator was driving?”
“I think it was a black Hyundai Accent.”
“Okay and you said the child was already in the trunk”
“Yes, I think he was trying to escape.”
“Okay and when the man paid did he use any type of debit or credit card?”
“No, he’s smart. He paid in cash only.”
“Stop FRI.” Tony spoke up, the call recording stopped.
‘The witness provided a video as well, would you like to watch it?’ FRIDAY asked.
“Sure, just so we can make sure it’s Peter,” Tony said and video footage popped up in his helmet. It caught the end of the fight, the man throwing a punch and dazing the kid before dragging him and throwing him back into the trunk.
When the kid looked up and made eye contact with the store clerk it was confirmed that that was indeed Peter Parker. Tony’s heart clenched at the sight of Peter’s fearful doe eyes looking pleadingly at the store clerk before he was shoved into the trunk.
“Good try, kid.” Tony sighed. “Just watched the video footage. That’s him. We’ll scout out the area around there, keep an eye out for a black Hyundai Accent.” Tony announced to the team before blasting off toward the given location.
X-x-X-x-X
Peter jolted around in the trunk, shaggy’s driving fast and chaotic. He was definitely angry and Peter had already had a sample of what it would be like to be on the receiving end of it, he didn’t want to be on it again.
Peter adjusted himself so he could kick at the trunk again. This time it gave out quicker than last time since the lock was damaged. The trunk flung up and Peter didn’t hesitate before jumping out of the moving vehicle. He winced as he rolled across the road, his side and face getting road burn.
Peter didn’t waste a second before he was up and running again, where? He didn’t know. Just away from the man trying to sell him. He heard the tires screech and glanced back to see the car had turned around and was now heading straight toward him.
Peter pushed himself as fast as he could but he wasn’t faster than the car. The car cut him off and out stepped shaggy, this time holding a gun and pointing it at Peter, his other hand holding a roll of duct tape.
“Get back in the trunk. Now. I’m getting real tired of your shit, boy.” he spat as he approached, keeping the gun aimed at his head. Peter knew he was trapped so he walked over to the car and climbed back into the trunk, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.
Shaggy walked over and tucked the gun into his pants before reaching out and yanking Peter’s wrists away from where they were held against his chest protectively, flipping Peter over to pull his arms behind his back. He began duct taping his wrists together with way more layers of tape than necessary. But after Peter managed to escape twice he couldn’t really be surprised that the man was being extra cautious.
Finally, he taped together his legs and a few layers over his mouth before slamming shut the trunk, engulfing Peter in darkness again.
-
After what felt like hours of driving, the car pulled to a stop and Peter couldn’t stop the tear that slipped down his cheek. He was exhausted and just wanted to be at the tower, surrounded by his family, wrapped up in a blanket, and feel Tony running his fingers through his curls.
The trunk opened and Peter took in the new location. It was a parking lot at a motel. Peter looked up at Shaggy who was glaring down at him like he wasn't a fifteen-year-old human boy he had just kidnapped.
Peter lowered his gaze and flinched when shaggy reached down and slipped an arm under his legs and back, lifting him up from the trunk. It felt wrong. Peter could remember the feeling of when Tony would carry him like this to his room after he “fell asleep” during movie night. This was not Tony, this felt wrong. Peter wished for nothing but to be in Tony’s and May’s arms and hear them tell him the biggest “I told you so.” ever, scolding him for being outside during late hours of the night.
X-x-X-x-X
The feeling Tony felt when his eyes landed on that Hyundai Accent is indescribable. All he knows is that the huge wave of relief that washed through him nearly made him pass out from the mere strength of it. It felt like his world was no longer falling apart because that car meant he found Peter.
“Tones, is that-” Rhodey noticed it too.
“That’s the car.” Tony confirmed, eyes never straying from the vehicle.
“Let’s go get your kid,” Rhodey said and Tony nodded before shooting down into the parking lot where the car was parked. Tony could hear Rhodey informing the others but Tony drowned out his voice as he landed in beside the car. He stomped over to the trunk and yanked it open, only to find it empty.
Tony took a calming breath, he turned to the door of one of the motel rooms and didn’t hesitate before he was raising his hand and charging his repulsors. The door burst open and Tony stomped into the room. A man fitting the description the clerk gave was sat on the bed watching the TV across from it. His eyes widened and jaw hung open at the sight of Iron Man blasting into the room.
Tony barely paid him any attention other than shooting at him and sending him smashing into the wall, he could hear Rhodey as well as some of the others arriving and taking care of the kidnapper while Tony searched the room in vain for his kid.
His eyes landed on a shut door at the far end of the room and he rushed over to it, stepping out of his suit. He pushed open the door to see it was a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and small tub with the curtain drawn shut.
He could hear small movements coming from behind the curtain and approached cautiously. Once he was in front of it he reached out and pulled the curtain out of the way.
Tony’s heart sped up at the sight of Peter duct taped, collared, and gagged in the bathtub. His large doe eyes stared up at Tony in terror, having expected it to be the man. But when Peter processed that it wasn’t the man and it was Tony he couldn’t stop the needy whimper that slipped out behind the tape and Tony’s face crumpled.
“Oh, Bambi.” Tony reached down and lifted Peter into a sitting position. Peter’s wet eyes stayed glued to Tony’s face, scared that if he blinked Tony would vanish and he would be back inside the dark trunk. “Hey, hey kiddo. You’re okay.” Tony reassured shakily as he gently pulled the duct tape off of the boy's face.
“H-Hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter stuttered, his voice shaky and hoarse from screaming and crying. Tony smiled and cupped Peter’s face in his hands, looking him over as if he weren’t real.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. Wait- what happened to your face?” Tony frowned, turning his head to look at the scrap across his cheek and temple.
“I jumped o-out of a speeding vehicle. D-Didn’t get me a-anywhere though.” Peter laughed weakly, his smile not reaching his eyes.
“Well you’re safe now. And sorry not sorry, you’re stuck with me and I’m not letting you leave the tower for the next five months, I’m gonna mama bear you to death and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop me.” Tony asserted and that got a real laugh out of Peter, no matter how small it was.
“I’m okay with that.” Peter smiled.
Tony got Peter out of the tub and cut off all of the tape, only when he finished doing that did he notice the metal collar wrapped around Peter’s neck. Tony stared at it with fury and Peter cheeks flushed, looking down at his feet ashamed. Tony noticed the red scratch marks around the metal wrapped around his throat, Peter's clear attempts at trying to get it off by clawing at it. The sight made Tony's heart sink.
Tony assumed that was how mr kidnapper was keeping Peter’s powers confined.
“I promise I’ll get that off of you as soon as I can, bambino. First, let’s just go home. Tonight’s been a shitshow.” Tony huffed and Peter nodded in agreement.
Later that night Tony found a way to undo the collar and destroyed it as soon as it was off.
At the end of the night, the team plus May gathered around the living room with blankets and pillows, all deciding to have a slumber party plus a movie night. Peter was squished between everyone and his head rested in Tony’s lap, the feeling of Tony’s fingers running through his curls lulling him into a safe and heavy sleep.