Chapter Text
Peter grabbed his backpack straps as he waited in the elevator, his foot tapped against the floor slightly nervous for team training. Maybe he should have come in his suit that could have made more sense. Oh well.
He could hear soft laughter on the floor above, which was weird they were normally already training when he came on other Fridays. He shrugged of the rising doubt in his gut and instead let his mind drift.
After training today Ned had planned a ‘bro’s birthday hang’ for peter’s 16th. Ned had felt guilty about peter moving out of his house, but peter had insisted that it was too hard for Mrs Leeds to afford to house him for any longer than the 6 months she had already. When May had passed away Ned had been there for him on instant, not letting peter leave his side. Peter smiled at the thought of his best friend heart swelling with love and excitement for later.
2 hours of training then the fun begins, that is if the avengers don’t make training more enjoyable as a birthday gift. Though now that peter thought of it none of the avengers had mentioned anything about his birthday even when he’d talked about it like 5 times last week at training. For Natasha’s birthday last month, they had planned a cute party with just close people. They had to tell her all about it though (so not too much of a surprise) but it was the thought that mattered anyway. Peter and his aunt was invited no one asked him why his aunt wasn’t there, it was probably for the better he wouldn’t have wanted to cry in front of them.
The DING of the elevator dragged him out of his thoughts as he walked into the common room startled to find the normal avenger residents sat domestically around playing cards and laughing at each over’s antics.
“Man of spiders! What brings you here.” Thor boomed smiling widely waving to peter as he spoke.
“ummm I thought it was team training today.” Peter stammered
“why do you look like that then, you training in jeans?” Sam laughed smirking with Bucky.
“I didn’t have time to change after school and the- “peter started to ramble
“I don’t actually care kiddo its fine, its avengers game night did stark not text you, trainings cancelled give you a break and all you must be tired.” Sam interrupted still laughing with Bucky. His cheeks flushed red as he stammered for a response.
“um, y-eah cann I go get ch-changed so I can swing home H-Happy’s already left?”
“y-yeah y-yeah that’s f-fine.” Sam joked earning a smack from Natasha who nodded at him. Walking in the direction of the closest bathroom he sent a tight smile back at Nat before rushing to get out of there.
--*__--**
As he pulled his suit on, he could hear the general chatter from the room down the hall
“hey FRIDAY tell tony to get his ass up here it’s called team game night for a reason the entire team should be here” he heard Clint yell at FRI. he could feel tears brimming at his eyes as he leapt out of the window heading towards his empty apartment.
He looked around at the empty space and the 2 boxes sitting in the corner planning in his head to unpack them later. Slowly, he made his way to the roof to find a stressed MJ and Ned panicking to put decorations up. He coughed into his fist a smile tugging at his lips.
Ned rushed around eyes wide as soon as he saw Peter.
“SURPRISE!!” they both shouted, Ned giving a poor excuse of jazz hands.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at the tower?” MJ asked crossing her arms.
“Yeah cancelled for games night or something.” He said earning a sad glance from them both.
Dashing back to the table they had set up; MJ came running back with a cake carefully placed in her hands. He felt tears threatening to spill as he read the message, happy birthday loser!
“You made this?”
“Yeah but don’t be expecting anything else until next year.” She replied a smile slipping onto her face, he nodded in response walking over to their seats on the edge making sure to stick them down lightly with webs. Getting comfy he patted the seats next to him waiting for his friends to join him.
For what felt like hours they chatted staring at the stars in the night, listening to MJ list the constellations and slowly edging away at the chocolate cake.
“It’s not that I think they hate me it’s just that they act like I don’t exist.” Peter ranted stuffing another spoonful in his mouth.
“Maybe they are embarrassed that a teenager is doing their job better than them.” MJ responded her face dead serious. Peter laughed but shrugged it off.
“Please, have you seen me in a mission they think they are miles better than me. Like I’m just an inconvenience in the battles not an asset to help them at all,” they both nodded humming in response.
“But on other days it feels like I’ve known them forever. Like second family after you guys of course.” Peter carried on saying smiling at the memories of when it was like that.
“Thanks guys really it’s been my favourite birthday yet. Id offer you to stay round but there’s not much for you to sleep on” he said scratching the back of his neck.
“Don’t worry about it dork, happy our service was enjoyed.” MJ replied before quickly pulling him into a kiss on the cheek before walking off waving to Ned.
“DUDE!” he exclaimed eyes wide, “she totally likes you.” Peter shoved him but his red face gave him away.
“Sure whatever, see you soon yeah?”
“Of course!” he yelled back as he watched Ned make his way down the ladder. Peter smiled to himself flopping down on the roof’s ledge, licking the spoon to the cake clean.
_---**_---
Peter sat giddily on the assembly seats, he had just received his diploma and was now listening to the older girl’s (he thought her name may have been Gwen he wasn’t paying attention) valedictorian speech. Seaming as he had graduated 2 years early he missed out on this but he didn’t mind too much he knew he would have bottled the public speaking.
They had moved it all outside so they could bask in the end of august heat and so that afterwards they could have picnics with families. He smiled as he got up being dragged away by Ned who was already explaining into what he had packed.
“I made these.” MJ muttered showing a box of fresh cupcakes. Peter smiled brightly,
“I thought that was a one-time thing?”
“Oww!” he yelped as she smacked him on the back of the head.
“Avengers a no show then?” Ned asked
“Haha no of course not, most of them thought I was joking. Pranks are quite common round there but Nat, Steve and tony said they would come. I guess I underestimated how busy they are it isn’t their fault not really.” He sighed thinking back to when he’d asked them, feeling oddly embarrassed now that they hadn’t showed up.
“let’s not think about them yeah. This days about you not them.” MJ said placing her hand over his. Peter smiled widely back up at her.
Peter was in the middle of eating one of MJ’s cupcakes when his phone started spamming the ringer blasting out of the speaker.
“hello?”
“yes, peter we need you on the jet in 10.” Tony’s voice came threading through the speaker.
“ummm is back up very necessary I’m really, really busy.” Peter stammered panic swelling
Inside
“sorry mate Bucky and Sam already called dibs on skipping and Clint’s at the farm right now. Just you me, Thor, Steve and nat.”
“can’t you call Sam to do it?”
“what superhero business inconvenient for you now?”
“sorry yeah your right I’m coming now my suits in my backpack.” He replied as the line went dead.
“sorry guys duty calls.” He muttered eyes on the floor. Waving a sorry goodbye and not listening to the protests as he ran to the closest alleyway to get changed.
--__****----
The rest of what happened was blurry to him. He remembered fighting agents and getting pinned down outside the building. He remembered shouting to the team as the Queenjet flew away and he remembered screaming when the bombs they planted went off.
His head was throbbing making the thoughts he was feeling stodgy like he was trudging through mud in his mind. He tried to open his eyes before realising they already were. Why couldn’t he see? His heart was racing as he panicked trying to pull his mask off but failing, he reached his hands up to wear his eyes should be to find the fabric ripped and a wet feeling drip onto his fingers.
“no, no god no..” he cried to himself trying to move his feet, all they could do was slightly flinch. His mind was racing with panic as he tried to ignore the pain spreading through his chest.
Static crackled in his ear pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Karen! Karen! Call avengers please I need help.” He pleaded a small slither of hope emerging.
“On it peter stay with me you seem to be heavily injured.” She replied and peter lay waiting as the dial tone rung In his ears. Until it stopped.
“it seems they have not answered.”
“not answered or hung up?” he asked gruffly
“the latter, would you like me to try again?”
“yes, yes please.” And she did ring again and again and on the 4th time he stopped her.
“wait Karen can I leave a voicemail instead.” He asked panicking as he could hear people waking up on the other side of the building.
“yes, what would you like to say?”
So, he spoke in panic as he begged them to pick up or to come because he couldn’t see a way out of this one.
When Tony walked into the common room, he was pleasantly surprised to see everyone in enjoying coffee or some other form of snack.
“Everyone good?” he asked pouring himself a cup.
“Yes, happy to see you up here.” Nat replied as she relaxed into the sofa. Bucky and Sam were laughing about something whilst Steve was scolding them for it.
“What’s happening over there?” he questioned
“Sam and Bucky are planning to get back at peter for pulling the graduation prank.” Steve replied rolling his eyes, “witch I don’t think is necessary seeming as we don’t even know if it was a prank.”
“Please no normal kid graduates at 15.” Sam responded huffing
“I graduated at 14.” Tony remarked sipping his coffee. The coffee tasted a bit to bitter for his liking but when he saw a cup next to Nat, he rolled his eyes as he remembered that she uses twice as much granules as everyone else.
“You were a genius and didn’t have the superhero gig at the same time.” Sam quipped back crossing his arms clearing proud of himself with that oh so clever comeback.
“Fairs, but you know peter did make his own webs so who knows we could have had another genius among our ranks all this time without realising it.” At this Nat seemed to nod along but he could tell her mind was focused on something.
“And I do believe young peter is 16 now, isn’t he? I was so gutted to have missed his birthday last week but I made sure to drop into his apartment to leave his gift. A lovely rug me and Loki made to brighten up his new place,” at this the room went deathly quiet.
“Sugar shit, shit!!” tony muttered sitting up, “FRI?”
“Yes, I do believe Thor is correct peter’s birthday was 8 days ago on Friday. I believe he was in the building for 5 minutes before leaving.”
“what why did he leave?” tony panicked wondering what they must have done.
“Team game night I told him he could go home.” Sam muttered, “what don’t act like you guys protested or anything. Its not like he lives here so I thought he would want to get back to his own place, stop looking at me like that.”
All this time Nat’s face seemed to be consorting more into confusion as they talked.
“Wait he and his aunt have a new place?” Bucky asked the smile whipped of his face from a short while ago.
“Yes, quite a small apartment I must say only one room. I didn’t see an aunt though; he lives with her you say?” Thor replied seeming very confused.
“Yeah, he does, I think. FRI what are the reports on May Parker.” Tony questioned tapping his foot impatiently.
“May Parker as in peter’s aunt passed away 6 months ago last Wednesday. Peter was in custody of Mrs Leeds until recently moving out to live in his own apartment.”
Then the pin dropped and the room erupted into chaos.
“what why didn’t we notice?” “why didn’t he tell us?” “why would he tell us?”
Everyone’s shouts were cut out by FRIDAY’S voice in the speakers
“Boss Karen is trying to call.”
“Hang up.” Tony snapped angry at the interruption.
“Boss she is calling again.”
“Hang up every time she calls FRI.”
“ok boss but she is in the process of leaving a voice-mail.”
Tony ran a hand down his face groaning in frustration just as he was about to suggest calling peter over Nat stood up abruptly.
“Jet now all of you.”
“I’m sure peter won’t appreciate us landing a jet on his apartment block.”
“No, we left him on the mission. He got trapped outside the building and we said we would come back to him but we didn’t and then we blew the place up!”
Everyone else was out of the room like a rocket suiting up as they ran rushing into the jet.
_----__**--
The air was foggy with guilt as they sat in their seats listing to the thrum of the engine. 1 hour into the 1.5-hour journey and as it stood, they had fully waited in silence too ashamed to talk, their worry eating them up. It was the gasp from Thor that startled everyone out of the trance.
“His backpack I see it in the corner. Why would he leave it on here?” he asked his eyebrows knitted in confusion as he nodded at Sam, who was closest, to grab it.
“He sounded busy when I called him, I guess he didn’t have time to change at his apartment.” Tony’s voice sounded gruff when he replied he eyes held no spark but instead they were flooded with regret and dread.
“I wonder what he’s got in here anyway…” Sam muttered mostly to himself as he opened the bag.
“Hey! I don’t think it’s best to invade his pri- “Steve was abruptly cut off when he saw the graduation robe and certificate that was pulled out of the old tattered bag. Tony pulled a hand down his face groaning as he remembered peter saying he was busy and the protests not to come.
“Shit. He really wasn’t lying. How smart is this kid?” Sam muttered as he placed the bag back down but still holding the certificate in his hand.
“Oy Sam get your grubby hands of that you don’t want to smudge it.” Bucky snapped earning a nod from Sam who seemed to tired to even come back with a snarky comment.
“Tony do you know peter’s AI’s name maybe we can contact her?” Steve suggested earning a few hums in approval.
“Yeah Karen…. Wait- “shooting up out of his seat, ignoring the beep for his seatbelt he dashed for his stark pad tapping furiously on the buttons.” FRI play voice-mail from Karen.”
Everyone’s eyes widened at hearing this sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for a reply.
” Playing voicemail from 1 hour ago…….” Shaky breaths left the teams moths as their hands fidgeted in anticipation hoping that he was ok. That it was just a call to ask to be picked up or that he had found his own way back.
“please! please come back, I’m sorry I don’t know what I did but I’m sorry please don’t leave me here. I-I don’t know, I don’t know what to do.” everyone winced hearing the desperation in his voice. “I can’t move. Please, please come back I can’t see and I can’t feel my legs and there is so much blood. Please, please…. don’t leave me here…I can hear them coming.” The metal on Bucky’s arm rest was crushed and tears were welling in Thor’s eyes at hearing the cries. There was obvious sniffling coming from the child a long with the pauses for a shaky breath. “PLEASE! I don’t want to die. Im-im not ready… I’m not done. PLEASE, PLEASE come back.” A cry was suddenly heard as the sound of someone approaching the boy came into earshot. “what have we got here boys. Itsy bitsy spider was left all alone.” A laugh was heard booming on the recording and a gargle and weak cough from peter’s throat, “ struggling to speak? What did the water finally wash the spider out. Or blood in your case. Let’s see shall we who is the face behind the mask.” A strangled cry came through the audio as clearly someone came in to rip of the mask, “k-karen hang u-up.” And with that the audio cut leaving the room in stunned silence. That was until a crash was heard as Bucky had thrown the metal of his chair across the space.
Tony couldn’t breathe he was shaking so hard trying to get a grasp on reality. Who could do this to someone he thought until he remembered. We, we could do this to someone. He barely even noticed as the jet landed but the sudden burst of movement from his teammates quickly switched on his brain with only one thing in his mind he flew out of the jet.
____***-----
Sam was flying over the east side of the building when he saw it a small pile of red and blue, though it was mainly just red now. He glided down quickly running over to the person calling in for assistance into his coms as he ran.
“hey! Kid can you hear me.” He yelled barley hearing himself over the blood rushing in his ears. A small moan escaped the kids mouth as he kneeled down next to him.
“kid! Eyes open yeah. I’m here to help.” He cried out to him struggling at where to start, “we’re so sorry. I’m so sorry Peter. Please just stay with me please.”
He reached into his bag pulling out wipes to try to clear away any blood to know where to stich. A yelp escaped peter’s mouth as he brushed over what seemed to be a glass shard.
“I’m sorry kid I need to try to stop any of the bleeding. Can you tell me what i need to treat first?”
“th-ey putt it i-n….me” he stuttered blood flowing out of his mouth.
‘what I don’t understand.” Sam panicked as he applied pressure to the massive wound in his chest, “hey keep your eyes open for me yeah please.”
“i-I you came...” peter gargled around the blood clogging his throat. Sam’s heart clenched as this internally cursed himself for being so carless before.
“of course, we did kid, we love you. And I’m so sorry that we made you felt unloved. I was stupid I was acting like a child teasing you, forgetting that you actually are on. I’m so, so sorry for making you feel stupid, I’m so proud of you for graduating that early. I thought you must have been joking it never clocked in my tiny brain that you are just smarter than me.” Sam ranted on tears freely gliding down his cheeks, “there’s no excuse for it and I promise you kid when you please pull through, we’ll make it up to you.”
“it’s o-kk…. I forg-ive you,” peter slurred his eyes drooping shut, “d’nt cr-y..”
“kid no please keep your eyes open!’ Sam pleaded, ‘HELP! I NEED BACKUP PLEASE!!”
Sam jumped as a hand grasped his shoulder.
“Bucky!”
“the other are coming as quick as possible how’s he holding up?”
“not good Buck we’re losing him.” Sam replied turning his head away from peter as if trying to hide the obvious future from him.
“hey kid, you’re gonna be ok. You hear me,” Bucky spoke his voice calm and soothing as he successfully quietened the child panicked breaths, “we’re gonna go home to the tower and well watch star wars until we pass out and when we wake up we will decorate your new room in as much Lego as we can carry from the store. Then we’ll have to most fun games night in the whole world and me and Sam will pretend to hate you for winning, but in reality, we’ll just be so, so happy to be spending time with you.” Tears were running down the once stoic soldiers face as he ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn’t delusional, the kid would have been able to survive the injures that he could see normally but something was clearly happening internally to provoke the amount of blood coming out of his nose and mouth.
“h-home...” Peter stuttered eyes fluttering shut, “don’t w’na di- “
“shhh its ok! You’re going to be ok we are right here ok.” Bucky tried again to sooth the boys worried cries but internally he was screaming at the world begging for some miracle.
‘wh-ere’s t-to- “
“I’m here Pete,” tony whispered coming into view his suit long forgotten a few meters away, Bucky hadn’t even noticed as he came into the picture, “I'm right here ok we all are. We’re so sorry Pete you’re gonna be ok yeah, just keep those eyes open for me. You can do that?’
“n-no I’m tr-ying c-can’t”
“you gonna have to Pete I can't lose you ok. Not when I haven’t made up to you. No please kid please stay with me.’ Tony cried shoulders shaking as he rubbed his fingers across peters cheek.
“tony you have to let him go. Its torture to keep him alive like this.” Steve sighed his hand gripping onto Tony's shoulder.
“NO! I shall heal him on Asgard!” Thor boomed trying to push his way to peter. A shallow moan interrupted the argument as peter coughed gagging, tears mixing with the blood in his eyes. His eyes blinked up at the avengers before they fluttered closed.
“don’t w’na di- “his voice was shut off as his chest came to a thundering stop and in that moment, it felt like the entire world would end with him, that the earth would stop orbiting the sun and that everyone would go with him. But all they were left with was a broken body belonging to the boy they loved, to the boy they had forgotten and now when it was too late remembered.
“Pete, hey wake up!” tony yelled shaking his body, “please come back. Hey no, no we aren’t doing this not today. Not ever.”
“he’s gone tony.” Steve whispered shielding his own face from the broken body below him. Natasha bent down next to peters body carefully removing the hair covering his face rubbing a thumb over his cheek bone as she muttered something in Russian to him.
Arms gracefully scooped up the body as they reluctedly headed towards the Quinjet all joy evaporated from the air leaving a solemn world behind.