Chapter Text
"Is my life some sort of joke?" Peter Parker mumbled to nobody in particular, staring down dumbly at the slip of paper he'd just been handed. He squeezed his eyes closed, then opened them again to see if maybe the words had changed, because surely this was a mistake. A trick of the light. Or he'd misread it. Because it was a well known fact that getting a guided tour to Stark Industries took booking months in advance and spending a whole lot of money Midtown High definitely did not have. So how, exactly, had the school managed to arrange a surprise field trip for this coming Thursday? A surprise field trip for his class specifically…
Judging by the excitement that had practically been oozing out of Mr Harrington's skin the moment he'd walked into class, Peter knew this was not just a surprise for the students, but to the teachers as well. Suspicious, to say the least. Especially with the timing. This was definitely, totally, 100% the worst time for Peter Parker to have a surprise field trip to Stark Industries. And he was fairly certain this was no coincidence.
"Probably," MJ didn't even miss a beat, while still managing to sound as bored as ever. Her voice disclosed no sympathy, but instead Peter could just about detect a poorly concealed smirk making its way onto her lips. Her permission slip had already found its way back into her bag, its spot on her desk having already been replaced by an old sketchbook which was becoming an irritatingly familiar object in Peters life. With an innocent silence she leafed through pages which were brimming with misfortune and misery until she found some blank space near the back. Since becoming friends with Peter her sketchbook had been filling up fast, and it was looking like she'd probably need to buy a new one soon. It seemed he'd become quite the inspiration to her. This was not a compliment when it came to MJ and her sketchbook. Peter had given up trying to object to it, there was no escaping MJ's pencil once she had her eye on you, so instead Peter just slipped into a familiar glare which he sent in her direction.
"Come on dude! This is literally going to be coolest field trip ever!" Ned was completely ignoring his best friends despair. And who could blame him? For Midtown students a trip to SI was like a trip to Disney World.
Scratch that.
It was practically like a field trip to the moon! It really was the coolest field trip ever, "Stark Industries man! The Stark Industries! Not all of us get to work there you know?" Ned teased, nudging Peters arm playfully causing the other boy to break out of his death glare towards the other girl- which hadn't really been having the intended effect anyway. MJ was not so easily deterred.
Peter sighed, "That's not the problem. That is," And as if on queue taunting laughter erupted from the back of the class, which was quickly interjected by, "Excited to show us your internship Penis?" which was once again followed by yet more laughter. As usual, Peter does not dignify Flash with a response, instead he just waves his hand in a vague motion to say 'See?'
"Well ignore him. He's an idiot," Ned raised his voice for the last couple words, pausing for emphasis before continuing, "you can't let them ruin this for you Peter! Its a chance to finally show them how wrong they are, and how cool you are! It's gonna be so awesome!.. Probably."
"Probably," MJ chimes in again, still smirking into her sketchbook, "Ned's right though. Ignore those losers."
Peter just shrugged. In fairness it would be cool to see the other floors of the tower, he really only ever saw the labs and the penthouse, so it would be nice to know what were on the other 60+ floors. Technically he could have a peak any time he'd like, he was fairly certain he had the clearance for it, but it had always sounded sort of awkward on his own.
One time, back at the beginning when he'd only just started coming to the tower to help Mr Stark adjust some bits on his spider suit, he had asked Harley (Mr Stark's adopted son) if he'd come explore with him. The boy had responded by laughing in his face, and as Peter got to know him he came to the conclusion that that had probably been for the best. Harley was as a menace. He would have probably just taken the opportunity to get them both into trouble, which he had a pretty good knack for doing.
Besides, it would be nice to just be a normal boy for once. A normal boy, on a normal field trip. Not a super powered boy going to his internship for his super powered mentor. A job everyone though was a lie and were probably going to mock him for. All day.
Sounds great!
And of course, the bullying was only the half of it.
There's a few moments of silence amongst the trio before MJ finally looks back up. She's eyeing Peter carefully, searching. "You usually just ignore them." There's a pause as she examines him further, "You still fighting with Stark then?" She asked bluntly, Peters head bobbed up sharply, staring back at her.
"Fighting? We're not fighting why- why would you say we're fighting? He's just- I…I never even said anything about that..." He trailed off. It irked Peter how good MJ was at reading people. How she seemed to be able to see into everyone's minds, figure out their thoughts and feelings about things they'd never even mentioned, some things they'd never even consciously thought of themselves. It was a bit creepy actually. Sometimes Peter wondered if MJ didn't have superpowers herself. Unfortunately, instead of using this gift to help her friends she usually just used it to torture them and aid her artistic hobby.
MJ holds Peters stare for a few moments, but the boy loses the staring contest quickly, looking away first. The girl just smirked again, turning her sketchbook around. "How'd I do?" she asked as Peter came face to face with his own misery. He gives her his best scowl of disapproval, although its impaired by the fact that he's actually pretty impressed by her ability to portray his despair so accurately. MJ seemed pretty proud of herself too.
"Wait. You're fighting Iron Man? Like actually?" Ned asked after he had a few moments for the cogs in his brain to process MJs accusation. His eyes were wide.
"No not physically, obviously, Ned. Look, can we not talk about this right now?" Peter huffed, and without waiting for a response he let his head flop into his arms that lay crossed on his desk, signalling his departure from this particular conversation. Despite his eyes being closed he could still practically feel his friends above him giving each other awkward and worried looks.
"Alright settle down everyone, I know you're all excited! But it's time to get back to physics!" Mr Harrington had finished making the rounds handing out permission slips and, after giving the class a couple minutes to overcome their initial excitement, was standing back in front of the whiteboard with a pen ready in hand. Whatever conversation Ned and MJ were attempting to have using only their eyes was going to have to wait.
"So," May let the word drag on as she hung her coat up on the rack and came over to drop herself onto the sofa next to her nephew, "What's up with you today?" Said nephew was currently lying heavily into the back of the sofa, arms crossed and staring dead ahead in a show of exaggerated misery. He was playing it up for the drama, but also maybe to hide the very real anxiety currently bubbling its way up through his stomach. With one hand Peter passed the permission slip to his aunt wordlessly.
May began giggling almost immediately, hand jumping up to cover her amusement.
"Stop laughing."
"I'm not- I'm not," May repeated through poorly stifled chuckles, quickly grabbing a pen from the table in preparation to sign it. Peter raised an eyebrow before letting out a long, defeated sigh.
"It's not funny… Do you think he knows?"
"No, no. It's not funny at all," his aunt attempted a pitying tone and missed entirely, focusing on the pen in her hand as it glides over the paper, "Who? Tony? He's like a month behind on anything happening at his own company. He's not going to know about some high school field trip," May reassured absently, picking up the signed paper and holding it back towards Peter. Peter took it back, although he's not so sure about that. The timing of it all, suspicious. Definitely suspicious.
Holding the slip he momentarily contemplated whether he should just tear it up and throw it out once he retreated back to his room. Unfortunately, May is basically as good at reading his mind as MJ is, "You're going."
Rolling his eyes he looked away from the sheet and back at her, "do not tell him," he said firmly, earning only a humming sound from May. "I'm serious! Don't!"
May hummed another sound, smiling and watching him for a moment. "You're still upset with him then?" she asked softly, noticing as her nephew stiffened slightly beside her. She knew for sure now that some of his dramatics weren't just for show.
It takes a few moments for Peter to find the courage to reply, "I'm banned from the lab," the boy mumbled quietly, his hands twisted around one another, fingers interlocking.
"It's his lab, he can do that," May paused, her voice gentle but stern, "you got stabbed and tried to just sleep it off Peter. There were going to be consequences. I, for one, am glad he's looking out for you and taking this seriously." Peter doesn't reply right away. Because that had only been the half of it. But Peter had opted to skip on telling May about how he'd used Stark's lab (while the man had been away), to mess with the new tracking systems that had been added to his suit after the first time he'd removed them. That had been last week. Just after Mr Stark had finally given him the trust to use his personal lab unsupervised. And there was a little guilt there, sure. But Mr Stark still hadn't given him the trust to Spider-man untracked, and that still bothered him. He wasn't a baby. Peter wasn't sure why he still felt so wrong about the whole thing. He was 16! Old enough to decide where he wanted to go and when. He did not need to be babied every time he got a scratch or a bruise.
So he took the tracker out. Again.
He had been pretty sure it was the correct move at the time. Which is why he didn't understand why his stomach was twisting so much with something like guilt now.
Anyway, when this most recent incident had gone down, Peter knew that if he went to Medbay at the tower Stark would be called and realise his tracking software was no longer totally accurate. And also that Karen was no longer reporting on Peter's current health conditions accurately either. And considering Peter had been pretty sure at the time that the knife in his side was probably not that big of a deal (because of his super healing and all) he figured he probably really could just sleep it off.
And so in an attempt to avoid one lecture, May had found him bleeding out in his room and called Stark to give him an even bigger lecture. Both of which, in hindsight, could have been pretty easily avoided.
"It wasn't even that bad!" Peter exclaimed in frustration, he did not want to have this conversation. Again. They'd had it before. About this incident, and the ones that came before it. May, Mr Stark, they didn't understand. He had super healing, and he was helping people. The people out there, they need his help. He couldn't just give up when it got hard or it hit curfew. He had a responsibility.
"Peter you needed 8 stitches."
Okay, to be honest he didn't really have a good comeback for that one. Peter breathed out sharply. Plus, he could feel May's demeanour become more stern. He really, really didn't want to hear the coming lecture again. He'd heard it so many times from both May and Mr Stark (and on one even scarier occasion, Pepper). So before May could even start up the familiar speech he quickly interjected with, "and if he finds out, he'll probably find some way to do something really embarrassing."
May chuckled, the tension she'd held in her shoulders beginning to drop. "Parents are supposed to embarrass their kids Peter," she smirked fondly, reaching a hand out to ruffle his hair. Letting out a groan he dipped away from the attacking hand with practiced precision, shielding his hair from being messed up. But a smile has finally slipped through a crack in the dramatics he'd played up. It's gone again just as quickly though, as his aunts words properly register in his brain.
Parents.
It had become a bit of a running joke over the past couple years with everyone that knew them. That Peter was like the Stark's other adopted child. Usually he played along, cheeky smile on his face. But the word felt wrong today. It sat heavily in his stomach, a reminder of what he may have lost forever. And as the days passed he was starting to think that maybe it wasn't entirely not his fault.
May looked on at him with a mixture of fondness and something else. "We just worry about you, you know that don't you? Superhero or not, you're still my little baby. If you're bleeding or hurt, even if it's just a scratch but especially if its more, you get help. Understand?" As May started speaking her tone had returned back to its usual gentle warmth, although as she'd gone on it had faded back into a strictness. It reminded Peter of the time Pepper had lectured him, feeling the same chill under her gaze. He made a mental note to try and keep those two apart as much as possible. They made a terrifying duo.
Peter bit his lip but looked up at her to return her gaze, "I know. I'm sorry," he says softly. And he means it. He might not have meant it on a few other occasions that week since the incident, but he meant it now. He was tired. He didn't want to fight anymore. Not with May. And not with Mr Stark either, he realised.
May smiled, running a hand through his hair and this time Peter allows it. She's gentle, soft and reassuring.
"So, spaghetti tonight?" May asked, and as she had predicted much of the remaining tension Peter had been holding fell away at the mention of food. Her nephew let out a long breath filled with relief, appreciating the end to the conversation and that it hadn't ended up sparking an actual lecture.
"I'll help!" he chimed immediately as May got up.
"Absolutely not. I like my kitchen in tact and not burned to a crisp. Finish your homework," she pointed towards his bedroom before walking towards the kitchen area of the open plan flat. Peter did not argue that he had actually never set anything in the kitchen on fire, or really caused much damage at all in there (during cooking, anyway). Unlike May, who had on multiple occasions set various oven gloves and towels alight. Peter was a better cook than May in safety and also in general, but he would never argue with her about it. She knows this, of course, but there's few things May loves more than taking care of her nephew.
The day of the dreaded field trip arrived much faster than Peter thought it would. Peter actually wondered if some villain had put some sort of spell on him to make time speed up, because how was it already Thursday? He knew this couldn't be the case though, he hadn't been out as Spider-man in over a week now. No villains had been anywhere close to him. Of course they'd only been told about the trip a few days prior, so Peter hadn't really had that long to wait in the first place.
He wasn't banned from being Spider-man, he still had his suit- Mr Stark would never make that mistake again. But Peter had tucked it away into his cupboard, not a fan of the new feeling he got when he laid eyes it. He'd get it back out soon. He just needed a little time.
Upon waking up that morning, he'd actually tried to play sick. To be fair it was only really half an act, he actually did feel kind of ill. But Peter was a terrible liar, and even if he wasn't he suspected May would have still seen through it anyway. And because May was evil, she'd told him he had to send a selfie of himself and Ned when he made it on to the bus- to make sure he didn't run away. Peter wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve such an evil aunt.
And so, despite his best efforts to escape, Peter Parker ended up on the bus to SI anyways.
As was usually the case on field trips, Peter had slumped himself down into a seat next to Ned near the front of the bus. Although unlike on any other trip he'd been on the act was done with significantly less excitement. With malice he took out his phone, and raised his arm to take a selfie for May. Peter made sure to put on an extra miserable looking face, just to make sure May understood the suffering she was putting him through. Next to him Ned had one of the biggest grins he'd probably ever had on his face, his hand raised in a peace sign.
Out of the corner of his eye Peter could see MJ, who was sitting alone by the window across the isle. On seeing the picture being taken she instinctively began to slide her sketchbook from her bag.
"Put that away MJ," Peter huffed.
"Oh, but you are my muse Peter," she replied undeterred, as she continued to slide the damn thing out of her bag and onto her lap. Her voice was almost as monotone as usual, although Peter thought he could detect a slight sing song air to it.
"You know, when most artists say that it's supposed to be a compliment. For some reason I never feel that coming from you," Peter huffed in complaint, but MJ's hand was already moving and she didn't dignify him with any sort of response other than that because, just like his aunt, she was evil too. Peter rolled his eyes and slunk further into his seat, but the act felt slightly forced that time, his stomach slightly less twisted.
Flash was "fashionably" late today, as he sauntered onto the bus with a huge toothy grin. The bully locked eyes with his victim as he strolled down the isle of the bus, pushing Peters shoulder as he passed him, "Not looking so high and mighty anymore are you Puny? Finally realized everyone's gonna find out the truth?" Flash cackled madly as he made his way to the back of the bus, where his cronies were waiting and thinking he was just hilarious. Peter let himself be pushed into Ned, although he steeled himself just enough so as to not smush his friend, before slumping back into his previously mopey position once more. Flash was somehow the least of his worries right now, he really could not care less.
Beside him though he could feel that his friends did seem to care. Peter was very thankful when the sharp sound of a teacher clapping their hands for attention cut through whatever it was that Ned was about to shout into the back of the bus. As much as he loved Ned, Peter was sure whatever it was he had to say was not going to change anything in the slightest.
"Alright alright, settle down you lot!" Harrington announced as the sound of teenaged babbling began to dissolve, "I know you're all excited, but we need to do a headcount quickly. Make sure everyone's here. Hands up when your names called," and he proceeded to call the students out one by one. The students obey, eager to set off, and once the teachers were satisfied, they were good to go.
Almost as soon as the wheels were turning he could hear Ned start to chat animatedly once again. Peter was only half listening though, nodding along and mumbling absentminded agreements, but he was focusing on something else.
Peter was making a plan.