Tony had promised that he would always do everything he could to keep Peter safe, but when the police came for him, there was nothing he could do.
They had been working in the lab, Tony and Peter leaning over his web shooters on the bench, with Steve sitting nearby reading a newspaper.
It was a quiet evening and Peter felt safe at the Stark tower like it was a second home. That was until Friday spoke up.
"Sir, the CIA have breached the building. They are here to arrest Peter."
Tony stood up, dropping his tools, before rushing over to a nearby screen and pulling up the security footage. "What?! Why?"
Peter no longer felt safe, pulling his shoulders in as he looked to his heroes with wide eyes. "I didn't do anything."
Steve dropped his paper and quickly moved to the teenager's side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We know you didn't. It's okay, it's probably some mistake. We'll fix it."
Tony looked up from his screen as the sounds of footsteps, and the shuffling of multiple bodies came closer. "Steve, they have a warrant."
The doors to the lab were shoved open, making Peter jump in fright, as Steve instinctively pushed the teenager behind him.
The lead Agent, raised his chin as he pointed to Peter, a swarm of other agents, all with their weapons drawn, surrounded the three heroes.
"Peter Parker, you are under arrest for failing to comply with the Sokovia accords."
Tony stepped forward in front of Steve, arms stretched out to the side as both men shielded the kid from view.
His voice was hard. "What are you talking about?"
Steve recognised the lead Agent as former Lieutenant Ross from his own run-in with him, and the encounter did not inspire trust.
The man looked irritated, as he gestured behind them. "We know he's Spider-Man. We've been tracking his movements for weeks. Now step aside, or we'll be forced to arrest you too."
Steve could practically smell the fear radiating from Peter behind him as he spoke, and his own anger spiked. "On what grounds? Put those guns away!"
The agents watched him carefully but didn't lower their weapons, and Steve felt Peters small hand grip the back of his shirt. He was trembling as Ross spoke again.
"Without signing the accords and submitting to the law, he is nothing but a vigilante. Which is illegal. Hand him over."
Tony shook his head, voice rising in anger. "He's a minor! He can't be expected to just sign his life and his freedom away before he's legally allowed to vote! I'm not letting you take him!"
Ross sighed, and waved his guys forward, sounding almost bored. "He will get a trial, Tony. But he won't win it. He's broken the law. Now, move aside or I will be forced to arrest you."
Tony wasn't about to back down, but Steve looked around and considered their options. They had guns trained on them, and the agents had the law on their side. They couldn't resist without causing more trouble and if they fought, Peter could be pulled into the middle of a firefight.
He didn't want to but he knew it was the safest option. He turned to Peter, an apology in his eyes. "Peter, I know you're scared but you need to go with them."
Peters' eyes were huge, and filling with tears that he tried to keep back. "What? But I didn't know I had to sign the accords! I promise I didn't do anything!"
Steve hated the fear in his eyes, and the tremor in his voice, and quickly pulled him to his chest for a hug. "I know. It's okay, Peter. We'll fix it. I promise, kid. we'll get you out of this."
Peters' arms were wound tight around Steves' waist, and it was clear he didn't want to let go.
Two of the agents stepped closer as Steve released the kid, and they holstered their weapons as they pulled out some reinforced cuffs instead.
The taller one's voice was gruff, as he glared at Peter. "Put your hands behind your head and get on your knees."
Tony's face was growing red with rage. "You can't do this! He's under my care!"
Agent Ross watched the two Avengers with disdain. "I'm going to need you both to step away from him."
Peter looked back to Steve and Tony, as he raised his arms, lacing his fingers behind his head and slowly getting to his knees. He was so scared, and he didn't want to go, but what else could he do?
Steve nodded at him, encouragingly. "It'll be okay. Just do what they say."
The agent holding the cuffs moved forward as the others kept their guns trained on Peter and the other two. He was rougher than he should have been, shoving Peter to the hard floor, eliciting a grunt from the kid.
His chest smacked the floor, as he barely managed to raise his chin enough to stop it from hitting the ground. His hands were pulled roughly behind his back before cold, vibranium cuffs encircled his wrists.
He whimpered, squirming as the agent pulled his arm, hard enough to hurt.
Tony stepped forward, guns coming up as a threat to his movements. "There's no need to be so rough. Be careful with his shoulder, it was dislocated a few days ago, it's still sensitive. I'm serious! If you hurt him, I'll have you all charged with excessive use of force!"
The agent took no notice, growing annoyed when Peter didn't pull his arm back far enough. He yanked on the kid's arm, making Peter squirm in pain, which only made the man angrier.
"Stop struggling!" He shoved on Peters back, high on his shoulders, smacking the kids face against the ground.
Peter let out a cry, panicking. "Ow, I'm not! You're hurting me! Steve! Tony!"
The agent shoved him again, holding his face to the floor, and Peter whimpered as the concrete grazed his cheek.
Steve stepped forward, voice raised. "Hey! That's enough, he's fifteen!"
Ross nodded to his team again, as they began to retreat, and Peter was grabbed and forced to his feet. His eyes were full of tears, and they began to fall as he was dragged away.
There were red marks across his chin and cheek, where they'd hit the floor, and Tony clenched his hands into fists at the sight of them.
Steve tried to sound as though he believed his own words. "We'll come get you. It'll be okay, Peter. I promise."
The teenager tried to face them as he was dragged away, but the agent was pushing him out the door, and he almost tripped over his own feet as he called to them.
"Don't tell Aunt May! She needs to think I'm safe! Don't tell her!"
Steve nodded, knowing how much that woman worried.
It was almost painful, seeing them take Peter away but there wasn't anything they could do to stop them.
Tony barely had a handle on his anger, slamming his fist on his workbench as soon as the doors closed.
Steve didn't turn around as Tony spoke, eyes glued to the doors that Peter had disappeared through.
"We have to get him back. And I mean right now. I don't trust them with him."
Steve shook his head, voice low. "Me neither."
….
Tony had called every lawyer he had and rushed to the CIA's compound, where they held Peter. Steve followed along, trying to keep Tony from having a panic attack.
"I know that guy, Tony. He heads up his own division trying to replicate the super serum that made me. He's tried getting my blood before but I refused. I think that's what they want Peter for. Why else would they go after him?"
Tony ran a hand through his hair and walked faster. "I won't let them have him."
When they got in and found the interrogation room they were keeping Peter in, Ross was already waiting for them.
"You're late, boys. Trials already over. He was found guilty on all charges."
Tony tried to push past him but he didn't move, and the two armed guards at the door kept Tony from moving him himself.
"What?! He didn't even get a lawyer!"
Ross shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't seem at all bothered that he had two furious Avengers in front of him, who were both more than capable of killing him where he stood.
Tony, at least, was itching to punch him.
"Oh, he got a lawyer. He just wasn't very good."
Tony surged forward, scowling as he raised a fist. Steve shoved him back, hand on his heaving chest before he could get himself arrested.
"We need to see Peter."
The smile slowly slid from Ross's face, as he shuffled a little. Steve narrowed his eyes at him. Why would that have suddenly made the Agent nervous?
"I don't know that I can allow that."
He didn't sound very convincing even to himself and Tony lost his patience, pushing past the Agent to get to his kid.
"Get out of my way. I don't care about what you think you know."
The guards looked to Ross for instruction and moved when they received a terse nod.
Tony and Steve stormed in, to see Peters back to them where he sat at a metal table.
His forearms were secured to the cold metal, with huge cuffs around his wrists. His head was down, and he kept it way as Tony raced to his side.
He crouched next to the chair, offering a reassuring smile, which fell as soon as he got a look at Peters' face.
There were grazes over his cheek where someone had hit him too many times, and blood smeared over a split lip, barely covering the way it swelled.
Tony sucked in a breath, hands gentle on the teenager's jaw as he turned his face towards him. Peters' eyes were scrunched shut, trying to be strong, but he broke as soon as Tony breathed his name.
"Peter." His voice was soft, barely a whisper. He had seen him just hours before, what had happened?
"What did they do to you?"
Peter let out a sob, tears falling down his bruised and swelling cheek. He opened his eyes, seeing the same look of shock and anguish on Steve's face that was present on Tony's.
"They said I did it to myself to get sympathy. I didn't do it, I promise."
Tony froze, watching the kid cry. He shook his head, trying to think of something to make it better.
Steve did the opposite. Instead of freezing, he jumped into action, storming back to the door and gripping the front of Ross's shirt with a tight fist and lifting him clear off the floor. He didn't lose his temper very often, but this time he slammed the Agent against the wall and brought his face close to his.
"What the hell did you do?!" You beat up a kid while he was handcuffed to a table?!"
Ross shook, hands coming up to try and push Steve off him. "This wasn't on me. I had nothing to do with it!"
The door guard trained his gun on Steve, insisting he stand back, but Steve simply removed one hand from Ross and used it to crush the barrel of the gun in one fist, before throwing it to the ground. The guard didn't have any chance to react before Steve slammed him to the wall with a hand to the chest, lifting him off the ground as well.
He looked between the two of them, furious. "I want to know who did this. I want to see how they like it when someone bigger than them makes them feel helpless, how it feels for someone to ignore them when they beg you to stop. And I won't stop. Not until they look as scared and hurt as the kid."
His words were an angry growl, and there was no doubt that he meant every word. Steve didn't make such threats often, but he could not abide anyone hurting a child so maliciously.
Tony didn't bother stopping him, wanting to do the exact same thing.
But Peter had seen enough fights for one day. He let out another sob, and it broke the first Avengers heart.
"Steve."
Cap dropped the two men, immediately going to Peters side.
"I'm here, kiddo."
His eyes were big and afraid, as he pulled restlessly at the cuffs keeping him captive.
"Are you gonna take me home?"
Tony wanted so badly to be able to say yes, he would have given anything, but his fate had already been decided.
Agent Ross saved him from having to explain, hands straightening his shirt out as he spoke, voice wavering just a little. "Could I talk to you both for a moment? Outside?"
Peter didn't want them to go but tried to be brave as he sniffed and watched them leave.
The door closed with a soft click, and all sound from outside of the room was blocked off. It was silent, save for his own sniffles, and he watched through the small window as the men spoke.
…
Ross actually managed to look apologetic as he spoke. "It's out of my hands, okay? I don't like it either, but with his abilities, he poses a serious threat to national security and-"
Tony lifted his hands to his hair, trying to keep his cool as he raised his voice. "Threat to national security? Are you serious? He's a kid, he still goes to school! He doesn't even like hurting the criminals he stops. What could he possibly do that warrants his arrest?"
The agent shook his head, frustrated. "He can catch cars with his bare hands, we can't just hope that he doesn't do something dangerous with that. It's not as easy to control powered people, Tony. You should know that since you worked with that girl in Sokovia! She destroyed a building! You think we should go easy on these kids just because they're still learning to control themselves? That's exactly the reason we have to stop them before they do something stupid!"
Steve scowled, sick of the charade. "Stop pretending this is anything but another attempt to get your hands on someone that you can make super soldiers from. He hasn't done anything wrong, you just want him as a lab rat for your experiments."
Ross sighed. "It doesn't matter either way. Peter is now legally property of the state and there's nothing you can do for him."
Tony surged forward, only to be stopped when a guard pressed a gun to his chest, in a threat. He wasn't afraid, voice loud and shaking with anger.
"Property of the state! He's a fifteen-year-old! He has an Aunt! What are you going to tell her!?"
Ross stepped back, officially done stalling. "I'm sorry."
Tony was about to punch him so hard in the mouth, that he tasted his own fucking thoughts when something caught his attention from inside the interrogation room.
….
Peter watched them yell, flinching when Tony and Steve yelled loud enough that he could hear their muffled voices, even through the soundproofed walls.
But he didn't jump until another door opened.
It was on the opposite side of the room to the one Tony and Steve had left through, and Peter's breathing sped up to something closer to hyperventilation as agents poured through.
They swarmed towards him, faces passive, even as he cried out in panic.
"What are you doing? Stop! Don't touch me!"
He jerked backwards, as one of the agents came towards him with what looked like a metal collar. A pair of unwelcome hands gripped his shoulders, stopping him from moving as the collar was secured around his neck.
Tears ran down his aching face, and he tried again to call for help. "Tony! Steve! Help me!"
The hands left Peters shoulders to grip his face instead and he whimpered as those harsh fingers pressed against his bruises.
A face appeared in front of him, and he was forced to watch those uninterested eyes as the man spoke.
"That collar is made special for you spider-kid. Try to take it off and you'll get a shock. So, don't fight us."
His face was released, and his wrists released from the cuffs.
Peter didn't care that they were CIA, he didn't want to go with them and as soon as he was free he jumped to the ceiling, clinging there, out of their reach.
From his new position, he was able to see Tony and Steve at the door, watching him with wide eyes. They were still yelling, and Steve was banging on the door, trying to get to him.
But Peter didn't get to look for long. Pain arced through him, as the collar around his neck lit up with electricity. Peter let out a cry of pain, as his body stiffened and he fell from the ceiling with no way to stop his descent.
He slammed onto the floor, landing heavily on his arm as his body shook and muscles seized.
That face loomed over him, slightly amused as they lifted a small remote to show him. "We also have a remote. I warned you, kid."
Peters' head smacked against the concrete floor as electricity arched through him and it wasn't until his eyes threatened to roll back, that the agent finally turned it off.
Sounds came like voices heard underwater, warbled and muted, and Peter couldn't decipher any of the words. He was exhausted and dazed, as he twitched on the floor, chest heaving.
He felt himself being pulled to his feet but didn't have the strength to fight the hands off.
"Peter!" He was sure he could hear Steve and Tony yelling for him, but his head was too heavy to lift.
He felt himself being pulled from the room before he was being lifted into a glass and metal containment cell and propped up in a seat.
His eyes were heavy, as he felt metal clamps pressed down on his shoulders and huge reinforced cuffs on his wrists and calves. A heavy metal band, pressed down on his chest as he was secured in the seat, and a hand came up to tip Peters head up.
He could see Steve punching his way through the wall, and Tony grabbing at guards, but he knew somewhere in his foggy brain, that they wouldn't get in fast enough.
The door on his containment cell was pushed closed, and he was taken away, out of helps reach.