Trigger Warning: Self Harm
Much to Tony's delight, the past two weeks sailed by smoothly, the kid had been going to one on one therapy and seemed to be improving. He went to three different types of therapy throughout the day, DBT for the impulses, CBT for stressors and EMDR for PTSD. Tony had tried to pick the kids brain on all the different types he went to and how they were different.
Peter gave him the briefest summary he could imagine, "we do a lot of worksheets for DBT, coping devices, breathing and grounding techniques. In CBT we just talk about what things make me uncomfortable or angry- it's kind of nice just to talk about it to be honest. EMDR-"
Tony noted a visible shiver go through the kid as he looked down.
"EMDR is hell."
The billionaire didn't press the kid any further- although, upon hearing the alarming description Tony did make a call to the psychiatrist right after the kid was out of his sight.
"Mr. Stark, it is quite normal for EMDR therapy to be the least favorited. It is a therapy that generally delves a bit deeper than the others, usually the client is put into an almost controlled flashback if you will, induced by a series of visual movements. It is a therapy that takes a very long time to process safely, and although it is least desired, it is very effective in reducing stress and triggers."
"Right…makes sense. Thanks doc!" Tony hung up quickly, he had bothered the poor woman so much since this all started. However, she never showed any sign of annoyance towards his questions, to which he was grateful. Tony hated having to ask anything, he was usually the one with the answers, the one that could fix things. It wasn't everyday he had to actually trust someone else with knowledge that he didn't already have.
Stark sighed, the few moments the kid got when he wasn't in intensive therapy or tutoring, he spent in his room or the lab alone. (But still watched closely on the cameras) He figured the kid would need some space since everything was so busy, it was too busy.
After a moment of seemingly being lost in thought Tony clapped suddenly, the kid had barley left the pent house since all this began, Stark decided it would be best if he took the kid out. Central Park, maybe some ice cream, stop by a comic book shop for the kid, get some supper- they'd make a day out of it! Some fresh air would suit them both.
So, he set off, determined to break the mundane schedule both he and Peter had fallen into, upon knocking on the kid's door however, his plan slightly halted as curiosity and slight concern sparked in him. "Hey Pete, how bout' we go out today?"
No response.
Concern ate at his gut as he pushed the door open more, "Peter?"
No sight of the kid on the bed as Stark peeked in hesitantly, he then opened the door entirely and rushed in as he realized the kid was nowhere to be seen. His senses calmed as he saw the bathroom door was closed.
He knocked on the bathroom door, making sure to keep his voice calm and collected despite feeling rather panicked, "hey Pete, while you're in there why don't you freshen up, we'll hit the city today, get a break."
"U-um, I'm actually really tired Mr'tark, I think I j'st need to rest."
Nothing much more needed to be said in that moment as Tony heard the boy's slurring words, he had kept him at his base for one sole reason: to keep the kid safe. Right now was one of those times to act and apologize later if it was truly nothing. So, without further ado, "FRIDAY, door, now."
He hadn't known what to expect when he walked through that bathroom door, perhaps the kid trying to change out of his Spiderman suit before Stark could catch him trying to sneak out, maybe even the kid crying and trying to hide his emotions as usual. Really anything but the sight that lie in front of him.
An unflushed toilet filled with crimson stained toilet paper, a razor of unknown origin peeking from a rag sitting on the bathtubs edge along with what looked to be a web fluid canister sitting directly beside the rag, and finally, a dazed teenager on the floor leaning against the farthest wall in the bathroom, trying unsuccessfully to pull his sleeves down over the bloodied mess on his arms. Tears stained his face as his paling skin became quite evident to Tony.
Breathing seemed to be a very hard concept in that instant, "Peter…"
Not much of a response resounded, what was the kid supposed to say? Obviously, he had been caught, as Tony neared the teen though, he suddenly doubted the slightly uncomfortable situation was the issue of silence. "Hey, you with me? Because I kind of need answers before I flip out entirely!"
He tried, he really tried to keep his voice calm but the more of the sight that Tony took in, the more anxiety flooded his system. Things were going great, why this? Why now? How the hell had this happened? What next? Was he even getting better at all? Would he ever…?
Breathe.
"FRIDAY, you know what to do." Tony dropped to his knees beside the dazed teen, tugging Peter's hands away from his sleeves and rolling the sleeves back up so he could get a better look. "Kid? Hey, look at me."
Peter simply stared forward as more and more tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, voice cracking, "I-I can't be like you Mr. Stark. I can't be great, let alone normal- I'm just an awkward kid from Queens that should have died when a radioactive spider bit him, not this…none of this…I-I'm not Avengers material, I'm nothing. Please. I'm a lost cause, those doctors, nurses, therapist, they can't fix me or any of this. " Peter's eyes slowly rolled back as he finished, his entire body slumping over and falling to the side until Tony swiftly caught the boy by his shoulders and held him in place. Blood started to pool around the kid's sides, dripping from his forearms.
"No Peter, that not true-Kid! Stay with me! Son of a bitch- there's so much blood, how the hell is there so much blood? He should be healing…"
"Tony! Holy shit- what happened?" Bruce set his heavy medical bag directly beside Peter, quickly calling for backup as he kneeled on Peter's other side. "How long has he been unresponsive?"
Bruce looked up from his work in trying to get the initial wounds cleaned enough to asses any major arterial damage, his friend was not here, Tony was not in the room as his breathing hitched and he became pale. Bruce raised his voice considerably as he continued his work. "Tony. My team will be here soon, I need any and all information you can give me so we can help Peter. You have to breathe, focus, I'm not going to let his kid die."
Right, he had to push through, for Peter. "He- I just found him, I was just talking to the kid not even a half hour ago. I was going to take him out for the day and I came in and found him like this! He just now passed out."
"Any idea why he isn't healing at all? I've treated him enough to know that even his worse wounds have never bled this much."
Tony shook his head, "I have no fucking clue Bruce I-"Suddenly the shiny reflection of the web canister sitting directly behind Bruce on the tubs edge caught his eye. "Son of a bitch." By the miracle of God, Tony willed himself to his feet and rushed over to the canister.
A stretcher was heard nearing the bathroom, along with nurses running alongside it, "I'm going to run samples of this, I'll drop some by the medical lab in case you all can find what I don't."
Bruce nodded, never taking his eyes off Peter as he continued working feverishly.
Tony took the canister in his hands- along with the rag and blade as well, immediately setting off to work on finding out what in the hell Peter had been working on. Guilt plagued his senses as he stumbled into his lab and set up his workshop.
He had given Peter time alone, he had given this boy lab time- Tony ran a hand through his messy hair, he should have known cameras weren't enough, he had watched Peter every second from the cameras view when the kid went to the lab. This whole time Peter had assured him he was working on a new formula for the web shooters, and Tony had believed him! Why wouldn't he?
'This is all my fault, who gives a suicidal person access to a lab? Anything could have happened! What if he got this blade from the lab?' He brought the small piece of metal up to the massive magnifying glass in front of him, the shape was familiar- but from what? Upon further inspection his stomach dropped, "its…from a pencil sharpener…" He shook his head in disbelief, that was a question for the kid later. He continued on to opening the canister and pouring the mystery liquid into multiple vials. It definitely wasn't web shooter liquid.
After an hour Tony held the complete list of what he was now 99.9% certain a mutagen that Peter specially made just to make the cuts not heal. He rushed to the medical lab, vial in hand, it was also an hour of not knowing what the hell was happening and rushing to find an antidote to counteract the beyond hazardous concoction.
As soon as he entered the lab he could tell that Bruce was at a loss, "Please tell me that you have more of an idea as to what the hell this stuff is we found in his blood stream, because the medical teams haven't scratched the surface."
"Not only do I know, I also have this." Stark held up the vial filled with the liquid that would, hopefully, counteract Peter's homemade poison.
"Thank God." Bruce breathed with relief as he took the vial and filled a syringe, carefully inserting it into the IV. He then pulled up two chairs beside the hospital bed and closed the glass unit doors, Tony sat solemnly beside the scientist as Bruce began.
"We have done everything in our power to stop the bleeding, he knew what he was doing Tony, there is no doubt about it. The Radial artery, which stems off the Brachial artery, was damaged partially but not severed by any means. Still, that is not an easy thing to do, let alone by your own hand. He did his research, and not only that, but he somehow put together a substance that counteracted his healing abilities! He…he might have counteracted more of his powers, hopefully this antidote can fix something. I'll run blood tests immediately to see if there are any changed cells."
"Thank you Bruce…I can't believe he figured out how to counteract his own mutation. Kids smart, any other time I would be impressed, I can't really show too much praise to him over this one though. I just…damnit!" Tony stood quickly and paced, the same rage and desperation seeped into his saddened voice. "Does this mean that these two weeks meant nothing? If…if I can't keep him safe here, I can't rightfully keep him here again after this. I just don't know where to go from here."
Bruce thought on that, he cared for Peter but not in the sense Tony did, the boy and billionare had a special bond. He picked his words wisely, "I'm just as surprised actually, he seemed to be genuinely improving. But you know…just because this bad thing happened doesn't particularly mean he hasn't improved Tony. I say you talk to him one on one about it first. You are the only one he feels completely comfortable around."
Stark scoffed, "he would probably be three times better off without me in his life. I am the one that seeked this kid out and introduced him to all of this in the first place. I should have never-"
"I'm going to stop you right there, because it was quite obvious that even before you found this kid he had made up his mind. I mean, what teenager gets bitten by a radioactive spider and just decides to become a superhero with it? He choose this, no one else, you gave him an outlet- a much safer one at that. He would have found himself in the same situation he is in now regardless of your interference, the only difference is that he has a way better support system now. That's you Tony."
"…I don't know Bruce, he doesn't seem to listen to me. I don't think I'm that big of an influence on him."
Bruce ran a hand over his face, "he's ganna kill me over this one..."
"What?"
"Alright. Remember when you went to that small Stark conference this past weekend? It was like a three hour long meeting, and you came back as soon as you could."
Tony nodded.
"Well. Since Peter couldn't be in his room or the lab while you were gone, he hung out with me. Now I'm not sure why someone that can turn into a man killing monster with no control seems like a person that would be the perfect candidate for a heart to heart- but I knew as soon as he walked through those doors he had something on his mind. He is kind of like you in that way."
"I've been hearing that a lot lately."
"He asked me if you thought he was a burden, and that he felt guilty from holding you back from your Stark meetings. I tried my best to tell him that it was really a blessing because you hate those meetings with a passion, but I don't think he bought anything I said. He feels tremendous guilt, but he really wants to talk to you- I mean really talk, he's holding so much back I can tell."
Tony looked even more stressed at this point, pacing faster, "I'm the last person he should be looking up to! Hell, I am the personification of a mess!"
"Tony, look, I don't know if you have ever noticed that light in his eyes when he talks to you, it's purely reserved for you, so…if anything please don't let your self doubt keep you from seeing what a great kid you have. He loves you and you love him, you are both just way too much alike to see or admit it. Let alone express it, I think that what is holding both his recovery back and your full understanding of this kid."
Tony stared ahead then slowly took a seat beside the scientist again, patting Bruce's forearm. A slight appreciative smile gracing his usual distraught features. "Are you sure you're not a therapist?"
Bruce shrugged, "I winged that to be honest, just stating facts."
Stark rolled his eyes, "Can you not kill the little moment we just had? Because it was pretty touching, I think I even got a little tear in my eye."
He laughed, getting up with a yawn, "Yea well, you should rest before he wakes up-"
The heart monitor immediately picked up at this, Bruce snapped his gaze towards the monitor in surprise. "Looks like your antidote worked pretty quick."
Checking the blood-stained gauze, Bruce threw away the material completely as he cleaned the rest of the mess off of Peters arms. The emergency stiches had dissolved completely, scars were hardly seen as Peters skin was smooth to the touch. "He is all healed up, I think I'll keep him overnight though, just to monitor his blood regulation and cell count."
"Good call, I'll contact everyone later but right now, I think it's time to really talk." Tony's stomach turned just at saying the sentence.
"You got this Tony, I'll be outside if you need anything, I'll go ahead and get these blood samples looked at in the meantime." Bruce gave him one last reassuring wave and was gone.
Peter came in and out of consciousness for the next twenty minutes, giving the already nervous billionaire watching expectantly time to formulate the perfect advice and support he was going to give the kid once he woke up.
As Peter finally came to and looked over, Tony noted the way he deflated, his eyes heavy with guilt and something indescribable to the man. A look that should have been well beyond the teens years. Tony decided to skip the usual banter, all the cushioned talk and mindless lecturing.
"Kid, let me help you."
