Chapter Seven

Drawing a deep breath, Tony turned to face the worried looks of Bruce and Steve. Their expressions gave away how they felt. Tony knew they didn't agree with letting the kid free out in the city alone, not after the bruises they'd seen him sporting when he first arrived.

Tony walked over to the counter and took a seat on the stool where Peter had previously been sitting.

"We going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Steve asked, breaking the silence.

Tony looked over at Steve, raising his brow. "Crap, Spangles, calling Hulk an elephant before noon, trying to start some shit?"

Bruce let out a huff. "Tony …"

"Hey, it wasn't me calling your other half an elephant; it was Steve."

"Tony, cut the crap already," Steve said. "What's your game? Aren't you worried about Peter out there by himself? What if he gets himself in trouble? I really think we are in over our heads here taking in a kid."

"He's fine, see?" Tony said, pressing a few buttons on his watch and pulling up a hologram of a moving dot on a map of the city. "Huh."

His vitals all were fine, but something was very off.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, looking at the display.

Tony bit his lip. "I think we need to call the gang."

"Why? What's wrong? He's okay, right?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. He's moving faster than a gazelle, and by altitude estimates, about forty feet in the air, which I'd like an explanation for, wouldn't you?"

His crazy theories, the ones he didn't want to think about, were back. Just what if … No Peter couldn't be. What was Tony even thinking? Peter was a good kid. He'd tell him something like that, right? Didn't matter anyway because it was all insane theories from too little sleep.

Steve crossed his arms. "You think Spider-Man has something to do with how Peter's getting hurt?"

Tony shrugged, grabbing a piece of toast from Bruce's plate. "We'll find out, won't we? We need to protect this kid. He doesn't need some pajama wearing freak putting him in danger." Tony chewed as he spoke, tossing the crust back on Bruce's plate.

Bruce poked at it then picked up his plate, scraping the remains fall into the trash.

"Alright, let's go. No matter what we decide, we need to keep him safe. Maybe I was wrong about you, Tony."

"Thanks, Cap," Tony said.

There was the sound of footsteps and they all looked over to see who was coming. Clint rounded the corner from the staircase first, followed by Natasha.

"What's going on?" Clint asked, looking around the room, his gear on and bow in hand.

"What's the mission?" Natasha asked, brow furrowed in concern.

Tony raised his hands. "Easy, we're not going out to kill, more a bit of recon, maybe a rescue, at most a little take down, you know, stuff."

There was a loud whooshing noise and they all looked to the balcony. Rising from his knee was Thor, looking battle worn, hammer in hand. He greeted them with a nod and walked through the doorway toward them.

"It looks as though I am have arrived in time," Thor said. "It appears we are assembling for battle." He spun his hammer and set it down on the floor, walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge. Tony watched as he peered in, brow tight. "Has someone been drinking my, as you call it, Coke?"

"I believe that's our little buddy Peter," Clint said. "You haven't met him yet."

Thor drew a breath as to speak, but Tony cut him off. "No time for explanation. See this dot. That's Peter. Shit, his vitals are changing. We need to go now."

Thor looked confused.

"Look, it's complicated. Peter is … he's a friend—a kid—who I might take in more permanently. Well, maybe, I'm working on it. Don't tell Pepper just yet. Anyway, we need to go."

"You wish to have him as a son?" Thor asked.

"So, you are gonna adopt him," Clint said with a crooked grin.

Steve stepped around the counter to face Tony. "You're really doing this? Since when?"

"I don't know. It just happened," Tony said, waving him off as the suit formed around him. "It's just paperwork. I mean, it just means he's safe. The kid deserves that." He glanced at Peter's elevated heartrate displayed on the HUD. Something was wrong, and he was starting to panic, but he'd be damned if he let it show. "Whoever goes with Thor, give him the run down. I'll have Friday send the coordinates to you." He looked to Natasha. "We need to get there fast so take the Quinjet."

Natasha raised her brow and whistled low. "Bringing out the big guns. Okay, let's go boys."

"Meet you there." Tony's mask closed, and he shot out the balcony door, taking to the sky, a million scenarios in his mind, none he liked.

It took less than a minute to reach the scene, and it was a scene. There was car laying on fire in the street and rumble and dust falling in the alley nearby. What the fuck was his kid doing in the middle of this shit storm? His heart hammered so hard that Friday asked him if he was okay.

Looking over, he could see the Quinjet landing in the street. Tony took off into the alley, scanning for the Peter, for the signs of life he needed. His mind didn't want to accept that Peter was here in this mess. He couldn't be. He was so distracted by his emotions he almost missed it, a man standing with some alien tech pointed at the pile of rubble.

"Good riddance, kid," the man said.

Tony was frozen, terror coursing through him.

"Tony!" a shout came through the comms. It was Natasha. "He's gonna shoot!"

He snapped back to reality and quickly blasted the thug, sending him hurtling backwards. With him taken care of, Tony and the crew ran to the pile of rubble.

"Friday, give me vitals," Tony said as they all dug lifting the chunks of the wall, but as he did, more of the building fell.

"Heart rate elevated and climbing."

The others were there and digging, but Tony only had one care—finding Peter.

"Bruce, he's under here," Steve shouted, drawing Tony's attention immediately.

There, laying on the amongst the bricks, was the broken form of Spider-Man, but something about the image didn't make sense yet at the same time it did. Tony blinked.

It was almost too much to process. It was like everything Tony knew meant nothing. For the first time in his life, it felt life his brain was moving too slow and he didn't like it. Synapses were firing but nothing was connecting. This couldn't be his kid.

He wanted to be angry, but looking down at the broken form, he could only feel his heart clench.

Spider-Man's shaky hand reached up and pulled the mask from his head, revealing an all too familiar mop of brown curls. Brown eyes met his and he felt his heart clench.

"Oh, Peter," he sighed. "Why did it have to be you?"

Peter's head dropped, and Tony caught the smear of blood along Peter's neck. It was enough to snap him back into action.

"You're hurt," Tony said, feeling dumb for stating the obvious.

"I'm okay," Peter strained. "I need to go." The boy tried to get up, but Bruce and Thor were already there, hands on his shoulders, steadying him.

"I agree, kid, we need to get out of here, but you're not walking anywhere," Tony said firmly, mind still reeling. He couldn't grasp this young boy was the spider he'd come to loathe so much, the spider who swung towards danger.

God, the times Tony had wished he'd miss and splat into a building. Fuck. What kind of person was he?

He needed to get Peter out of there. They needed to have a long chat, and Tony was pretty sure he wasn't the only one with questions.

A cry of pain pulled Tony from his thoughts. He looked to see Bruce straightening Peter's leg. It was like Tony could feel it himself. For the first time in his life, he thought he knew what a parent must feel seeing their child hurting and unable to take the pain away.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," came a weak voice from the fragile boy.

"What?" Tony snapped, maybe a bit too harshly. Peter recoiled from his words like they had physical force. Tony couldn't watch any longer, he needed to get to his kid. He stepped out of his suit and walked to Peter's side. The boy ducked his head.

"Tony," Bruce interrupted. "We really need to get going."

"He's right," Nat said. "There's already a crowd forming."

"Can he be moved?" He asked, looking to Bruce.

The doctor nodded. "Be careful of his leg, but yes."

Tony nodded and crouched down beside Peter. "Listen, Peter," he said softly. "I'm gonna pick you up, okay?"

Peter shook his head and tried to back up.

"Shhh …" Tony soothed. "I got you. I'm not mad, okay, but we can't stay here. There are too many people and you need medical attention." Tony watched the boy's body language, simultaneously taking in the ragged and worn fabric that was the kids only protection from the enemies that hunted him. How could he have not thought to look more into Spider-Man before? How hadn't he noticed he was just a kid?

"Tony, we need to go," Natasha warned.

"Head to the Quinjet," Tony said. "I'll be right there."

Tony clicked his watch and the suit in the alley took off back to the tower. It was just him and Peter.

"I know you don't like being touched, but it's just you and me. I'm gonna pick you up, nice and easy. You trust me, right?"

He watched, not liking the looks of the sticky blood soaking Peter's hair. He didn't want to scare Peter, but they did need to leave. Finally, Peter gave the tiniest nod.

He took the mask and passed it to Peter. "Here, need to put this on or your gonna have your face plastered all over the news at six."

Peter nodded with a grimace and then slipped the dirty mask back on.

Tony let out the breath he was holding. "Good, okay. Let me know if I'm hurting you."

Gently as he could, Tony slipped his arms under the boy. He expected him to be heavier. He was so light though it made Tony stomach clench with worry. He'd been making sure Peter was eating but apparently not enough. His mind was already trying to calculate the calories a growing Spiderling needed. What had happened to this kid? He had so many questions. Was his metabolism enhanced? What about his healing? His mind swirled with questions, but they were all brought to a stop when the weight shifted in his arms. Much to Tony's surprise, Peter curled into him, tucking his head into Tony's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Peter whispered, so low Tony wasn't sure he was meant to hear.

"Don't be. If anyone should be sorry, it's me," Tony said.