I'mm baack! I've redone some of the prior chapters so check those if you like. I've also come up with sequels for Labrat and Pure Power (Now, Baser Instinct).

This is little crossover with the movies. Facing one's fears isn't just for Spiderman!

Tony sees the dark cluster of asteroids and their darker burden. He hears the static in his ears as his suit shuts down in the vacuum of space. He feels the nuke leave his hands. Momentum carries it through the void of zero gravity between him and them. He feels the tug of gravity, extending through the wormhole to affect this distant local, to pull him back, all systems inert, towards his planet's surface. He knows without seeing that the ground is approaching far to rapidly for him to get systems up in time. Fear bubbles up through his shredded control.

"You sure this is a working modal kid?"

"Come on Ironman! I've personally tested it at least a dozen times; and the last eleven there were no problems. I even got Squirrel-girl to help me with the non-propellant aerodynamics."

"If I die because of one of your inventions I'm personally coming back to haunt you."

"Aren't you optimistic. Come on!"

-0-

Peter never thought he'd see the day that Tony Stark, Superhero, Entrepreneur and inventor extraordinaire was afraid of something. But after watching video clips of Stark's heroic sacrifice and near fatal equipment failure and fall in the wake of the Chitauri attack on New York in his Current Event's class he can empathize with Iron Man's fear of equipment failure and he'd thought of a way to make it up to his hero for the Swarm incident.

In the event of power failure, he'd figured, what Iron Man needed was a way to get to the ground safely. Cue an intense bout of research into gliders, parachutes and the dozens of other non-propellant, limited tech, flight achievers. Parachutes had been immediately scrapped. They were too easily damaged or pre-maturely fired in a fight. Hang-gliders and other propellerless planes were scrapped equally as quickly. Where in the world would Iron Man /store/ one when he /didn't/ need it (which was most of the time)?

Then he'd stumbled across a you-tube video of cliff-divers…. Using squirrel suits. Pete knew in an instant that the suits were perfect… and that they needed a new name!

The next step was breaking into the Avenger's tower when Tony wasn't there. He'd hoped to be caught only by Jarvis but Dr. Banner had promised to keep it a secret as well and even helped him select a suit that was a recent enough model to be useful but old enough not to be missed.

Then it was back to the lab- erm, garage.

Finding a way to keep the flaps retracted during normal use but able to extend even when the suit was depowered had cost him his A in English but the sacrifice was totally worth it if it helped his hero.

-0-

Tony looks over the edge of Stark Tower and swallows hard. 'Relax.' He tells himself. 'Spiderman is on standby to catch you if something goes wrong.' But knowing that the up and coming hero is both responsible and probably more safety conscious than he is himself… and believing that those things are true and throwing himself off a forty story building to prove it are two entirely different things.

Behind him he hears Spiderman turn and open his mouth to greet someone. "Hi Bl-" A moment latter two firm hands place themselves against the small of his back and push.

"Aaaahhhhhhh!"

Windows flash past him for several heart stopping moments until his higher thinking turns on again. Pressing the flaps on his arms inward disengages the lock keeping them retracted causing them to spring outwards as soon as he lets go. The check on his airspeed nearly causes him to somersault midair but his release of the leg flaps a few seconds later stabilizes him. The flaps then lock together with a set of Velcro straps and he's smooth sailing. The ground recedes as he passes over a warm air vent protruding from the roof of R&D. As soon as he passes over the man-made thermal he begins to sink again but the fall is gradual and controlled.

Spiderman appears in his peripheral vision hanging from a silk parachute of his own making and delivers a cocky salute.

"Fancy seeing you here!"

Tony smirks back. "Fancy that!" With a twist of his body he angles towards the web-slinger and smacks him on the arm. "That was for pushing me off!"

"But I didn't-!"

Tony glides back for a second pass and holds out his hand, "And this is for helping me out. Thank you."