A/N: Thank you thank you for the continued reviews. I love hearing from each one of you guys and learning what it is that you like. I'm just starting chapter 30, so hopefully I'll get it done in time for a timely update.
BTW: I will not have Pepper get pregnant at any time. They may discuss having a baby, but I don't feel either one is ready for such a commitment. Both their lives are hectic, and they want to be able to devote what time they have to Peter.
Chapter 28: Anger
Peter's POV:
Natasha and I were on a morning jog around central park. She'd been staying over the past couple days, and she point-blank said it was to keep an eye on me and Tony while Pepper was working. Tony had grumbled, but I'd only shrugged, not bothered in the slightest.
Well, I wasn't bothered until she'd been waking me up at 5AM every morning to go on a jog with her. It wasn't that it was really exhausting, but I hated getting up so early. I'd only complained the first day, though, because I quickly realized that I enjoyed the one on one time with her. It didn't seem like it, but she was easy to talk to. She was a great listener, and she seemed to know exactly what to say. A couple times she told me some stories of the early days of the Avengers, when they still didn't know how to act around one another. Other times we just ran silently, but it was a comfortable silence. Each run ended with a stop at a bakery, where she ordered a bagel and I got three huge cinnamon rolls. I always inhaled my cinnamon rolls before she managed to finish her bagel.
Having Nat stay over this past week had been a relief to me. While Pepper came home every night, she was gone all day. Tony was much better than he'd been last week, but he was still healing, and he was still suffering from bad nightmares. I knew, without witnessing it, that he was awake every single night. He always looked tired, and I wasn't sure if he was eating well either. With Natasha here, I put all my faith in her to deal with Tony while I focused on school.
Missing a week, while necessary, had been a bad move. I was behind in all my classes, and wild rumors spread of why I hadn't been there. Well, I guess wild rumors is the wrong way to describe it, because the rumors were spot on. Everybody knew that Hurtado had gotten pissed with me after one class, and they also knew that I'd ended up in the office with my guardian being called in. Nobody knew what was discussed, but they did know that Hurtado had punched my guardian. As neither Hurtado nor I had been here since then, this had cemented the truth of the story, and I was swarmed by classmates, wanting to know every detail.
MJ and Ned had gotten on either side of me, and we'd pushed through the crowds. Principal Edwards dispersed the rest of the crowd, though, when he brought me in to his office. I sighed in frustration, hoping he wouldn't make me late to my first class.
"How is he?" were the first words out of his mouth, and those words along with his honest concern, calmed my ire.
"He's fine. We got him stitched up and x-rayed, and there was no lasting damage," I explained, realizing that the nurse no doubt informed him of the injuries she'd seen.
"How does everybody know what happened?" I had to ask, and the man sighed heavily.
"Well, first off, students heard the shouting going on in his room between you too, and they saw him lead you to me. Thankfully, no one knows what happened in here, except, of course for him punching your guardian; and they only know that because everyone in the office saw me drag the man out and yell at him. No one knows who your guardian is, though, I made sure of it," he spoke honestly, and I let out a breath of relief.
"Don't feel the need to explain anything to anyone, but if you do, let's agree that Hurtado lost his temper because we both felt he was the one at fault and not you," he told me, and I nodded in agreement. We both stood up at this point, and he welcomed me back while also informing me that the teachers had been informed to give me some leeway. All had agreed. I was making my way out the door, when he called out to me. I looked back curiously, and saw that he looked older than he had before.
"I am truly sorry for what happened here," he apologized sincerely. "I know I had my doubts about Stark being your guardian, but he's proven himself time and time again, and I admit that I was completely wrong. He is a great man, and was not deserving of what Hurtado said to him. He wasn't right, by the way, Hurtado," he stated, "about what he said to him. I was in the military too, and I've been on protection detail. If I'd died doing that, I never would've blamed the person, especially if they'd survived. I would've been proud that I'd done my job."
I felt immensely touched and honored that he'd shared this with me, and I felt a newfound respect for him. Giving him a small smile, I said, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused with my own actions, and with…y'know," I spoke with a shrug. The man smiled widely as he waved away the apology.
"Get to class," he now ordered. "You don't want to be late on your first day back."
The bell rang as I left, and I rushed to my first period class. MJ greeted me with a bright smile, and I sat down next to her. When Flash strolled on, he smirked at me before slapping my back jovially. "Welcome back, Peter. And may I say, on behalf this entire class," he spoke grandly, "thank you for getting rid of Hurtado."
There were several claps, and a few whoops as I received several more thanks. I blushed, smiling sheepishly before asking who he'd been replaced with. My question was answered at the sound of the bell when an elderly, hippy looking woman walked in and graced us all with a wide smile. I relaxed, already knowing that this was going to be an interesting year.
Classes that week went smoothly, all my teachers and friends catching me up on what I'd missed. I spent a lot of time doing homework at home, but missing last week had been well worth it. Tony was in much better shape both physically and mentally, even with the nightmares and poor eating.
When I arrived home on Friday, I was greeted to the sight of the two adults playing Mario Kart, insulting and shoving each other as they both attempted to snag 1st place. I happily sat down to watch them, loving the way in which they interacted with each other. They'd never said it outright, but I could tell that they thought of each other as siblings. They definitely acted like it with their childish bickering and constant teasing. Woe to anyone who hurt one of them, though, because they were the first to rush to each other's defense.
"Hey kid," Tony greeted, ducking to dodge a playful swipe from Natasha.
"Peter," Natasha greeted, lifting a leg to avoid a light kick from Tony.
"Children, play nicely," I mock chided, and received twin sets of narrowed eyes. They lasted mere seconds before they went back to their playful banter and fighting. I laughed loudly when I saw how their bickering led to both of coming in last place. There were moments of stunned silence before Natasha threw down her controller and tackled Tony to the ground. The man yelped loudly, and I jumped onto the couch in surprise. Tony quickly fought back, and I could tell neither one was truly trying to hurt each other. In fact, I noticed how Natasha avoided from landing a single hit to his ribs. Tony still had to be in pain, but he didn't show it as he and Nat rolled over the floor. They began to wrestle, and Tony put up a valiant fight, but he ended up with Natasha on top of him and both his hands pinned by hers.
"You know," Tony remarked breathlessly, "If I didn't love you like a sister, this would be quite a provocative state we're in." He sported a rakish grin, and I blushed at his words while Natasha just laughed. She then poked him in the side not so gently as she got up, and he let out a quiet groan of pain.
"Evil spider sister," he grumbled, though he did accept her hand, which she used to pull him up. She patted the top of his head before giving him a light shove. Tony just chuckled good naturedly before sitting himself on the couch next to me.
"How was school?" he asked casually, like the past several minutes hadn't happened. I just shook my head before telling him of the day's events. Nothing exciting had happened, but I realized over time that Tony genuinely enjoyed hearing the mundane details of my life. I lay down on the couch, placing my head on his lap and stretching out over the couch. He maintained eye contact with me the entire time we spoke, and I saw the happiness and affection in his eyes. Although I could still tell he wasn't sleeping well, I was also able to tell that my presence seemed to help him.
Natasha came over at this point, lifting my legs before sitting herself down and placing my legs on top of her lap. She stretched her own legs over the coffee table as she informed me that prior to my arriving home that she had soundly been beating Tony at Mario Kart. Tony immediately disagreed, and I got to listen to more of their playful bickering. They were rather amusing to watch. As they continued arguing with one another I finally grew bored and turned on the TV, turning up the volume when they attempted to speak over the TV. Eventually, they fell silent when I shushed them, and they decided to just watch the TV with me. An hour passed before my teenage stomach alerted me to the fact that I was suddenly starving.
"Tony," I moaned dramatically, "feed me!"
He looked at me in amusement before raising an eyebrow to Nat. She looked me over before remarking, "Eh, he looks fine to me."
"Noooo," I moaned loudly, "I'm going to die!"
Tony laughed loudly in amusement while Natasha smirked. "So, no real loss, then," she stated casually.
I pouted, glaring at both evil adults before declaring, "You'd miss me, mark my words! You love me too much to let me starve!"
"Do we?" Tony questioned doubtfully as he and Nat shared a look.
I decided to pull an underhanded tactic. Looking at Tony with a look of utmost seriousness, I stated, "I'll tell Pepper on you."
His laughter cut off immediately, his eyes narrowing before he huffed, shoving me off him as he stood up. "Alright, Nat, let's get the little spider fed before he collapses from starvation."
Natasha laughed in amusement, smirking at Tony as she stood up as well.
I stood up at this point, yelling out in triumph as I shouted, "I want pizza!"
"So, not only do I have to feed you, but you get to choose what I feed you?" Tony complained with a mock glare.
"Yup," I said impishly, and he wrapped an arm around me as he guided me to the elevator.
"Pizza it is," he stated, and I grinned excitedly, realizing we were going out together. Usually, Tony and Nat avoided going out in the public, especially together and especially with me; so, I was excited. As we arrived down in the garage, we noticed Pepper, and I informed her happily of where we were going and asked if she wanted to go. She politely declined, explaining that she was exhausted. Disappointed, but understanding, I nodded.
We left and quickly arrived at a no-name pizza place. It was crowded and noisy, and we easily blended in, choosing a seat towards the back. The order took a while, but it was well worth it as the food had been amazingly delicious. I inhaled it like a starving boy, enduring Tony and Nat's teasing as I'd lost since grown used to it, in terms of my eating at least. I was sent to go get refills, and rolling my eyes at their laziness, I got up and made my way to the soda machine.
It was once I was there that my spider sense came alive, and I instinctively ducked as a cup was thrown at my head. Whirling around, I prepared for a fight, realizing quickly that I wasn't the intended target. A brawl had suddenly broken out, and fists were being thrown, bottles broken, and death threats yelled out. Without thinking, I immediately threw myself into the fray, intent on breaking things up. I didn't consider the fact that I wasn't in costume or that I wasn't wearing a mask. I just wanted to keep people from getting hurt, or even killed. I shoved people off each other, pulled bottles and other objects out of people's hands.
"Peter, stop!" I heard Tony yell, but I ignored him as the men's anger suddenly turned on me. I easily dodged the punches, rolling my eyes as this only seemed to infuriate them more. My own irritation grew as I realized the fight wasn't breaking up. Natasha and Tony then dove into the fight, both letting loose on the men who'd been brawling. While I'd just been shoving people apart, they resorted to kicking, punching, and tripping, and I couldn't help but huff at how easily they were ending the fight. When Tony ended up right by me, he simply said, "Leave now." I looked at him in angry confusion, to which he responded with a stern look. I shook my head stubbornly, and he growled before landing a painful punch on a man that promptly knocked him out. We heard some screaming, and looked to Natasha who was twisting one man's arm while others just ran. She released the man, and he promptly took off running. There were about five men groaning loudly on the floor, and two were unconscious.
A crowd was growing, and I heard people mentioning Tony and Natasha's names. Fans, I realized unhappily. Listening more intently, I also realized that people were talking about me. Not only that, but they were also pointing me out. Tony ripped off his jacket and threw it over my head, whispering to me that there was a back door and that I should go out that way.
"Go straight home," he ordered, and I nodded my head, realizing this was why he'd wanted me to leave. I obeyed, shoving past people and bursting out the back door. I sprinted out, rushing through back alleys before taking several calming breaths. Lowering the jacket, I made my way out onto the street before flagging a taxi to take me home. Arriving within minutes, I made my way onto our floor, wondering what was going on at the restaurant.
Pepper suddenly appeared in the living room, a phone pressed to her ear. "Yes, he's right here," she spoke with relief. "Turn on the—Oh no," she sighed, grabbing the remove and turning on the TV. She flipped through channels before landing on one that was discussing what had happened at the restaurant. The headline read, Iron Man and Black Widow involved in brawl. The newscaster was interviewing several of the patrons, who were all talking about how Tony and Natasha had gotten into a fight with several people. Some said they were breaking up a fight while others insisted they'd started it. Some said they had been helping while others accused them of making things worse. There wasn't a single mention of me, and I realized that Tony and Nat getting involved had taken all the attention away from me.
Crud. This wasn't good.
I could see police cars in the background, and I hoped they weren't getting arrested. Pepper was on the phone, but I could tell she was no longer talking with Tony. She was talking about damage control and getting PR on this as soon as possible. She hung up the phone quickly, calling someone else, who I realized was Tony. "Give no comment right now, Tony, just get home. I've got PR on this, so tell them we'll give an official statement of what happened later." He said something, and she hung up, letting out a heavy sigh.
Tony and Natasha walked out of the restaurant, and were immediately assaulted by the press, all wanting pictures and a comment. Both walked through the crowd, not making eye contact with anyone. Tony made only one comment, and that was that he'd be releasing an official statement of what occurred tomorrow. The cameras followed them to their car, but they both got in and drove off. Pepper sat herself down, a hand on her forehead before she looked at me and asked what exactly happened. I told her everything, and she frowned before letting out a quiet groan. She shot me a mildly exasperated look that I didn't quite understand, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she just stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare herself some coffee. Clearly, she anticipated this was going to be a long night.
She was pouring herself a cup when Tony and Natasha walked out of the elevator, and Tony instantly zeroed in on me. Uh oh. The look on his face told me that I was in trouble, but I didn't exactly know why. He quickly approached me, and I backed up until I reached the couch.
"What were you thinking?" he asked exasperatedly, and I suddenly realized what he was upset about.
"I was trying to help," I defended, feeling rather offended that he had to ask.
"Why?" he pressed in frustration.
"Because it's what I do," I informed him with some irritation. "I'm Spiderman, remember?"
He narrowed his eyes while sighing harshly. "You weren't Spiderman there, though, you were Peter Parker, a high school kid," he hissed angrily. "You didn't need to get involved in what happened. If anything, you just made things worse."
I glared back, feeling both embarrassed and angry with him. "I didn't make things worse, you did! I was separating them apart," I argued hotly. "You and Natasha were the ones who went all Rocky Balboa on them!"
Natasha gave a snort at my description while Tony's eyes turned hard as he took a step into my personal space. "We only got involved to take the heat off you, Spiderboy," he said in quiet fury. "You want to keep your identity a secret, then do us all a favor and keep your hero duties relegated to when you're in costume. With us involved, everyone's focus including the media's is now on Nat and me rather than the idiot kid who showed a little too much strength and skill. A little appreciation would be nice."
"Thank you," I grunted sarcastically. "I didn't need you to come to my rescue, Tony, I was fine by myself. Once again, you're overreacting, like always when it comes to me! All I did was try and break up a fight, and you're blowing it out of proportion!" I exclaimed, making to walk away, but he grabbed hold of my bicep. I refused to look at him, looking instead at a frowning Natasha and a concerned Pepper.
"Dammit, Pete, you're not listening," he growled, shaking my arm as though to shake sense into me. "There's a time and place for playing the hero, and this was an instance where it wasn't needed. Do you not understand that you could've blown your cover? Did you not see the cameras being pulled out? Hell, I don't doubt some people got you on their phones."
I yanked my arm out of his grasp angrily, although I was starting to feel like a fool.
"We're Avengers and getting involved in bar brawls isn't exactly in our job description nor is it allowed. Nat and I are going to get our assess reamed by the government for this," he explained seriously, pointing a finger at my face. "But, by all means, continue and complain about how unfair and overprotective I am of you." With those words, he stalked off to the kitchen and poured himself a large cup of coffee.
Natasha's expression showed disappointment before she became distracted by the ringing of her phone. Tony's went off as well, and the two exchanged looks before answering. Pepper's phone went off seconds after they answered, and she promptly answered it. I watched all three speaking, or, well, Pepper was speaking while Tony and Natasha seemed to be mostly listening. There were a lot of "Yes, sir," and "I understand, sir" before their calls ended. Pepper walked off as she began yelling angrily into her phone.
Phone call after phone call was made, different members of SHIELD, Avengers, and the government calling. All three adults seemed to become more weary and irritated as the night went off, and feeling guilty, I didn't even argue when Pepper ordered me to bed at midnight.
Stupid idiot, I muttered to myself as I kicked at anything I had lying on the floor. I'd only been trying to help, and I ended up getting Tony and Natasha into huge trouble.
But they didn't need to get involved! I was doing perfectly fine without them! It was a small place, anyways, so who cares if I ended up on some cameras. It's not like my face was well known or anybody would be able to guess who I was, right? Right?
Tears of frustration and guilt hit me, but I angrily swiped them away. No, this wasn't my fault. This wasn't my fault! They shouldn't have gotten involved. They were the ones that had been idiots, not me. Spiderman is about helping the little guy, and that means breaking up fights. I'm not an Avenger as they so often tell me.
Dumb, interfering adults who always think they know better than me.
Two firm knocks sounded on my door before it opened and Tony stepped in. He looked me over with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head. "Nat and I are heading to HQ. You are going to stay here and be good for Pepper," he said, and I was the one who raised an eyebrow now.
"I'm sixteen, Tony, you don't need to let me know every time you leave, and you certainly don't need to tell me to behave," I griped, and he smirked as he sarcastically replied, "Of course, not." He turned around and took a step before calling over his shoulder, "Oh, and you're grounded for the next two days."
"What?!" I yelled angrily, "That's not fair! I didn't do anything!"
Tony turned his head and any joviality he'd displayed was gone. "Two days, Peter," he repeated before walking away. I growled as I slammed my door shut loudly.
"Peter," Friday called out with exasperation, "Mr. Stark would like to amend his earlier sentencing to three days rather than two."
I threw myself onto my bed and yelled as loud as I could into my pillow. This was so freaking unfair!
Stupid Tony and his stupid rules and his stupid overprotectiveness! He was punishing me because he screwed up! Dumb old man.
I stewed angrily on my bed until I heard another two knocks, much quieter than before. Pepper, I mused. She opened the door and made her way to me, sitting herself on the edge of the bed.
"Hello, honey," she greeted kindly as she ran her fingers through my hair.
"Am I really grounded, Pepper?" I asked moodily, and she nodded, causing me to harrumph.
"I know you're angry, Peter, but this attitude isn't going to help make things better," she explained softly. "I know Tony can be overprotective, but he does everything because he loves you."
"He treats me like a helpless kid," I grumbled, "and so do you. You guys just want to keep me locked up and safe. You both tell me you understand my need to be a hero, but then you keep me from being able to be one!" I accused angrily as I sat up.
Pepper frowned, letting out a sigh of disappointment. "Neither one of us considers you helpless, and we're not trying to keep you from being a super hero," she attempted to reason, but I scoffed, crossing my arms and looking away as I muttered a disbelieving, "Yeah, right."
She reached out a hand to place on my shoulder, but I shoved it off, giving her a mild glare. She looked taken aback and hurt briefly, but that expression immediately became stern. She stood up and said, "I think it's best you just stay in here the rest of the night, young man, and when tomorrow comes, this attitude of yours had better be gone." I glared as she left. Of course, she'd be on Tony's side. They were both overprotective jerks. I stared up at the ceiling, stewing in my anger until I finally fell asleep.
The following day went by slowly as I'd been sentenced to my room for all but meals. Pepper seemed to think my attitude still needed to be improved, but whatever. She was just being sensitive. Both breakfast and lunch were quiet and tense with Pepper trying to talk to me, but me completely ignoring her. If she was going to be a jerk like Tony, then I wasn't going to even try and play nice.
"Peter, enough of this," she said firmly once we'd finished lunch. "I would've thought by now that this childish tantrum of yours would've ended."
"It's not a tantrum!" I snapped, and she frowned deeply. "You and Tony are being jerks!"
Her face darkened as she stood up and scolded me. "Watch your language, Peter Parker-Stark. You know better than to speak to me like that."
"Just because I know better, doesn't mean I'll listen," I retorted, standing up as well. Her eyes widened momentarily before narrowing. "Go to your room. Dinner will be brought to you."
"Fine by me," I declared with a fake smile before walking away.
Hours went by as I played video games, watched TV, and texted with Ned. It was during this texting that I received a video call from Tony. I huffed before accepting it.
"What do you want? I'm busy," I greeted, and the face looking back at me looked as unamused as Pepper's had earlier today.
"Well, hello to you too," he returned sourly. "Glad to see you're in as good a mood as Pepper said you were in."
"She called you," I complained with a disgruntled shake of my head. "Whatever. Just say what you want and then leave me alone."
Tony's expression turned cold as he outright glared. "Okay, seeing as you're so busy right now, kiddo, I'll just speak plainly. You do not treat Pepper as you did today ever again. She's your mom and she deserves your respect, so when I talk with her tomorrow, I better not hear the same report I did today. I think you know what to expect if I do."
I gritted my teeth at his scolding, biting back angry retorts. I settled instead with just saying, "Is that all?"
"Yup, pretty much," he replied, and I nodded before hanging up on him.
Behave, Peter. Be nice, Peter. Be respectful, Peter. Whatever.
I dropped my phone to the floor, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I contemplated what to do. Tony had basically told me to play nice or he'd spank me. Mean old man.
I went into my closet and grabbed my suit. "Friday," I addressed, "please don't tell Tony I went out. I just need to vent for a little and then I'll come straight home, I swear."
"I will give you two hours, and if you are not home by then, I will call Tony," she responded reluctantly, and I grinned at her as I gave her my thanks. I wondered if Tony realized how much autonomy Friday had, and I wondered why he hadn't outright ordered Friday to inform him of everything I did. I quietly opened my window and hopped out, swinging away from home. Oh yeah, it felt great swinging around the city. I could already feel the tension in my muscles lessening.
Only a few minutes after I was out, Karen alerted me to a store robbery taking place. I swung down to the little thrift shop and took in the scene. There were half a dozen customers inside, two clerks, and two men with guns, demanding money. One man was threatening the clerk as he held a bag to her, and the other was holding a gun to a man who was standing protectively in front of two children. My blood boiled at the scene, flashes of bleeding Uncle Ben and bleeding Tony going through my head. I burst into the store, shooting a web at each gun and pulling them to me. Dropping them, I webbed up the man at the cashier before hanging him from the ceiling. The other man, though, I didn't bother with webs. I went over to him and began punching him in the face.
"You stupid, cruel, bastard!" I hissed furiously as I hauled him up by his jacket. "You think it's fun to threaten people with a gun? Do you even know what that thing can do? Do you enjoy ripping families apart?" The man didn't respond, though as he was unconscious. I roughly dropped him to the floor, webbed him up, and then stared at the shocked and scared faces around me.
"I'd appreciate if you'd not tell anyone I was here," I told them. "Trying to keep a low profile." There were a couple nods, and then I left. The next hour passed uneventfully. I only needed to stop a couple car accidents and a mugging. I may have roughed the mugger up a little more than usual, but I didn't care. Maybe that thought scared me, but I figured that being easy on them wasn't working. It wasn't like I was killing anybody.
I got home with twenty minutes to spare. Friday greeted me happily, expressing her happiness in not having to tell on me. I thanked her again for her discretion. I felt much more relaxed now than I had earlier, and the anger I felt had seemed to have gone away. My irritation with both Pepper and Tony was diluted, and I realized that I'd been acting like an idiot. Showering and changing clothes, I quietly made my way to the kitchen where Pepper had papers scattered all over the place. She seemed to be completely absorbed in her work.
"Hey, Pepper," I addressed quietly, and she looked up sharply, her face quickly softening as she took in my expression. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting," I told her, tentatively walking closer. "I've been angry, and I took it out on you guys unfairly. I know you're just trying to protect me, but it's just hard to understand that at times."
Pepper stood up and pulled me in for a hug. "Peter, honey, thank you for the apology, I appreciate it. I understand your frustration, but your behavior was unacceptable. I'm also not quite sure you're being sincere with me as many of the things you accused me and Tony of, you've said countless times as of late when you've been angry."
I looked down, letting out a guilty sigh. She was right. I wasn't quite sorry for what I'd said so much as I was sorry for the way in which I'd said it. Yelling and insulting wasn't the way to change anything.
"Sorry," I murmured once more, and she placed a kiss to my forehead. "We should talk about what got you so angry, so why don't you sit down." I bit back a frustrated groan. I didn't want to talk about anything. Why couldn't she just accept my apology?
"Pepper, come on," I whined, "do we have to? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things and been so disrespectful. Can you just scold me and call it a night?" I asked hopefully.
She raised an eyebrow at me, looking both stern and amused.
"Pleeassee?" I prodded, giving her my puppy-dog eyes. She looked indecisive before seeming to come to a decision. "Look Peter, I'll let this go this time, but the next time this temper of yours flares, we will discuss the reasons why whether you want to or not, understand?"
Feeling relieved, I nodded my head emphatically. "Yes, I understand."
"Go on off to bed, then," she ordered softly. "I'll call Tony and let him know that you've finally come to your senses." I smiled brightly before bidding her a goodnight. I'd dodged a bullet, I thought happily.
Several more days went by, and I went out every night for a couple hours. Tony and Natasha hadn't come home, and I was told that the UN finally demanded that Tony give them the full story of his kidnapping. I felt bad for him, but he assured me that he had everything under control. I wasn't sure he was telling me the truth, and so I worried. Would being forced to talk about this with a bunch of strangers make things worse for him. What if they pressed for more details? What if they demanded to know who I was? My stress mounted each day he was gone, and my sleep also suffered for it. My irritability flared up several times, causing me to snap at my friends and Pepper. Thankfully, the times with Pepper weren't as common as I spent a lot of time at school and she spent a lot of time working.
Happy was now staying with us to help with babysitting me, and that only pissed me off more. God, I could take care of myself! I said the same thing to the man, but he just smirked. When I continued to push the issue, his amusement turned to annoyance.
"Hmm, I see this is the temper Pepper has been telling me about," he commented. "You know, squirt, you better be grateful Tony isn't here or you would've been nursing a sore bottom by now. You're lucky Pepper has much more patience for this attitude than your dad, and me, to be honest. I'm gonna tell you right now that I've got access to one of his gloves, and if this attitude continues I won't be as forgiving as Pepper."
My eyes widened at the threat, but I kept my mouth shut tightly as I was pretty sure he wasn't bluffing with me. I mean, I knew that what he said was true. Pepper put up with more of my disrespect than Tony ever would, but she just couldn't bring herself to spank me. I hadn't heard from Tony, so I wondered if Pepper had been informing him of what was going on. I made to walk away from Happy, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
"One more thing, Peter," he stated with an expression of curiosity and concern. "There have been some rumors that Spiderman has been a little more rough than usual."
I frowned, wondering what exactly he heard. "I don't know what you're talking about, Happy. I haven't been doing anything different than usual."
He cocked his head to the side, looking a little tentative before he spoke again. "Well, a couple of the bad guys have been saying that you've been beating them to unconsciousness even after they've surrendered."
"And you believe those crooks?" I asked in angry disbelief.
"Some of the people you saved have said the same," he continued, looking more concerned now than curious.
"Look, I still think they're exaggerating, but I guess I'll tone it down," I decided to say in irritation. "They're just a bunch of whiners, and the people I save have no idea what they're talking about. I've saved them, and they're acting ungrateful," I spoke sourly.
Happy looked decidedly uncomfortable before sighing and gracing me with a small smile. "Alright, kiddo, you're probably right. This doesn't sound like you either."
I relaxed at his comment, and smiled back.
Several more days passed, Tony still not returning. I went out every night, staying out for hours, but making sure to make it back by curfew. Happy's questions made me look more critically at what I was doing. Maybe I was being a little rougher, but anybody that threatened to hurt a person, especially their lives, deserved to get beat up a little. Anyone who used a gun pissed me off the most. They reminded me of everything Tony had gone through, and all I could see was him bleeding to death right in front of me. I hadn't gotten to get my revenge on Ross. All I knew was that he was still causing problems to Tony, even after all he suffered.
It was Friday night again, a week since Tony and Nat had left, and I was exhausted from lack of sleep and the stress I was feeling over what was happening with him. I was getting ready to go on patrol when my phone went off.
"Tony!" I answered excitedly, and he smiled at me.
"Hey, little spider, how's it going?" he asked.
"I'm good, but what about you? How'd the interviews go? They didn't push you too much, did they?" I asked in concern. "Are you coming home soon?"
He smiled kindly before answering, "I'm fine, pal. The interviews sucked, but I've finally gotten through them. The old men have had their fill of me, so I'm actually not too far from home now."
"Yes!" I shouted happily, giving him a huge grin.
He mirrored my grin, seemingly happy at my excitement. The grin was dropped after several moments, though, to be replaced with one of concern. "I know Happy talked to you about this a few days ago, but I've been hearing some not-so-nice rumors concerning Spiderman lately."
I stiffened, immediately feeling on the defensive. "What rumors?" I asked quickly. "I haven't done anything wrong."
He held up his hands as he said, "Hey, hey, I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just want to know what's going on. What I'm hearing is that Spiderman has been taking things a little too far," he prodded, giving me an inquiring look.
I frowned angrily before snapping, "Spiderman—I mean, I'm not taking anything too far! I'm doing what has to be done!"
"And what does that mean?" he pressed in increasing concern.
"It means I'm dealing with the bad guys and I'm saving lives," I informed him in angry exasperation. "What else do you think it means?"
"Peter, calm down, I'm not trying to insinuate anything," he argued calmly. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I've heard you've been rougher on the perps than usual, and I'm concerned."
"So, you believe stupid rumors rather than me?" I snapped heatedly, giving him a glare.
His eyebrows rose in surprise before he pursed his lips for several moments. "Take some breaths and calm down," he ordered gently. "I never said I believed what I heard. I'm just trying to figure some things out."
"Sure seems like you believe it," I grumbled moodily, and he sighed heavily.
"Seems to me like you've still got that temper from last week," he mused more to himself than to me. Looking stern now, he asked, "Tell me, Peter, what kind of report am I going to get from Pepper regarding your behavior this past week?"
I openly glared at the man, no longer feeling so excited at him coming home. "You know what, you can stay gone if all you're going to do is accuse me of screwing up," I spoke furiously before hanging up the phone. He tried calling me back immediately, but I turned my phone off.
Huffing angrily, I pulled on my mask and jumped out of my window, intent on getting to work. Being Spiderman had allowed me to relieve my anger as of late, and I was looking forward to the adrenaline and endorphin rush I always got. I spent my first hour not doing anything really exciting. I helped a lost kid find his mom, and broke up a fight between a bunch of drunken teenagers.
I was swinging around Brooklyn when screams echoed, and I instantly headed towards them, blood boiling when I saw a man holding a gun to a woman.
"Peter, Mr. Stark is calling," Karen informed me, and I swore before ordering her not to allow any calls to come through.
I focused once more on the situation below me. The woman was begging the man not to shoot her. She offered him her purse, but he didn't want that. He wanted something worse. I jumped down, calling out to the sick man.
"Hey, creep, why don't you point that gun at me so we can have some fun," I stated in forced cheer. The man's eyes widened in fear, and he pointed the gun at me, immediately beginning to shoot. I laughed out loud, easily dodging his clumsy shots while at the same time egging him on. When the gun ran out of bullets, I slowly walked towards the man trying to appear as intimidating as possible. The man backed up, and when he bumped into a trash can, I suddenly froze as he pulled another gun out. Crap. He shot it off, but the bullet never came towards me, instead hitting the woman who'd I'd been saving.
Oh no, oh no, oh no, I thought in horror. I rushed to the woman, catching her before she hit the ground. In relief, I saw that the bullet only hit her arm. She'd be okay. Noticing the man starting to run away, I lost my temper. Shooting out a web, I pulled him back towards me, punching him in the chest hard. I heard the cracking of his ribs, and smirked in triumph. He rolled on the floor in pain, so I picked him up and began to punch his face and his torso. Karen began speaking to me, telling me to stop, but I muted her. The woman ran by me, screaming once more in fear, but knowing she'd be fine, I let her go. The man was sobbing, begging for mercy as blood poured out his broken nose. Raising my fist, my attention was suddenly diverted by Iron Man landing at the opening of the alley.
"I'm only going to say this once, Spiderman. Let go of the man, now," he ordered as he walked towards me. I felt shock at both the fact that he was here and that he was telling me to stop.
"Why should I stop?" I asked in a harsh tone. "This guy deserves everything I'm giving him and more!"
I heard Tony give a sigh, and he raised his arm, sonic waves beginning to come out. Both the man in my hand and myself began to scream, my own yells much louder due to my sensitive hearing. The noise lasted only seconds, but it was enough for Tony to grab the man and take off. I stared after him in utter shock.
What the hell?! What the hell was his problem?
I kicked a trash can roughly, causing it to go flying. Vision appeared now, coming out of the wall to my right.
"Peter," he spoke seriously, "I'm here to escort you home."
"Why?" I asked. "I've still got two hours before my curfew."
His expression turned stern as he approached me. "This was not a suggestion, Peter, so if you would please lead the way, I would appreciate it. If you make things difficult for me, then I will forcefully bring you home."
I jumped high, shooting a web to get me on the roof. I ran for it, doing the best I could to get away from the annoying android. I managed only one minute before he got his arms around me, and no matter how hard I tried, I could barely get him to budge. How strong was this guy? I roared out in frustration, but he completely ignored me. When we arrived home, he carried me inside, still not letting me go.
"Let me go!" I demanded loudly, and he still ignored me. I glared at the people around the room, which included Pepper, Natasha, and Happy. Natasha approached and slapped at the spider on my chest, which immediately loosened my suit. She yanked it all the way off, and I couldn't stop the blush as I was now in only my boxers. She walked away, appearing one minute later with sweats and a t-shirt. I finally stopped fighting, realizing that I wasn't going anywhere without my suit. Vision let me go, and I glared fiercely at Nat as I ripped the clothes out of her grasp and pulled them on. Seething, I looked around at everyone once more before asking, "Would anyone like to tell me what the hell is going on?!"
"That's exactly what we would like to know," Pepper spoke as she began to walk towards me. Natasha held a hand out to her to stop her from approaching, and I froze, realizing that Nat was afraid of me hurting Pepper.
"I'm not going to hurt her," I declared, feeling both hurt and angry.
"Considering your behavior as of late, it's best to be cautious," Natasha responded somewhat apologetically. "You should see yourself right now, Peter. You're out of control, and your hands are covered in blood." I looked down at my hands in surprise, my mind suddenly flashing back to when my hands had been covered in Tony's blood. I sucked in a startled breath, much of my anger seemingly leaving me. What had I done to have caused myself to be drenched in blood? Was it really from punching that man? Had I caused him to bleed this much?
My mind was a whirlwind as I heard the Iron Man suit landing on the balcony. Two seconds later, the door was opened and rapid footsteps made their way to me. I whirled around, instantly on the defensive as I glared at Tony damned Stark. His expression was blank as his eyes roved up and down my torso. My body tensed as he suddenly closed the distance between us and pulled me in for a hug. His hold was tight, warm, and comforting, and I found my muscles relaxing. My hammering heart began to slow, tears prickling at my eyes as I dropped my head on his shoulder.
"Deep breaths, little spider, deep breaths," he whispered into my ears, and I followed his directions.
"I didn't do anything," I protested tearfully, and he just shushed me gently.
"No talking right now, just breathing," he told me, and I made a noise of protest, but didn't argue anymore, just enjoying the feel of his arms around me. After a couple minutes, I felt completely relaxed, my anger once more buried. It wasn't gone, but it was in control for the moment. He broke apart from me, keeping his hands on my shoulders as he once more looked me over.
"You've had us all worried as of late, pal," he stated, and my shoulders dropped as I glanced around the room to see everyone's concerned eyes looking at me. I looked down in embarrassment, once more catching sight of my bloodied hands. Tony saw them as well and took them into his own hands. "How about we get you washed up, alright," he suggested, and I nodded. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder firmly and guided me to my room. He led me into the bathroom and sat me on the edge of the tub. He grabbed a hand towel, turned the water on, and wet the towel before cleaning my hands thoroughly. I watched the towel turn red, and I felt sick. I managed to keep from throwing up as he finished quickly, though.
"Alright, I think it'd be a good idea if you take a shower before getting some sleep, kiddo," he spoke gently, and I just nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. He stepped out of the bathroom, and I showered mechanically, not really thinking about what I was doing. I pulled on my PJs, and then walked out, happier than I'd admit seeing not only Tony but Pepper also in my room. I stood just outside the bathroom, shifting uneasily when both their eyes turned to me.
"Hi," I greeted awkwardly, and I relaxed when they both smiled at me, Pepper rushing over and bringing me in for a motherly embrace. I started to apologize to her for my attitude, but she shushed me, guiding me over to my bed. She pulled back my covers and sheets, and motioned for me to get in. She then tucked me in and kissed me on the forehead before saying, "Try and get some sleep, honey."
I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes as I admitted, "I can't sleep."
Both adults looked concerned as Pepper asked me why. I looked down at my comforter before telling them, "Nightmares."
"How about you sleep with us tonight, then?" she suggested kindly, and I blushed deeply. A strong part of me wanted to, but the teenager in me balked at the idea.
"N-no, I'm fine, Pepper," I argued pathetically, and I noticed she and Tony exchange an unreadable look. Tony seemed to smirk softly before he pulled my covers back. I looked at him in confusion that quickly turned to embarrassment when he put his arms underneath and lifted me up.
"Hey!" I squawked indignantly, squirming to be released. Tony stood in place, raising an eyebrow in me that caused me to stop squirming, but also turn even redder. He smiled happily then, and walked out of my room into his. I pouted, shooting him a mild glare while internally I felt relieved. Once in his room, Pepper quickly pulled back the covers to their bed before Tony plopped me onto his side of the bed. Pepper lay down next to me and turned on her TV.
"Try and sleep, Peter, we'll both be right here," she told me, and I couldn't stop the small smile that graced my lips as I closed my eyes. I listened to the quiet TV, and the quiet conversation going on between my parents. Tony disappeared for a little bit, but I heard the water, meaning he was showering. When he was finished, he took Pepper's place while she went to shower. I opened my eyes to look at him, and he graced me with a pointed look.
"Go to sleep, naughty spider," he ordered with a small smile, and I closed my eyes while snuggling closer to him. I heard him chuckle before feeling his hand ruffle my hair. Pepper joined us not too long afterwards, and the TV was turned off as they both settled themselves to go to sleep. Feeling content and safe, I allowed myself to drift to sleep, certain that I'd have a restful night.
A/N: I'm gonna give a shout out to one of my guest reviewers who gave me the idea for part of this chapter. I didn't do quite what they wanted, but close. Also, sorry for not making Pepper sterner with Peter. I haven't been able to find a point to push her over the edge. I keep meaning to write it, but then something else happens that changes things.
PLEASE REVIEW!
