Hey guy! So this is the second last chapter! Just wanted to give you guys a heads up before it ended. So before the new year, this story will be finished. Anyways, enjoy this one!
"Okay so remember, no drinking. But I want you to have fun, but not too much. And be respectful, respect her boundaries. If you need to be picked up early you can call me, and Tony said you could also call him. It's his weekend, so he will pick you up at eleven at the school if all goes smoothly. "
"Yes May, I know." I laugh at her overprotective ways.
"And you have the corsage?" I nod, holding it up. "Okay go, remember, impress her dad so that it won't be as awkward." She smiled and shooed me out of the car. I close the door and straighten out the suit that Tony bought me. He had me go the whole nine yards and we went to a guy to get him to make me a brand-new suit. It was pretty cool.
I walked up to the front door of Liz's house, which looks different than at her party. Maybe it is the lack of teenagers roaming around the place. I knock on the door and wait a few moments before, who I presume to be Liz's father, opens the door.
"You must be Peter? Bring it in" He smiles and holds his hand out. I shake his hand, not believing what is happening. "I'm Liz's father, Adrian. Come on in." He leads me through the house, but I don't take it in. I'm focusing on Adrian. Or should I say the vulture. Why me? "You look nervous Pedro, perhaps a drink? I have some bourbon"
"I'm not legal."
"Good answer" He points a knife at me, then goes back to the cooking. I meet her mom and then Liz descends down the stairs. She looks great. Except it's not her you want to be with, and her dad is a villain. I go through a few scenarios in my head, trying to figure out what I should be doing in this situation. Unfortunately, there is no how to guide on your date's dad, a date to a high school dance that you didn't really want to be your date, is a villain selling alien technology.
Then comes the whole thing about my fear of being Spiderman. That being him will hurt those close to you, but not being him will also hurt those close to you. Hence the lack of Spiderman in the past few months. But here is the vulture, in his house, with his family. I can't not do something. But when I do something, I always mess up.
I take a few pictures with Liz, not really paying attention. All my focus is on Adrian. I'm not really sure what to do. I can't call Tony, it will alert Adrian to my knowledge. After they say by to each other, because Adrian has a business trip to go to after dropping us off, we get in the car. Liz looks at her phone, not interested in me at all, which is fine. Trying to focus on small talk is not something I want to attempt at this moment. I suck at it normally, let alone while I'm having an internal debate about my morals and deciding if I need to face a fear that has been plaguing me with nightmares.
"So, Peter, any plans after school? Everyone at this Midtown seems to know where they are headed in the future." He looks at me from the rear-view mirror.
"Uh, no plans as of now" I mumble. Liz looks up from her phone.
"Dad he is a grade below me I told you that. And besides, he is Tony Stark's kid, I think he doesn't need to worry about his future paths, they will all be open"
"Tony Stark's kid huh? I knew that he had mentioned going to Midtown. Didn't realize that's who your date was sweetie." He sent me a look; a look that made me think he knew me. More than he should.
"Yes dad. I told you about him at the party I had last year."
"Oh right."
"Thought, Peter did leave almost right away."
"What, no I was there."
"No you just disappeared like you always do. Then again in DC, we were all in the monument, but you weren't, the Spiderman showed up." Liz looked at me.
"Well, look like we are here kids. Liz I need to borrow Pete here for a second. You know, give him the dad talk." She huffs but leaves to go inside leaving me alone with the vulture. He starts talking but my thoughts start over working.
What do I do? Adrian is the vulture. Spiderman has been chasing the vulture for months. But then the ferry happened, and I am afraid of putting the suit on. Afraid that someone will get hurt. I don't even have a suit here; it is at the tower. I do have my old spare under my old locker here though. But can I do it? I tried the suit on a few weeks ago, and I had to take it off immediately. I started freaking out about my arms being ripped off and everyone dying on the ferry. But I need to take down the vulture. So, my decision is made.
"Remember kid, I'll kill you dead if you mess around in my business again. So go in there, and show my daughter a good time. But not too good." I look down and see a gun. I casually drop my phone under the passenger seat.
"Of course sir." I mumble and jump out of the car.
The few steps from the drop off to the dance felt long and heavy. Like I was deciding my entire future in a few mere moments. I planted my phone in his car. My plan was to go after him but with Tony. I forgot that I would need my phone to call Tony. So I can't. And I have no clue what his number is, I never saw the point in remembering it. Well I'll fix that later.
I open the door and look around the room full of everyone. I see Ned and MJ, who smile and wave, then MJ flips me the bird. I think MJ looks fantastic in her dress, but I cannot focus on that now. I see Liz with a few of her friends and make my way over there.
"Hey, your finally here!" Liz grabbed my arm, smiling.
"Liz, I'm so sorry, I have to go"
"What? What did my dad say to you?" Shit, think of an excuse Parker.
"It's no that, I just, I'm not feeling well. I feel sick. I'm sorry, my aunt is coming to get me." I mumble and walk out towards the hallway. Towards my spare web fluid and suit. It won't be as nice as the one Tony and I made, but it'll do. Hopefully.
I look over at Flash's crashed car. Oops.
"Peter are you okay?" I look over at the phone on the ground and grab it.
"Yes, I'm good. How far am I from him?" I ask and start walking in the direction I need to go.
"He stopped just around the corner to your left. I pulled up maps and I think it is a warehouse or a parking garage or something. Not really sure, it is just super old."
"Okay, and how are you with connecting to my phone remotely to get Tony's number off of it?" I ask.
"You know, I still can't believe that you have Iron Man's number and you didn't memorize it. I don't think I would ever stop looking at it."
"He isn't just Ironman to me Ned, we have been over this"
"I know I know."
"Sure, but have you connected to my phone?"
"Oh right, uh, I'm still working on it. Am making good progress. How about you?" Ned asked.
"Well, I see his car and I'm going to go inside."
"Um, is that a good idea? Wait for me to get Tony's number!" Ned exclaimed loudly and I hold the phone from my ear a bit as I enter the building.
"It's fine, he can meet me here after. I'll be fine." I mumble, looking for any sign of the vulture.
"You know, I had to save you earlier."
"Yes I know., thanks again Ned, but I'll be fine, I'm not going to run into him or anything" I look up and see Adrian across the building at a lone desk working on what looked to be his wing suit.
"Pedro!" I sigh and put the phone in my pocket. "I thought you were smart. You made the wrong decision and I'm disappointed. You left my daughter at the dance with no date. Not very noble of you Pedro." He turns to me and I start walking closer but keeping my distance.
"I made the choice to stop you. I think I'm where I need to be."
"The thing is Pedro, Stark may be your father, but he doesn't care about you. He left you as a child for a reason. He never wanted you. He doesn't want Peter Parker, he wants Spider-Man. You only get to have him now because you are special. He never had to work to get through anything in his life, but Liz told me about you. You have worked your way through school, to get the scholarship. You are Spider-Man, helping people on the daily, that includes my daughter. Stark he saves people when he is the reason they needed saving. You aren't like him and you helping him now, well it isn't worth your time. This plane, well it will make bank. I need this shipment since you have screwed me out of a few. We had a nice break over the summer, but you have returned. So, I'm going to tell you one more time. Stay out of my business, or I'll kill you." What plane?
"You know I can't do that."
"Well, I'm sorry then Pedro." And with that his wing suit comes alive, charging at me. I flip and jump out of the way and he looks at me as the wings go back to him.
"You didn't even get me." I laugh.
"True, but then again, I wasn't trying to." And I heard it. Then I felt the sharp pain in my neck, my spidey sense. Then the roof came down.
Everything settles and I look around. I see I'm trapped under a few cement beams. I cough out dust and look for any sign of the vulture, but don't find any. Then the pain registers in my abdomen. Being buried under cement and steel frames would do that I suppose. I try to lift but fail quickly. I rip my mask off and let a few stray tears roll down my face.
"Help! Somebody please! I'm down here! Help!" I scream, despite the fact that no one is near. I look down, just praying that Ned got the number and that Tony is on his way. I see my reflection in a small puddle and sigh.
Why did I think I could do this? I'm weak. I always have been. I've never been able to catch the vulture, what made this time different? I don't even have the high-tech suit right now. But I have my brain. My knowledge. I am half Tony. And if he can build an Ironman suit in a cave with next to nothing, then I can get out of here. I am Peter Stark. I am Spider-Man.
Tony POV
"What time is the dance over?" I look over at Nat.
"Not really sure, Peter said he'd call Happy, but he seems to think at around nine, maybe ten. We have a while still."
"Hmm, I was hoping he could join us in our game night. Dance's are later then they used to be." She mumbled. I looked at Pepper and smile. As much as I love having Peter around, it is nice just hanging out with the adults. But hanging out with Peter was sometimes more fun too. I look down at my hand in our poker tournament. Clint flips over a king of spades in the river giving me a flush.
"Boss, incoming call from an unknown number."
"Where is it located from?" My eyebrows furrow. How did someone get my number?
"It's coming from Midtown School of Science and Technology." I stand up, excusing myself and grab my phone from the counter.
"Patch it through to my phone please." I walk out of the room and answer it.
"Hello"
"Uh, Mr. Ironman sir? It's Ned Leeds, I'm-"
"Peter's friend. Yes I remember. What can I do for you?"
"O-okay. Well, Peter left the dance because-"
"Why would Peter leave the dance? Didn't it just start?"
"I'm trying to explain sir. His date's dad is the vulture. And he went after him"
"He what? How is his date's dad a villain. And Peter hasn't worn his suit all night, how is he going after him?"
"He had an old one stowed away in the school."
"So let me get this straight. My kid is wearing a sweat suit to go after a guy that has hurt Peter before, and given him nightmares about?" I pinch the bridge of my nose.
"That sounds… accurate."
"Why didn't he call me?"
"He put his phone in the car so I could track it. Then I used it to call you. But we were on the phone when Peter got to the building. And he was going to wait for you but then the vulture saw him and they were talking about things then it disconnected after I heard a loud crash."
"Okay, thanks Ned, can you text me the location? I'll get him." I get a suit ready to deploy.
"Sure thing." I hang up and I get the location a few moments later.
"Is everything okay?" I look over to see everyone staring at me.
"Nope. Peter's date's dad is the vulture. Now He cannot be reached. I'll be back, stay here." And I fly off. I go as fast as I can to the address Ned sent me. When I get there I look around confused. This is no building, just rubble. I see a car nearby and have FRIDAY run it.
"This is registered to an Adrian Toomes, I believe this is the Vulture." Why was he out here? There is nothing around here. Except…
I look up to see my plane slowly descend nearby Coney Island, I think.
"FRIDAY, any signs of Peter here?"
"Negative boss." I nod and fly off in the direction of my plane that is crashing down. Everything in there is Avengers upgrades. I made them at the tower since I spent most of my time there now as opposed to the Compound. I did this because Peter sometimes just dropped by to see me and I like it. So tonight a shipment was off the compound. Although now it looks like it isn't going to make it that far.
When I get to what's left of my plane, I see everything scattered. I called Happy on my way over so he could pick Peter and I up, in case something happened. I look around, walking through the fire to find Peter. When I finally see him, Peter is carrying who I presume to be the vulture out of a bigger fire. He doesn't have his mask on and he has blood and dirt everywhere. The relief that washes over me when I see that he is mostly okay is amazing. I had been starting to think I wasn't going to find him.
"Peter" He looks over at me and his shoulders slump. He sets the vulture down and I wrap my arms around him. "Are you okay?" I feel him nod slightly.
"Did Ned call you?"
"He did. Pretty happy he did too." We sat like this for a bit, just enjoying the presence of each other. "Okay, I see Happy pulling up. The cops will be here soon. We have to go kid." I get no response. "Kid?" I look down and see his eyes closed. "Peter?" Not even a little stir from him. "Shit kid, hang on, I'll get you help." I pick up his unconscious form and walk quickly to the car. Once inside I tell Happy to step on it and I call Cho to let her know the situation.