Hey all, welcome back! I hope you're ready to find out a bit of what Tony did when it comes to Ross, 'cause we shed a little bit of light on that today! Not only that, but there's a little bit of a surprise too ;)
Less than 100 pages to go!
No TW /
Have fun and stay safe ❤️️ 💛💚💙💜
Teamwork!
Everyone rests while Peter is asleep, knowing they'll need to be there for him when he wakes, except for Tony and Pepper. As soon as May returns and assures him that she'll be following in Peter's footsteps with sleep, he reluctantly leaves and slowly makes his way up to the penthouse. Happy is staying in a guestroom in case May or Peter need anything, Rhodey is in his usual guestroom for whenever he stays over, and Ned and MJ have their respective rooms. May, despite Tony's offers, insisted on sleeping close to Peter for fear of him needing her at a moment's notice. Running through all the arrangements in his head, he realizes the elevator doors have opened up to reveal the penthouse. He knows Pepper is up here somewhere, probably in their room, but the typical person wouldn't think the contrary due to the dead silence. Pepper's anger is brewing, which means she'll have a lot of points to make. That also means that he's most likely in deep shit. He meanders his way to their room, taking his time, and then lightly knocks on the door.
"Yeah," is all he gets as permission to enter. He hesitates, but considers it as the best form of invitation that he'll get, and cautiously opens the door. Pepper is sitting in bed with a pillow behind her back and her phone in her hands. Her thumbs fly across the screen with scary accuracy and unblinking resilience. Tony knows that conviction startlingly well and sits on the corner of the bed. He clears his throat, albeit awkwardly, and charges on despite the obvious red flags.
"Hey." It's simple, but he's testing the waters. He purses his lips slightly and tries not to stare at her for a response. Pepper, without looking away from her phone or stalling her typing, replies with,
"Hi." This is where Tony realizes that he's in deeper shit than he previously anticipated. So much so that he has to actually come to terms with the fact that he might be sleeping on the couch.
"So…" he starts while rubbing his hands together, "whatcha working on so late? You should sleep, we've had a long few hours." His attempt to come off as casual doesn't earn him any acknowledgement besides a monotonous retort.
"I'm giving Ross an ultimatum," she shortly explains. Nothing in her tone suggests she could ever be swayed from her intentions. Tony sighs and rubs a hand down his face. Off to the races. Guess we'd get here eventually.
"You think I haven't tried that already?" he inquires with mild exasperation. "That assclown doesn't have 'negotiation' in his vocabulary. This is the best I could do. I'm not risking a trigger-happy Ross outing Peter's identity." For the first time since he entered the room, she sets her phone down and looks up to pin him with a glower.
"Get rid of it, or I will." Her voice is cold with steely determination. She doesn't care what Ross wants or what was discussed. The life of a seventeen year old kid comes first.
"It's not that easy!" Tony tries to defend, extending his arm as if it'll somehow help him explain his side of the disagreement.
"Not that easy?!" Pepper repeats incredulously. There's no way she's hearing this, not after what just happened. "Tony, you watched Peter die tonight and that wasn't enough?!" she yells in response to his cantankerous attitude.
"If I get rid of it then I'm putting Peter's identity at risk!" Tony counters with all the confidence he can muster.
"Would you rather have his identity at risk or his life?!" Pepper posits instead, and Tony can't stay sitting. He jumps to his feet and begins pacing to release some of the pent up energy.
"Who says they aren't the same thing?! If word gets out, then his life is over! Bad guys don't only come after him, but they come after his family too! Then what?!" Stress and desperation saturate each syllable. He truly believes he makes a valid point, but Pepper confidently holds his gaze and doesn't back down.
"Then we cross that bridge when we get to it! Like we always do!" Her voice rises to meet his. She rights her posture, sitting up straight, and maintains eye contact. "You were confident enough to tell the world you were Iron Man after a few days. Your decision didn't have anything to do with life or death, this does."
"That was different!" Tony continues to argue, only roiling Pepper further. "I was thirty-eight, not a seventeen year old kid." He clenches his jaw tightly, causing his teeth to grind. At this point, he isn't sure if he's fighting on Peter's behalf or justifying his own choices up to this point. They've come this far, so he can't give it up now. You're doing the right thing, he assures himself.
"The difference is that he has an almost limitless support system and your resources. How many times have we been in tough situations and still managed to get out?" Pepper's voice softens towards her end as she tries to get her point across. She sighs and pulls her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "You won't be able to protect him from everything, just like we couldn't with you, but he has a better chance with our support than he does alone. You know that." Tony contemplates her words as he keeps his eyes fixated on the carpeted floor. With a slow exhale, he closes his eyes before meeting hers. The repressed ache in his chest comes back with full force as the anger begins to fade. All that's left in its wake is hopelessness, knowing that Peter is floors beneath him in a recovery room. Hurt. Again.
"I know…" he pauses and shakes his head, "but I was so damn scared. I hate that feeling when one of you gets hurt. God, sometimes I think I'm getting too old for all this stress." He sits back down, this time on Pepper's side of the bed, and holds his head in both of his hands. Pepper rubs his back encouragingly and rests her forehead on his.
"Come to bed early," Pepper softly suggests. "Peter's in good hands. You can see him in the morning." Tony's first instinct is to decline, but he realizes that he'll need to be rested if he's going to be there for Peter. Finally giving in, he nods and walks to the other side to get in bed.
Well into the next day, Peter wakes up to the distant sound of the TV and is much more aware of his stiff, sore muscles. The medication is taking care of the pain throughout his chest, but it doesn't help the mobility of his limbs any. Whenever he tries to reposition his legs, the contracted muscles are immediately taken over by pain that only lactic acid can cause. I haven't felt sore like this since freshman gym class. I thought the spider bite would heal this stuff by now. It feels like his muscle fibers are shredded to hell and it forces him to suck in a breath as he moves. May is by his side in an instant, checking him over.
"What's wrong?" she asks as she pushes a button to elevate the head of the bed. Peter holds back a groan as his middle folds, but breathes through the pain.
"Sore," he's able to get out. May allows him a few moments of silence to catch his breath, then he's able to talk again. "Feels like I ran a marathon with the Hulkbuster on my back." He chuckles breathlessly, hoping to lighten up the ambience of the room.
"I'm not sure I want to know what that is," May admits, matching his smile. "Happy's getting us lunch." Peter can tell that she's simply trying to keep a semblance of a normal conversation, so he nods. However, his curiosity gets the better of him.
"How do I look?" he croaks. "'Cause if I look half as bad as I feel, I bet I look awful." His confession is meant to be laced with humor, but it's the whole truth. He feels like absolute garbage, which takes a lot. May doesn't look away, but her genuine smile falters slightly and takes on a sad undertone.
"You've had better days." She's always candid with him, which he appreciates, so he takes her word for it. "You finally have some color in your cheeks, though. But don't expect to be doing cartwheels anytime soon," she lightheartedly teases. Peter jokingly waves her off as if dismissing her.
"Just you wait, I'll be doing flips off the Empire State Building by tomorrow." But they both know that isn't true, especially since his muscles protest every minor movement. He distantly hopes that Gargan lowers his guard enough, now that he thinks Spider-Man is dead, to wait before going after Jameson. It's a long shot, but if Gargan is overconfident then he might wait since in his mind there isn't anyone to hold him back anymore. Technically, he's right. At the moment, Peter is completely out of commission. He can't even roll over without causing a tremendous amount of pain.
"You're doing that thing," May whispers, breaking his train of thought. "Where you get quiet and don't blink for a solid five minutes," she elaborates with a knowing smile. Peter rarely realizes when he starts to fall into that sandtrap of thought, but May has always been able to discern it. He knows he can't play it off like he usually does, but he tries anyways.
"Do you ever think about how all butterflies are the strongest caterpillars? Like, every butterfly you see are caterpillars that survived. It's a perfect example of survival of the fittest and natural selection." As he rambles, he keeps his eyes locked onto his restless hands. They're the only things he can move without feeling any form of pain, which doesn't bode well for a hyperactive, superpowered kid.
"Those diversions might work on Tony," he looks up at May as she speaks, "but I raised you. I see right through it. What's on your mind?" Her prodding isn't intrusive or demanding, it's more motherly and protective if nothing else. Peter shrugs his shoulders, some of the tension leaving his muscles since he doesn't have to keep up appearances.
"What else could be on my mind?" he mumbles truthfully. "I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I talked to Mr-, Tony, about it, and he said we'd all figure out together, but it just sucks. What kind of hero keeps losing?" Some of the insecurities that he keeps locked up start to leak out. They always do around May. What if I can't beat him? What if he's just stronger than me and it's impossible? What if it's not worth it? Superheroes lose all the time, and some even die fighting. I almost did. Maybe I just have to face the fact that I'm going to lose no matter how hard I fight.
"A human one," May cuts into his downward spiral, answering his rhetorical question. She takes his hand and gently rubs her thumb over it, like she always does when he's stressed. "You can't put so much pressure on yourself, sweetheart. Yes, you do all these crazy, incredible things, but you're still a teenager. You have your whole life left and this superhero thing doesn't fall solely on you." The more she consoles him, the more he recognizes where this is headed. He nods to himself, more so coming to terms with the direction of the conversation than anything else.
"You don't want me to go after him again." It isn't a question.
"He almost killed you, Peter," May reminds, to try to get her point across. They're the pleading words of a parent who doesn't want to see her kid get this badly hurt again. Peter understands wholeheartedly, he truly does, but he can't just give up like that. He tries to convey that sense of purpose to her.
"I can't just give up on everyone. There are people like Mr. Jameson who need my help when big-time heroes like the Avengers don't have the time. If I don't help them, who will?" He sits up more, despite the full body aches, and lowers his rasped voice. "I can save people who died like Uncle Ben. No one has to lose someone like we did. I can't not help when I know I could stop something like that." May closes her eyes at the mention of Ben.
"And what about me? What if I lose you?" she implores, forlorn features adorning her face. Her beseeching causes Peter to avert his gaze, unable to hold her intense eye contact.
"I know it's scary. I was scared. Believe it or not, it's not fun to realize you might not make it out." His consternation is evident in his mannerisms as he picks at the bandages on his chest and bites the inside of his cheek. Telltale signs of his anxiety. May's hold on his hand tightens to provide comfort, and he squeezes back. "But I can't just sit back knowing I could do something. I can't be helpless again, May." The brown eyes that May knows all too well stare up at her, practically begging her to see things from his point of voice. Peter is well aware that she understands what he means, but can't fault her for doing her job as a parent and protecting him. Regardless, he won't be stopped. No one ever stopped him before. May isn't a stranger to that familiar determination and would be able to see it from miles away. She pats his hand before letting it go and sitting back.
"Ned and MJ will be back later. I had them go up to eat something. They couldn't sleep and came back after a few hours. You'll be better at convincing them to relax than me," she changes the subject. It's a blatant nuance and something tells Peter that she'll be bringing it up again later. For now, however, he lets it go and shrugs a shoulder.
"You know how stubborn MJ is. And Ned'll worry too much to sleep. I'm just surprised you got them both to leave." As he talks, he assesses his pain tolerance. Moving his legs isn't an option yet, considering the way he reacted earlier, so he gives his arms a go. They shake as soon as he lifts them, his muscles twitching with fatigue.
"Just as stubborn as you," May banters lightly, yet carefully eyes his shaking arms as he tests his body's boundaries.
"I dunno," he returns her witty tone, "she might have me beat." Delicately, he lowers his arms again and holds back a sigh. His head is clearer, but nothing else seems to have improved. If I can't even get out of bed, how am I gonna fight Gargan? How long do I have to wait? Man, this is the worst. "But I've never been great at staying in one place, that's for sure." The gentle laugh that follows holds no humor, only a hint of despondency.
"No, but I've heard you're a fast healer," May assures with a knowing smile and rubs his shoulder. Not long after, Happy rejoins them with three paper bags in his arms.
"I put together what I could from the kitchen," he prefaces, setting them down on the bed. Peter eagerly leans forward to see them, just now becoming aware that being fed nutrients through an IV isn't quite the same as real food. He ignores the way his skin pulls around the stitches in favor of getting a look at the sandwiches that Happy pulls out. "I got you honey roasted ham, cheddar cheese, pickles, mustard, and grilled it flat." Happy almost tosses it to the teen, used to the superhuman reflex, but then remembers and simply hands it to him. Peter stares at it with wide, practically sparkling eyes.
"Woah, you remembered my order from Mr. Delmar's?! You're the best! Thanks so much, Happy,." Halfway through his appreciative thanks, he's already unwrapping the cuban sandwich and takes a bite as soon as he's done talking.
"No problem," Happy returns, glad to see Peter more animated already.
Later on, MJ and Ned come back to keep Peter company and both Tony and Pepper stop by in the evening bearing dinner. This cycle of food, visits, and sleep repeats for the next twenty-four hours as Peter slowly recovers. Well, slowly by his standards. By five o'clock the following day, he's able to sit up and walk all on his own. Still, he tires easily and has to rely on the pain meds to dull the ever-present ache across his chest. May is there with him day and night, but Tony isn't far behind. Anytime he isn't sleeping or taking care of business matters with Pepper, he's in Peter's room filling the time with stories and project concepts; some of which is brainstorming for the kid's new suit.
Something everyone is particularly grateful for is that Gargan hasn't made any moves since…that night. They're all on edge, but it's hitting Peter especially hard. His sleep is always fitful, often requiring soothing words from May or Tony to alleviate what they assume are nightmares. Despite the newly darkened bags under his eyes, he assures them that he's ready to start conceptualizing a plan to defeat Gargan. No one's convinced he's ready for much of anything, but May allows it as long as he doesn't get himself worked up. As soon as they're able to, a majority of them meet up in Peter's room and get comfortable for what's most likely going to be a long process.
"Okay, let's recap what we know," Tony prompts from his place on the end of the bed. Peter sits with his legs criss-crossed underneath the covers, finally disconnected from a majority of the medical machines. He's no longer encumbered by the IVs or nasal cannula, but electrodes are still attached to his chest to monitor his heart.
"Well," he decides to be the one to start off, "we know he was a test subject to genetic mutations, willing or unwilling. And that's made him go crazy thinking he's turning into a monster and that the suit isn't just a suit." His vague overview is a good place to begin so that they can fill in the details as they go. MJ lightly scoffs to herself before speaking up.
"It's pretty obvious that he's in a psychotic break. He can't tell the difference between his reality and actual reality. I don't know if he was unhinged before all this, but he is now," she points out. Ned nods in agreement, the inhuman screeches from the boardwalk enveloping his memories. The two sit next to each other on the same couch Peter saw them on when he woke up. He notices that they still tense, but they appear more exhausted than anything. Despite himself, he buries the ever-rising guilt for a later date.
"An episode of psychosis can be caused by a traumatic event or another form of trigger," May relays, calling on her medical knowledge. "But it tends to be more gradual. It can be things like talking to yourself, slowly losing your grip on reality, unable to do menial tasks. If he was experimented on one way or the other, it could've happened over a period of time before something finally sent him over the edge." She's worked in the Psych Ward, so she's very much aware of how mental illness affects individuals. They aren't all violent towards others and mental illness doesn't make anyone inherently evil. That being said, whatever Gargan went through made him violently lash out at those around him. Peter can see that being the case. After all, anyone being subjected to that kind of testing would reach their limits.
"So, he might not have been a bad guy? At first?" Ned asks and looks up to May for answers. He always does his best to see the good in people, something that Tony sees in Peter as well. Two of the most kind-hearted, naive teenagers he's ever met, both grounded by the realist MJ.
"It's possible," May affirms with a smile. However, Tony doesn't seem to go through the same thought process.
"I don't care if he was Good Samaritan of the Month before this," Tony chimes in, his arms crossed, "he's a psycho now and we need to take him down." His tone doesn't hold any room for empathy or understanding. Peter cautiously keeps his eyes trained on him, afraid that Tony could lash out at the drop of a hat. He's seen Tony livid before, on multiple occasions, yet he hasn't ever seen his mentor's anger brew for this long. He isn't looking forward to the explosion. Unless you count him being angry at Cap? He held that grudge for a long time and I didn't even see most of it…
"Yeah, but if we wanna beat him we're gonna have to understand him first," Peter voices his thoughts. If anything, his goal is to get them to understand what he already knows so that they can make the best educated choices on how to proceed. So far, Tony knows the most and yet he's ready to fly headfirst into battle. "He isn't mentally or emotionally stable, we know that much. We also know that I'm not gonna be able to beat him physically. I know," he prefaced before anyone else can try to argue, "I know that sounds pessimistic, but it's true. He's stronger, faster, and has a precognitive sense. There's just no way."
"Peter, you can't-"
"But," he interrupts May, "that just means we have to beat him mentally." As he excitedly scooches forward, MJ perks up at the notion.
"You don't have to beat him physically if you can outsmart him," MJ recognizes, earning her an enthusiastic nod from Peter.
"Exactly! Remember, Tony, I said we had two choices firming that fight: piss him off or talk him down." Peter's recollection brings back thoughts he doesn't want to have, but Tony acknowledges his point nonetheless.
"Yeah, both of which gave me an aneurysm but go on," he prompts as he vaguely gestured to the air.
"Obviously I made the wrong call," Peter admits as if the condition he's in isn't evidence enough. "But that doesn't mean the other option isn't the best way to go." He was already expecting a certain type of reaction, but he still hoped to get a better one. The looks he receive range from confused to astonished to downright dismissive. Ned is the first to voice his concerns.
"You want to…purposely make him angry? After he did this to you? Dude, I don't even want to know what he can do when you make him angry on purpose," he says with utmost concern. Actually, that's pretty much the reaction Peter was expecting. If he were being honest, it sounds fairly insane even to himself.
"I know it sounds crazy-"
"You got that right," Tony agrees in a grumble.
"-but it makes sense," Peter finishes anyway. "He can't focus when he's angry, right? And if he can't focus, it won't matter how strong his tail is if he's too distracted to use it. Y'see, cybernetics is the communication between living things and technology, which is basically what Gargan is doing with his brain. He can use his brain's electrical impulses to make his tail do what he wants, so we can make him angry enough that he, that he can't focus on controlling the tail!" At this suggestion, everyone looks more tense than before. May's hesitation and concern is vocalized first.
"Theoretically, maybe, but it might only aggravate his condition," she reasons. "In a perfect world, it could distract him enough to disrupt the connections, but you can't take that kind of risk." Peter understands where her desperation and concern are coming from, but this is something he has to see through to the end. If anything, he isn't going to end this endeavor off on a bad note.
"Yeah, but we don't exactly have a bunch of people at our disposal either. And Tony said I know him best." He isn't playing fair, he knows that, but he'd never forgive himself if he took a step back and someone got hurt. May sighs, but doesn't continue to argue despite her discontent.
"We haven't considered something," Tony chimes in without his previously brooding aura. They all pull their attention to him, Peter particularly interested in what his mentor realized that he himself hadn't noticed. "What do you need to have for electrical activity of the brain to be recorded or conducted?" he casually prompts. Peter's jaw suddenly goes slack as the information smacks into him with full force.
"Electroencephalograph leads," he utters, then glances up to May to see the same understanding. Ned and MJ, on the other hand, look just as lost as they were before their epiphany.
"Which are…?" MJ urges with both her eyebrows raised.
"Electroencephalography doesn't sound like a good thing," Ned decidedly notes aloud. Medical terminology is outside their scope of knowledge and Peter only knows about it because of May, who then goes on to explain it.
"EEGs monitor electrical activity of the brain. People usually get them to diagnose seizures or sleep disorders. They attach dozens and dozens of electrodes to your head to measure it, the leads," she expertly affirms without so much as blinking. Her information confirms both Tony and Peter's theory and the teen acutely picks up on it.
"That means there has to be something in his mask analyzing his brainwaves to control the tail." Peter's proposition makes sense and he can't believe he didn't put it together sooner. Unless there's technology they aren't aware of, which is unlikely knowing someone like Tony, then it's a logical conclusion.
"Bingo," Tony concurs, patting Peter's shoulder twice with pride. Peter beams at the minor praise, glad to finally be making some semblance of progress. Just as swiftly as he had caught on, MJ doesn't need further explanation.
"Take away his mask, and he won't be able to use the tail," she confidently ascertains.
"And then he'll be carrying, what, a fifty? Fifty pound tail?" May inquires, which sets sixty mind into overdrive.
"A cubic inch of steel weighs .238 pounds. Considering the steel articulated framework of the tail and that it's about…"
"Six feet," Ned provides, having seen the schematics and measurements they obtained during the fights.
"Six feet long," Peter gratefully accepts, "then we just multiply that by twelve to get inches, which is seventy-two inches. Multiply that by the roughly five inch diameter of the tail to get three hundred and sixty and finally multiply it by the original .238. So, we get something around 101.88 pounds. Give or take ten pounds to account for the margin of error." When he finishes his pedant explanation, everyone's staring at him. They're not necessarily surprised, more so unprepared for the extensive mental math. Sometimes they forget just how intelligent he is. He smiles sheepishly at the unexpected attention and realizes that maybe the sudden tangent wasn't the best course of action.
"Okay, a hundred pounds," May amends nonetheless, though she doesn't seem too bothered by it. "Either way, it sounds like immobilizing it will hinder him and help you." Peter instantly nods in agreement, glad to have a goal in mind for the next battle. Even the thought of moving, let alone fighting, already has his muscles aching in disagreement.
"That's for damn sure," Tony agrees, a hint of his overprotectiveness bleeding through. "I'll take anything we can get at this point. I don't see it slowing him down, but it takes away his firepower. Could throw him off his game." They're good points to make. Peter unfortunately knows firsthand just how strong and fast Gargan is, so he doubts the added weight would do much if anything. However, losing his main weapons would affect him both physically and mentally. It could also add fuel to the fire. It might just be the edge he needs to get an upper hand next time.
"What about his claws and, like, everything else?" Ned asks worriedly. "He doesn't need the tail to use his claws and those things are super sharp and he's still faster and stronger and I know I'm not being very positive but holy crap, Peter." His eyebrows pull together in concern and his eyes portray a worry that Peter hasn't seen on his best friend's face before. Once again, the remorse slowly rises and Peter has to avert his gaze. It's not like I meant to…
"I know, but this is our best shot," he attempts to persuade. It isn't only Ned he has to convince, it's the entire room of overprotective worrywarts. Well, they're rightfully so. May doesn't take her eyes off him, much like Tony has yet to do. MJ surveys everyone instead of keeping her sight in any one place. Usually she's the one to voice her realist thoughts, which is what Peter initially braced for, but she hasn't thus far. "But that's where the new suit will come in. Hopefully." Peter prays that the brief nuance will help lighten up the room and instill some optimism. Ned is the first to react with practically sparkling eyes and hardly contained energy.
"New suit?!" he exclaims, much to Peter's joy. "Dude, that's gonna be wicked! Are you going to work on it here?! Do we get to work on it with you?! This is the best thing that's ever happened to me! Thank you so much for being a superhero! I can't breathe!" He places a hand over his heart, a wide grin on his face, as Peter chuckles at the dramatics. Just like Peter hoped, there's more smiles throughout the room and, for once, it feels a bit normal.
"As long as you pick a better color scheme, then I approve," MJ adds her two cents in without so much as blinking. Used to her brutal honesty, Peter merely feigns hurt and flashed her a pained look.
"You don't like my red and blue look? I can't believe you've hurt me like this, MJ." He wipes away a nonexistent tear, even giving Tony's theatrics a run for his money. MJ somewhat shrugs her shoulders, pursing her lips.
"You look like Captain America Jr.," she breaks to him, a slight smirk appearing. Even Peter snorts in amusement at that because he knows that'll get right under Tony's skin. Just as he predicted, Tony scoffs and turns to MJ with a look of disbelief before turning his attention back to the kid.
"Yeah, no. That's not allowed. In fact, I'm deeming it illegal. New color scheme. I don't care if your new damn suit is rainbow, no more fanboy suit," Tony says in a tone that leaves no wiggle room. By this time, Peter is clutching his stomach to keep from laughing too hard and the others aren't far behind.
"Who says that was my reasoning? Maybe I just like red and blue," he suggests, but the mischievious tone says otherwise.
"Mhm," Tony hums, unconvinced, yet can't help playfully rolling his eyes.
"Pride Spidey," Ned whispers to himself in amazement, still stuck on Tony's sarcastic notion.
"How about something a tad less conspicuous?" May offers as their voice and reason. "Believe me, I love the suit, but bright red might not have been the best call. Don't you have, I don't know, Stark patented camouflage tech?" Peter mulls over her suggestions and looks up at Tony for confirmation. He knows quite a bit about Stark Industries, but camo tech? It isn't something he's heard of on any of the suits. The only time he's experienced it was…
"Could we repurpose the cloaking panels from the cargo plane? Or use the same tech?" He directs the queries at Tony, who in turn appears to be mapping out the possibilities in his head.
"Sure, sounds fun to me," Tony settles on with an encouraging smile. It's not like they're doing anything else with it. "We'll mess around with it in the lab when you're feeling up to it." With his promise comes a hand messing up Peter's already eternally messy hair. Peter doesn't bat the hand away, more or less used to it by now, and instead radiates a happiness that he hasn't in days.
"I hate to burst the nice bubble we've made," MJ regrettably interrupts, despite herself, "but there's another factor we need to consider." Everyone quiets down and turns toward her, Peter having an inkling as to what she's going to bring up. "Gargan has an off-brand Spidey Sense, remember?" Her reminder pulls the group back into the conundrum at hand. Peter knew there were a lot of factors contributing to the quandary, but having them all lined up is daunting.
"Wait, how does he have that?" May questions looking from face to face in search of answers. "How far out of the loop am I?"
"Not far," Peter doesn't hesitate to assure. "It's something we found out when we found out about Dr. Stillwell…" He groans and lets his head fall back. Why are there so many variables? Too much stuff to figure out and not enough time.
"See, that's what we're not going to do," Tony mildly chastises. Peter lifts his head briefly to look at him, confusion in his squinted eyes.
"Do what?"
"Stress yourself out. The last thing you need is to rile yourself up when you should be resting," Tony says with the pointed raise of his eyebrows. "Relax, we can worry about Dr. What's-His-Face later. Figuring out a loophole to Mac's Scorpion Sense comes first. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Peter scoffs and can't help adding,
"Uh huh, with my luck I'd burn the bridge." He knows he's leaning toward pessimism, but he can't help it. Like it or not, the odds are stacked against him.
"Okay, then we'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Tony corrects, not allowing him to humor the negative thoughts. As he takes a slow, deep breath, Peter knows he's right. It might not be the most ideal situation, by far, but they have to be strategic about it. Regardless, his tense shoulders and aching wounds still drive pain deep into his bones.
"I can't just relax, Tony," he counters in a querulous manner. May notes that Peter has called Tony by his first name for the second time, well, ever. She makes a mental note to ask one of them about it later.
"Not with that attitude you can't," Tony shoots right back with a victorious smirk. Peter levels a bemused look at him before Ned surprisingly gets them back on track.
"What's your Spidey Sense's weakness?" Ned wonders, unprompted. When Peter's eyes land on him, Peter sees that he's completely serious. Peter considers the question, but can't quite wrap his mind around it.
"What?" he asks in hopes of clarification.
"If he has a precognitive sense like you do, then no one knows it better than you," Ned elucidates his thought process. With his wide eyes taking on a sudden realization, Peter nods in understanding.
"Which means I also know its weaknesses," he catches on. Ned smiles happily and says,
"Exactly, dude." The newfound information makes Peter dig in the recesses of his brain for anything remotely helpful. It doesn't take much, because in the next moment there's a grin on his face and he's practically vibrating in place.
"Mysterio!" he shouts as if it solves everything. MJ and May make eye contact, seemingly confused but not liking the train of thought. Tony's eyebrows similarly come together in bewilderment, all but getting whiplash from the change in topic.
"Back up, kid," he interjects. "You skipped a few steps in between." The smile doesn't leave Peter's face as he starts to explain.
"Mysterio was the one who messed with my senses the most, right? For weeks I had to train to not have my Spidey Sense go nuts whenever we fought. Switching between the holograms and the real fighting and the gas, it was a nightmare! I know how to get past that, but Gargan doesn't." He finally feels in control of something, something familiar. It's a concept he can confidently latch onto and build upon. For the first time since facing off against Gargan, he feels like he actually has a viable plan.
"So you could hypothetically recreate what gave you so much trouble," MJ agrees, nodding to herself a few times. "That could actually work." Tony holds a hand over his mouth in thought, but then shrugs with his lips pursed.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. We can whip something up and prep for it, just like we did then. If it stumped you, then it'll sure as hell throw him for a loop." His belief in the new plan is what boosts Peter's confidence, something he desperately needed. Nevertheless, it doesn't stop there. He glances up to May, wanting to see the same amount of support. May has that usual, heart-wrenching look of apprehension and unease, yet she smiles through it.
"I trust you," she confides, despite her concern. "As long as you have a well-thought-out plan, a good suit, and I'm on the group call, then I can live with that." Peter lets out a relieved sigh, glad that they're all on the same page. He honestly wouldn't be able to go through it without them.
"You got it, May." The thought of them all helping out in the workshop genuinely has him looking forward to it. It's much more exciting and favorable than secretly working on the suit by himself in his room…in the dark. Not fun memories.
"I heard there was a spider here that needed to be put back together," a sudden voice sounds from the doorway. For once, Peter is stunned into silence as his brain works to catch up and process the situation. Shuri stands with rolled up papers in her hands and a smug smile on her face. "I might be a miracle worker, but I can only do so much," she facetiously notes.
"Shuri! It's been forever!" Ned all but squeals, jumping to his feet to greet her. Shuri can't help but laugh, her teasing nature taking a backseat.
"Good to see you again," she happily returns. "And not through FaceTime." Her addition makes Ned nod rapidly in agreement.
"This is way cooler," he concurs with obvious ardor.
"I feel like I've just regained my sanity," MJ says thankfully and stands to join them.
"Tell me about it," Shuri agrees in exasperation. "We need to text more often. I feel like I'm losing brain cells when I only talk to Peter for long periods of time." She sends him a mischievous look, anticipating his reaction.
"Hey!" Peter instantaneously objects and looks between the three. It's the only thing he's managed to say since the shock of seeing Shuri and she doesn't let him get away with it.
"He speaks!" she enthuses with her arms up in mock celebration. Peter raises both of his eyebrows mirthlessly, but can't suppress the pure glee throughout his being that comes out in the form of a chuckle. Shuri laughs along with him and holds out her hand for them to fist bump.
"This, this is the best, I can't wait to show you everything. Well, as soon as I'm allowed up, but that shouldn't be long! I think tomorrow, tops, is the longest I have to be in here. You know me. Fast healing and all that. It's so awesome to see you!" Peter rambles through the fist bump and can't help but enthusiastically fill the silence. This is exactly the reaction Tony hoped to see when he heard Shuri was visiting. The way Peter's passion both warms and lights the room never gets old. May shoots him a grateful look, happy to see it as well.
"It is, isn't it? I told you I'd get you the schematics." Shuri confidently hands over the papers and places her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. Peter is quick to accept them. "You need to be more careful. I cannot worry about you and my brother at the same time. You are both too stressful," she playfully chastises, but there's a hint of staidness to her words.
"Did I already say you're the best? 'Cause you're the best," Peter compliments wholeheartedly, mirroring their texts from not too long ago. They've never met in person, but it feels natural just like with Ned and MJ. Whoever says friends can't be made over technology has no idea what they're talking about.
"I could hear it more often," she quotes as well, gently nudging his side. Peter couldn't be happier than he is right now, surrounded by his friends and family who he would do anything for. Not to mention, he knows they would do anything for him, too.
"Thanks for coming," Tony finally says with a smile reserved for friends and family. "We have plenty of guestrooms, so I'll get you one of those and show you around the workshop." His offer is met with a knowing look and Peter knows what's coming. If she's anything like MJ, and Peter knows she is, then…
"I already set up in your lab. I've seen better, but it will work for the time being." Shuri's tone is polite, but her words lean towards the contrary. Peter laughs unabashedly, especially when he sees Tony's realization as to what exactly he's done. Not only has he brought Shuri's sarcastic chaos into the mix, but he's also mixed it with Peter's nonstop internet references, MJ's brutal honesty, and Ned's neverending energy. This is something he's realizing right about now, and Peter can see it written all over his face.
"Don't worry, Tony," Peter starts off with feigned sympathy. "I'm sure it'll be better when we have F.R.I.D.A.Y., too." His assurance only succeeds in making Tony stifle a groan, stare into the distance, and question every decision he's made up until this point. Seeing as he doesn't give Tony an existential crisis too often, he considers it a win. Shuri's visit is going to be a lot of fun.
SHURI IS HEEEEERE Team Spidey is complete :') hope you're ready for thei s
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