A/N: Well. This is the final chapter. :( This story has been one of my favorites to write, and I'm so happy that you all have enjoyed it. Your reviews and positive feedback mean the world to me, and it's why I continue to write.

I hope that you like this end to this story, and if you would like, you can check out my other stories. :) I love you all!

Warnings: Mentions of guns, death, blood, and violence.

Time slowed to a stop for a moment. Peter was acutely aware of every one of his senses working in overtime to comprehend what just happened. He saw Angela's long black hair flutter around her as she collapsed to the ground in front of him. A pool of scarlett widened beneath her form as Raylen lowered his gun.

"Dammit, Angela. It didn't have to be like this."

Just then, all hell broke loose. Peter assumed that the team Tony guaranteed was coming had just arrived, but he couldn't hear anything. Everyone and everything around him became a blur. Scrambling to his step-mother's side, his already broken mind was torn between relief and horror. This was the woman that had put him through years of torture. This was the woman he dreaded seeing every time she was home. This was the woman that hurt him more than anyone else ever would. This was the woman who betrayed him for science. This was the woman who forced him to call her mom.

Blood dribbled out of Angela's mouth, which was turned up into a smile that displayed her red-stained teeth.

"An-angela," he stuttered, still conflicted on what to say. His heart thudded in his throat as he looked at her face. Calling her by her name sent a twitch of anxiety into his heart. The part of him that she trained was itching to apply pressure to the wound, but the part of him that was Peter Parker froze.

She choked out a wet laugh. "Guess it's my time to burn." Her clouded eyes met his. Those eyes. They were the ones that looked at him with contempt, hating him with no reason. He often wondered what he had ever done to deserve it, but she never gave him that answer. Her eyes were not angry, though. They were, if anything, peaceful. "Kill him… he's the r-reason I shot my b-best friend…" Angela coughed, splattering blood onto his face. "Send that bastard to hell with me."

With that, her eyes unfocused, and her chest stopped rising with breath. Peter's mind spun as Angela's words processed. He's the reason I shot my best friend.

Tony dove to the side, dodging a spatter of bullets as he ran towards Steve. "Give it to me!"

The Captain tossed him a suitcase, simultaneously fighting off the guards. "Sorry I'm late."

"Save it, Cap. We'll talk later." Tony activated his suit and flew back to where he had seen Peter.

Landing in front of his kid, he could hear Angela talking, but was more focused on keeping the fire away from Peter. Bullets came from nearly every direction, dinging off of his suit.

"Kid! You alright back there?" He called over his shoulder. The rest of the team was creating a small circle around them as the number of henchmen quickly dropped. Tony was about to look back when he noticed Mark's large back exit quickly down the narrow, disgusting hallway they had come from.

"I've got him," he told Steve. "Watch my kid." There was a whoosh as Iron Man sped away.

Peter was sitting on his knees, face and hands covered in blood, brown eyes dazed and confused.

Cap approached him carefully, Nat watching with concern as well. "Are you ok, son?"

The teen's gaze bounced from multiple objects around the room, but eventually found its way to the soldiers.

"I c-called her mom," he rasped, inaudibly enough that Steve barely heard. Suddenly, Peter lunged for Angela's body, grabbing her shoulders and shaking. Her lifeless arms brushed the ground. The iron cuffs that the Doctor had put on Peter's wrists fell to the floor, nothing but a pile of twisted metal.

"You killed my mom!" He screamed, tears of rage dripping from his chin. "YOU KILLED MY MOM!"

Steve and Natasha rushed forward, pulling him away. Cap gripped him tight as he screamed, letting Peter's fists hit his arms. "SHE KILLED MY MOM! She killed my mom!" He yelled over and over again. "She killed my mom…" Slowly, he lost energy, dissolving into messy tears and hitting his fist against the cement below them.

At this moment, Nat pushed her friend aside and knelt in front of Peter, holding his shaking form in her arms. "She k-killed… my m-mom," he sobbed. "M-my mom…"

She gently grabbed his bleeding hand that was pounding the floor. "I know. And she'll pay for that, I promise." Looking up at Steve, she gestured her head to the other rooms. Go, Nat mouthed. He nodded in understanding, already having wanted to secure the perimeter, and ran off.

xXx

Mark Raylen kicked at the window with his expensive loafers, willing it to break or pop out of it's frame. Silently, he cursed himself for ordering air-tight security. Regardless, he figured he'd escape. This is why he became powerful; no one did anything to you when you had money and influence. He'd pay them off like he always did, slipping through the cracks of the court system like he had done countless times before.

"Have somewhere to be?"

He whipped around, facing an unmasked but still suited Tony Stark. Mark smirked, certain that he had gained the upper hand; if there was anything he was good at, it was talking.

"Stark." He raised his hands. "You're a businessman, like myself. How about we make a deal? I can give you anything you want from here to LA. Just name it."

Tony tilted his head. "Hm. How about you pay-"

"Name any number. It's a deal," Raylen interrupted, eager to get out of the building. He held up his phone. "I can make a call right now, transfer the-"

A white-hot blast of energy blew the device from his hand.

"You didn't let me finish." Tony's lips were white from being pressed together. He shot forward and slammed Mark against the wall, an iron fist against his throat. The other man struggled and hit against the suit, attempting to shove it away.

Stark leaned in, voice dropping to a deadly pitch. "How about you pay for what you did to my kid?"

xXx

Peter stayed in Natasha's arms for a while, enjoying the comforting embrace that circled his tired and shaking body. She stayed silent, opting to let him release his pain. She only shifted when Mr. Stark walked back into the room, dragging an unconscious and beaten Raylen behind him.

Tony stepped out of his suit and surged forward, skidding to a stop on his knees in front of Peter. Nat stood and moved, hand on her gun to cover in case something else happened. Tony cupped his chin lightly and checked him up and down. He was concerned about the amount of blood that was beginning to dry on the teen's face and hands.

"Are you hurt anywhere, kid?"

Peter shook his head, messy curls flopping around; there was also red caked in his hair. He looked directly at his mentor, brown eyes rimmed with pink.

"Mr. Stark… I'm so sorry…" He let his throbbing head fall against Tony's chest. "I'm so sorry."

Tony released a breath that he was holding. "Don't be, bud. Please, don't be."

Suddenly, Peter's spider sense tripped and he sprung into action, pushing Mr. Stark to the floor right before a gunshot rang out.

Mark's gun clattered to the floor as he fell, while Natasha's smoked in her hand. "You won't be taking anything else from him," she said, and clicked her weapon back into it's holster.

Tony's heart beat fast in his chest as he looked up at Peter. "I mean, you didn't have to shove so hard."

The teen smiled. "I missed you, Mr. Stark."

"I missed you, too, Peter. I missed you so much."

xXx

Nat held out a hand, helping an unsteady Peter Parker from the helicopter. Tony leaned on Steve as they exited as well, and the chopper blades slowly spun to a stop. They started to the penthouse, trying not to drag their heavy feet on the ground.

"Peter!" MJ sprinted to them, followed by May, Ned, and a few people he vaguely recognized. She flew into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his back. He was shocked for a moment, but returned the embrace, smiling into her curly hair.

She pulled away enough to look at him. "You jerk... you really scared me." Regardless, she was smiling. Ned charged to the pair and joined the hug, laughing.

"Dude! You're alive!"

For the first time in so long, Peter laughed. He sobered quickly, remembering the past week. "I'm so sorry… What I said-"

"We know. It's ok," MJ replied, and they stayed there for a while, enjoying finally having each other again. When they broke apart, May swooped in and squeezed him tight.

"Glad to finally have my favorite neighbor back."

Tony watched fondly, reluctantly calling out to them. "Pete, we gotta get to the medbay."

He looked over, feeling the exhaustion in his entire body. The adrenaline from meeting his friends again faded, and his legs suddenly felt weak.

"I don't know if I can…" Peter closed his eyes, dizzy. He rubbed his temple.

"Don't worry. I got you, son." Steve crouched down and indicated his back. Too tired to argue, the kid locked his arms around the soldier's neck. From far away, he heard voices, but he decided to deal with it later and let himself slip into unconsciousness.

xXx

"Do you think you can take Peter?" Tony sat next to May outside the hospital room. The hallway was empty except for them, so the words echoed a bit. Her eyes widened. That was the last thing she thought he would say.

"What? You aren't?"

His smile was genuine and kind. She had never seen a smile like that on Tony Stark. "I love the kid like a son, and I'll always be there for him. But me and Pep just aren't ready for that yet. He needs someone like you."

This was true. Tony thought back, trying to find the exact moment that Peter became an important person in his life. He remembered the lab nights, take-out, and all the random conversations they had shared. He remembered fighting with Peter in the airport, and every moment after. Even though they had been through so much together, him and Pepper both agreed that becoming the son of Tony Stark would only make the situation harder. Peter needed a quiet life. He needed to heal.

May looked at her clasped hands, contemplating. "I want to, Mr. Stark. But, I'm not sure I'd be good enough for someone like Peter. He's an amazing boy, with amazing talents."

This had always been her insecurity. As much as she yearned to have kids, May was worried that she would end up like her own mother, or someone like Angela, and that was the last thing she wanted. What if she failed him?

"And you're an amazing woman. I've seen how close he is with you… and frankly, I think you'd make a fantastic mother." He placed his good hand on her shoulder.

When May looked back at him, she was crying softly. "I've never been able to have kids… and Peter. I'd love to."

xXx

Sinoper sat on the smooth glassy ground, looking off into the distance. Peter took a reluctant step forward. I'm back. I'm not supposed to be back here. He noticed that the ground and air around them was no longer black, but a light gray that was getting closer to white every minute.

His likeness stared at him directly. Sinoper's eyes had lost their fierce anger, and the outline of his form was beginning to fade.

"What's happening?" Peter looked around them, then back to the other person. He was confused, considering their last encounter hadn't been friendly.

"You're lucky they didn't have enough time to let me sit here. If I had as much time as that Bucky guy, we'd be seeing more of each other." He smirked. "Guess you should be glad they found you quick."

"You're… leaving? For good?"

"I don't know about that. But I guess we'll see." Sinoper shrugged. "Til next time, Parker."

Peter folded his arms. "There won't be a next time."

The doppelganger nodded once, then faded into the gray background of his mind.

Peter smiled. "I think I'm going to be okay," he said to himself. And he felt it. He had his friends and his family around him now. Maybe it wasn't today, or tomorrow, or next year. Maybe it wasn't without counseling and therapy. Maybe he couldn't be Spiderman for a while.

But, he realized. That's okay too.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. :D

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Well, that's it. Thank you all so much! Thank you to the people who left a review every chapter, thank you to the people who followed and favorited, thank you to the people who were here since the beginning, and thank you for every one of you that read it afterwards. I appreciate every single one of you so much. I currently have two more active stories on my profile that you are welcome to check out. Overall, it's been such a blast to write and interact with all of you.

On a more serious note, this story has dealt with abuse and other dark concepts relating to violence and mental health. I want you to know that I do not condone abuse: emotional, physical, sexual or otherwise. People who are in these situations truly suffer. And if you are in this situation, I can only ask that you seek help. Know that it is absolutely not your fault, and you deserve to be treated with love and respect.

See you. :D

-katilange.