Author's Note: Greetings.

This is the chapter where Peter dies. I was honestly kind of sad while writing this.

Too Well : Death Edition

Tony saw Peter snap his fingers and felt his heart shatter. No! Tony would not let his kid die. Not again.

He staggered over to where Peter had fallen, weakened by the glove. He was laying in the dirt, the glove still on his hand. When Tony got close, Peter looked up.

"Mr. Stark! You're here!" Peter called out, in an odd light tone.

"Yeah, I am. You okay, bambino?"

"I don't think so, I feel woozy."

"Woozy? OK, well I hope you aren't so woozy that you can't answer a question for me. What did you think you were doing!?" Tony didn't mean to sound that angry, but it just happened.

"I-I just wanted to make you proud, Mr. Stark." Peter groaned suddenly his arm flying to his shoulder. "Mr. Stark, could you tell Aunt May I love her? And Pepper? And Ned and MJ? And Happy? I love you too. You're the best, Mr. Stark."

"No. You're going to tell them yourself. Pull through kid, I mean who's gonna be friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man if you don't? Who's going to help the old ladies and the kittens, huh?"

"I wanted to be like you, Tony."

Peter's head fell back, his eyes were glassy and he had an odd, dazed smile on his face.

Help. He needed help.

He shouted for someone to help, barely aware of the last remnants of Thanos' army fading. The dust seemed to click though. Dust. The kid's last words. Tears. Pain.

It wouldn't be like last time. He would save the kid.

Something tapped his shoulder and Tony startled. Dr. Strange stood next to him with a clinical expression.

"Tony, I need you to breathe. Look, there's Pepper. Do you see her?"

Tony nodded. Pepper was standing a few feet away in her scratched suit, hair wild, concern in her eyes.

"I need you to go to Pepper and stay with her."

"But, the kid. I can't leave the kid."

"You aren't leaving him, you're just letting him to get help from professionals, OK?"

Tony knew that Strange was right but he couldn't leave the kid. He couldn't.

"I want to stay with him. I'm his mentor."

"Fine, but we need to transport him somewhere safer, with medical equipment preferably."

"The Tower. I still have the Tower. It's not far either."

"Let's go there then."

oOo

The car ride barely registered. Pepper sitting next to him barely registered. Everything felt numb.

"Tony, look at me." Pepper said, taking his hand from the armrest of the white plastic chair and clutching it in both of hers.

He unstuck his gaze from the door of the operating theatre that Dr. Strange had onto his wife. He was so lucky to have her.

"Peter is being checked out by some of the greatest professionals of our time. He'll be fine. I know it's hard for you. And it may be different and scary for you and for Peter. But I promise that we're all going to help him."

Tony felt a strange surge of hope and smiled. Actually smiled. Yeah, everything would be fine. Peter's a resilient kid, he's gonna make it.

The next hour was spent basking in this hope. The calm before the storm.

oOo

Strange was the first one out of the operating theatre that Tony was so glad he added to the Tower designs. His gloves were bloody but Tony didn't see that.

"So, can we see him now? Or is he sleeping? Do people do that after operations? Still, can I see him? Oh, we should probably call his aunt, too."

"Mr. Stark, could you sit down, please?"

"OK, Doc." Tony sat on the white plastic chair and saw the regretful look on the doctor's face. It clicked a moment before the words:

"I'm so sorry, we couldn't save him."

oOo

The next few days didn't register. Pepper trying to calm him didn't register. Everything felt numb.

His kid was gone. He wouldn't smile anymore. He wouldn't laugh. He wouldn't get to see the rest of his life.

All because of the stupid glove.

Why had Peter taken it?

I wanted to be like you, Tony.

oOo

The funeral was as expensive as he could make it, genetically altered flowers that would stay fresh for years, a painting of Peter done by some expensive artist. He had to give the kid a good send off.

It wasn't enough, he wished that the kid was here. Instead of a realistic portrait.

Morgan was left at home with a friend of Pepper's, Tony wasn't sure he wanted Morgan to notice him sneaking to the bathroom to break down.

May was beside him crying into her sleeve with a colleague of hers consoling her. It had been Pepper who called her in the end, Tony couldn't say the words. It made it too final.

His kid was dead.

I just wanted to make you proud.

Peter's friends were there too. Ned was sobbing while MJ was patting his back while crying silently. It was the first time he saw her with any emotion other than bored, frustrated or somewhat amused. He decided he would give them both $2000 a year. Just for being Peter's friends. They deserved it for giving the kid so much happiness.

Even Peter's bully had arrived. At first Tony had felt angry that this kid who had caused Peter so much pain was even allowed in the vicinity of where he would rest, but then he realised that the kid was crying. Actually crying, regret evident on his face.

When the coffin had been covered and the gravestone was all that remained, Tony broke.

He spent the next three days in his old workshop.

oOo

The kid didn't like it when he drank this much. In fact, Peter had made a protocol for Friday to notify him, Pepper and Rhodey when he drank more than 4 units.

Tony admitted that it did help him. Peter helped him.

He was always so thoughtful.

But now, all he could think to do was to drink away the pain.

It didn't work, Peter kept reappearing in his thoughts. Tony thought of everything.

That time Peter had dyed his hair. That time where he had come back to the workshop with mud on his clothes, a cracked phone and tears in his eyes. That time where they had made Dum-E a friend. And everything else.

Tony didn't know how he had lived without the kid. Or if he could ever do it again.

He sat up, swaying slightly. He staggered over to the sink and poured his drink down the drain.

He had work to do.

oOo

His project took him longer than expected. What with Pepper or Rhodey dragging him (sometimes literally) out of the workshop, Morgan wanting to talk about her new friend Shanice and the counselling Pepper was making him go to.

But, at last, it was finished. If it worked, he could give one to May. And Ted, Ned?

He pressed 'start'. And prayed, he wasn't sure who he was praying to, but he was doing it.

"Hi, Mr Stark!" said a holographic Peter AI, waving. "I'm back!"

"Yeah kid, you are." Tony let the tears fall as he hugged his kid.

Author's Note: Well, that's that. Wow. I'm actually proud of this work.

Glossary: Bambino - Kid

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