Prompt: Penny hears Mr. Stark calling someone a nuisance and assumes he is talking about her.

"I don't have time for this...damn it." Penny paused in the hall, freezing midstep.

Penny knew better than to eavesdrop. She knew better than to stand outside Mr. Stark's lab and listen to him talk...but she'd asked Karen to tell Friday she was coming. Had Friday not told him? She wasn't 100% sure that her wrist was broken, but after slipping off the side of a wet brick building, her sticky fingers failing her for the first time ever, she had managed to swing back to the tower, cradling her painful wrist against her chest the whole time.

The last time she'd been hurt on patrol, it had been a little more serious. Concussion...four men breaking into a house, and they'd had guns. She hadn't been hit by any of the bullets…thankfully her Spidey senses had prevented that. But she had taken a crowbar to the head at some point, which had led to her staggering home only to pass out in the bottom bunk of her bed.

Aunt May had been working an overnight shift at the hospital, so it had been Mr. Stark who had found her that night, coming in through the window she'd forgotten to close and anxiously demanding an update from Karen. Penny had missed all this, waking hours later to a concerned Doctor Banner and a terrified Mr. Stark.

"I'm adding protocols to your suit…". He'd told her first thing. "You get a concussion, Karen is going to alert me."

"Oh…okay." She'd mumbled, and he'd sat beside her on the bed, brushing her hair back and sighing.

"Try not to do that again, would you? Just...if you get hurt, call me. Okay?" She'd agreed. Still, when she'd felt her wrist snap, she hadn't called him. She'd curled up in a ball, gripping it tightly and biting down on her good hand to keep from screaming. And then she'd made her way to the Tower, asking Karen to tell Friday to let her in.

She stood in the hallway outside of Mr. Stark's lab, heart stuttering to a stop. "I mean...shit, Pep, does she expect me to drop everything every time she calls?"

"Come on, Tony. She needs your help." Pepper told him with what sounded like a laugh.

"Oh, I'm well aware. You ever met someone so needy?" Pepper laughed again and Penny almost gasped aloud with the pain. Blood flooded her face and she felt shame in her chest.

"She's young. You've got to give her some time to figure these things out." Pepper reasoned.

"She's a nuisance." Penny clamped her good hand over her mouth and turned, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. It hurt...it hurt so much. She couldn't breathe...couldn't think beyond getting out. She had to get out.

She ran up the stairs, yanking her mask back on as she raced toward the living room, toward the window where she'd come in. She was sobbing, gasps escaping her mouth. He hated her...she annoyed him. She got on his nerves. Because of course, she did. Of course, she was a nuisance. She was a stupid child that couldn't do anything right and he hated having her around.

The chest she ran into was solid, and arms gripped her shoulders. "Woah...Penny?" Captain America steadied her, and she was glad she was wearing her mask. "Hey, are you okay? What happened?" He demanded, voice gentle as he held her upright.

She yanked away, shoving him back to hard and racing toward the window, not able to stop the sobs. She jumped before he could recover, shooting a web with her good hand and swinging as hard as she could, body twisting to keep up as she escaped the Tower, ignoring Captain America's shout for her to come back.

"Penny? You seem to be in…"

"Mute!" She snapped. He'd made Karen for her. Made her the suit and the AI. Why? Why would she do that if he thought she was a nuisance? If he didn't want her around? She could barely see for her tears, could barely see anything through the water pouring from her eyes. But by some miracle she managed to swing one-handed, landing clumsily on rooftops before swinging again.

She finally found herself on a rooftop all the way across town...a part of town she'd never been to before. A part of town she wasn't allowed to go to according to May. She let her legs dangle from the rooftop, face hidden in her hand as she cried, the pain starting in her chest and pushing outward, making her body feel like it was going to explode with it. She'd thought...she'd thought that he loved her. That he saw her as...well...family. Kind of. Maybe. Of course, she'd never said it before. But...the way they'd spent more time together and the way he'd put a hand on her shoulder sometimes…sure, they hadn't hugged. They weren't there yet. But...maybe one day.

No. Not one day. Not ever. She wouldn't bother him anymore. That's what she'd been doing. Bothering him. He didn't want her bothering him. He thought she was a nuisance...a kid that bugged him and...and...the pain was worse. She sobbed, her mouth open as her pain escaped in ugly, too-loud sobs. First her dad. Then uncle Ben. Now...now. Mr. Stark. She had no right to be so hurt. No right to feel this much pain. He wasn't her father. He wasn't her uncle. Hell, he didn't even want to be her mentor. Why did she do this? Why did she have to act like such a baby, imprinting on every single person that showed her any passing kindness? She didn't deserve to be an Avenger. Didn't deserve to be a superhero.

"Penny?" Karen almost sounded...hesitant. She blinked, wiping her cheeks under her mask.

"What?" She whispered. She would go home and change. Drop the suit off at the tower. Never bother him again. She wouldn't be a nuisance anymore. Wouldn't impose on his kindness...his charity, any longer. Never. She would get her old suit out and try to improve it. Maybe one day, she could prove that she was mature...a superhero that deserved to be there. The tears came faster and she wiped them again.

"There is a gas station robbery two blocks away...several armed robbers are holding five hostages at gunpoint."

She moved without thinking, tears still drying on her cheeks. So Mr. Stark didn't want her around. So he thought she was a nuisance. She had been Spidergirl before Mr. Stark had recruited her...she would be Spidergirl now. "I'm on my way. Show me, Karen." She murmured, using her left hand to swing, wishing it hadn't been her right wrist that she'd broken...she'd have to do something about that eventually. For the moment, she swung as best she could, racing toward the gas station that was lit up in her mask's display.

Mr. Stark was still in the back of her mind, but she tried not to think about him...tried to think about the people being held hostage. She had to help them...she was a hero. She was Spidergirl. Landing on the roof of the gas station, she crawled along the back wall, shoving down the pain as she was forced to use her right arm. With a shove, she was able to open a back door, webbing a man with a gun to the wall, adding extra webbing to his mouth so he wouldn't shout, but not enough to prevent him from breathing. Then she kept going, sneaking through the back storeroom where they kept boxes of non-perishables and the beer refrigerator, then found the employee door where she could see the hostages.

There were two big guys that sat on the floor, glaring at the five men in masks. The cashier wore a nametag...she was maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, pale and terrified as she leaned against the counter, head in her hands. There was another woman too, with a child on her lap. The little boy was crying, face pressed into the woman's collarbone. She rubbed his back, whispering something Penny couldn't make out, and one of the men in masks kicked her, snapping at her to shut up.

Penny felt a wave of anger, crouching behind the employee door and staring through the tiny window, wondering if there were more armed men. She couldn't risk it...couldn't risk busting in. Not with those people in danger. So, smiling a little to herself through the tears that were still drying on her cheeks and eyelashes, she ducked behind a shelf, making sure she was out of sight, then, grabbing a glass bottle of beer, she threw it against a wall and waited.

"What the hell?" One of the armed men asked, and she waited, webshooter on her left hand ready.

"I'm gonna check it out. Keep them quiet. We've got to finish up before…" The rest was cut off as the employee door was open. She waited...waited until he was right in front of her, gun pointed at the back wall, to shoot the web, yanking the gun out of his hand, then webbing him to the wall, barely managing to web his mouth shut before he could scream. Then she did the same to the second guy who took one look at his buddy webbed to the wall before meeting the same fate.

It didn't work on the third guy.

It was probably because she was too slow. Or maybe her luck just wasn't that great. Because gunfire suddenly filled the room and her senses were the only thing that kept her from getting shot. She managed to duck and cover, dodging and running and avoiding the bullets that filled the room. They were screaming at her, the two that had raced into the room. The fifth guy was still out there...filing a bag with money. The hostages were on the floor and she had to save them. Had to stop them from robbing this store. Had to save people and prove that she really was a superhero. She was a superhero. She was Spidergirl. The bullets filled the room and she dodged and ducked and shot webs and...and then she didn't dodge in time.

The bullet went into her back. It may have been because she'd tried to shoot a web with her bad hand. It may have been because she was thinking about Mr. Stark. Either way, the white-hot pain filled her back and then she was on the floor, screaming. Screaming and screaming and knowing she should stop. Knowing that she had to stop! She was a superhero. Superheros didn't scream and cry when they were hurt but...but this was more painful than anything she'd ever felt. She slammed her head back onto the ground, trying to curl up in a ball but finding that she wasn't able to.

They didn't come after her. Didn't approach. Instead, they ran. And she screamed and sobbed and listened to the painful, desperate noises escaping from her mouth. "Penny, Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers are on their way," Karen assured her, voice gentle. Penny wanted to shake her head...wanted to tell Karen that Mr. Stark didn't want her bothering him and that Mr. Rogers probably felt the same way. But she couldn't say anything of that because it hurt so bad...she couldn't think around it until the pain started to recede and everything started to go fuzzy and...and there were voices.

"Penny? Shit! Damnit...Cap, get in here!" She knew that voice. A hand touched her cheek. "Oh god...Penny, you're okay. You're fine. Friday?"

Penny barely heard her AI's voice...she didn't hear all the words. But she got some of them. "Gunshot. Spine. Blood loss." That made sense. She felt him lift her head, easing the mask off, and his fingers slipped across her cheek.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You're okay."

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, remembering his words. She was a nuisance, always needing his help. She'd thought that they were close but they weren't and he was sick of dealing with her! And now she was bothering him again.

"No. Don't be sorry. This isn't your fault." She shook her head, realizing dully that she couldn't move much more than her head.

"I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore." She let her head drop back on the floor, eyes closing against her will, and his terrified, pale face vanished.

"What? No...no, you aren't bothering me. Hey! Penny!"

"We've got to get her to Bruce. Now, Tony. Move." A voice ordered, and she screamed when hands scooped her up. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry kid." Steve murmured, voice softening. "I know...I know it hurts. Tony, call Bruce. Tell him to get ready to do surgery on her...she's losing too much blood." Mr. Stark wore again, a list of words put together in ways she'd never heard before, and Steve didn't even attempt to scold him. Instead, he carried Penny out of the back of the gas station and then they were getting into a car. Mr. Stark must have been driving because Steve held her on his lap like a child, pressing firmly against her back. She sobbed at the pain, laying her head on his chest and letting the tears fall. He probably thought she was a nuisance too.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." She whimpered.

"Hush, Pen. It's okay." Steve rocked them a little, fingers squeezing her knee...she could barely feel it. "It's going to be okay." He squeezed her knee even harder. "Can you feel that?"

"Sort of."

"Good."

"Did they get the bad guys?" She asked, fully aware of how young she sounded. Neither man commented.

"Yeah, they got 'em" Mr. Stark all but barked. She couldn't see him...couldn't get her head to turn. But she could hear that he was upset. "Damnit. Shit." He growled, whipping the car around a corner. Steve put a hand on Penny's shoulder to keep her still. "Friday, patch Karen in. Now." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." Friday's voice was quiet. Subdued. As if the AI was worried about Penny too.

"Hello, Mr. Stark." Karen's voice came from the car speakers then, quite a bit less cheerful than before.

"Give me a list of Penny's injuries. Now." He snapped. She was going to miss Karen when she gave back the suit. Penny let her eyes close as she rested her head on Captain America's chest. Barely aware of the tears on her cheeks.

"The bullet from the gunshot is lodged against Penny's spine," Karen told him solemnly. "She is having difficulty moving. There seems to have been a fracture, but her body is attempting to heal that. Also, her wrist is broken and is setting incorrectly."

"Wait...she was at the tower earlier," Steve spoke up, and she felt his voice against her ear more than she heard it. "She was holding her arm...how long has it been broken, Karen?"

"Penny broke her wrist at 4:15 pm, entered the tower at 4:45 pm, then left at 4:51 pm."

"Why?" Mr. Stark demanded. "Why did she leave?" Everything was going fuzzy and Penny let it, not fighting anymore. Instead, she hid her face against Steve's chest and shuddered at the pain, lips trembling. She was crying, the soft noises escaping as she tried to breathe normally, and Steve rocked her a little.

"She ran into me at the tower." She felt him murmur. "She was crying...pushed me away when I tried to ask her what was wrong and jumped out the window."

"What the hell?" Her former mentor sounded genuinely confused. "Penny?" She didn't respond. Couldn't. She was cold and Steve was so warm. She wanted the pain to stop and she wanted to be warm again. Everything hurt...even her skin, and she sobbed weakly into Steve's shirt, probably ruining it. "Penny!"

"Penny is in shock and losing a lot of blood." Karen's voice was reproaching, and his voice softened immediately.

"C'mon, kid. Talk to me." She managed a weak groan, but couldn't make herself do much more. "Okay. It's okay. We're almost there. Karen, why did she leave? Did someone say something to her? I swear to fuck if someone…"

"She heard you speaking to Miss Potts, Mr. Stark," Karen spoke gently as if breaking bad news. "She believed that she was the subject of that conversation." It took him a minute, and then he was swearing again...finally, Steve broke in.

"Tony! We need to get her to Bruce...now. She's losing too much blood. You can talk to her when she's stable." Blearily, she wondered why she wasn't stable...the pain was ebbing away, leaving a comfortably warm numbness spreading through her body.

"Shit." He muttered. "Friday, call Bruce. Tell him to have the OR prepped now with Steve's super-drugs. Send him everything. We've got to get the bullet out. Send for Helen...offer her however much money she wants, just get her here. Tell her Spidergirl is hurt bad and needs her help."

Then the car jerked to a stop and Penny cried out, clutching Steve's shirt with her left hand so tightly that she felt something rip. She'd have to get him a new shirt. He eased out of the car, and she felt him flinch when she screamed. "I'm sorry...I know. I'm so sorry, Penny. It's going to be okay." He was laying her down on something and a mask was pressed over her face, the warm air making her eyes heavy.

"Hi, Penny." Bruce was pushing her bed, his eyes serious. "You can rest now. We're going to get this bullet out of you and you'll be as good as new." She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she didn't have much choice, so she let herself sleep.

She caught snippets of things from then on. Pain, before numbness came back. A strange tingling in her limbs before they stopped responding to her. Then a hand on hers, squeezing tightly. Whispers she couldn't make out. And then, finally, she could.

"Not her...please. Please God, not her. She's...come on. I never ask you for anything and I don't even really believe...shit...please. Please, not her."

Another time, the voice was a little louder. "You hear me, kid? You've got to wake up soon. Please. You know I never say please, but I'm saying it now. I've got to talk to you, Pen."

Time passed. Then the voice was back. "It's been three days, honey. Even Bruce is getting worried. Steve is down here every day...I caught Thor in here last night. Just sitting here. He's worried about you, too. He said that you never got to show him how to build that dumb Lego spaceship and he was looking forward to it."

More time. "I wasn't talking about you, Penny. How can you even think...shit." He trailed off. "I would never say that about you. Never think that about you! You're like...you're like a...a daughter to me and...and, kid, I always want you to come to me…" He was stammering like the words were hard to get out. She knew that Mr. Stark didn't really talk about emotions much. He said he was no good at it. But she could tell he was trying. Could that be true? Could he really see her like she saw him? "I lo...I...I care about you so much, Pen. You've got to know that! I...I never let anyone else into my lab like I let you and...and I'm always working on your suit and making it better and...just...wake up, honey. Please. Please wake up."

She wasn't sure if time passed this time, but he was talking again. "Bruce says...he says you might not be able to walk. The bullet hit your spine and your body is trying to heal that but...but there was damage and...and I don't' want you to worry about that, Penny. We're going to get you walking again, and if we can't, I am going to build you the coolest fucking wheelchair in the world. I'll make it fly, kid. I've got your back, Pen. No matter what. And May...May is...she's worried but I'm taking care of her. She's staying in the tower and Pep is taking her out to dinner every night and they've been talking...she's...she's taking care of her. Don't worry. Don't worry about anything." A pause. "There's this intern and she's driving me crazy. She got into the program because her dad used to work for me, and he was a good guy, don't get me wrong. But I swear, she thinks having a private line to my lab means she can interrupt me every time she can't figure something out. She's a piece of work, kid. She didn't really deserve to get into this program, but I liked her dad so...you know."

Penny tried to move. Tried to move her fingers or her toes or something. She wanted to open her eyes and look at Mr. Stark and hear him say these things to her. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was and tell him that she really cared about him too and how excited she was to build Legos with Thor. She wanted to tell him that she loved him like a father and that she was sorry for jumping to conclusions and scaring him.

"That's who I was talking about, Pen. Never you. She's...you could never bother me. You're like my kid, and...and you could never bother me. I promise. I care about...I love...I love you, Penny. So much. So...wake up. Okay? Please?"

And, using every bit of her strength and willpower, she did.

Thank you for reading!