Chapter 7

Steve made his way down to the workshop and found Tony sitting at his desk, screens displayed in front of him in a semi-circle.

"I'm not going to change my mind." Tony said the second Steve stepped into the room, and Steve sighed.

"You know you can't just keep him locked up inside. He is right, it isn't fair."

"I don't care about fair." Tony snapped stubbornly, turning to face Steve, arms crossed in front of his chest. "He almost got killed today. Fair is irrelevant."

"That's not how he sees it."

"So?" Steve gave an exasperated laugh, pulling his husband to his feet so he could wrap his arms around him, holding him close. "This won't make me change my mind." Tony grumbled, though he relaxed in the hold, and Steve smiled into the dark brown hair.

"He's going to want to see Gwen, and he likes taking pictures for the newspaper too. If you don't let him out, he'll lose the job."

"He doesn't need a job, plus he can't lose it. Newspapers always buy the best shots, and Peters' are always the best."

"That isn't the point and you know it."

"You can't seriously be taking his side." Tony complained, but he didn't move away from the embrace.

"If I'm on anyones side, it's yours, but I think you're being a bit extreme in this case."

"Why is it extreme to want to keep him safe?" Tony demanded, leaning back so he could look up at his partners face, but the look he was getting explained it all and he pouted. In response, he found himself being kissed, and when Steve pulled away with a smile to rest his forehead against Tony's, Tony heaved a sigh.

"Fine, house arrest is a bit extreme. But we're keeping him in until he isn't wincing every time he moves."

"That, I can agree with." Steve allowed, and kissed him again before releasing him. "So what are you working on?"

Peter swung above the city, arriving at the second place he'd been kept captive. It seemed quiet now as he snuck in, careful to stay out of sight. He took the air vent down the floors, arriving on the fourth floor. He crawled out onto the ceiling and crept around, searching for any sign of the true intentions behind these people, but there seemed to be done. When he saw the body of the double crossing agent who'd shot him, he dropped down, searching the pockets for the sample of blood he'd claimed to have. He found nothing but a cellphone, and since he couldn't help his curiosity, he tried to get into it. It was passworded, of course, and Peter sighed, powering it down. He could ask JARVIS to crack into it later, and if not, he could always just hack into it from another computer. He powered it down, making sure there were no tracking devices outside the GPS that was unusable when the device was off, and when he was satisfied he couldn't be followed, made his way towards the exit. As he slipped back onto the main floor, a cackle met his ears and he found himself searching for a sign of the voice.

"The itsy bitsy spider crawled out of the creaky floor, down came the goblin and blasted him out the door." there was a maniacal laugher and the zooming sound as a shape detached itself from the ceiling, and Peter realized it was literally a man dressed as a goblin all in green, rushing towards him on some sort of hover-board. Even as they zoomed towards him, they were throwing something, and with his senses screaming at him, he dodged just in time to watch it explode where he'd been only moments before.

"Not that I don't appreciate the warm welcome," he told the newcomer as he swung up into the air, landing on a rafter, "But I do generally like to know who someone is before they start throwing grenades at me. But hey, that could just be me."

"I am the Green Goblin, and you've made quite a mess of my plan." he informed him, his voice higher but definitely male, and did everything he say have to be followed by a maniacal laugh?

"Your plan?" Peter asked, and all of a sudden he was realizing that maybe this wasn't just a clown in a costume. "You mean you had a teenager kidnapped today by a legion of armed soldiers?" Another grenade type missile was thrown and again he swung out of the way, but not before shooting a web at the craft and trying to yank it off-balance. He managed for moment, but with a twist, the goblin used one of the sharp edges of the board to cut the webbing.

"Ooooh," he cackled, "Is the spider worried about the children? Shouldn't you be more worried about being squashed?"

They played the game of the goblin throwing bombs and Peter dodging until the goblin seemed to get bored.

"So much running. Afraid of being crushed?" there was another cackle and Peter really was getting tired of it. When the next missile came at him, he created a slingshot between supports, throwing it back. The goblin let out a screech and Peter dashed for the exit, swinging out just in time.

"You stupid spider! I'll get you back for this!" the goblin screeched after him, but Peter just laughed.

"Yeah, good luck with that, ugly." he escaped as quickly as he could, finally making it back to the rooftop where he'd left his backpack. When he made it back there he pulled his clothes on overtop of his suit, tossing the mask in the bag along with the phone he'd collected. Then he headed home, careful to climb back in his window when no one would notice. When he arrived he pulled the dresser away from the door, quickly changing out of the suit and hiding it in the floorboard. Then he flopped onto his bed, examining the phone. Pulling out his laptop that wasn't associated with his dad's AI, he booted it up, finding a cord that would fit the phone and plugging it into his computer. He immediately disabled the GPS and started a decryption program, letting the computer do the work in cracking the phone. He leaned back in the chair, wondering what his parents were up to and if his pops had managed to convince his dad to let up on the whole house arrest thing. Deciding he could probably venture out since he was also starving, he left the computer to do its work, leaving his room in favour of the kitchen. When he arrived in the kitchen it was empty, but in the fridge was a plate with his name on it. Grateful, he pulled it out, heating it up in the microwave as he wondered where his folks were. When his food was done, he wandered through the suite, looking for a sign of anyone else, but he was met with silence until he made it to the top of the stairs to his dads' workshop.

"I've never seen anything like it, Tony. His DNA is altered but I have no idea how the alteration was introduced into his system." he heard his uncle Bruce's voice float up the stairs, and he froze in place.

"Do you know what the secondary source could be?" He heard his dad ask, and heard his uncle sigh.

"I'm working on it, but I'm not quite sure. It seems whatever it was, is also genetically mutated, so it will be difficult to pinpoint it. I'm working on it though." there was a pause. "You need to talk to him about this, Tony."

"I will." he heard his dad assure, "But he's been through a lot, Bruce. He doesn't need this on his plate today. I'll talk to him when we have something a little more concrete. I don't want to scare him if I don't have to." Peter was surprised by his dads' words, and he felt warmed by them. His dad didn't want to keep secrets from him because he didn't think he deserved to know, he just wanted him to be safe, and there was something to be said about that. He took his plate back to the living room, clicking on the news. There was a quick report about how the son of the billionaire Anthony Stark and Captain Steve Rogers was recovering safely at home but that his abductors still had not been caught. Then the news flashed to a new story; a sighting of Spider-man.

"Reports say that Spider-man was spotted tonight, and fighting against a new threat; someone the public is now addressing as The Green Goblin. A possible terrorist, citizens should immediately call the authorities if they spot this figure," an image of the goblin tossing a bomb at Spider-man appeared, and Peter wondered who'd managed to snap the picture, he didn't remember seeing anyone. "He is said to be armed and dangerous. Witnesses also claim to have seen Spider-man fleeing from the scene. Is something finally too much for our local superhero?" Peter scowled at the screen, flipping the channel in irritation.

"Hey Peter, how are you feeling?" he jumped at the sound of his name and turned to see his pops standing behind him, slight frown on his face.

"Sorry, bit jumpy I guess." he gave a sheepish grin, and the response seemed to satisfy him because his pops just ruffled his hair, moving around the couch to drop down next to him, noticing his plate of food.

"Your dad tried to get you to come out for dinner, but you didn't seem to hear him." there was reprimand in his voice, and Peter managed another sheepish grin.

"Sorry pops, I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was pretty exhausted after, you know." the expression softened and his pops gave him a one armed hug.

"Don't worry about it. He just wanted to apologize for earlier. I'm sure he will next time he sees you."

"Next time who sees who?" His dad's voice asked from the stairs, and both of them looked over at him.

"Next time you see Peter." Steve replied, and Tony's gaze fell on his son.

"Missed you at dinner." he said, an obvious test, and Peter lifted the plate so his dad could see it.

"I was dead tired, sorry dad. Didn't hear you calling. I was out like a light." he smirked and his dad rolled his eyes but clearly was relieved that Peter hadn't just been ignoring him. Sensing his cue, Steve got up, taking his sons now empty plate and leaving father and son in front of the TV.

"Look Peter, I know putting you under house arrest was a bit harsh but-"

"Dad it's okay, I get it. You were worried, hey I was a bit worried there for a bit too." Peter ducked his head, not looking at his dad while he admitted weakness. It was a bit of a sore spot, but he didn't want to force his dad to apologize, not when he'd only done it cause he cared. "I get it. I just hope you know it's better if it doesn't last because we both know I'm more than capable of sneaking out under JARVIS's radar." he grinned over at his dad with that and Tony just rolled his eyes, pulling his son into a hug.

"I just want you to stay in until you don't obviously hurt every time you move. Fair deal?" he asked, holding onto his son. He didn't want to admit what a relief it was to be able to hold his son after the panic that had set in when Natasha had told them he'd been taken.

"Yeah, deal. As long as you guys stick around for it too. I think if I'm stuck inside, we should make it some quality family time, yeah?" he suggested, and Tony didn't miss the hopefulness in his kids voice.

"Sure kid." Peter flinched without meaning to, and Tony froze, pulling back to look at him. Peter's eyes were wide with apology.

"Dad, I'm sorry –" he managed, clearly horrified, and neither looked over when Steve walked in the room, frown on his face when he noticed the two staring at each other in open shock. "Its just – that agent –" his dad's whole demeanour relaxed at the words when he realized it wasn't him that had made his son flinch, and he reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, Peter. I get it." he looked over to see Steve, and Steve couldn't miss the rage that burned behind his husband's brown eyes. They were going to have to talk about what had put it there. "Peter wants some family time. What should we do first?"

"I vote movie!" Peter exclaimed right away, dropping to sprawl across the couch, grin spread across his face. "And that pops makes the popcorn cause he always makes it perfectly." it was a clear manipulation but Steve allowed it, heading for the kitchen.

"You got it kiddo. What are we watching?" he asked, calling from the kitchen, and Peter looked at his dad, exchanging a grin.

"Fast and the Furious."

When Peter got back to his room a couple hours later, he was in a good mood. Not only had he been able to spend some time with his parents, but his dad had started a popcorn fight and his pops had ended up with pieces caught in his hair which he definitely had not found as amusing as Peter and his dad had. But the look on his pops' face afterwards, when he'd seen them both laughing, it was looks like that that he missed when they didn't get to spend this time together. With a glance at his desk, Peter remembered the phone and dropped down in front of his computer, caught by complete surprise when he saw what was flashing across his screen. Whatever he'd really been kidnapped for all started with Oscorp. He scanned through what had been on the phone, but none of it seemed to be all that important. Nothing about creating a super serum was mentioned, there were no email accounts attached to the phone and the only two numbers were out of service (Peter made sure to test them). The only other information was a Skype, but the only person that it had called was Peter, and all that proved was who the phone had come from. Irritated by the lack of information, he unplugged the phone and tossed it into the floorboard along with the rest of the stuff he wasn't supposed to have, and climbed into bed. In all reality, he was exhausted, and he fell asleep in seconds.