Chapter 8

Peter jerked awake at the sound of a phone ringing, and it wasn't his. Caught off guard, he stared at the ceiling for a moment before he realized where the sound was coming from. He stumbled out of bed, fishing the phone out of his hiding spot, and grabbing a small device off his desk which he hooked over the mouthpiece, answered the call.

"Agent Carlton, what's your status." Peter only had a moment to decide whether or not to answer, but then his curiosity got the better of him.

"Agent Carlton is dead. Iron Man killed him, blast through the chest."

"Whose this?"

"Oh, you don't know? Figured the goblin would've told you, this is your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man." he replied, voice chipper, but he knew it would come out a different tone thanks to the voice scrambler he'd remembered to attach to the phone.

"How did you gain access to this line?"

"Oh you know, our buddy Carlton didn't really give much thought to the fact that attacking the kid of two of the worlds biggest superheroes might get him killed and since me, being the friendly sort I am, decided to collect some info for them while they managed things on the home front for once. I was only being considerate. Came across this phone in the process. What do you think the Avengers will think when they realize Oscorp was behind their sons kidnapping?"

The phone line clicked off, and Peter could only assume that meant they felt threatened by the idea so he grabbed a cloth and wiped the phone down, removing the voice scrambler. Careful not to use his own handwriting, he wrote a sticky note and taped it to the front of the phone. Then, leaning out his window, he tossed the phone, using webbing to catch it and stick it to the window outside of the kitchen, right beside the coffee maker so that he was sure one of his parents would see it. Satisfied, Peter crawled back to bed, mulling over the fact that the voice on the other end of the line hadn't known the agent was dead.

Tony grumbled the whole way to the coffee maker. Steve was off on his morning run and Tony stumbled into the kitchen, pouring the heavenly concoction into a mug before something caught his eye. A phone was attached to the outside of the window by webbing, and Tony knew of only one person who could've done it. Moving to the window, he carefully opened it and pulled the phone inside, reading the note attached.

"Hope this helps," he read out loud, and frowned at the phone. Tossing the note aside, he turned the phone on, flipping through the contents. He noticed that the lock had already been cracked and assumed it was the work of Spider-man. There wasn't much on the phone, save for that it was from Oscorp and clearly issued to someone under their employ; or so Tony thought until he found the Skype. The only contact that existed was Peter, and the call had been made the day before, making it clear just who this phone belonged to. Even as he stared at the phone, Peter wandered into the kitchen, grabbing the coffee his dad had poured for himself and taking a sip.

"Morning dad, what's that?"

"Gift from Spidey." his dad muttered, and Peter just hummed, not responding. "It's a phone," he lifted it so his son could see. "It belonged to the agent who lead the ones that took you. It was issued by Oscorp – has the basic info and capabilities of a phone issued to an employee."

"So you think Oscorp is behind the raid at my school? Me being kidnapped?" Peter asked, because that really was something he still didn't understand, and Tony shrugged, though his shoulders were tense.

"Can't be sure yet, but I'm going to have JARVIS run some tests." he muttered again, looking at the coffee cup in his sons hand. At the sight he scowled and Peter was quick to grab a new mug and fill it for his dad, pressing it into his hand.

"Thanks." Tony grumbled, eyes back on the phone as he headed down to his workshop.

"I'm going to invite Gwen over today!" he called after his dad, and got only a mumbled okay before he disappeared. Peter grinned and was quick to call his girlfriend. He had a lot to talk to her about.

When Steve came home from his run, JARVIS informed him that they had a guest, one Gwen Stacy, and that she and his son had retreated to Peter's room.

"What about Tony?" Steve asked, and JARVIS replied immediately.

"Master Stark is engaged in his workshop. It would seem Spider-man collected evidence on young Master Peter's abduction and he's running tests on that evidence now." Surprised by the information, Steve was quick to thank the AI before he rushed down the stairs, finding Tony working on a piece of his Iron Man suit. He didn't look up until Steve was right behind him, and only then because he was reaching for a tool and caught sight of Steve out of the corner of his eye, jumping in surprise.

"Jesus. You couldn't have said something?" he complained, waving a panel up for him to see before he turned back to his work. "How was your run?"

"Good. JARVIS says Spider-man left you evidence?" Tony jerked up immediately as if he'd only just remembered and spun towards another desk, Steve following slowly. He watched as Tony brought up new screens with just a couple flicks of his wrists, and couldn't help but take a moment to marvel in the technology before he turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

"Right, yes, evidence. Looks like Spidey did us a bit of a favour, checked out the place while we were busy with Peter. Found this phone, looks like it belonged to an Agent Carlton – that's the agent we spoke to – and it was issued to him from Oscorp."

"Aren't they a science complex?"

"Yeah, and actually, if we stick to the spider theme, Spider-man's first major action was against a Doctor Curt Connors," the doctor's image along with his reptile form appeared on a screen with a wave. "Thanks to a theory based on cross-species genetics he was trying to create to grow back his arm, he ended up turning into a lizard. Spider-man appeared about the same time and managed to take him out. Captain Stacy, Gwen's father, ended up in the hospital, nearly dead but luckily managed a recovery, though just."

"What would Oscorp want with my blood though? It isn't a cross-species thing." Steve asked, and Tony waved a hand as if it should be obvious.

"Because of the stuff Dr. Connors was spewing when he was all lizard. He believed that the formula created a better, stronger race. He actually tried to use that formula to upgrade everything with human DNA in the whole of New York. Luckily our friend Spidey got a formula to one of the interns who managed to create an antidote just in time for our friend to replace the lizard-creating-juice, with stuff that would restore affected humans back to their original state."

"So you think the lizard part was a misstep in the grander plan," Steve concluded, and Tony nodded.

"I don't think we should ignore the possibility." Steve was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again it was hesitant.

"Wasn't Richard Parker a scientist for Oscorp before he died?" Tony gave a grim nod and Steve reached forward, hand on his husbands shoulder for support. What were they going to tell Peter?

"He threw bombs at you?" Gwen demanded, and Peter winced at her tone of voice. Sometimes she was as overprotective as his parents.

"It's not like he hit me. He had pretty bad aim. But I wanted to know if you've heard anything about him? Through your dad? It looks like the guys who kidnapped me were working for Oscorp, and the goblin seemed to think I'd ruined his plan. From how he sounded, I'd say he was more of a raging lunatic than a mastermind, but I don't want to rule it out as impossible until I know more."

"So you're facing lunatics now?" although he could tell she was proud, there was a hint of acid in her tone.

"It's not like I haven't dealt with crazies before. I mean, did you see those aliens? And to think, they were lead by someone whose technically my uncle." Gwen laughed, rolling her eyes, and Peter grinned.

"I still think it's incredible that the ones we considered to be from mythology are real live people."

"Asgardians." Peter provided, and watched Gwen's expression light up.

"How interesting is that? You really have to ask about the whole travelling thing next time Thor visits. The pure energy it must take to create that sort of bridge between two physical planes-" Peter burst out laughing, and before he could help himself he'd pulled her in, kissing her soundly. The knock on his bedroom door had them pulling away and grinning at each other like fools, and Peter disentangled himself to go answer the door. He found both his parents standing there.

"Dad, pops," he opened the door wider so they'd see Gwen.

"Hi Gwen, how are you?" his pops greeted politely, and she beamed back.

"I'm great, thank you. And you Mr. Rogers?"

"Steve, please." he corrected her as he always did, and she flushed, like she always did.

"When did she get here?" Tony asked next, "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago." she provided easily, and Tony accepted it with a nod, turning back to his son.

"We need to talk, about the present from this morning, among other things."

Peter frowned, not that he wasn't glad to know these things and not have to figure them all out for himself, but his dad had been pretty clear when he'd said he didn't want Peter involved in the whole thing.

"Sure. I'll be right back." he told Gwen, and she nodded, watching as Peter followed his parents out. As soon as they were gone, she called her dad.

"Hey dad, remember our mutual friend? Yeah, well he was wondering if the police knew anything about the Green Goblin because it looks like he might be another Oscorp product."

When Peter followed his parents into what could only be described as a meeting room, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. What he knew he didn't expect at all was to have his aunt and two uncle's present, as well as agent Coulson. The biggest surprise of all, however, was Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D..

"Hello Mr. Parker, we're here to talk to you about your parents." Peter glanced back at his parents and Steve put a comforting hand on his back. "Your biological parents." Peter just nodded, wondering why everyone had gathered for such a conversation. The only reason he could think of was that it had to do with the experiments his father may or may not have done.

"Yeah, I'm finding it a bit weird that they've come up more in the last two days than they have in the last two years." he managed, but the director did not look amused.

"First, we would like to assure you that your biological father did not change your DNA in any way when you were younger. When your parents first adopted you, we had you screened for anything out of the ordinary and you turned out to be perfectly healthy." Peter didn't miss the furtive glance his uncle Bruce shot at his dad, but he was glad nobody else seemed to have caught it. He wouldn't deny that he was relieved by the news though.

"I'm really glad to hear it, but I'm not sure why that warrants a meeting like this or why you even thought that was a possibility. That's not why they grabbed me." the look that was levelled at his parents said that the director clearly was not impressed by how much like his dad he was reacting but his dad just gave a soft laugh.

"It's important because despite the fact that they didn't do any research on you, there is proof that their death wasn't an accident."

Peter shook his head, unable to believe it. He could remember, or at least thought he could remember, the soft, loving smile of his mother, and the idea of that warmth being taken away was a horrible thought. No matter how much he loved the family he now had, it didn't mean he didn't wish his biological parents were alive. The fact that there was proof that their death wasn't an accident had his world spinning.

"Whoa there," he heard his pops' voice and realized he'd actually stumbled back, and was grateful that his pops had caught him before he'd fallen.

"Are you serious? Was it Oscorp? Did they have my parents killed?" the words burst forth before he could help himself, and the director put up a hand for patience. Peter was about to snap out he didn't have any patience when his dad stepped forward, standing slightly ahead of him.

"All due respect, Nick, but it seems a little unfair to spring this on him when you aren't willing to share the details." he could tell his dad was angry and took a moment to steady himself. His parents had been murdered. The doctor hadn't been lying. He ran a hand through his hair, looking up when the director responded.

"All due respect, Mr. Stark, your son is the descendent of a scientist much closer to the cross-species formula than your son was when he gave it to Dr. Connors and allowed him to become the raging green lizard that rampaged through New York." Peter flinched back, and he felt his pops' grip tighten on his shoulder, a clear sign of his irritation at the accusation. He looked around and noticed even his aunt was frowning.

"Hey, just because he was clever enough to come up with the next step in the formula doesn't mean it was his fault that the doctor went and got power hungry off it." Tony snapped, "Furthermore, unless you have something useful to share with the class, I think we can all be dismissed."

"The point of this is that it seems a more enhanced version of the formula, possibly Dr. Parker's, is being used by a new freak in this town; goes by the name of the Green Goblin."

"I saw him on the news." Steve noted. "Apparently he had a run in with Spider-man last night. They say he's armed with some sort of grenade bombs?" Even though it was his pops speaking, Peter found agent Coulson staring at him just long enough for Peter to feel uncomfortable.

"Director Fury, how is this – Green Goblin – relevant?" clearly unamused by the title, Natasha said it as if it were a vile taste in her mouth, and the director turned to look at her. Before he could answer though, Tony was speaking.

"If he really was crossed with another DNA, wouldn't he have enhancements? All we seem to know about him is he has a couple cool gadgets and likes dressing up in a halloween costume."

For the first time since the meeting started, Coulson spoke, aiming his words directly at Peter.

"Why don't you tell us what you noticed, Peter." Peter blinked, not really understanding why the question was being directed at him.

"The news didn't really show much," he began, but Coulson shook his head.

"No, I mean when you fought him." Peter almost felt like his body had gone numb, water rushing in his ears.

"When would Peter have had a chance to see the Green Goblin?" Clint asks, frowning, and Peter realizes that his aunt is now staring at him, calculating look on her face.

"Last night, obviously." Coulson said, frowning as if it really were obvious, and Peter honestly wondered if he was going to pass out. This couldn't be happening.

"What are you talking about? Peter was here. Asleep." Tony argued, and Coulson just continued to frown, looking at Peter. He then seemed to notice the panic written across the boy's face because he lifted a brow.

"They don't know?" he asked, and Peter could only give the smallest shakes of his head. This was his worst nightmare coming true.

"Don't know? Don't know what?" Tony was demanding, and Steve was moving to make sure their son was alright.

"Peter? Are you okay? What is he talking about?"

"Peter is Spider-man, which explains a lot really." his aunt noted, and Peter actually felt like his chest was collapsing in his panic.

"It would certainly explain the accelerated cell regeneration and why he's never sick anymore." Bruce noted. "It also explains the genetic abnormalities I couldn't place before. It's spider DNA." Peter was shaking his head and Coulson was still frowning.

"Agent Coulson." the director's voice was demanding answers in those two words, and Coulson shrugged.

"I thought everyone knew."

"No, it isn't possible. Spider-man is a masked vigilante who gets in brutal fights. We would have noticed if Peter was gone. If he was so severely injured." Tony was grasping at straws, but Steve was looking into his sons face. What he saw there resigned him to the inevitable as he looked at his husband.

"Tony." the billionaire snapped out of his own ranting and looked at Steve who gave a single sharp nod. Gaping, Tony shook his head before fury took over. He marched over, coming to stand in front of Peter.

"YOU'RE SPIDER-MAN AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN THINK TO TELL US?"

Oh man guys, this is the second last chapter! the last one will be up tomorrow night.