Everything hurt. He couldn't use his webs and his whole body was sore, his chest burned and it continued to bleed. He crawled up Gwen's building. She was the only one that knew, she was the only one he could go to. He nearly collapsed when he made it to her window and sat on the fire escape watching her for a moment before realizing how creepy he looked. He banged his head against the window softly.

"You should maybe uh...consider coming in through the lobby," Gwen whispered to him as she unlocks and opens her window. Peter chuckles softly wincing as the pain in his chest increased. "Also, my father is under the impression that you require psychiatric attention." Peter eases himself through the window only half listening to her as he tries not to bleed on her floor.

"Oh, really?" He tries to smile but Gwen is already beside him all previous amusement gone.

"Peter, what happened? What happened?!" She helped him sit.

"You should see the other guy. The other guy, in this instance, being a giant mutant lizard."

"Hey, Gwen. Honey, do you want uh...coco? Howard's making some cocoa." Gwen and Peter stare at each other and Peter ducks down trying to hide without further aggravating his injury and Gwen bolts for the door.

"No dad I don't want cocoa! Honestly, I'm seventeen years old!" She practically yells in her panic.

"Okay. I just thought I remembered somebody saying last week that her fantasy was to live in a chocolate house."

"Well, that's impractical." Gwen shuts the door and then opens it again to add "And fattening!" Then she shuts again looking over at Peter who is smiling at her, he mouths chocolate house looking far too amused and Gwen rolls her eyes at him. But it helped calm her nerves and she suddenly feels bad about yelling at her dad. She cracks the door open and peeks her head out. "Sorry, dad."

"It's good." Her dad is looking at her with the I'm concerned look and she knows she needs a good excuse.

"I just, I can't um...have cocoa right now, because I'm working...I'm doing this um...I have to...I have cramps." She flounders and blushes at her admonishment it's embarrassing but it would certainly keep her dad far away from her.

"Oh." Yup works like a charm Gwen nodded

"I feel kind of pukey and just sort of, I don't know, emotional."

"Okay. Good. Good." Her dad starts to ease his way back down the hall.

"Like I keep crying. It's brutal. You don't wanna know, trust me. It's like, bad!"

"I got it."

"Thanks, daddy.

"Alright."

Peter can't help smiling at His girlfriend as she comes back over shaking her head. She grabs some alcohol from her drawer and a washcloth and he gives a small hiss when it makes contact with his wounds. She soothes him and Peter can't believe he ever got so lucky, he leans in for a kiss but Gwen stops him. She has that look on her face and Peter just knows what she's going to say. He knows that look, he's seen it on himself before.

"I know what this is."

"What is it?" He plays dumb.

"Every day, for as long as I can remember, my father has left every morning and put a badge on his chest, and strapped a gun to his hip. And every day, for as long as I can remember, I haven't known if he was gonna make it home." She looked close to tears and he put a hand on her cheek cradling her head and using his thumb to wipe at her eyes. She leaned into his touch.

"I know. I've… I've been there Gwen, my parents…" He shook his head not wanting to get into that now. "I gotta stop him. I have to because I created him." He looked at her, needing her to understand.

"What do you mean?"

"I gave him an equation that made all of this possible. Something my father had been working on, secretly. Now I realize why he kept it a secret. Gwen, this is my responsibility. I have to fix it."

Natasha paced "Osborn is a really paranoid man." She told them "He's not just going to let me in, he's not like Stark."

"Hey." Stark pouted

"The point is " Natasha continued "This investigation is going to take longer than planned"

"There is a giant Lizard terrorizing New York, we can't just wait," Steve argued.

"Steve this man is a big wig, his company is as widespread as Stark industries. We have to handle this with care. We've already been through this." Natasha sighed "Look if the lizard makes another appearance we bring it in, that's all we can do for now."

Steve left the room feeling more than frustrated. Tony caught up to him rubbing his husband's shoulders andSteve felt himself slowly relaxing at the comforting touch. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried."

"I know. I don't like this either, I've never trusted Osborn, but we have to trust Natasha she's good." Steve nodded and sighed.

"You're right." He nodded "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Stress." Tony shrugged "Our son is going through teenage angst, and there's a weird mutant lizard hiding out in New York. Its a lot to handle."

"So how do you do it."

"I don't do it alone, I have you." Tony grinned and Steve shook his head smiling fondly

"Who knew Tony Stark could be such a sap."

"You must be rubbing off on me" Tony hummed leaning against the super soldier.

"Let's go out tomorrow." Steve suddenly says pulling Tony close "Just the three of us, you, me, Peter."