Harley was the smugest kid Tony had ever met. Not only had Harley graduated at the top of his class in engineering, he had to rub it in Tony's face that a newspaper that had done an article on MIT's best and brightest had dubbed him the next Tony Stark. Furthermore, Harley and his friends had come up with some clever ways to save money and were all set to travel around Europe in a week. Without Tony's money, Harley was sure to add.

Tony knew Harley was beyond grateful for all he'd done for him. Admittedly, he had rarely seen the kid for the first few years after they met, but Tony had always made sure that he was safe, fed, clothed, and had set up a trust fund for him. He couldn't do anything when Harley's mom started drinking hard when Harley was in high school except for take him over to the Facility and let him invent his latest design and thus distract him from his problems for a few hours. Harley was stubbornly independent and he had been trying to make his own way in the world without Tony's help in the last few years and he was finally succeeding. Tony was beyond proud of him, even if he was too stuck up to say it. Tony would miss looking out for the kid.

"What are you going to do until your flight?" Pepper asked. She'd initially been upset earlier because May wouldn't let Peter join them for lunch, but chatting with Harley cheered her up.

"Pack up my things and say goodbye to some friends. Nothing much," Harley said casually.

After Tony's rather witty speech and Harley had officially graduated, Tony, Pepper, and Harley went to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Tony had rented the place out entirely so they wouldn't have to deal with awestruck people snapping pictures of him the whole time. Harley didn't want that kind of attention, as evident by how he had refused to be mentioned in Tony's speech.

"Do you still have that gauntlet I gave you?" Tony asked.

Harley rolled his eyes. He held up his wrist, displaying the watch that would fold out into the equivalent of an Iron Man repulsor. "Of course. You only gave it to me a month ago. Don't tell me it's already outdated."

"I didn't ask because I wanted to upgrade it. I just want to make sure you have something that to protect yourself. You're a magnet for trouble," Tony said wryly.

"Haven't worked out the kinks in the nanotech yet, have you?" Harley asked.

He shrugged. "I haven't had anyone to help me. You've been busy with graduation and your trip, Bruce has been working with Helen, and Peter-"

"Is Peter alright?" Harley interrupted, wide-eyed.

Pepper looked over at Tony shrewdly. "You didn't tell him?"

Tony waited for the servers to set down their plates, refill their glasses, and return to the kitchen before answering. "Peter's not hurt or anything like that. Actually, he's sort of on break from being Spider-Man."

"On break? Why? What happened?" Harley asked anxiously. He considered Peter as a sort of little brother as they were both geniuses taken in by Tony. Both Tony and Pepper loved how close the boys were after only a few meetings.

"There was a mission a few weeks ago. You might have seen it on the news. We were wrecking another HYDRA base, but I got careless. It was an accident, but Peter ended up killing someone to save me. He's been messed up ever since," Tony said quietly, his fist clenched tightly. Pepper rested her hand on his knee.

"Shit," Harley said softly. "How's he been dealing?"

Tony shrugged. "Not well. I'm sure you saw that he helped stop some terrorists at his school. He was getting better, but I'm afraid that all of the attention he's receiving is going to set him back again."

"And how have you been?" Harley asked.

Tony looked at him in confusion. "Me? I'm fine."

"I meant how are you handling not having your kid around?" Harley corrected.

"Harley, he's not my son or anything," Tony said.

"He might as well be. Tony, I'm not offended. I never saw you as a replacement father. Peter does. Just answer the question," Harley said, smirking.

"I've just been doing damage control from the New York terrorist attack and trying to keep busy. I've barely seen him since it happened," Tony said. "I haven't had any panic attacks or anything like that. We definitely met at the lowest point in my life."

"And you met Peter at your most desperate. I sense a theme," Pepper added.

"You're my wife. Aren't you supposed to side with me?" Tony demanded.

"Only when I feel like it," she teased.

"So what are you going to do about Peter?" Harley asked.

"There's nothing anyone can do in particular. You know that. You've spent enough time around me," Tony said quietly. "I just do whatever I can."

"You sound like a sleep deprived dad," Harley said with a grin.

"He kind of is," Pepper said.

Tony couldn't even deny it.

Flash was trying hard to speak to Peter alone. During class, the teachers kept him from talking to Peter. MJ's death glares protected him at lunch and at decathlon practice since she was perceptive enough to realize what Flash was trying to do. Whenever he heard Flash enter the hallway, Peter quickly went the other way, which resulted in many scoldings from his teachers for leaving his books in his locker and running in the halls. Peter didn't know why Flash wanted to talk to him and he didn't feel like finding out. He suspected it had something to do with his work with the Web-Shooters, and he really didn't feel like repeating his alibi again.

Unfortunately, Midtown wasn't that big of a school. While waiting for the bus after school, Flash shoved his way through the crowd of students to Peter's side.

"I'm not in the mod," Peter said before Flash even had a chance to speak. Flash had been a minor nuisance when they were younger, but he had gotten nastier over the years. Peter didn't have any patience for him anymore.

"Five minutes is all I need," Flash hurried to say.

"My bus comes in three."

"Then I'll be quick," Flash said, pulling out his phone. "It turns out that a friend of mine was filming during the lockdown. Do you want to see?"

Peter didn't bother answer. It was clear that Flash would show him no matter his response. He needed to prove that he had leverage.

The video wasn't grainy. It was obvious who everyone was in the video, and the setting. The camera was trained on the door and the only person in the shot was Peter, so he deduced that this was taken just after he had ordered everyone to go to the back of the room. His suspicions were confirmed as he saw the door swing open and Natasha spot him instantly. Flash didn't bother turn on the volume. They both knew what Natasha and Peter were saying in the video.

"I know what happened, Flash. I was there," Peter said in irritation, even if he was panicking internally.

"I don't buy your story. There's no way the Black Widow would have a nickname for an intern," Flash said flatly. "It took me awhile to figure out what she called you. Pauk. It means spider in Russian."

"I created the Web-Shooters and fixed her Widow Stings. Of course she calls me spider," Peter said coolly. "I've been Mr. Stark's intern for years now. I've run into the Avengers a lot in that time."

"Enough to be friendly with the Black Widow apparently. So if this is as unimportant as you seem to think, you wouldn't mind if I put this video online, would you?" Flash asked, his finger hovering over the send button.

Peter knew that he wasn't bluffing. Flash would gladly put the video online if it meant forcing Peter to admit that he's Spider-Man. He didn't know what he could do. Maybe if Flash did post it, nobody would jump to conclusions like he did. Maybe if Peter acted like it was no big deal, he could make Flash doubt himself.

"Do whatever you want," Peter said nonchalantly. Flash's eyes widened. "It's just a video."

The bus pulled up. Peter gave Flash a mocking grin before climbing aboard. He sat down in the back row and slipped his headphones on. Flash was still standing there as the bus drove away, his phone gripped tightly in his hand.

"It's been three weeks since New York's own superhero, Spider-Man, has been spotted. Sources confirm that Spider-Man has also been absent from missions with the Avengers in recent weeks. We reached out to the Avengers to get an update on their newest recruit, but they refused to answer any questions concerning his whereabouts. The police department released the crime rate for the last month and one can clearly see that the rise correlates to Spider-Man's absence. No one knows why Spider-Man hasn't been patrolling and he has shown no sign that he's even coming back. On a related note, a student at Midtown School of Science and Technology sent us a video of the lockdown earlier this week. This student, who wishes to remain anonymous, was in the same class as Peter Parker, the Stark Industries intern who helped apprehend the terrorists," the news anchor said.

Peter's head snapped up. Sure enough, the footage Flash had shown him earlier was playing on the TV. Flash had wasted no time in following through on his promise.

Peter winced as the phone rang. Was it possible that someone else had already see, that clip?

"Hello?" Peter said as he muted the TV.

"Peter, what exactly am I looking at on the news?" Tony asked icily. Apparently it was possible.

Peter sighed. "I know this will be hard to cover up, but this is my problem, not yours. You don't have to worry about this."

"Kid, your problems are my problems. It's going to be hard to refute this," Tony said, sounding exhausted.

"It's fine. No one thinks Spider-Man is a teenager. Besides, the kid who did this, Flash, no one listens to him. Most people think he's kind of crazy," Peter explained.

"You're handling this remarkably well. Why is that?" Tony demanded.

"No point in worrying. I'll just probably have to tag along to more Stark Industries stuff to show that I'm an intern or something stupid like that." Peter realized that he had been pacing and quickly sat down.

"I can arrange that. I just wish that Nat hadn't called you pauk. That complicates everything," Tony said. Judging by the faint sounds of metal in the background, Tony was working in the labs. "Are you sure you'd want to do that, though? You've been dead set on staying out of the spotlight for years."

"I know, but it would be Peter in the spotlight, not Spider-Man. There won't be any pressure to protect my identity. I can handle this," he said as confidently as possible. Even that came out sounding slightly unsure.

"I'll talk to Pepper about arranging something. She's better at this sort of thing than I am. I need to go. I'm working with some sensitive equipment right now. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Tony said.

"Yeah. Bye," Peter said. Tony hung up.

Peter groaned and slumped down low on the couch. Stupid. He was so stupid. He should have gone out to the soccer field with the rest of his classmates during the lockdown instead of joining Clint and Natasha. That would have saved him a lot of trouble. Flash wouldn't be pestering him and that video wouldn't be on the news. He wouldn't of needed Tony to bargain with the principal to let him keep his Web-Shooters on at school. People wouldn't stare at him as he walked down the halls. The Avengers wouldn't watch him discreetly as if he were seconds away from a complete mental breakdown.

Actually, that last one could be traced back to the agent he had killed in the HYDRA base. His life had irreversibly changed when that happened. That was why his suit was lying forgotten in the bottom of his closet. Could he even claim to be a superhero anymore? Superheroes were supposed to be out there saving lives. Instead, Peter was caged in by the nightmares in his head. Maybe he didn't deserve to call himself Spider-Man anymore.

Peter set down his phone on the coffee table and slowly, almost as if he were sleepwalking, walked into his bedroom. There used to be cartridges of webs and scraps of wires lying all over his desk and floor, but three weeks ago he had tossed it all into a box and shoved it in his closet. A week ago, his suit had joined them. He had done it on pure impulse and avoided them like the plague ever since, but he inexplicably had the urge to open up that box.

His breaths were coming quicker than usual, but Peter couldn't stop now. He pushed his hanging clothes aside and moved his hamper, revealing the box. He pulled it out to the center of his room and tossed the lid aside. His mask stared back at him with unblinking eyes.

Peter pulled it out robotically, his actions barely processing in his overwhelmed brain. He felt so distant from his body, just like when he'd woken up in the Facility after attacking the HYDRA base. He felt like he was watching a play unfold before him, not like he was actually doing this.

Peter shrugged off his clothes and stepped into his suit, the familiar feel of it hardly irritating his hypersensitive skin. Karen, for whatever reason, stayed silent. His breath hitched a bit as he noticed the bright red gloves adorning his hands. All he saw was an even brighter red liquid that had once covered them. He never asked Tony if he'd cleaned the gloves up or changed them entirely. He wasn't sure if that would even make a difference to his conscious. He must have stood there staring at his hands for at least five minutes before he was able to tear his eyes away. Even then, he still could have sworn that he felt phantom blood on his hands.

The mask seemed to be judging him. He'd once fearlessly worn it as he swung across the city, but now the mere sight of it induced flashbacks to the "accident" as the Avengers had taken to calling it. It wasn't quite an accident, though. Peter had intentionally tackled that agent. He wasn't careful about it and he never considered snatching the gun the gun away like he normally did. In his panic to save Tony, he had forgotten all of his basic training and fought like a cornered animal. The mask didn't need to judge him. He hated himself enough without its opinion.

It was stupid, really. Putting on the mask wouldn't change anything. That man would still be dead and Peter would still be a living disaster, yet he couldn't help but feel like he was standing on the edge of a cliff and his next decision would change his life. He didn't want to make the wrong choice.

May would be home soon. He had to choose fast. Once she came home, Peter knew he would take off the suit and it would lie forgotten in his closet again. That though disappointed him far more than he thought it would. He had chosen to put his powers to good use years ago. He was a coward for even considering giving up the mantle he had assumed.

He knew what he had to do.

Peter held his breath as he slipped the mask on. He wasn't quite sure why he did that, but it helped him keep from panicking as the familiar displays lit up in front of his eyes. For the first time in weeks, he had complete relief as his suit adjusted to accommodate his enhanced senses. The lights weren't glaring, the sounds were muted, and the stink of chemicals and food couldn't reach him.

Peter slid open his bedroom window and perched on the ledge, careful to keep his body in the shadows so that the people down below couldn't see him.

"Where to, Peter?" Karen asked.

"Anywhere."

Tony was bored. He'd already seen the movie that all of the other Avengers were currently watching so he had planted himself at the dining room table and began tinkering. He wanted to at least have a working prototype of nanotechnology before the next Stark Industries expo. He had hoped Peter would be able to help him with it, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

Halfway through the movie, Tony checked his phone and, out of habit, checked Peter's suit tracker. He nearly dropped it in surprise when he saw that Peter's suit was moving rapidly through Queens instead of sitting abandoned in his hamper.

Pepper sauntered over to him, two glasses of wine in her hands. She handed him one as she took her seat beside him. He knew he should put down his phone and pay attention to his wife, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen.

"What is it?" Pepper asked, somewhere between resignation and amusement. She was used to this side of Tony.

"Peter's patrolling," he said quietly and hoped the loud noise from the TV would mask his words from the super soldiers' superior hearing.

"Do you think he's doing it because of that news segment?" Pepper asked calmly.

"Maybe. That probably triggered it. I'm just glad that he's at least trying this out again. I was worried that he'd never put it back on."

Pepper grinned. "Harley's right. You do sound like an exhausted father."

"Thanks, honey," Tony said dryly. "So have you made any progress with sticking Peter into our calendar?"

"Actually, yes. We have an upcoming gala and I think it's the logical choice to have an intern at. I already cross referenced it with Peter's schedule and he should be able to make it," Pepper said, scrolling through her phone to show him what she had laid out in only an hour.

"What would I do without you?" Tony asked and kissed her cheek.

"You'd probably be dead," Pepper said matter-of-factly.

"That's true," Tony admitted.

Clint paused the movie and turned around. "What's all this whispering about? Stark, it's bad enough that you were already building shit over there instead of watching the movie like a normal person."

"Peter's patrolling," Tony said simply, still watching the tracker avidly.

Their reactions were comical. Some of the Avengers who were closer to Peter began asking questions at an astonishing speed. The others gaped at Tony as if he'd grown a third head. They certainly were a dramatic lot. That's probably why they got along so well.

"No, I don't know what changed his mind," Tony insisted. "I don't know anything. Call the kid later if you're still curious."

"You must have some ideas," Steve said.

"Yeah, dozens, but teenagers are unpredictable. Unless I scan his brain, I won't actually know what his motivation was," Tony said, irritation clear on his face.

"Or ask him," Bruce suggested.

"You take all of the fun out of life, Brucie."

Tony's phone rang. He stood up and walked into the kitchen to keep most of them from overhearing his conversation. After all, whatever Peter had to say right now was probably much more important than Bruce's sass.

"Hey, kid. How are you doing?" Tony asked, trying to keep his voice neutral in case Peter was upset.

"Really good, actually," Peter said breathlessly. He had been swinging around for awhile now. "You were watching my tracker, weren't you?"

"Yes," Tony admitted. "Is the suit working good?"

"Yeah. I haven't tried out those modifications that you added yet, so don't ask me for specifics. I was wondering if I could join your training sessions this weekend," Peter said timidly.

"You know that you can come anytime. Are you sure, though? I don't want you to rush into this," Tony said.

"I want to at least try."

"Okay, kid. See you soon."