Practice Makes Perfect
A/N: I finally managed to watch Tales of the Jedi and watching Anakin and Ahsoka's training sequence was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The characters might be a little out of character, but here we are. Enjoy!
Tony hastily walked down the metallic grey hallways that were too plain and stale for his taste as he traveled to the meeting point. The S.H.I.E.L.D logo plastered at every corner gained a dark eye roll. The agency was just as arrogant as the man who led them, but who charts down his opinions anyway? He shook his head abruptly, if he kept getting stuck in his head, he was going to be late…again.
He gave voiceless greetings as he passed several agents before he reached one of the large corridor doors. He quickly pulled out a sleek black card and placed it on the scanner. With a hiss, the doors opened revealing a large, spacious room with various weapons and stations used for harder levels and lessons for the younger recruits. He ignored the stares in the room as he entered and spotted the small seating area, but he kept an eye on the real reason he was there.
In the middle was Peter, a kid he unexpectedly took under his wing, with soft curls and dark hazel eyes that carried a sense of wisdom and idiocy at the same time. Peter was in deep concentration as he dodged a left hook. With a quiet hum, Tony found a seat next to Rhodey who gave him a look but scooted over to make room.
"It's about time you showed up," Rhodey said quietly, keeping the conversation between the two of them.
Tony huffed at the remark as the kid backflipped out of the way stun bolts. "I'm here am I not." He glanced at the kid with a tilt of his head. "How's he doing?"
Rhodey hummed, leaning forward. "Well, Fury hasn't called off the test, so pretty good. Got to say, the kid is impressive."
Tony sighed lightly to himself as the last man fell leaving Peter victorious. He hummed as his mind quickly analyzed from afar. The boy didn't have a single drop of sweat, and his lungs hardly even quivered under the strain his body was being forced to do, and from the looks of things the test had been going on for hours. He couldn't comprehend if that made him feel more or less skeptical.
Rhodey noticed that look deep behind his friends' eyes. "S.H.I.E.L.D is finally using the robots you built for the more…advanced students."
One of the agents, higher in rank, nodded in approval as he looked to Fury who stood silently. With a nod, the agent tapped a series of buttons before another set of bots landed and an electromagnetic dome activated preventing any escape. The agent used his staff to tap the dome as an explanation.
Peter understood his assessment, adjusted his stance, and made the first move.
Tony sighed as two bots fell into a heap in seconds. "Advanced, huh?" He analyzed the footwork. "I doubt that." He mumbled under his breath. The kid was agile at best. Peter never lost balance, his feet light and ready as he danced around the tight space. Another bot fell. He could see that while there were enough bots to become overwhelming, Peter had complete control over the area. He was quick and made swift calculations that were solidified by his time web slinging. It didn't take Tony long after he met the kid to know he was quick on his feet, and quicker in speed. He may have programmed the bots with agility unmatched, but as each bot fell, and whispers spread throughout the room he couldn't explain the unease he felt at how easy this looked to him. His fingers twitched, the urge to tear the robots inside and out and improve it. Yet, even from a distance he could tell what little impact this had on the kid's body. The test was hardly a challenge. After all, if anyone understood Peter it was him. "I may have built them, but how did Fury program them?"
His friend shrugged. "Can you expect anything less from him? He programmed the bots to stimulate the Avengers strengths and battle tactics." Rhodey watched as Peter effortlessly dropped to the floor, side sweeping a bot's legs with his upper body strength. The boy didn't hesitate to backflip as the bot with a blaster shot continuously at the boy. Peter twisted his body midair letting gravity do the work as he grabbed one of the robots and with a twist disabled the piece of metal. One by one, each bot fell, but Peter was conscious of the dome that was closing in. With a quick dodge, Peter grabbed the last bot and threw it into the dome watching it spark and crack before it fell lifelessly. The dome let out a loud beep before it dematerialized as Peter exited the area with a long heated breath.
Tony sighed, knowing he never answered Rhodey's question as he stood and made his way over to Peter who stood straight.
The boy kept his eyes on Fury, but he tilted his body just a little as Tony stood shoulder to shoulder next to him as they nodded together at the higher ranks that stood passively next to Fury. "I didn't think you would show up…again." Peter whispered to him, but he tilted his head down with a small smile. "…Thanks."
"No problem, kiddo." He whispered back. "Wouldn't miss it…well this time."
Fury spoke with a few agents before he dismissed them. "Well done, Parker. Keep this up and you will be on the field sooner than you thought."
Tony watched his kid swell with pride at the praise and he had to swallow the dread that thrashed in his chest in response. Fury dismissed himself exiting the room with a few of the students chatting excitedly, trailing behind him.
Peter glanced over once they were alone. "So how do you think I did?"
Tony looked at the robots he created smoking or disable, and that dread surged back into his chest. "You don't wanna know." And walked away, missing the dismayed look on the kid's face before he followed him out in the hall.
Peter rushed back to his mentor's side, grabbing Mr. Stark's arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Tony looked around and Peter noticed the sudden number of agents around them as Tony pulled Peter to the side for privacy. "Kid, I can hardly call that a test. You and I both know what you're capable of, and that…" He pointed to the room. "wasn't even a fraction of your abilities."
"But it's the standard test S.H.I.E.L.D issues to every agent here!" Peter argued back.
Tony poked a finger against the kid's chest. "Exactly, but here's the difference. You are not an agent."
"I heard Rhodey, Mr. Stark. The bots were programmed as if I were fighting the others…and you." Peter responded quietly.
Tony sighed. "I would hardly call that an advanced test. You want a real test; I'll make you one. Fury only knows what he has seen on tapes, but I have seen you in person. I know what you are capable of."
The kid gave him an incredulous look, but deep-down Tony could see that spark of excitement of a true challenge, and surge of determination soared in his own chest. He was going to do anything he needed to do to prepare his kid for what's to come…even if it means beating the crap out of him.
Peter grinned that could match his own. "Deal!"
Tony couldn't help it, as he mirrored the kid's wide grin.
oOo
Peter tossed his backpack on the couch as he surveyed the empty living room. "Uh…Friday, where's Mr. Stark?"
"He is currently adding the finishing touches regarding your test."
"Sweet!" He said as he entered the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. It's been over a week since he last seen Mr. Stark. School and patrolling the city barely left any time to even think about the upcoming test. Although Ned seemed very determined to remind him every day.
To be fair, he hasn't forgotten. It's been the topic that kept his mind awake late at night as he tossed and turned at night. The blankets scratching his skin only reinforced the thought circulating in his mind. He sighed. Mr. Stark was a prodigy and the whole world knew it. His mentor's perspective was different than anyone he has ever had the privilege to meet. Tony was a man of intellect, daring when needed, innovative at best, and coffee addicted. Tony sees solutions when other people see problems. So, Peter can only imagine what Tony would create.
At first, it hurt seeing Tony so dismissive but when he talked to May that night after he returned from S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters things seemed clearer. Still didn't mean that he liked it. The suspense was killing him.
May laughed lightly. "Hate to say it, sweetie, but I agree with Tony on this one."
"But why?" he asked, throwing himself on the couch, popping open a water bottle he snatched from the fridge.
May rolled her eyes at his antics, but settled down next to him, placing her cup of tea on the stand next to her. She pulled her kid close as she muted the T.V. "Okay, you know when a person has a laptop brand new with all these features…"
"May, please don't." He whined.
"Hush, you asked, I'm answering. Deal with my cringe-worthy answers." May said with a smile. "As I was saying. You have a laptop brand new, but as time goes on it requires updates. Now, at first you accept the updates, and the laptop continues to run, but when it becomes tedious you start to ignore the updates needed, because you see no difference in the system. If you stop updating what happens?"
Peter sighed. "The laptop starts to dysfunction and lag, but if it continues to update, the systems can withstand the constant run of data and programs."
"Exactly. Tony is man who is not fond of a good answer when he can get a better one. He takes his job as your mentor seriously, and against my better judgement I can see that." She tilted Peter's chin. "You have a gift, you have power, and what you use that power is up to you, but you need people that will push you beyond your limits, someone who understands what you need and where I fail, I know Tony will succeed and vice versa. Do you understand?"
Peter sighed but nodded. "Yeah…I'm not going to like this test, am I?"
May chuckled, her eyes alight. "Probably not, but I know you can handle it."
May wasn't wrong. She didn't raise a quitter, but there was something unnerving about how well Tony understood him and his powers when he struggled to comprehend it himself. Although that explains the purpose of having a teacher and a student and the baggage that comes with that. Peter just didn't know if being a student at the current moment was good for his mental health.
He shrugged his shoulders as he sat down at the kitchen counter and slowly took his time eating his snack. He could get started on his homework, but he felt lazy after the ongoing strain of school and pulled out his phone and scrolled through Instagram going through all the reels Ned and MJ had sent.
He heard Mr. Stark enter before he spotted him with a Stark Pad in his hands typing furiously. "Hey Mr. Stark."
Tony looked up and sent him a small smile. "Hey kiddo, how was school?"
The boy shrugged, but he felt warm at the effort as he shot the man a grin. "It was a pretty good week. Ned and I finished our history project, and we didn't procrastinate too much. We even managed to build a small model of one of the airships used in World War I. We wanted to make it fly, but we figured Ms. Hue wouldn't be too happy about that."
Tony smirked as he sat down next to him, snatching an apple for himself, he turned off his Stark Pad and pushed it to the side giving the kid his full attention. "Let me guess, you're building it this weekend?"
"Yep!" Peter said, taking a bite of his own apple. "So, is it complete?"
"Eager, are we?"
"Well yeah! Though is it weird that I'm excited and nervous too?"
Tony shook his head, fiddling with the apple in his hand. "If you weren't I would be worried. You ready?"
Peter nodded in anticipation. "Yes sir."
"Good," Tony smiled as he patted the kid's shoulder. "Finish up your snack. Put your suit on but leave the mask. You won't need it today." He tossed his apple back into the bowl for later.
Peter nodded and jumped up, snatching his bag from the couch with his apple firmly held between his teeth. His mentor rolled his eyes and Peter snickered to himself at the motion. He followed Tony to the large arena used for training, similar to S.H.I.E.L.D's, but with more flare that could only come from Tony. He quickly rushed to one of the changing rooms as Tony finished last-minute adjustments as he engaged in conversation with Natasha. Peter took five minutes to completely change before he returned, his mask draped over his backpack.
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as his eyes spotted Natasha, Rhodey, Clint, Maria Hill, and a couple of Compound agents that he was familiar with just never got the time to properly meet. They were each dressed in dark suits of sorts, and his curiosity was running a mile a minute, but he swallowed it down. He could geek about it after he was done. The excitement dimmed slightly at the sight of the gathered people, but he shook it off. It was just anxiety. He agreed to this test, and deep down he desperately wanted to see how far he could go. He needed to know. He saw Tony hand the others a gun of sorts as he whispered instructions to the group, making sure not even his enhanced hearing could pick it up. While the adults discussed he did a few routines stretches, ripping his muscles that had gotten stiff sitting in a chair all day at school. He bounced on his left and right foot to get his blood circulating and soon enough he could hear his heart pumping in his ears.
He got this.
He walked up to his mentor who smiled. "Alright kiddo, you warmed up?" Peter nodded in response. "Let's get started, shall we then? Give me your wrist."
He wordlessly handed his wrist and watched as Tony scanned both web shooters. He was startled when Karen spoke out loud. "Training protocol accepted. Web shooters deactivated."
"What did you do?" Peter asked, pushing a couple of buttons. Nothing worked. He aimed his shooters at a wall and awaited that familiar pull of webs releasing, but he still got nothing. He glanced at Tony with a quirked eyebrow.
Tony pocketed his scanner. "We all know how good you are with your web shooters, but what about without them? You need to be prepared for any scenarios without the tech I have given you." He gestured to the group. "Rhodey and the others agreed to help. The purpose of the exercise is to use your powers or most specifically that sixth sense of yours. I handed each of them a set of blasters. You are going to dodge the blasts aimed at you."
Peter tilted his head. "That sounds easy enough." His reflexes were the only thing that allowed him to catch a piece of tech Tony tossed over. He turned the device in his hand, taking in the details immediately. It was a fabric, but even to the naked eye he could see the small wires entwined into the fabric. "What's this?"
Natasha spoke instead with her signature smile. "That is a training blindfold with a few…upgrades."
Peter stared as Tony grinned. "You wanted a test kid. I gave you one. Ready?"
He nodded and walked to the center of the group as the others took their places. "What's with the suits?"
Rhodey gave him a gentle smile. "We're not as agile as you. The suits protect us from the blasts in case we miss, which we won't."
"Oh. That's actually pretty cool...I guess." Peter remarked as he tried to put the blindfold on, but it seemed no matter how tightly he tied it the fabric seemed to rebound back to its current form.
"Let me help, kiddo." Tony placed the blindfold on, and everything went dark, but Peter was instantly aware of how gently Mr. Stark's hands worked as he clipped the ends together instead of tied. "Oh…" He felt the vibrations as his mentor chuckled. It was amazing and startling seeing his mentor with sound alone. He almost let out a sigh in content before he felt the band tighten around his head to prevent any movement that could throw it off. Tony placed his hand on his shoulder as assurance before he left, leaving an empty, cold space. He shivered at the loss of contact and realized how much he leaned on sight, and he had to swallow the feeling of being claustrophobic as he heard the others pull out their guns. Focus Peter.
"You rely on your senses constantly." He heard Mr. Stark say, but his voice was moving at a considerable distance. His head unconsciously followed. His mentor was walking slowly around him. "But your senses can only take you so far. Your spider sense needs to learn to immediately substitute in case one of the senses or all of them are out for the count. With how complex your senses are you should be able to sense the movement of the others before they even hit the trigger. Ready?"
Peter nodded as he took a deep breath and centered his thoughts and focused on the darkness to pinpoint the others' position. He ignored the others breathing and disregarded their loud heartbeats that were usually soothing, but every second became overwhelming. He expected his eyes to see, but the endless black sent chills down his spine as the world became an abyss.
He growled lightly to himself. He was getting distracted.
Tony and Peter took a deep breath for different reasons as the older spoke. "Begin."
Peter barely had a second before his senses picked up the sound of the blaster screaming before it let out the first bolt. He swiftly slid to the right and narrowly avoided the second bolt aimed near his torso. His senses screamed, but the sounds of the blasters, his own beating heart, and the fabric of his own suit made his fear spike as he stumbled back. He felt the heat of one of the bolts that brushed his left shoulder and he let out a hiss. The darkness was consuming ready to swallow him whole, and he barely had time to take a breath before he felt two bolts hit his chest and back and his vision went white before it went dark.
oOo
Tony barely held himself back as the kid went limp and fell hard to the ground. Rhodey was already there assessing the kid as he nodded to the others. Natasha put her gun away and the others followed suit. He quickly made his way to the kid, kneeling next to Rhodey. "Is he okay?"
Rhodey nodded. "We got him good, but he's fine. We just need to wait for him to wake up." He patted his friend's shoulder. "You sure you want to continue? This can't be good for that old heart of yours."
"I'm going to ignore that comment and of course, I don't, but we have to continue." Tony mumbled, but he thanked Rhodey anyway for the concern. We have to…
Rhodey stared at him for a bit, but he noticed the resolve and he released his hold on Tony as he stood up with a nod. "Alright, then I suggest you get comfortable. It's going to be awhile."
oOo
Peter could hear voices and he wanted to sink back in and sleep, but the voices started to mold into sentences.
"Come on, kiddo, wake up."
He gritted his teeth, turning his head away from the blinding lights from overhead. He felt hands brush through his brown curls, and he unconsciously leaned in soaking in the warmth that was sapped out of his body from the freezing floor below him. "Nuh uh, kiddo, wake up."
"You're going to put him back to sleep if you keep doing that." That voice was undeniably Rhodey.
"Let me wake up my kid how I please."
He wanted to laugh, but instead he fully opened his eyes and slowly moved his aching muscles. He winced as his head throbbed painfully and he unconsciously ducked his head to relieve the pressure. He groaned in pain, bringing a hand to rub the back of his tense neck. "How long was I out?"
Tony shrugged. "An hour."
"AN HOUR?!"
Rhodey stood behind Tony. "Yeah, Clint got you real good."
Clint winced as he waved. "Sorry, Pete!"
Peter groaned, rolling his shoulders. He licked his dry lips and tried to ignore the pain as he split his lip from the strain.
He heard Tony sigh. "Yeah, you're going to feel that tomorrow. Come on, let's go again."
Peter looked up, hesitating, before he let out a hiss as he tumbled back up. He snatched the blindfold from the floor and clicked it back on around his head. His throat was dry as he swallowed at the sight of the throbbing blackness his eyes saw. He took a deep breath and nodded. His muscles twitched and quivered as he shifted into position, his legs threatening to collapse, but he pushed the sensation away and took another shuddering breath.
Immediately, he heard the clicks of the pistols and the shuffling of feet before his mentor's voice stretched across the room. "Begin."
It only took less than thirty seconds before he hit the floor.
oOo
He lost track of time. The purpose of seconds, minutes, even hours were lost to him as the blindfold firmly stayed wrapped even when waking up. His lungs shook, begging for air, and his muscles seized from the continuous currents of electricity sliced through his veins. It was getting difficult to recognize the difference between consciousness and unconsciousness.
"Again."
He gritted his teeth, but his legs moved anyway.
"Again." Peter growled as he sluggishly crawled back up, sounds bouncing back and forth with no meaning to him. He barely even stood up straight this time before he felt the white-hot heat from a bolt hit his chest before he crashed back down.
"Again."
He wished he could see the ceiling, something, anything.
"Again."
Everything hurts.
"Again."
…
oOo
Peter hissed when he opened his eyes for the uncountable time to meet his new annoying friend, darkness. His entire body was on fire, lagging behind layers of exhaustion from the strain, his face drenched in sweat that his curls were plastered on like a painting. And he felt dissociated from the rest of the world, but he could feel every stupid vibration through the floor.
"Tony, I don't know how much more Pete can take." The voices sound so far away. I can't. Please, I'm tired, I can't.
His body protested as he sat up and ripped off the blindfold off his sweat-covered face. His eyes slammed shut as he heard footsteps echo close to him. He squinted his eyes open distinguishing the silhouette of Mr. Stark.
"Well, gotta say kid, you're waking up faster." Tony remarked, keeping his voice gentle as he reached out a helping hand.
Peter glanced at it before taking the offer, groaning in pain as his quacking legs were forced to stretch to a standing position. "This is ridiculous. I don't think the Avengers even come close to training like this."
"Because we don't."
Peter growled. "Exactly, why am I even doing this? I thought I was going to be an Avenger!"
"Last time I remember asking you said no, and honestly the more I thought about it the more I realized that you made the smartest decision of your life that day." Tony replied firmly and quickly.
Peter made eye contact. "What?"
"Kid…Peter." His mentor sighed. "As an Avenger, you have a team, a cell of members that work together to not only save the world, but to watch your back. We are a unit, but you just... don't fall into that category. Your criminal world is different from ours. Which means I had to do a complete one-eighty to understand how you work." He bent down to grab the blindfold from the floor. "We fight and we go home back to our lives, but being Spider-Man is your life. There is no downtime. It's a twenty-four/seven job."
Peter looked down at the ground. "I just thought…I thought I was ready like Fury said."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Kid, Fury only has one eye. He is going to miss a few details. I read his assessment of you after your test." Peter sucked in a breath silently asking for him to go on. "Here's the thing Fury believes you are at your max capability, but I know for a fact you are capable of more."
"But what if I'm not capable of more…"
Tony scoffed at the lack of confidence and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "You are more because you hold back, and it's my job as your mentor to protect you, but the best way I can protect you, kiddo, is to prepare you for the inevitable. There will be a day where I can't…" He swallowed. "Where I won't be there. It will be you against the world, and yes, I will fail you, so I will do everything in my power to make sure that when you fail, I will give you something that won't, and that sixth sense of yours is the best I've got because it lies within you. Trust me, Peter. If you can hold yourself against the Avengers blind imagine what you could do with your sight." He wiped the small tear that trailed Peter's cheek and rubbed it softly. "You are an amazing kid, annoying, but amazing. You are going to be better than all of us one day and I hope to be there when that happens, kiddo. But first, you have to push through this, push through this pain. Adapt to it. We'll be here every step of the way, kid."
Peter's lungs seized as he lunged forward wrapping his arms around Tony, digging his face deep into the man's collarbone. His mentor's arms quickly wrapped around his sore back muscles as he soaked into warmth and love and he couldn't help but say thank you to the universe, to God, for bringing Tony into his life, for everything. He cleared his tight throat. "I'm sorry about snapping at you."
"Eh, kind of deserved that for you know…shooting you with bolts of electricity for four hours."
"So that's how long it was," Peter mumbled, leaning back to make eye contact with Tony. "And thank you for teaching me, I know I'm probably not the best student."
Tony chuckled. "And I'm not the best teacher…I guess that's why we make such a great pair, huh?"
Peter nodded. "The best."
Peter heard the doors open with a hiss as Rhodey and the others entered back into the training room. He must've really been out of it if he didn't realize when they even left the room.
Natasha sent Peter a comforting smile. "I know you're exhausted, but you ready to try again?"
Peter glanced at Tony who rubbed his hand up and down Peter's arm with a nod. "Your move, kid."
He let out a breath. "Again."
Natasha grinned. "Well then, Spider, you know what to do."
Tony smiled as he offered the blindfold. "Remember kid, you are more, trust me, but most importantly trust yourself."
The boy beamed as his body gave itself a dose of adrenaline, he took the blindfold that symbolized so much between student and teacher as made his way back to middle. He clicked the blindfold on.
Breathe. "I'm ready."
It took them six minutes before they could knock him down.
oOo
Peter coughed as his broken ribs clashed against the wooden floor. He panted under his mask and he struggled to swallow the blood that flooded his mouth, the thick sickening taste of copper imbedded in the throbbing bruise in the back of his skull. He heaved as he gritted his teeth and got back on his feet as he stared down at the man that was ripping everything away that he held dear.
He trusted him, confided in him, and in return he deceived him because he couldn't trust himself. "Remember kid, you are more, trust me, but most importantly trust yourself." He failed himself, but we won't fail again.
"Just give me the glasses." He gritted out as Beck pulled out E.D.I.T.H mockingly.
"You want these? Come and get'em!" The Stark Drones activated encasing Peter in familar blackness. The darkness that crowded him, lied to him, mimicked his friends and loved ones, and revealed his fears and denials. All illusions and reflections he sees at night without the use of those impervious drones. Yet, still, those voices…
You are just a scared little kid in a SWEATSUIT!
No, he was more. He had to be.
I don't think you know what's real, Peter…YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!
There was truth, but it comes from the wrong man.
If you were good enough…maybe Tony would still be alive.
It hurt and Peter knew that it would never stop hurting. Tony was there for it all until the end. Morning, afternoon, night, he was there ready to help him. To help Peter be better, to be more. And as the familiar green mist reached his feet, his resolve turned to steel.
And I'm not the best teacher…I guess that's why we make such a great pair, huh?
The best.
Peter took a deep breath and let his spider-sense take over his instincts, and relaxed. Tony is gone, but the lessons, the wisdom, and stubbornness was burned into Peter's heart. His friends needed him. London needs him.
He could hear the drones, the screams from down below, his heart, but most importantly Beck.
There will be a day where I can't…where I won't be there. It will be you against the world, and yes, I will fail you, so I will do everything in my power to make sure that when you fail, I will give you something that won't, and that sixth sense of yours is the best I've got because it lies within you.
Peter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "…Come on, Peter-tingle."
You are more, so be better.
It only took him thirty seconds to destroy every single one of them.
Well…they always did say practice makes perfect.
A/N: Let me know your thoughts! Happy Labor Day weekend!