Reupload
Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
Warning: Chapter contains spanking of a minor and young adult
/\/\/\/\
Tony went to his office, ignoring the looks from everyone he passed. They all knew something was going on, but he wasn't about to tell them anything. Half an hour had passed, and he found the young man sitting on the couch in his office.
Tony closed the door to the office. He walked over to his desk and sat against it and pointed to the spot in front of him.
Peter got up and went and stood where he was being told to.
"If you hadn't gotten the results you did, and Monday came around, would you have let her go back to that house knowing she was being physically abused? And would you have let her be in trouble for attacking the other girls when you knew she hadn't?" Tony asked
Peter shook his head. "No, Sir. I would have told either you or Steve or both of you everything."
Tony nodded. "Okay. Good. But that doesn't excuse what you did. Why didn't you come to me, or go to Steve and tell us what was going on and let us handle it?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't get her the DNA test due to the legal side of things," Peter said.
"It's just as illegal for you to do is as the rest of us, Peter," Tony said.
"I know. But I figured if I did it and you found out…," Peter said.
"That we would go out of our way to cover your ass?" Tony asked.
"Yes, sir," Peter said.
"Well, you're not wrong. I'm going to make some calls and make it so we can legally do the DNA test. But your ass isn't going to get out of this scot-free," Tony said.
"Yes, sir," Peter said.
"I know I call you kid often. But you're -not a kid anymore. You have a lot of lose if you get in trouble for things like this. I'm really disappointed in you," Tony said.
Peter looked down. That was the worst thing you could hear from someone who you look up to, someone who you considered like a father to you.
"I'm sorry, sir," Peter softly said, his voice cracking.
Tony nodded and stood up. "Come on, it's not the first time we have been here. Lose the pants and over the desk."
Peter took a breath and undid his jeans, pushing them down to his knees and leaning over the desk.
Tony removed his belt from his own jeans and folded it in half, holding the end with the buckle in his hand.
"You are no longer a kid, Peter. You are an adult and, while we don't expect you to tell us everything that Skye or anyone else confides in you, we expect you to use that good judgement we know you have to tell us when something puts someone else at risk. Especially when that person is a child who doesn't have the same experiences that you do," Tony said before he started to bring the belt down on the young man's backside.
Peter was determined to take this stoically. He had known he shouldn't have done what he was doing. He deserved everything he was going to get.
After a dozen with the belt. Tony stopped for a minute to continue the lecture.
"And you are damn lucky that we are willing to put our own asses on the line to protect you and make sure you don't get in any legal trouble for this stunt. Because if it comes out you will be carrying it all on your own because you are not a minor anymore," Tony said. "Am I clear?"
"Y-yes, sir," Peter said.
Tony brought the belt down another twelve time on his boxer clad backside.
Peter was tearing up. He didn't know how much more he could take before he broke.
"Lose the boxers," Tony said.
Peter hesitated.
"Peter, do not try and argue with me," Tony said.
Peter stood up and pushed down the boxers before getting back into position.
"Six more, and I want you to remember this the next time you even think of doing something so boneheaded," Tony said.
He gave him the final six harder than the others. Peter was sobbing by the end. Tony threw the belt on to the couch and put a hand on the younger man's back to calm him some.
"When you are ready, you can stand up and fix your clothes," Tony said.
Peter took a few breaths, calming himself before standing up and fixing his boxers and pants. He winced as they rubbed against his very sore butt.
Tony opened his arms and Peter went over and hugged him. Tony closed his arms around Peter. "It's forgiven Pete," Tony said.
Peter calmed down.
/\/\/\
Meanwhile Steve knocked on Skye's bedroom door. He, too, had gotten a lot of looks as he passed people on his way up there.
"Yes?" Skye said.
Steve opened the door. "Come with me," he said.
Skye got up and went with Steve to the same office she had been in just a couple weeks before.
They both sat down on the couch.
"This was my fault. I don't want Peter in trouble because of me," Skye said.
"You both played a role in this. It's not all on you. It's on both of you. You are both in trouble for your role in this," Steve said.
Skye nodded slightly.
"Okay. First off, are you seriously injured? Do you need to be looked over by a doctor?" Steve asked.
"No. It will all heal on its own, I think," She said.
"Okay. Secondly, how bad is the physical abuse?" Steve asked.
Skye explained what had happened, tears filling her eyes.
Steve listened and shook his head.
When she was done, he opened his arms and she didn't even hesitate before going into his arms and breaking down sobbing. Steve wrapped her in a tight hug. "You are safe. You are not going back there. I don't care what it takes. You're staying here. I will make it happen," Steve said.
"Please don't make that promise. I know you want to make that happen, but it won't," Skye said as she calmed down some.
"Yes, it will. I can make that promise because I know I will not let you go back there," Steve said.
"How?" Skye asked.
"I will explain all of it. After we deal with you going behind my back and asking Pete to help you with something you knew we couldn't do legally. You broke the law today. And if that got out, it wouldn't be you who would be charged. It would be Pete. We don't intentionally put the people we care about in the line of fire. This is a family here. And you are a part of it now and for life. That means we protect each other to the best of our abilities," Steve said.
Skye nodded. "Yes, sir," she said.
"Why didn't you just come to me and tell me about the abuse?" Steve asked.
"I knew you would do everything to get me out of the home. But I have no where else in New York. I would leave the state. If I had been given that chance six months ago, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But now, I have all of you. I have never felt as at home as I do here. And if I leave the state, I won't be coming back here," Skye said.
"You didn't trust me to make sure you stayed in New York?" he asked.
"It's not that I didn't trust you would try and do everything you can. But I don't think you realize. I have been through every . . . single . . . foster and group home in New York. This was literally my last chance," Skye said.
"You didn't think I could become a foster parent? That anyone in this home wouldn't have done just that to keep you here? Skye, you are loved in this home. If we didn't stop him, Thor would take you into space to get you away from any harm. Everyone in this home would die to protect you as they would everyone else," Steve said. "You've got to trust us."
Skye chuckled a bit at the thought of Thor taking her into space to get her away from everyone and nodded
"He has offered," Steve said. "We have all seen that you are not happy in that home. We have all been trying to get you away from there, and Thor doesn't fully understand the way the law here works."
Skye giggled. "Think he would take me just so I could see it?" Skye asked.
"Maybe in the future." He said with a small smile. He took a breath. He didn't want to do what he had to do right now.
"Well, let's just get this done so we can move on," Steve said, putting his hand out to her.
Skye took a breath and let him help her over his lap.
It wasn't a long spanking, just a dozen quick hard swats. But she was crying by the end. Steve pulled her into a hug and let her cry while he rubbed her back, helping her calm down. Once she was calm, he moved her to sitting next to him.
"So, I'm going to tell you what the tests showed us. And Tony is trying to find a way to get the DNA test done legally so that maybe Banner, who knows what he is doing can recheck it. I believe it. It makes sense. But we want to make sure it's done legally so I can go to the courts and show them, and so I can get you out of that house and with your family," Steve said.
Skye nodded. "Okay. What did the DNA test say?"
"I promise you, Skye, I had no idea. According to the DNA test, you are my biological daughter," Steve said.
Skye opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She was in shock. She got up from the couch and paced the room.
Steve didn't try and stop her.
She went towards the door.
"Skye, I don't want you leaving the room till we talk about this," Steve said.
Skye took a breath and punched the door of the room. Her fist went completely through it before she sank down to the ground, sobbing.
Steve got up and went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Everyone on the floor who heard the loud noise ran to make sure everything was okay.
"I've got it. She just got some news. She's hurting. She punched the door. I've got it handled," Steve said holding her close.
Everyone else walked away, looking at Tony.
"You going to tell the rest of us anything?" Nat asked.
"Nope," Tony said.
"Pete, why do you look like you know, too?" Rhodes asked.
Peter shrugged.
"Come on, Pete. You know you want to tell us," Wanda said.
"Drop it. It's not something for us to share," Tony said he looked at Peter. "Do not tell them. If they get on you to do so, come to my office. I have calls to make."
"I'll make sure they leave him alone," Pepper told her husband.
Tony smiled. "That's why you're my favorite," he said to his wife before going back to his office and making the calls.
Skye calmed down after a bit. "Sorry about the door."
"Don't worry about it. You're not the first to punch a door or a wall. When Banner has gone into Hulk mode, we have had to replace entire rooms," Steve said.
Skye giggled a little.
Steve smiled abit at her. "Let move back to the couch okay?"
"Can I please just have time to wrap my head around all this?" Skye asked.
Steve let out a breath. "Okay."
They both got up and Skye went to her bedroom and looked around. Was this going to be her room permanently now? She figured there was no way, that something would happen and stop this. She sat in the window seat and watched the city below.
Steve went into the kitchen.
Tony came out from his office. "Cap and Banner, I need you both in here," he said.
They both went in.
"Banner, your cousin, she is a lawyer for supers right?" Tony said.
"Yes," Banner said.
"Get her here please," Tony said.
"Did the calls not work out as you hoped?" Steve asked.
"No, they did. But I think we still are going to need a lawyer who we know will be understanding of everything we have to deal with," Tony said.
Banner called Jen, who was at the compound within the hour.
"Thanks, Banner," Tony said.
"So, I don't even get to know what's going on?" Banner asked.
"Nope," Steve said.
Banner left the room, shaking his head.
"Have a seat, Ms. Walters." Steve said,
"Call me Jen," she said, sitting down. "And tell me how bad this is."
"Hard to tell how this will play out, so how bad it is going to be is kind of a question we will have for you," Tony said.
"Okay. Lay it out for me," Jen said.
"A few months ago, Bucky and I were on patrol and saw a thirteen year old girl being pulled into alleyway. By the time we got there, she was throwing him off her. Long story short, she had no idea that she had super strength. But we used some of the resources we have at hand and found her, a kid in the system with a record that you don't see on most adults," Steve said. "Knowing she had super strength and knew nothing about it, I decided to start a mentorship program specifically to get her under our watch and make sure that her secret was kept so she doesn't end up with a target on her back. And, admittedly, it was to make sure none of our enemies got her on their side," Steve said.
"We knew the group home she's been living in is not great. When she was asked a few months ago about physical abuse, she said there hadn't been any. She can no longer say that," Tony started. He then told her about what had happened that day with the other girls in the home." She, being a thirteen-year-old, didn't use the best judgement and, with the help of another young person around here, decided to try and see if they could use her DNA to figure out if she has any biological family, without telling any of us anything. We didn't even know about the abuse till I got a text from the other teenager involved in it when the results he got made him realize that he had found her biological father and knew we needed to know," Tony said.
Jennifer listened to the entire story, shaking her head at parts. Smirking at the fact that two teenagers found out what most average adult would never be able to. "Okay. I'm guessing that who the father is, is top secret?"
"Well, it's going to come out," Tony said.
"It's me," Steve said.
Jennifer's eyes went big. "Damn. Okay," she said.
"I had no idea. I know who her mother would have been. But I didn't know she was pregnant, had a child and, according to the records of my daughter, gave her up at a safe haven at birth. She passed away a couple years after my daughter was born," Steve said.
"Steve obviously plans to take this information to court. I have made a few calls and am getting the court order to get her DNA legally, so we don't need to throw the hard-headed adult teenager under the bus," Tony said. "But the reason we have had her here, isn't exactly what we have told the people who need to know. Although, apparently, the woman who runs the group home knows about her super strength at least."
She sighed. "What have you been telling people?" Jennifer asked.
"That she's involved in a mentorship program," Steve said.
"Well, that's what it's been, right? What the mentoring exactly was doesn't really matter. But it might come out, meaning the fact that she has this ability. And I'm guessing more than super strength, if she is your daughter," Jennifer said.
"Yes, I get that. Once she's here and completely under our watch she will be safe. And yes, she has the same abilities as me but not as powerful, at least not yet," Steve said.
Jennifer nodded. "Okay. She has been training. Has she been hurt here at all? Gone home with bruises?"
"No," Steve said. "Well, not till she punched through a door today. Her fist is bruising. She has gone home exhausted. It was noticed, and questions were starting to be raised. We have cut down on the training because it was affecting her school work and that has always been her main priority. That wasn't something I was going to allow her to let go."
"You mentioned she has a record. Has her general behaviour changed? Has she stayed out of trouble since working with you?" Jennifer asked.
"For the most part, I believe," Steve said.
"The woman who runs the home told Happy today the reason she wasn't calling the police and having her removed from the home was because she could see that Skye had been changing, and that we could handle it better than just having her get thrown out," Tony told her.
Jennifer nodded. "Good. The fact that you clearly care is evident with that paperwork. I need everything you have on her, even the things you didn't get through legal channels. I will figure out how to use it legally."
Tony went into the filing cabinet in his office and got out the folder. "I have complied everything." He handed it to Jennifer.
"She was here today to do this testing?" Jennifer asked.
"She is still here. She is spending the long weekend here. She spends most weekends here, and she spent some of the summer here as well," Steve said.
"Let me talk to her," Jennifer said.
Steve got up and went and knocked on her door.
"Yeah?" Skye said.
Steve opened the door. "There is a lawyer here. She wants to talk to you."
Skye went with him. "She works specifically for superheroes. She knows everything. You don't need to hide who you are from her," Steve told her.
Skye nodded and went into the room.
"Hi, I'm Jennifer Walters. You can call me Jen. I just realized through all this I never got your name," Jen said, putting her hand out to shake it. She could see the bruises all over the girl's face and neck, and figured there were more not visible.
Skye shook her hand. "Skyler Smith, but Skye."
"Skye. Okay. I just want to ask you a few questions. Alone," she said, looking at the two men.
"I'll be right in the kitchen if there is a problem," Steve said before he and Tony left the office.
"How are you feeling?" Jennifer asked.
"That's a loaded question. I'm feeling nothing and everything," Skye said.
Jen nodded. "Okay. I know it's probably not easy to talk about. But I need to know about all the abuse in the group home."
Skye nodded and told her everything. Detailing everything, even things she hadn't told anyone else.
Jen wrote everything down. When she was done Jen put a hand on her knee. "You're not going back to that home. I will make sure of it."
Skye nodded. "Can you guarantee I stay here? Because if I don't stay in that group home, and end up not being able to stay here, I will be out of New York. I'm guessing you know about my record. Well, I've worn my welcome out at all the foster and group homes in New York."
"Steve is your biological dad. That, and the fact that he didn't even know you existed, goes a long way. As well as the fact that you have built a relationship with him and that he had already began the process to foster or adopt you before he knew your connection. It will all go a long way," Jennifer said.
"He has been trying to adopt me?" Skye asked.
"You didn't know that?" Jen asked.
"He mentioned that anyone here would do anything to keep me safe, including any of them being foster parents, but not the adoption thing," Skye said.
"Well, he has. I can show you the paperwork," Jennifer said.
"I believe you," Skye said. "I just didn't know."
"You have quickly grown on his heart. Think that's a sign you're a good kid," Jen said.
"Think my criminal record says otherwise," Skye said.
"That just says the things you've done. That's not who you need to be. You chose to do those things right?" Jen asked.
Skye nodded.
"So chose not to do them in the future. Now I need to make sure you know, that this whole situation, including the fact that you have super strength, will come out," Jennifer said.
Skye nodded. "That's okay, as long as I'm safe."
"I'll make sure you are," Jennifer said.
Skye smiled. "Thank you."
"Of course, we supers stick together," Jen said.
"You're a super too?" Skye asked.
"She-Hulk is my super name," Jennifer said. "Bruce is my cousin. We were in an accident together, and his blood got on me. Because we share DNA it affected me in a similar way."
"Oh, wow," Skye said.
"Yup, and you got yours from your DNA, too," Jen said.
"I guess so. But I don't get how that works. He was made to be that way with injections," Skye said.
"Yeah, and it changed the make up of his DNA. Meaning the DNA that you got from him. You might not ever be as strong as him, though, because half your DNA came from someone who I'm thinking wasn't a super," Jen said.
"Wasn't?" Skye asked.
"I think I should stop talking and let your dad tell you about all that," Jen said.
Skye nodded slightly. "We don't even know for sure he is my father. The tests could have been done wrong."
"I don't think there is any doubt in his mind. But the test will be done again by someone who knows for sure what they are doing to verify the results, and to make it legal," Jen said.
Skye nodded again.
The two talked a bit more before going out to where Steve was.
"I have gotten everything I need from her," Jennifer said. "She was very cooperative."
"Good," Steve said.
"And I just got an email with the permissions to do the test legally," Tony said.
"Great, let's do it," Skye said.
"You can email me with the results," Jennifer said before saying bye to everyone and heading out.
"Banner, we are going to need your expertise," Steve said.
Bruce raised an eyebrow as they all went to his lab
Tony showed Bruce the documentation to show that they had legal permission to do this.
"How did you get that?" Bruce asked.
"Pulled in a lot of favours," Tony said.
"Stark, I owe you," Steve said.
"Don't mention it," Tony said.
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Bruce asked.
"We are taking her DNA and running it to see if she has a genetic match," Tony said. "But, because she and a certain teenage avenger decided that the legality of the test didn't matter, we already know that she does have a match. We just need it done legally, so a certain spider boy doesn't end up in legal trouble," Tony said.
"And I want you to look her over to make sure nothing is broken or she isn't seriously hurt," Steve said.
"I'm fine," Skye said.
"I don't want to hear any arguments about it," Steve said, his voice indicating the end to that conversation.
"I'm guessing that what she and Peter did has something to do with why you needed a lawyer?" Bruce asked as he started to prep to swab her cheek.
"No, it came up, but that's not what the lawyer is for," Steve said.
"Her biological father is closer than you would think," Tony said.
Bruce looked between the three of them. "Who?"
"Come on, Banner, you are an intelligent man. Think about it," Tony said, smirking.
"I have no idea," Banner said. He looked at Skye. "Open your mouth, please," he said, holding up the swab.
Skye did so. Bruce rubbed the swab around the inside of her cheek and put it into the vile before doing what he needed to do in order to get the DNA into the system.
While they were waiting for the results, he checked all the bruised areas that she would show him.
"Nothing seems to be more than superficial," Bruce said.
"Good," Steve said.
"So, do I have to wait till it shows up on the screen to find out?" Bruce asked.
"It's me," Steve said.
Banner looked at him. "What? Seriously?"
Steve nodded. "I had no idea. If I could talk to her mother, I would go yell at her for not telling me."
"Why can't you?" Skye asked.
"She passed away. What would have been a couple years after you were born," Steve said.
"Oh," Skye said. "Did she have any superpowers?"
"No," Steve said.
"We don't know if its even true. Peter probably messed something up. He didn't really seem to know what he was doing," Skye said.
"I don't think so," Steve said with a small smile. "It completely fits with everything I know."
"Everything you think you know," she mumbled.
"What exactly do I not know?" Steve asked.
"Um… you weren't supposed to hear that," Skye said.
"I figured as much," Steve said.
The computer buzzed a few minutes later.
"No results right?" Skye asked.
"I think someone needs to be more positive," Bruce said, turning the screen towards her so she could see what everyone already knew.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Steve put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and climbed off the bed she was sitting on.
"Skye," Steve said.
"I just need some time, okay?" she snapped, walking out of the room.
Steve took a breath.
"Don't let the teen attitude get to you," Tony said.
"I'm not," Steve said. "I think I'm going to go for a walk myself. Feel free to tell everyone. I know the questions are going to get hard to avoid," he said before going off.
Tony looked at Bruce. "Don't say anything yet. I don't think he really means that."
"I won't," Bruce said. The two of them went back upstairs.