SDMIRM

CHAPTER 7: Good Intentions

SDMIRM

Tony was finding it hard to believe he was on the side of good when his "righteous" act put his friends into a blacksite floating prison. And there had been zero consideration for how young Wanda was, only inhuman constrictions because SHEILD was starting to guess just how powerful she could be. It brought it brutally home to Tony that Ross wouldn't care that Peter wasn't even old enough to drive a freaking car. If Ross pegged him as a bad guy, Peter would be in the Raft too. And if he and SHEILD found out Spiderman could do a heck of lot more than catch purse snatchers…Tony's worst fears would be realized: Peter weaponized for the glory of the SHEILD regime.

It made him heap curses on his head for not having sent Peter home already. Instead he had allowed the kid's puppy dog look and adorable pleadings to stay in Germany until he could go home with him to short circuit his common sense. If Ross looked even halfheartedly for Spiderman, he would find him. 'Selfish! I was being so selfish! I wanted the kid with me and now…if Ross gets him….' Flashes of the cold inhumanness of the Raft flickering in Tony's mind. 'No. The kid proved he's on SHEILD's side. They have no reason to track him down.' Except Tony's gut was spewing up insidious reasons why they would track Spiderman down: to force him to sign the accords, so he would be accountable to their punishments if one of Spiderman's good intentioned rescue attempts failed, maybe leveraging Peter against him. Because Tony wasn't being Ross's yes man anymore and Ross was a dick enough to threaten a kid to get him to toe the line.

Well Ross and SHEILD could go screw themselves. Tony now had his own agenda to follow. Most important on that list was to get Peter as far away from this disastrous ground zero as possible. He was even considering throwing in an order for the kid to ditch the Spiderman routine altogether until the world was kinder to superheroes.

Only after the kid was squared away on a plane homeward bound would Tony go after Steve. Would offer his help to stop a super soldier squad resurrection, because Barnes was proof enough that a super soldier off the rails could ruin anyone's day.

Of course, Peter, being a teenager, he couldn't just take Tony's word that he knew what was best for him.

"What…what do you mean reconsider being Spiderman?"

The kid's face looked like Tony had just told him Santa existed, but he was a perv. But that was easier to take than the next emotions to cross the kid's features: shame.

"I…I screwed up. That's..that's why I should quit. I…I didn't get the job done. But I can do better, I know I can," Peter earnestly vowed, would do whatever he had to do to prove to Mr. Stark he could trust him to finish the next job he was assigned.

'Crap this kid's breaking my 'no feeling anything for anyone' rule hard and fast!' Tony internally groused even as he was crossing the hotel room to reach the upset fourteen-year-old boy. Putting his hands on the kid's shoulders to ensure the kid paid attention to his next words, he announced, "You didn't screw up. I did. Ross did."

"What's wrong? What's happened?" Tony's words scared Peter a bit.

"You mean besides crippling my best friend by my tech and getting people I care about thrown into a floating prison, absolutely nothing. Blue skies everyone," Tony sardonically retorted, stepping back from Peter as if his bad luck could transfer to the kid through touch. But he wished he hadn't been so flippant when Peter tried to absolve him in the next second.

"You only did what you thought was right, Mr. Stark. It's not up to you what happens to your teammates after that."

"Kinda feels like it is when Ross is being such a prick about their punishment. He's thrown out the rule book. If he has the balls to imprison the Avengers and throw away the key, he'll have no compunction about handling independent superheroes like Spiderman with the same degree of hostility. Maybe worse. I don't want you in his crosshairs. I thought…" Tony shook his head, disgusted with how badly his good intentions were turning out, "I thought I was putting you into this fight so Ross would NEVER go after you but…Hell, I felt lucky he didn't throw me into a cell in the Raft when I visited." But there were worst scenarios, like Peter being in a cell. He pierced Peter with his most deadly intense look before he blatantly spelled out the possible fallout to the teenager. "You are in danger, Peter. From people you think are the good guys."

But Peter couldn't just…go back to who he was, plain old Peter Parker. Uncle Ben had tried to drill into him one lesson from his father: If you could do good things for others, you had a moral obligation to do it. Not a choice but an obligation. Those words had been some of the last ones Ben had said to him, had sent Peter running out the door angry and hurt and pissed that his own father hadn't lived by his own code. That fight led to his uncle combing the streets for him…and getting killed for his efforts. "I can't…just…hide away when people still need me," Peter stammered, didn't want to contradict Mr. Stark but couldn't let Uncle Ben down again by being selfish and cowardly.

The kid's honor and compassion were remarkable and scared Tony spitless, which caused him to be truthful with his next words. "Well, I need you to stay alive. To stay out of hellish submerged prisons," his voice cracking as his fear ramped up just saying that horrifying possibility aloud. "So think of me. And your aunt. Do you think it would be awesome if she learned you were Spiderman when she gets to read it on your arrest warrant."

As much as Tony's personal worry for him was awesome…. Well not awesome but …made Peter feel good. But not in a sadistic 'he liked inflicted emotional pain on Mr. Stark' way. But throwing in May's reaction to him being arrested, on top of her learning he was Spiderman, that wasn't anything like awesome at all. Which left Peter torn on who to honor: May or Ben? Or Mr. Stark?

Seeing the emotions flickering across Peter's face, Tony knew the boy was conflicted on what to do. He knew the feeling, only too well lately. Wanted things to be easier for the boy. "How about we table this conversation until I can handle things with Steve and get back to New York. Then we can figure out the depths of the water we are in."

Course the kid would latch onto the part Tony didn't want him to. "You know where Captain America is? Did one of the Avengers tell you? Are you going to arrest him too? Or is he going to help you make a jail break?" Peter rapid fired his questions at Tony.

But Tony was good at avoiding answering questions, just ask the senate committee. "All that is above your pay grade, kiddo. You're a low-ranking hero, underoos. Like kindergarten designation. And baby heroes get their butts on planes and go home, for real this time."

"But you can't go up against the captain alone. Not when he has Mr. Barnes on his side," Peter worriedly declared. Because no offense to Iron Man, but two against one weren't great odds, even in superhero levels.

The kid's worry for him was almost touching, if Tony was such a soft touch, which he wasn't. "Well good thing I'm offering Steve assistance instead of another round of trying to knock each other's heads off."

"Assistance? I don't…why?"

Tony waved away Peter's curiosity. "Boring stuff like frozen super soldiers, evil Soviet programs and hidden bunkers. Too boring to interest a crimefighter like you."

"Super soldiers…like Captain America?" Peter's eyes lit up at the idea of having more heroes around like the Captain.

Tony felt a spike of malicious jealousy at the hero worship still oozing out of Peter for Steve, even after Mr. High Moral Ground had left the kid battered and bruised. It made Tony a little pleased to be able to ruthlessly smash Peter's dreams of having more Rogers in the world, "More like Barnes…on his psycho days." Didn't wait to witness the crestfallen look on the kid's face before he turned to where the boy had his clothing tossed onto a chair. Snapping his fingers, he pointed in that direction, "Come on, pack your bag and I'll walk you to the plane."

"Ah…but…I didn't shower and I stink," Peter said as he tugged on his shirt's front. "And you so don't want to have Happy stuck in a plane with me smelling like this. I mean..he already doesn't seem to like me and I want to change his mind that but if he finds my smell offensive, my chances…"

Tony cut into the boy's 100 miles per hour rambling, "Yes, ok, got it. Puberty. Well then…" Tony felt a twisting in his heart as he realized he didn't want to say goodbye to the kid. Reaching out, he gently cupped Peter's cheek. "Stay out of the suit until I get back, ok," he had intended to make it an order but it came out too soft, more like an entreaty.

Peter's eyes went wide in astonishment. "Wait?! I can keep the suit?!"

Tony's fought to keep a smile from flashing on his face like a neon sign but seriously, this kid was just too preciously humble. "Know any other spider themed heroes who'd use it?" he rhetorically asked before he broke down and smiled. "Course you can keep it. I made it for you and only you, Peter."

"Wow! Thanks Mr. Stark, that's…that's unbelievable! Awesome! I can't…..." Peter plowed into Tony and gave him a fierce hug, said against Tony's chest, "it's the best thing anyone's ever given me."

Tony petted Peter's hair and dropped his chin onto the crown of his head. "As far as suck-ups go, that was a pretty good one," Tony teased, fighting back the well of tears in his own eyes. Then he pushed the kid back, held him at arm's length and stared him down, eye to eye. "Now swear to me that you won't put the suit on when you get home, not until I'm back and we talk."

"Totally. I won't put the suit on at home. Promise, Mr. Stark," Peter vowed without hesitation and with conviction.

"Good. Well…I gotta go. See you back in New York, kiddo." Tony then turned for the door, somehow expected the kid to offer up his own goodbye but he didn't. He shot the kid a smile as he closed the hotel room door and started walking down the hallway. Found that he was looking forward to their future meet up. It made him vow to not get himself killed on this team up with Steve because he had no intentions of standing the kid up.

SDMIRM

As soon as Mr. Stark closed the hotel room door, Peter was running for the Spiderman suit and quickly donning it. Didn't have a twinge of conscience because he had promised Mr. Stark he wouldn't put the suit on when he got home. He'd made no vow about not putting it on now and tagging along with Mr. Stark in case he needed him.

Peter had learned a lot about lying, loopholes and lies of omission since he'd become Spiderman.

Going to the balcony, Spiderman jumped onto the railing before he leaped up to stick to the side of the building. Then he began climbing to the roof, because surely Mr. Stark's helicopter/jet thing was there. Springing onto the roof, he smiled at the sight of the Stark Industry copter right where he knew it would be.

Knowing that, if he sat merrily in the copilot seat, Mr. Stark would order him to stay behind, Peter glued himself to the outside of the helicopter in the back of the fuselage right under the tail. Which was totally not visible from the side Mr. Stark would enter the copter.

Peter's heart was pounding in excitement and a tinge of fear, but his conviction wasn't wavering. Mr. Stark couldn't go alone, couldn't trust Captain America and Mr. Barnes after all the fighting they had just done. And since the other Avengers had scattered and Mr. Rhodey was injured, it was up to Peter to be Iron Man's sidekick…no, partner.

Peter nearly sprang loose in a fit of shock when a woman's voice from inside the copter said, "I've detected you and I will alert Mr. Stark of your presence when he arrives."

Knowing the copter was empty, Peter's quicksilver mind realized who was threatening him. "No way! You're ..you're …you're the AI Mr. Stark built! Well, the second one after JARVIS or Vision…kinda confusing what to call him. I think you're called …FRIDAY. I'm not sure of the meaning of the acronym. Never been good with them, can't figure out SHEILD's under torture. But wow! So cool that you're in the helicopter. I bet you're in his jet too and his Iron Man suits."

"I go where Mr. Stark goes. As for you, you should not be here," a reprimand in the AI's accented lint.

"But I have to be! He'll need me." He hadn't thought he'd have to convince Tony's AI of his good intentions!

"If you are certain of your welcome from Mr. Stark, why are you hiding on the outside of the helicopter?"

Peter cringed at having been found out by a computer. "Ok, you got me. He said no but he should have said yes. I mean…you're trying to protect him, right? Well so am I and you can't go down into a bunker with him and have his back. I mean, you do in the Iron Man suit but it's not like having someone having your back physically."

"I think there are more suitable people to be his backup." Because FRIDAY's database knew all about Spiderman, his true identity and his tender age.

"But they aren't here…I am," Peter beseechingly pointed out. "And besides, you can detect the suit I'm wearing is Stark tech. Would he have given me the suit if he didn't trust me, want me to help him out in a fight like I did yesterday?"

That stumped FRIDAY'S logic, and especially since her job was to protect Mr. Stark, it wasn't against her mandate to coordinate with other superheroes to back him up when he required it. And this Spiderman clearly had Mr. Stark's trust. "You believe him to be going into a dangerous situation?"

Feeling like he might be swaying the AI, Peter stressed, "Very Dangerous. And alone. Because he might think he can trust the people he's meeting but what if he can't?! Neither you or I want anything bad to happen to him."

"No, I don't," FRIDAY stridently concurred. But then there was a pause that had Peter sweating over her final decision, until she spoke again. "I will coordinate with your suit's AI to cloak you from visual as well as computerized scanning to ensure Mr. Stark doesn't spot your presence."

"Awesome! Wait…my suit has its own AI?" Peter asked but broke off as the hotel's roof door opened and Mr. Stark headed for the copter. Peter held his breath, but it wasn't required. He wasn't detected as Mr. Stark entered the copter and then it was taking off, moving faster than Peter had ever watched any other helicopter go. He held on tight, glad he had the suit on so he didn't have to squint into the wind shear or have his hair blowing in his face. In that moment he had never felt more in sympathy for bugs on the bus's windshield trying their desperate best to hang as the bus revved up to faster speeds.

SDIRM

Peter was almost knocked off the copter when the section of the fuselage beside him opened up. Then Iron Man was flying out of that opening, unknowingly inches from Spiderman's position. Peter contemplated making his presence known but then Iron Man was thrusting off toward the ground. "Great, how am I supposed to follow him." He was upset with himself for not thinking this next step through, until he posed a question to the AI with excited hopefulness, "FRIDAY can you follow him?"

"No, we are in restricted air space. If I drop the helicopter's altitude, we will be on radar. Mr. Stark's suit isn't detectable."

Peter looked down from his vantage point to the ground. Far far down. "But I…I can't jump from here. There aren't any building for me to to catch onto and swing down. The trees are too short. And besides, I'm really not good with swinging from trees, ran into branches and trunks and broke my wrist last time I tried."

"I suggest you use your suit's parachute," FRIDAY matter-of-factly advised.

Peter's voice cracked with youthful excitement, "The suit has a parachute?!"

SDIRM

Peter learned a few hard lessons about parachutes. # 1: Steering a parachute was a lot harder than swinging in a city. A lot harder. # 2: You had to figure out wind factors. It wasn't just about adjusting to swinging in the city on a windy day. # 3: If you pulled your cord to deploy the parachute too soon, you could get way off course. Way.

So yeah, he got off course. Landed more than three miles from where FRIDAY had pinged Mr. Stark's beacon. He thought he should roll on his landing to absorb the impact like he did coming off a tall building but that had him coiled up on the parachute cords. Then he had to figure out either how to get the parachute back into his suit or cut it loose. (Spoiler: He ended up ripping the cords to free himself of the chute.)

Parachute dilemma solved, he finally took in his surroundings and felt the chill. Ok the downright Star War Hoth Planet like temperatures, with the backdrop of snow, like everywhere. A couple feet under his boots, on the trees, on the hills and on every surface as far as he could see, white snow. 'And me without my winter coat,' he joked, but of course he couldn't very well wear a winter coat when he was Spiderman so yeah…he'd have to consider accessorizing for winter. But that was hindsight and couldn't matter right then. Yet it kinda did, what with his breath burning in his lungs and his boots on the lightweight side so he didn't have drag when he swung and could be sticky enough to ..well, stick but right then, it felt like he was walking barefoot on ice, wet gushy ice.

All in all, he had to rate the suit's winter preparedness a below zero score. Not that he would ever tell Mr. Stark that! It beat his cotton hoodie and sweatpants by a million miles in comfort, coolness and technological awesomeness. So what if it was a little drafty wearing it here. This was Russian, known for its brutal winters. Going forward the suit would only have to stand up to New York winters.

New York, man, he missed civilization! There he would have buildings to swing from. Here, none of the trees he was walking along were even big enough to give him any swing time. Not like his webbing would have a chance of latching onto frozen, snow-covered branches. He was resigned to staying on the ground and running, which, though he was a lot faster than he was before the bite, he still didn't particularly enjoy that mode of travel.

By the time he saw the bunker, even his enhanced body wasn't doing great in the extreme cold. He was stumbling a bit, coughing hard and it hurt pretty badly to intake a breath. He figured that wasn't worrying though, because he wasn't hypothermic, couldn't be. Hadn't shivered or had chatting teeth at all. Knew it was when you had those symptoms and they suddenly stopped, that meant you were in trouble. So though he felt like he was becoming the abominable spiderman, he wasn't.

He reached the bunker door and was glad it opened with a tug instead of him having to try and circumvent the alarm panel that someone seemed to have taken a pickax to. Something not Mr. Stark's style and Captain American or Mr. Barnes could have strongarmed the door open. 'That means someone else is here.' And he didn't know if that person was a friend or foe to Mr. Stark but his brain was buzzing like it did when trouble was heading his way. That had him voting a 'no' on the other visitor to the frozen relic of a building being an ally to Mr. Stark or to him.

With new caution, Peter slipped inside the bunker. He wasn't sure how fastidious Russians were about their housekeeping but thought they'd had help with the chaos feng shui of the big metal room. It seemed that half the bunker had fallen in on itself, with superpowered prejudice help. He undampened his senses, could hear the hiss of steam coming from the broken hydraulics in the right side of the room, the crunch of glass under his feet as he approached a broken glass cylinder encasement that had a dead man in a chair. A man Peter didn't recognize but reminded him of a tv dinner, frozen and halfway between freezer-burned and thawing.

There were no sounds of any fighting, of anyone talking. Proof that whoever had caused this destruction was no longer there. There was the whistle of wind though, like someone had let a big window open, allowing the frigidness of the outside to steal inside. And there was a noise, indiscernible to a normal person's hearing capabilities but not Spiderman's. It sounded like someone weakly gasping for breath.

On silent wet boots, Peter tracked the source of the sound, didn't want to alert anyone to his presence there until he knew who was left behind, had lost the battle that had been waged. He prayed the loser hadn't been Mr. Stark. Course then that would leave Peter stranded in the bunker. Maybe with a dying or badly injured but maybe still dangerous bad guy. Ok, he couldn't freak out about that. Would do that later.

That was another thing about being Spiderman, he had to learn to stuff down the fear, the panic, the 'I can't believe that happened' reactions until he got home, until lights were out, until May wasn't around. Delayed, controlled, unwitnessed freakouts were his new norm.

Bounding over a section of a wall that was on the floor, he saw strips of light ahead, felt the force of the cold and wind against his suit's outer layers. He circled around an intact glass tube with a body inside, strapped to a chair but Peter didn't detect a heartbeat, not from within. Found one ahead, where the wheezing breathing was emanating. So kept walking, skirted more debris, and walked under the silo that reminded him of a NASA launchpad. He had to walk ten more feet before he saw the source of the heartbeat and wheezing breath.

"Mr. Stark!" Peter called out in panicked fear, running full out, falling to his knees beside Mr. Stark. The man's eyes were closed, his breath hitching, and his heartbeat, it wasn't pacing like Mr. Stark's heart usually did. It always had its own unique rhythm but now it was slower, more erratic.

With a trembling hand, Peter touched Iron Man's broken chestplate. His fingers caught on the shattered glass of the Arc Reactor as he watched in panicked horror as its light flickered as if it would go out at any moment.

Wanting to see without any filters, Peter pulled off his own mask, couldn't hold back a sob as he stared down at Mr. Stark. "Mr. Stark, please ..wake up, don't die," he implored, his badly shaking hand reaching for the only part of Mr. Stark's flesh he could touch, his face, bloody and pale. Nearly as pale as Uncle Ben's had been as he lay dying.

That comparison had unchecked terror and grief surging through Peter.

"No! You can't go, Mr. Stark!" Peter begged, tears tracking down his face as his fingers desperately seized Tony's chin, gave it a shake. "I won't let you go!" absolutely refusing to lose one more person he cared about. 'Maybe that is my curse, to bring pain and death to every person I love, who think I'm worthy of being loved.'

Foolishly, he had thought to earn his redemption by being Spiderman, believing that a few good deeds would make amends for the blood on his hands, Uncle Ben's blood. Might have even convinced himself he was getting closer to some meager absolution, but if he couldn't save Mr. Stark, all of it had been in vain.

SDMIRM

TBC

SDMIRM