Bruised But Not Broken - Irondad/spiderson

Stark Finds Out

MR STARKS POV

This damn suit, the arm won't budge, I was trying to fix my newest Iron suit, but the arm got jammed in a test run. I need to run some more wires. I wish I had a better grip on this technology. I mean, I created the damn thing, but sometimes it feels like it's more intelligent than I am. Who am I kidding? I'm Tony Stark, Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, and Philanthropist. I have to fix this so I can finally use my upgraded suit. I grabbed onto the arm and pulled as hard as I could, but it wasn't budging; lifting my leg on and pushing on the suit for leverage, I leaned back, and sure enough, the arm came off. It didn't just come off; it flew, shattering the glass wall to my lab behind me. Oops.

"Sir, It seems we have a problem", FRIDAY announced through my lab,

 " yeah, FRI, I know I broke my wind- " Sir, there is a child from the tour group unconscious in the cafeteria bathroom; it appears he has critical injuries all over his body." She cut me off.

My face darkened as I stormed out of my lab towards the issue. I moved through a crowd of my workers pushing into the bathroom. A tour guide is on the ground with her back to me; I start to walk around her when I see the blood pooling around her legs, and in front of her, a paled fragile boy, eyes closed, face cracked, and bleeding is resting in her lap. She looks up at me as I move closer. 

" Mr Stark, please, help. He's just a boy!" she cries.

I quickly grab onto my shirt and rip off some fabric, tying around the worst injury on his head. Picking the weightless boy up and pushing through the crowd still gathering. The guide in tail quickly followed me out the doors to the elevator. 

" FRIDAY, Get the Medical team ready", I croaked. Okay, kid, I got you.

"What happened to him?" I sternly ask the guide with a name badge on 'Emma'.

She shook, her voice quivering, 

"His uhm, his friend approached me and said he had been missing for about three hours and his teacher wouldn't go looking for him, so I asked FRIDAY to locate him, and she tracked his badge to the bathroom that when I found him and screamed for help, but no one would help. No one. So I just held him until you came. FRIDAY said you were on your way."

"Okay, take a deep breath, Emma. You did good, but now we need to get this boy to the med bay." the elevator doors opened, and the white light on the ground routed the fastest path to the medical centre on the eighth floor. Holding onto this paper-thin child, I sprinted down the halls and could hear Emma trailing after me. She deserves a promotion after this. The doctors and nurses were ready and waiting when we reached the medical centre. They quickly take the boy from my arms and rush him into the operating room. I could see their worry as they worked on the boy.

My mind wanders as I wait for news on the boy's condition. I couldn't help but think that this incident was my fault. I had created this building this technology, and I was responsible for the safety of everyone who came here. I was so preoccupied with fixing my suit that I didn't even notice a child in critical condition in my building. This thought made me feel sick to my stomach. Looking around the medical centre, I could see the worry etched on everyone's faces. The doctors and nurses were working tirelessly to save the boy's life, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for their expertise. I knew they were doing everything possible, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had let everyone down. 

As I sat there, lost in thought, Emma crouched beside me. Her shirt and pants were still soaked in blood, and she looked exhausted. 

"Mr. Stark, do you think he'll be okay?" she asked, her voice trembling. I looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes. She had been through a traumatic experience, and I knew that she needed reassurance. 

"The doctors are doing everything they can," I said, trying to sound as comforting as possible. "He's in good hands." Emma nodded, but I could see that she was still scared. I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. 

"Why don't you go with Summer and get cleaned up? You've been through a lot and should care for yourself too." Emma looked at me gratefully and stood up, looking for Summer, who I called over then, following her out of the room. Moving towards the elevator, I talk privately to FRIDAY through my bracelet.

" Find out what happened to the boy, who he is, and his parents need to be contacted." Stepping into the elevator, FRIDAY replied with information. 

"The boy's name is Peter Parker. Lives with his only surviving relative, May Parker, his Aunt. Peter sustained multiple serious injuries in the lower-level bathroom. Video footage shows Peter entering the bathroom looking anxious and unwell, then following another student from his class 'Eugene Thompson' who soon exists after six to six minutes with blood on his shirt and hands. On returning to the group, Emma led the students into the next room, where another student brought up missing PeterPeter to their teacher; their teacher did not react well and proceeded to ignore this for another two hours until Emma, the tour guide, was approached by this student:" FRI informed me. So his classmate basically beat him to death.

"FRI, tell his Aunt, will you let her in so I can speak to her."

I pull up Peters's medical statistics on my phone to see the injuries he sustained while travelling up to the penthouse. The lengthy list appeared on my phone: Fractured ribs, internal intestinal bleeding, two fractures in his skull, brain bleed, dislocated shoulder and bruises all over his body. He's also showing signs of frequent starvation and older bruises on his body. This kid has been through what no kid should have to endure. FRIDAY also sent over his records: his parents died at 10, then his uncle at 14. The elevator dings, pulling me out of my thoughts. I see the school group sitting at the exit with their teacher, and I call Happy over. 

" I want Eugene Thompson and the teacher in holding now. Contact the police and the boy's parents. I'm suing them."