LIAR, LIAR. Peter Parker

ten. you're stuck in my head

"— a little dramatic, you never ordered anything as far as I can remember."

"—but you decide to bring him along," Tony points at Peter, who's mouth is agape as he tries (and fails) to slip himself in the conversation. "I don't know if you know this but your mother visited me the other day and threatened to slit my throat if I put you in any danger whatsoever and now you're in space—"

"It was my idea, actually." Peter rushed in between the two of them, ignoring the lingering questions at the back of his head. (Mother? But wasn't Nina's mother locked up in the Raft?)

"Your idea?"

"His idea," Nina went along with the lie, crossing her arms in front of her chest. It was no one's idea, actually; it had just happened. One moment they were flying back to earth and another moment Peter had webbed the side of the spaceship, hand tight around Nina's waist as he pulled the two of them back inside.

It was a primal instinct and they went for it.

"This isn't Coney Island, or some field trip. This is a one-way ticket. Do you two hear me?" Tony exclaimed and turned his body backwards, balling up his fists; it was evident that he was trying to suppress his anger. "Don't pretend you both thought this through."

"I did think this through."

"I'm going to be honest for the first time forever, but I'll admit, I did not think this through."

Out of all the times. Out of all the damn times when Nina decides to be truthful and she's using it to be a menace. With a quiet whine of her name, he shot her a look of desperation as if he would say anything to get Nina to shut up.

Nina pursed her lips, looking anywhere but at him. But as she did so, Peter heard something faint: there, the pittering of her heart, a little too fast.

The boy bites the inside of his cheek, mentally trying to remind himself that this was a serious matter and he needed to focus.

"Well, I thought this through." Peter mumbled. Unfortunately for him, the words he chose were not the ones Tony was looking for. "You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood."

An akward pause, accompanied by the cringe in Nina's features (her heartbeat had calmed a little bit now), makes Peter realize that the statement sounded way better in his head.

"Okay, that didn't really make any sense but you know what I'm trying to say."

Judging from the way Tony let's out a tired sigh, Nina knows that he has given up on trying to discipline either of them. Sure, he should've done this earlier; they were already in space and there was literally nothing either the three of them could do to go back - but hey, at least he was good now.

"But!" Tony stuck his finger up, gaining both of their attention, "You and Peter stay together the entire time, understood? I don't want to see any one of you do anything to jeopardize this mission or else you two are getting a time out. I'll take away your suits too," he said, pointing at the two of them.

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

"Sure."

"Now Nina," the man gently grabs her by her wrist, tugging her over to the edge of the ship where she's given a clear view of what's happening down there: the alien taunting (she assumes) the wizard as he shuts his eyes in pure agony. "The wizard over there is in pain. You can take that away, right? Do it. Now."

"Okay," Nina replies nonchalantly, her eyes beginning to glimmer that milky white once again.  It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. Nina isn't too sure if she's saying it out loud or if it's all in her head, but she repeats it again and again and again just to make sure. It doesn't hurt: