Iron-Dad and Spider-Son One Shots

Guilt

Peter crouches on a roof, overlooking the blissful city. There hasn't been much crime tonight. Just a few lost dogs and an attempted car theft.
Peter is about to check the other side of the city when Karen's voice announces: "Peter, there is a mugging in progress two streets to your right."
Finally.
"I'm on it!" Peter announces and webs over.

He arrived to two large men grabbing onto the backpack of a teenage girl, only a year or two younger than him.
"Give it back!" she screams.
Why on Earth would a teenager be out so late? Peter wonders ironically.
He clears his throat casually and strides up to the scene.
"Am I interrupting?" he asks.
"Spider-Man!" the teen cries.
"The one and only." Peter smirks under his mask.
He shoots a web grenade and captured one of the men. The other turns to run but Peter shoots a web at his back, knocking him to the floor.
Before he can get up, Peter shoots another web grenade. But not before the man can blindly fire his gun.
Peter breathes a sigh of relief.
That was close. Almost got shot.
Then there's a light thud to his left. When he sees the source of the sound, all his breath leaves his body.
"No." he whispers. "No, no, no, no, no!"
To his left is the teenage girl, sprawled on the ground with a bloody bullet wound in her head.
Peter rushes to her and feels her pulse. Its slowing! It's slowing!
"It's okay, I'll call an ambulance. It's fine. Everything's fine." he assured himself more than her.
"It's okay."

Peter arrives home to his and May's apartment and quickly checks the news. He needs to know if the girl is okay.
The old television blinks on.
"It's just in that a fourteen year old girl from Queens was shot dead by two armed men. The local hero, known as Spider-Man was seen trying to help on security tapes, however..."
Peter turns off the TV. He can't hear anything but a high-pitched tone ringing in his head. His sight blurs and his torso suddenly seems too big for his legs. Everything is dizzy. Peter stumbles to his bed, pulls the sheets over his head and muffles his screams with a pillow.

After fifteen minutes, May comes in tentatively.
"Pete?" she asks. "I saw the news and..."
Peter groans and turns to face May. Her face softened when she sees his puffy red eyes.
She comes toward him. "Peter, it's okay."
"A fourteen year old girl is dead. Because of me." Peter whimpers. His lip quivers and a fresh wave of tears overtakes him. "I-I c-c-c-ould ha-have stopped th-them, May!" he cries.
"Peter, they're bad men. It's not your fault."
Peter closes his eyes but only sees the body of the girl behind his lids.
He tries to reply to May but is too out-of-breath to.
May leaves the room and Peter hears her on the phone.
"Mr. Stark... Peter... news... devastated... needs... please...". Peter hears fragments of the conversation but barely listens to it.
He just pulls the sheets over his head again and continues crying.

"Peter?" Mr. Starks voice fills the room.
But Peter doesn't reply.
"Pete." Mr. Stark tries again.
This time Peter whimpers in response. He pulls the sheets off his head and looks at his mentor desperately.
"I failed, Mr. Stark." he whispers, his eyes filling with more tears.
"Peter. You didn't fail. And my name's Tony."
Tony crosses the room and sits on Peter's bed. He puts an arm around the boy and runs his hand through Peter's hair soothingly.
"Peter, I remember when I lost my first casualty. Most of the Avengers have lost someone. And it feels like shit, I know. Don't repeat that cuss word.  But Peter, even though the guilt doesn't go, you'll soon accept that you couldn't have done anything. That it's not your fault."
"When?" Peter asks weakly.
"I don't know. Maybe a week. Maybe a month. Or maybe a year. You're a good kid. You'd jump in front of a train to save a stranger. And I know this is tearing you apart. But they would have shot her anyway. Don't let this put you off Spider-Man. I know there's a ton of heroes who stop altogether when they lose their first victim. But that doesn't have to be you. You're a strong boy. And I know you're able to bounce back."
Peter had stopped crying but still didn't feel any better.
"Mr. -Tony, can I have a hug?" Peter asked, his voice raw.
Tony put his arms around the innocent teenager and held onto him tightly. The boy put his head on Tony's chest and felt comfort in his mentors arms.
"Thanks... Dad." Peter whispers.