The Crushed Spider

Chapter OnE

UPDATED VERSION

The sun was blazing in the New York sky, the popular city bustling as usual. Crime goes on, day in, day out. Not like it has time to stop. However, even with this ongoing chaos, Spider-man has found time to stop. Everyone must mourn at some point, even if it's alone.

Peter Parker stood above his best friend's grave, letting his slow tears fall onto the new stone. It was a graveyard like any other, the occasional grieving soul and bright flower decorating the grass, left out for those who no longer walk beside us. Out of his spider suit, Peter looked like a normal teenager who just seemed to be going through a rough time.

Whereas, if you were to look a bit closer, you could see the struggle beneath the flesh. How every time he takes a step, it gets a little harder to keep swimming. When he takes a breath, he winces as if his lungs are filled with water. And his weight keeps dipping like waves in the sea. His eyes are sunken, like the lonely fellows whose lungs have been plagued by salt and decay.

Ned's grave was decorated with fresh flowers and his decathlon metal, pieces of paper scattered in memory of him, containing notes in hope that they might have some sort of meaning. He had jumped. And drowned off some bridge. His last note addressed to Peter. Peter Benjamin Parker. The man who had stood by him all his life. Except those last few moments, when he needed him most. His letter remained unread, as Peter had never seen it. It came into the hands of Mr.Stark, he deemed he didn't need to go through that.

"Still come here everyday?" Peter whipped around at the voice to face a familiar girl, of whom he hadn't seen in months. MJ walked closer, taking careful steps of a similar pain, her face without as much color but her eyes still full of hatred. She was suffering from the loss of a friend too after all.

"S-Sorry I'll go.." Peter backed up and grabbed his bag, quickly wiping away the tears.

"It's all your fault." A small whisper came from the once friend and Peter stopped moving, pausing in his process. "He wouldn't even talk to me. As much as I tried to reach out. All he wanted was you!" MJ ran a hand through her tangled hair as her voice escalated, looking at Peter with pure hatred, nothing in her left to give.

"MJ, I'm sorry..." Peter's voice cracked as he reached out for her only to get batted away. It was silent until she looked up, eyes watering and jaw clenched.

"Tell that to Ned." She moved around him and sat at the stone, leaving Peter even more broken than before. Peter walked out of the yard, turning back one last time to see her. Oh, how he missed her.

As Peter swung into the building, still trying to recover from his pain, he realized he was late. Two hours late for the meeting. Dammit, he thought, pulling off his mask and rushing to the meeting room as fast as his legs could carry him.

Peter slammed the elevator button and fooled around with his mask, anxiety slowly filling the boy's body. He racked his brain, searching for an excuse as his breath quickened, but nothing came to mind but the earlier scene. By the time the elevator dinged Peter was close to crying again, his mind racing.

"Nice of you to join us Peter." Steve Rogers spoke as the teen rushed into the room and stopped dead in his tracks, seeing that all the Avengers were gathered in chairs surrounding a round table. All eyes were on him as Peter stuttered and tried to make an excuse.

"I-I was o-out and t-then this r-robbery and-and-and.." as Peter stuttered on Tony held out a hand for him to stop. He motioned for the kid to sit down.

"It's fine. We all get it kid." Tony sipped his drink and adjusted his sunglasses before speaking again, "We were just talking about suit upgrades. Meeting's about done anyway." Everyone mumbled in response as they shuffled in their chairs.

Natasha was the last to get into the elevator, speaking russian with Bucky (which was crowded seeing that everyone was there except Vision, Wanda and Thor) leaving Peter to be crowded in the back. His breathing picked up once again at the closed in feeling. Everyone was making noise as he tried to shove himself father into the corner, folding his arms to appear smaller.

"You alright there?" Tony asked, looking over at his protege, noticing that Peter wasn't his normal cheery self. The bustle of the team didn't cease at his words, all paying attention to other conversations.

"Mm fine Mr.Stark.." He nodded quickly and at that moment the elevator dinged to the floor where everyone was roomed. Peter waited patiently as everyone filed out, slipping his way out last.

Quietly, he made his way to the few stair leading to the rooms, flinching when the hero known as 'Hawkeye' shouted behind him.

"Be down for dinner Pete!" Clint Barton called out and resumed talking to Nat. No one noticed the way Peter was shaking and the tears in his eyes. Nor the missing bounce from his step or the lack of cheer in his eyes.

As soon as he reached his room, Peter slammed the door and sank down to his knees. The suit dissolved around him, leaving Peter in a tight shirt and boxers. He let a shaky breath before tears started to slip from his eyes. His lips trembled as everything started to spill. It felt like he couldn't breath, like the water in his lungs had doubled, starting to drown him faster.

"Mr. Parker, your heartbeat is above normal. I must oblige protocol and make someone aware of your condition," JARVIS spoke through the intercom, his voice not as soothing as usual.

A small whimper escaped him as the anxiety that kicked in began to rise. No one could see him like this, it would be embarrassing, like a child who can't care for themself. Peter's breath increased as he began to feel limp, his oxygen running low from hyperventilating.

"Mr.Stark is on his way, stay calm Mr.Parker." Peter couldn't stay calm, how could he stay calm?! In a move of desperation and in hopes of privacy, he reached up to lock the door. His shaking hands then moved to his hair, tugging as if it might save him.

Not even a minute went by when there was a sharp knock on his door. Peter gasped, and struggled to stop crying. His heart rate quickened at the thought of being seen and having to explain himself.

"Hey kiddo, you alright?" Tony Stark's voice came through from the other side. The door knob jiggled slightly and Stark sighed, muttering something to JARVIS and the lock clicked open. He stopped before turning the knob, "Peter, I'm going to come in, okay?" 

1160 words

Thank you for letting me write. Please reach out if you need anything.

~Tony

P.s love y'all

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