Pain Will Always Come Back to Haunt You

Busted

"So, what do we know about him besides the fact that he uses hallucinogens?" Peter asks curiously. He wants to learn as much as possible so that when he gets into a fight next time, Mysterio won't trick him again.

"Well," Bruce highlights the tanks on Mysterio's back "at least one of these has to be the oxygen supply. His helmet is made out of one-way plexiglass, which he most likely uses along with the oxygen tank to make sure he doesn't inhale his own gases. Also," the diagram zooms in to the crook between Mysterio's shoulder and helmet "there's a small projector mounted on his suit that allows him to create incredibly realistic illusions. Especially when he has the advantage of his mist creating a cover. With the mist, it will be almost impossible to distinguish the illusions from reality. Besides touch, obviously."

"Thanks for the positivity, Bruce," Tony comments sarcastically. He walks around the hologram, inspecting it as he rubs his chin. "We don't know what type of hallucinogenic drug he used, huh?" He spins the hologram with the wave of his hand.

"No, but, based on Peter's actions after being exposed to it, my guess is some type of deliriant," Bruce suggests carefully.

"How's that different from other kinds?" Peter may be smart for his age, but it's not like he's looking up types of hallucinogens in his spare time.

"It's the type where you're most likely to hold a conversation with something that isn't there," Tony begins. "You interact with people and objects that your mind creates and you can't tell the difference between that and reality. It can make you aggravated too, so we're lucky Bruce stayed away from the stuff." They would have been way out of their league if the Hulk went psycho.

"That makes sense," Peter considers thoughtfully. "Everything looked clear as day. I thought for sure that the door and window were completely smashed to pieces. And I could, uh, hear his voice. Like, actually hear it. It was intense." He tries to stop the chills from spreading up his arms and chuckles to cover up his anxiety.

"You're lucky your metabolism works at such a fast rate. Once you were away from the gas, your lungs burned through what was left in your body in a matter of seconds. That's why it's so important for us to get your test results. As great as it is that you can burn through the hallucinogen, you can burn through anesthesia just as quickly," Bruce easily explains. He pointedly looks at Tony who is still examining every inch of Mysterio's get-up.

"Somehow he can maneuver through his own smokescreen. He made a decisive attack on Peter. How could he do that with a bowl on his head when even we couldn't see." Tony looks expectantly at both of them. Peter looks at his hands and shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know...We used heat signatures, but it didn't even work that well." His brain isn't firing on all cylinders right now. He feels sluggish and emotionally as well as physically exhausted. This definitely isn't a feeling that he's used to.

"Maybe some kind of camera system or radar. Peter, did you see anything else on the outside of his suit?" Bruce asks. Peter thinks for a moment before shaking his head. It wasn't really on his mind when he was worried about Toomes. "What about his helmet? You two got a closer look than I could." Once again, he shakes his head. The room falls silent for a few awkward beats and it almost feels crushing. Why can't I be upbeat like I usually am? Tony gives Bruce a knowing look, but they've both noticed the kid's lack of energy.

"How about we deal with this later," Tony suggests. He claps his hands once and rubs them together. "Hey, who wants a movie night? I'll make the popcorn," he offers. Bruce and Peter quickly protest.

"No, no that's alright," Bruce laughs nervously.

"I'm sure there are other, less flammable snacks, Mr. Stark." Peter smiles encouragingly.