Peter Parker Oneshots

Forget Me Not

Shit.

Tony had no idea what to say. 

Next, the man cleared his throat. "My name is James Rhodes. You can call me Rhodey. I'm... I was your best friend. We met at MIT in college."

Tony forced a nod, trying to hide his confusion.

Finally, the brown-haired boy. Tony was silently praying that he wasn't his son. That would just be even more painful.

"I-uh, my name is Peter... Peter Parker. I'm, uh..." The boy cast his gaze around, between Pepper and Rhodey. "I'm your intern."

If this kid wasn't his son, or anyone that close to him, then why was he here?

He noticed Pepper and Rhodey shoot surprised glances at Peter, and saw a faint look of shock on Bruce's face. Something about the kid was off.

Tony paused, frowning as he tried to figure it out.

Peter noticed his what-probably-looked-like-anger look and a quickly-stomped-down expression crossed his face, too quickly for Tony to decipher entirely. Pain, definitely. Guilt, for some reason. 

Pepper shifted almost imperceptibly toward Peter, in a slightly defensive stance.

Tony doubted she even realized it.

Bruce said something softly to the trio, who nodded and left the room.

Tony wanted to protest. He wanted to talk to his family and the kid.

Tony actually really wanted to talk to Peter. There was something about him that kept drawing his eyes to the boy. 

Bruises... around the throat...

The words burst out of him as soon as the conclusion connected.

"Peter was strangled!" 

Bruce turned to him, surprised. "Is that a memory, or...?" He inquired.

Tony shook his head quickly. "No! Bruises, around his neck! His throat! You can't get those easily! And the pressure points-"

Helen cut him off. "Don't worry about it, Tony. Bruce, go talk to Peter. Check if he needs Med Bay."

Bruce nodded and left the room.

A brief thought occurred to Tony.

Could Peter have done this? Caused my amnesia? Did I do... that in self-defense?

As soon as the thought surfaced, Tony dismissed it. Peter was too scrawny, not muscular enough to inflict the sort of damage that Tony must have sustained.

Helen was talking, some spout of medical shit, but Tony wasn't paying attention.

Alarms started blaring through the room. A voice in the ceiling started talking. 

"Protocol Number 774337 - Hurt Spider - active. Alpha 8-10 Users, you know what to do."

It was clearly an artificial intelligence, and Helen noticed Tony's face and quickly explained. 

"That's FRIDAY. She's an AI you designed to help with the basic functions of the compound."

Helen briefly explained what the compound was before Tony interrupted.

"What's the spider? Do I own a spider or something? Why would I be so protective of it?"

A variety of emotions passed over Helen's face - surprise, understanding, even a hint of amusement.

Helen hesitated, clearly having an internal debate. 

"I don't think that's a good idea to talk about yet."