Reminded

chapter 19

He must deserve this right? This is the world getting back at him for killing May, for driving her to insanity to the point where she wouldn't even tell him she was sick. This was for making Tony come home early from his job, from his life's work. This was for letting Ben die, just standing there when he was shot and not doing anything. This was for his parents.

All these times he was just able to move on after their deaths, pretend like nothing happened. Live a normal life, this was his payback. It was all catching up to him. How unfair was it all. To lose his parents, his aunt and uncle, then reap and live in the benefits of Tony Stark. To live better than any kid who still had their parents.

Calling Mr. Stark home early from his trip, ruining his plane fighting toomes, splitting a ferry in half, taking up space in his tower. Putting responsibility on not only him, but the other avengers too.

The world gave him a chance to make things right and he didn't. This was what he deserved. He let his body relax in the chair, slumping down into the cold metal. Sure he had done everyone in his life wrong, but how he wished he could be in the same room as Tony, taking in the comfort that the man's presence had brought him. Listening to the screaming music he liked, doing homework in the lab as he focused intently on one of his ironman suits or projects.

But he was out of his way now. Now Mr. Stark could be a hero again. He could have his life back, maybe make things right with Pepper. Go to his meetings and parties and go to bed every night now having to worry about a child thrashing around in his sleep with nightmares flooding his traumatized head. He could go on missions with the team. That put a pit in his stomach. The thought of Tony on a mission. Putting himself in harm's way. Getting hurt... dying. He couldn't live in a world without iron man. Or Tony Stark. But it seems like in the situation Peter was in right now, living to even see the world beyond this factory wasn't a very possible option. He just hoped after he was gone, Tony would be happy. And safe. And alive. He hopes he won't be putting him through trouble. He wished he could contact the man and tell him not to trade anything in for him, to just live his life. Be happy.

The door swung open giving the pitch black room little to no light. "Stop the daydreaming. You've got work to do" the man's deep voice filled the room.

He heard a loud click and the room was filled with bright white leds. It was the first light he had seen in two days and it was extremely painful on his eyes. He looked around. Concrete walls and floors. Just what he had predicted.

"Hm high budget lighting. Well funded" Peter comments

The man landed a crisp palm to the side of Peter's face. It stung but it wasn't the first time he's ever been slapped. Hell, if they even shot him it wouldn't be the first time.

"Alright. Start rolling" The second man raised his camera, facing the boy.

Peter's eye was swollen and his cheek showing the welt of a palm "wait guys do I look camera ready?" he drunkenly said. He knew he was making it worse for himself. But they couldn't hurt him. There was nothing left he loved and he doubted he would make it out even if tony did give them what they wanted. He had spent the last month sulking, maybe he could make his last few days a little better.

"Stark. We have your son. And we are willing to make a.." he paused to choose his words more carefully "trade" he finished

Peter scoffed at the camera. Trade. Psh. yeah tony give them what they want and they'll give you my buterched body to dispose of.

"Now it could be understandable that you think you could track the location of this video and retrieve Peter unharmed. To that let us offer this as a rebuttal."

Oh shit Peter thought as the man who wasn't holding a camera raised his gun. Before Peter could react he aimed it towards his calf and let the bullet fly. It skimmed the side of his leg, which immediately started spewing blood. Peter struggled to catch his breath. The minute the bullet hit he made no noise, only a sharp intake of air that he was trying hard to let out.

"You.... missed" He gasped

"Next time we won't. And next time it won't be your leg"

Peters enhanced hearing picked up the click of the cameras button indicating that they had stopped recording. They looked at him for a few seconds, not moving. Peter struggled to release the strain on his neck allowing him to look up, so he didn't, but he felt their eyes on him. "Do you guys have any eye drops? It's incredibly dry in this room" He said sarcastically, still looking down at his lab, his hair hanging over his forehead

He could hear their scoffs and he almost expected them to break another one of his ribs or bruise his jaw, but nothing came.

"Good luck getting that video to him, he doesn't open any fan mail" Peter pushed his luck once again, trying to get words out of the two men instead of having them stare at him like they were plotting.

"Oh no its okay, we think we can figure out where he lives. Smart tower was it?" the man mocked, the other man elbowed him, playing along.

"Yeah yea! Smart... snark... Stark tower!"

"Stark tower yes"

Peter rolled his eyes, even though the men weren't able to see it. "I don't think knocking on the lobby door is going to get you anywhere"

"I think we're a little bit past those type of manners"

Peter's heart rate hitched. Of course everyone knew where the stark tower was, he had made it undeniably obvious, he clearly wasn't trying to be discrete. But the thought of them breaking into the tower, or hurting any of them, hurting Mr. Stark.. Put a lump in his throat that he could not swallow. Sure he was okay with dying here, he deserved it. But the off chance he lived, if he had to live in a world without Tony Stark, without his mentor, there would be no point. Everything in life that he cared about would have vanished, he would be a disease.

--

"Boss a new video regarding Mr. Parker has been sent"

Tony shot up from the chair in front of his computer that he hadn't left since he had realized Peter had been taken.