I stand outside of the school, talking with Ned while we both wait to be picked up. Today Mr Stark is supposed to be picking me up, and I was surprised to not see his car when i walked out, because usually he obnoxiously waits in the front of the drop off line and revs his engine at anyone that ventures close to try and see into the dark tinted windows (that are probably illegal).
Sometimes he calls me and has me leave class like half an hour early because he's 'impatient' and 'BORED, Pete. Save me. I'm dying.' and occasionally because he's getting harassed by the paparazzi. Who still don't know about me, by the way.
We're waiting for the right time to tell the world that I'm now partly under the care of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Pepper, or Mum as I sometimes call her, thinks I should wait until I'm out of high school at the very least. To maintain some sort of normal life while I still can. Tony, or Dad, just wants it to be over and done with because he doesn't like press conferences or the press in general. He said that he wants to brag about his kid to other rich people, and he's said that the pap has been up his ass for literally his whole life. That he can teach me 'how to tell them to fuck off without being sued' by them. Not that they'd even be able to touch me, because Pepper says we have the best lawyers in the country.
"Its gotta be something big, Ned. Dramatic. Maybe funny." I insist.
"Well, when do you want to do it? tell everyone?"
"Soon." I respond, looking around for prying eyes. No pap today, we always change the schedule so they can't keep up with it. They know Tony comes to the school sometimes, because they follow him, but they don't know why because we've always communicated well and executed back up plans. "They'll figure it out on their own eventually, and I don't want that."
Ned nods. "Oh, yeah totally. Can't have that. Do you have any ideas?"
i smirk, and lower my voice. "I was thinking, and you know how we have that video assignment coming up?"
"Uh, yeah, the—the one about consumerism and all that."
"Yeah! Well I am doing mine as an analysis of parasitic and symbolic relationships between companies and consumers."
"Right... how does this relate?"
"Well, I was thinking of like, doing it in the tower. And I'd talk about how its 'very hard' to have 'good data' because as a researcher we're still consumers, and 'don't have' insider knowledge, right, and then, like, Mr Stark would walk in the background. And just keep going back and forth as I talk, and anyone else there, too. I think it would be so funny."
"Dude!" Ned exclaims, and I have to shush him. He continues, quieter. "That is so cool, you have to do it."
I grin. "I bet it'll go viral. i'll submit it along with an actual video about my topic, so I don't fail or anything, but it'll definitely get leaked to the public. I might post it on my accounts just to get one up on them."
"That's so smart, dude. Oh, there's my mum, sorry man. Hope he's here soon!"
"I'll text you later, man. Say hi to your mum!" I say, and we do our handshake.
"I will, see you tomorrow!"
I wait in front of the school for another fifteen minutes, when most of the other kids are gone. I check my phone again for the sixth time in the last minute. Still no notification. I text Mr Stark.
Hey, I'm waiting outside of school still. Everything ok?
I pause, realising I might have come across as needy, so I send another text.
I can totally walk home, its no big deal. or catch a tram. or swing.
A few more minutes pass, and I sigh. I put my airpods in and quietly speak outloud, checking that no one is too close to me.
"Karen, you there?" I ask, tapping a hidden button on my airpods. I'd altered them myself, because I decided it would be a good idea to have access to Karen even when I'm not in my suit. I want to make her voice activated next, I plan on doing that this weekend.
"Yes, Peter."
"Is Mr Stark close?"
"I'm not sure, I cannot access his location."
"Weird." I hum. "Well, can you tell FRIDAY to tell him that I'll just swing home. He should have been here by now, he probably fell asleep in the lab."
"Message sent."
"Thanks, Karen." I say, slipping my AirPods away before walking off. I walk a few minutes until I find a vacant alleyway, and I quickly pull my suit out of my bag and get changed. Usually I'd web my bag to the wall, but I have homework. So today I swing with it on my back.
I swing along the city, taking my time in case anyone needs help. I will be back to patrol later tonight, but it doesn't hurt to help on my way.
About five minute from the tower I pause, landing on a street sign and looking down at a little girl who had set up a lemonade stand outside what I assume to be her parents' shop.
"Hi Mr spider-man!" She jumps up and down, waving enthusiastically.
"Hey there!" I wave at her cheerfully. "Making lots of money?"
"Twenty two dollars so far! I'm going to spent it on my dad for Father's Day!"
"Aww that's nice of you! What are you going to get him?"
Should I be getting mr Stark something for Father's Day? What will I even get him? I've never bought anyone anything for Father's Day before. And what do you get the man that has access to literally everything?
"I'm going to get him a wallet because mummy says he's always leaving his at hooker's. If it's a special wallet I think he'll remember to not forget it more."
I bulk at what she said.
"H-hookers?" I ask timidly, cringing.
"Yeah! I guess he really loves fishing. If I have any extra money left over I'm going to buy him a hat that has a fish on it! It might be Nemo."
I chuckle awkwardly. Thank god for childlike innocence. "Well that's great! I'm sure he'll love it!"
"Thanks, mr Spider-Man! What about you? What will you get your daddy? Or do you think you'll be getting Father's Day presents?"
I smile under the mask. "Hmm. How old do you think I am?" I ask her.
She gives a thinking face only a child could do. "At least seven! I'm five."
I laugh at that. Kids. "That's a good guess."
"So you're seven?"
"Not telling!" I remark gleefully, waving my finger at her. She drops her jaw in mock shock and giggles.
"Peter, reports of a robbery in process are coming from the Asian grocer two blocks away." Karen informs me.
I look up. "Got it." I turn back to the girl and wave. "Gotta swing, tell your father happy Father's Day for me!"
"Okay! Bye, Spider-Man!" She grins. I fire a web and swing away.
I stop the robbery fairly easily, leaving all the criminals webbed up outside before I swing off towards the tower. I'd not even gotten injured, and they'd only been armed with knives so it was a pretty easy takedown. As I'm swinging, my spider sense goes off and I look down to see a man steal a bike. I let go of my web and back flip down to land right next to the thief.
I grab the handlebars with one hand and jerk the bike to a stop, using my other hand to catch the guy by his pack pack as he flies over the bars from the sudden stop. "And that's why we wear a helmet!" I quip, saving him from smashing head first into a wall. He turns and glares at me.
A few moments later, I've webbed up the criminal so that's hes swinging back and forth from a lamp post. "That should teach you not to steal!" I beam, setting the bike aside safely. He just spits a few profanities at me, which I pretend to be hurt about.
"Hang tight," I grin up at him, not that he can see. "The cops are..."
My body goes rigid as my spider sense tingles. Badly. I look around for what's causing it, but there's nothing bad in sight. This is a great big bad.
"The cops are what?" The criminal asks, annoyed. I continue looking around, my breathing becoming laboured as I can't locate what's causing it, which makes me panic. It's not near. But it's coming.
"The cops are... on... on the way." I manage to spit out of my mouth, barely baying attention. I start walking away. Chills run up my spine, the spider sense getting worse. I vaguely register the criminal calling out for me to let him go, but I ignore him. I move into a jog.
"Karen, call the tower. Put me through to anyone listening." I direct, spinning around to look around for any clues. They'll know what to do.
"Calling FRIDAY. Connected,"
"Guys?! Is anyone listening?!" I yell breathlessly. "I-its Peter and I have a really bad feeling, like super bad somethings going—"
A round of gunfire interrupts me, but it's not here. It's there. Followed by a loud, unsettling alarm. Another round of gunfire goes off. Then the sound cuts out.
"Call disconnected." Karen informs me. My eyes are wide from what I just heard. I shoot a web and start swinging back in the direction of the tower.
"Call again!" I shout at Karen.
"The call couldn't be connected."
"Then try Mr stark!"
"Call couldn't be connected."
"Call Steve! Sam! Bucky! Bruce! Natasha!" I list off, panicked. After each name, Karen informs me that the call can't be connected. Why is no one answering?! I list everyone else I can think of, even Vision despite me not being sure if he even owns a phone. But no one answers. Not a single one.
I continue moving to the tower as fast as I can, grateful that I'm only a few minutes away. People call out to me to take photos and such, but all I do is shout "I'm sorry, now's not a good time!" down to them, trying to seem put together but probably failing. The tower looks normal from the outside, so I really have no idea what's going on. And that's terrifying.
As soon as I get to the tower I jump up onto its side and scramble up as fast as I can, trying to get in.
"Open a window Karen!" I yell too frantic to be polite like usual.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Peter. Friday is not responding."
"Offline?!" I shout, confused and horrified. She's never offline. "Keep— keep trying!"
The higher I climb, the more worried I get. Friday isn't responding to Karen, and Karen can't hack in or take over the tower either. Not matter how much she tries. Damn Mr Stark and his genius tech. Of course even his own technology isn't stronger than itself.
I stop at the window to the avengers shared living room, unable to see in because the windows are double paned or whatever you call it. Karen confirms that she still cannot open the window.
"I'm gonna... I'm gonna have to break it down." I say, breathless. My mind goes back to Washington. I had to use momentum to break the window then... I don't have a helicopter to swing off this time. I attach a web to the tower and lean back, double checking it's weight. Then I start swinging feet first towards the window. One, two, three times. It doesn't budge. "I don't have time for this, I don't have time for this!" I mutter, freaking out a little bit— just between me and you.
"Peter,"
"Not now!" I snap, climbing up a bit higher. I think if I use the force of falling to propel myself I might be able to swing hard enough to break the window. Maybe. So that's what I do, climbing up a fair way above the window before shooting a web just above the window.
I ignore Karen trying to calm me down and saying something about the main doors.
I then step away from the tower and allowing myself to fall down, eventually the web kicks in and I swing towards the window.
Bang.
I come away from the window, ricocheting off it. Just as I'm about to express my frustrations, I notice a tiny crack now in the window. A weak point! "I can work with that!" I beam.
I take my fists, relying on my feet to keep my sticky, and punch the window as hard as I can. I don't hold back. I don't care if my knuckles will split, I don't care if my bones will break. I'm. Getting. In. There.
The window shatters, glass flying everywhere. It's not complexly gone, but there's a hole big enough that I am able to force myself inside it. Glass cuts me as I do, but I ignore it.
My feet hit the common room ground and I pant, standing up. I pick a piece of glass from my left arm, looking around. The lights are all out, but there's a red light that flashes every few seconds with the alarm.
"Karen, do you have a night vision? Could you activate that?"
"Processing..."
I stand there, trying to get my bearings in the darkness while she tries to get it up and running. I suddenly don't feel like calling out is a good idea. If the tower is compromised...
Slowly I feel my way to the kitchen, which as far as I can tell is empty. At one point I think I see a flash of movement by the fridge, but when I looked for it I can't see anything. I move back to the main living room. It's still dark.
"Night vision activated."
I step further into the room, the room lit up in green hues as I look for any infrared signs of life. I see a heat signature by the tv on the ground. I step towards it.
My foot hits something wet.
Without warning the lights all come back on, the night vision deactivates automatically, and electronic whirling sounds out as the tower reboots. I blink, my eyes adjusting to the sudden light. The 'something wet' is coffee. I look across the room.
"Tony!" I fall over myself rushing towards mr Stark, who lays unmoving next to the tv. "Dad!" His head is tilted away from me. I press a finger to his neck.
"Peter multiple heat signatures rapidly—"
"IS HE ALIVE?!" I interrupt Karen, kneeling next to Mr Stark. Time slows as I wait for the answer.
"Yes, Mr Stark is alive."
I breathe out a sigh of relief, squeezing my eyes shut in relief. I tilt his head to face me, and am startled to see his eyes open.
"He's alive." Karen informs me before I can even speak.
"What the... what happened here?" I stammer, trying to make eye contact with mr Stark but his eyes just stare ahead. I take my mask off.
"Mr Stark, can you hear me?" I ask, hating how my voice sounds. Small. He doesn't move.
"Dad. Please. Can you move?" Nothing. Maybe a poison of some kind?
"Friday, are you there?" I ask shakily.
"Hello Peter. I appear to be having some issues rebooting all of my systems." Her robotic voice is distorted and glitching. "My systems have been damaged in the attack."
"What attack?" I shout. I stand up and spin around, spreading my arms as I express my frustration. "What happened?! Where is everyone?!"
"I highly advise you keep your voice down, as the threat is still in the tower." Friday warns.
I swallow nervously, not wanting to put Mr Stark in more danger. "What's the threat? Did they identify themselves?" I ask, speaking low.
"Threats include six humans, not in any databases, and two dozen alien creatures. All are armed."
"Is everyone ok?" I ask, shakily.
"Everyone appears to be in the same state as Mr Stark."
"But they're all alive, right?" My voice is desperate. I can't lose anyone. "They're not, like, slowly dying?"
"Vitals remain consistent. They're alive." Friday promises me. I bow my head, relieved. Now I have to figure out how to help them, and how to get the enemy out of the tower without the same thing happening to me. I look down at mr Stark in worry.
"Peter, they're heading your way."
My head snaps up.
"How many?" A crash sounds from the hallway, something glass like. Maybe a framed painting.
"All of them."
Sorry for the wait, and for any errors lol.
All that's left is a bonus Hiccup epilogue, and then the entire sequels to these epilogues that I have not written (help me😭)
Hope you enjoyed!