Tony Stark knew loneliness.
Sure, he knew a bunch of other feelings too, but he wasn't very good at communicating these emotions. He liked drowning them, instead.
Or rather, drowning himself, preferably in whiskey. He liked vodka too, though.
Most of the time of his life, he was lonely. He was surrounded so many people since childhood, but Tony knew better than anyone: one can feel heartbreakingly alone too when there are people around them.
He also hadn't had many friends.
Rhodes, for one, yeah. Tony often wondered, what kept the man on his side. He genuinely didn't know. Couldn't understand.
There was Pepper, the love of his life. Or, was she? His headache got worse.
Steve. He didn't want to think about the man.
He didn't want to think at all. After all, he knew who was a true friend in that cruel world of his. What was.
He poured himself another glass and took a sip, let the burning spread in his body. Then let his head fell on his desk.
FRIDAY's voice woke him up from his restless slumber.
"Sir. Please, wake up."
"What is it? The house's on fire?" A glance to his watch, he realized, he slept almost an hour.
"There's seems to be a situation at the university Mr. Parker attends."
Tony jerked his head up immediately. But then collapsed onto his desk again.
"Sir?"
"The kid's fucking Spider-Man, he can manage." Tony shrugged.
He hadn't heard a word from Peter since the last – disturbing – phone call he gave him. Which was almost four years ago.
The boy clearly stated he did not want anything to do with the Avengers again. Peter hadn't said why, but he wanted to cut his all ties with Tony and the SI. At first, Tony was angry. Worried. Then disappointed. And sad.
Someone left him, again.
Someone, he cared for deeply.
Sure, it would have been ridiculously easy to investigate, but he wanted to respect the boy's wishes.
The Team eventually moved back the Tower, and he had so many things to do, he let himself forget Peter. Not completely, but the acceptance took over the anger's place. It was the boy's right to do whatever he wanted. Maybe he overestimated Peter, and the fight in Germany had worse impact on the kid, than he had thought initially.
The others hadn't really asked about him, they didn't even know him in the first place. Steve and Bucky were the ones to occasionally joke about the kid, because they both fought him and they had to admit, the spider had potential.
Tony had told them that the kid was just a back-up, they wouldn't see him again. Maybe in the streets, fighting off robbers, but not in the big game. He didn't want it to be true, tough.
But it became true.
They hadn't met Peter, precisely, Spider-Man since the airport-fight in Germany.
They may have seen him jumping from rooftops or swinging skyscraper to skyscraper. They may have heard the boy's funny and sarcastic comments in a fight as they went by.
Tony had surely seen and heard him. He kept an eye on him ever since.
Tony didn't know much, though. He had just secretly opened a bottle of champagne on the day of Peter's graduation last year. He opened another one, when he heard Peter got accepted to the college of his dreams – with flying colours. Tony always knew he would be there, with or without his internship at Stark Industries.
He had just always thought, he would be there with Peter. He imagined the boy would call him excitedly yelling in his phone. Or swing by the Tower with a huge smile on his face. That he would stand by Peter as he get his degree eventually.
His bitter thoughts were cut off as he heard the AI speaking again.
"Sir–"
A moment of silence.
"FRIDAY, I don't fucking care."
*
The Green Goblin was almost as famous as Spider-Man. Just much more vile.
Peter was after him for months now, but somehow his evil opponent always disappeared moments before Spider-Man arrived at the crime scene. In fact, he didn't steal, didn't even try to rob someone, and didn't fight with civilians. But he surely killed thousands of them.
He created chaos. Every time he were spotted, it was obvious that something terrible would happen.
The Goblin didn't kill with his bare hands. Oh, no.
He caused fatal accidents. Car and train crashes, for example. He once placed a bomb in the first floor of a skyscraper. Peter was almost late. He almost let the entire building blow up and crash – countless people inside – because his pathetic legs were not fast enough.
He had made sure he got his punishment for it at that night before going to bed.
The Goblin once hijacked a plane, and it had taken hours to rescue everyone from the wrecks. Many death occurred, and Peter had blamed himself for days.
But actually he couldn't understand the Goblin. What was his purpose? Why was he doing such terrible things?
Peter could only think of one reason. Which was disgusting.
For fun. Just for fun.
The Goblin simply enjoyed the chaos he made.
Villains like him were the worst. They were far more dangerous than the others, who had – at least – a purpose. It was almost easy to predict their next step.
Now, the Green Goblin was another cup of tea. He was reckless, ruthless and didn't have a purpose. At least, not one Peter could possibly understand. So his actions served only one purpose: destruction.
He was an anarchist. He didn't like the rules, so he broke them.
No. He destroyed them.
Peter sprinted through the entire campus, like his life would be on the line. In fact, if not his, the other students' lives were on the line.
He silently thanked for the panic, as he saw an empty hot-dog stand nearby. The owner must've fled, when he heard the screams. He jumped over a bench, then the stand itself.
As quickly as he could, he changed into his black suit, put his dark mask on, and then checked his shooters. Out of habit, he webbed his backpack to the ground, but he was almost sure, nobody would try to steal a single backpack in the middle of the chaos.
He was running again, when he heard loud noises. Crying. Yelling.
His ears ached.
As he jumped on the top of a car, the voices became smaller. He could see the relief on his classmates' and other students' faces. It gave him strength and courage.
Peter wasn't that surprised to see the green-masked man.
However, he was surprised to see that the Goblin was just standing calmly, eyeing the students around him, who were forming an almost perfect circle. The usual wide grin was painted on his face. No weapon, no injured people, despite the crying and screaming. Most of them were probably too shocked or scared to run away.
Peter was frozen for a moment as their eyes met. He could see the man's eye, they were... quite familiar. Maybe because they had a nice and warm turquoise colour in them.
The students started running as Peter waved them to do so, while jumping off of the car.
Then he stepped closer to his enemy. The Goblin was still standing, not moving an inch. Peter just stared at him, hadn't attacked yet, because he was waiting.
"Why are you glaring at me?" the Goblin asked, voice harsh with a hint of annoyance.
Peter looked almost wounded. He realized he hadn't even heard his voice yet, just his disgusting laugh. He knew the man's voice were electronically modified, he probably had some tech in his helmet for this purpose.
Peter couldn't afford things like this, but he figured he had been doing just fine for the last four years with his mask only. It muffled his voice, so it wouldn't be so clear and recognizable.
So he wanted to talk now? Why?
He felt a headache forming at his temples.
And he didn't even had his morning coffee.
Maybe it was part of his plan? To keep him busy, while somewhere something horrible would happen? While he was chatting carelessly?
"Actually," Peter started after a moment of silence between them, then shrugged. "I'm just hoping you'll spontaneously have a heart attack. Caught on fire. Choke. Or whatever, you name it."
Peter knew he was cheeky – as always – but he thought it would just angry the man. And that he would finally attack him. What he didn't expect though, was the loud chuckle.
In the next moment, the Goblin hopped on his – fucking cool – dark skateboard and he was gone in the blink of an eye. Peter didn't understand what have just happened, but he glanced after him jealously. God, he wanted his skateboard so fucking much. He knew it wasn't actually a skateboard, but he called it like that anyway. And oh, man, it was just too freaking cool.
He quickly made his way back to his backpack, changed his clothes, and then stepped into the building. It was chaos in there, but he didn't expect otherwise. Everyone lost their shit when the Green Goblin appeared. Tough Peter forget it quite quickly in the next moment.
"Hey, loser!"
Peter noticed MJ waving at him with a wicked grin on her face. God, how much he did love that grin.
He waved back, then showed his middle finger, when someone touched his shoulder. Peter didn't flinch, he knew seconds ago that Harry was heading in his direction.
"Get a room you two, Parker" Harry's voice were sarcastic, but that's how Harry was, and Peter liked it – Peter liked him.
"We will get yours tonight. Thank you, loser number two" snapped back MJ, when she kissed Peter on the cheek.
"I think you three should get a fucking room, you're unbearable" Ned rolled his eyes and walked away.