Spider-Man has been an Avenger for a month and a half. So far nothing identity revealing had happened (touch wood) and Peter was doing a pretty good job of juggling his lives, Peter Parker, school, Spiderman-ing, and Avengers stuff. But that would all change with an anniversary, a news article and a GPA of 3.8 (totally guessing that).
"HA!"
"Oof"
Thud
The training room of the Avengers compound was filled with sounds of punching bags being hit, whistling of sharp objects being thrown and everyone attempting to beat Natasha whilst sparring.
"Hey, guys!" Tony Stark's voice echoed throughout the room.
Thud
"Eee!" A feminine screech emitted from Clint's mouth as he pinned down, again.
Natasha flipped her hair as she turned to glare at Tony, "What is it Stark?"
He was frowning, "Has anyone seen Spiderman? He's never been this late..."
At his words, the room suddenly had a worried and confused atmosphere.
"Where could he be?" Steve wondered aloud.
"He was photographed by the Daily Bugle and posted on Social Media approximately 37 minutes ago," Friday added helpfully.
They all started towards the massive holo screen Tony just had to add into the room.
"Pull up the article," Tony ordered his AI photo of Spiderman popped up.
"Why is he at a graveyard?" Clint asked.
Wanda began to read, "Spiderman was spotted today at the Queens Park Graveyard, perhaps to gloat over the many people he has killed with the stunts he pulls as a local vigilante."
"Stop" Sam sounded disgusted, "This is so wrong, this wasn't what he was doing."
"We don't know that," Natasha muttered sadly.
Vision turned to Tony, "Perhaps we could enhance the photograph identify the graves as to which he visited."
Tony nodded and began to play around with the screen but he paused and turned to the waiting Avengers, "If we find anything that could clue us in on his identity, we won't tell Ross. Right?"
They stayed silent, thinking.
"He's one of us now" Bucky spoke confidently, "We won't rat him out to Ross for any reason."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and Steve turned towards Tony, indicating to the screen. Silence reigned throughout the room momentarily.
"Mary and Richard Parker, husband and wife who were killed in a plane crash."
Clint gasped and turned to Natasha, "Weren't they Shield Agents?"
She nodded, "Yes, they were studying genetic enhancement," She pondered for a brief moment, "By using animal DNA to give humans abilities."
Clint grimaced, "And I believe they were using spiders."
"Do you think that's how Spider-Man got his spider-like powers?" Rhodes asked them.
Everyone started to wonder.
"He could be the product of their research and experiments," Steve said softly.
"He could be paying his respects to the ones who gave him everything."
"Or brooding over the graves of the ones who ruined his life."
Everyone began to ponder the possibilities.
"How did they die?" Tony asked Natasha and Clint exchanged a glance, "Plane crash, we thought it had been hijacked by Hydra but since Shield was Hydra-" Natasha began.
"It was always meant to crash," Clint finished sadly.
"Hydra was taking out anyone who could oppose them," Steve growled.
Tony piped up from the holoscreen, "And leaving their 6 year old son an orphan," He pulled up a photo of a small sobbing boy in the hands of two adults, "Peter Parker was left with his aunt and uncle but his uncle was killed in a robbery gone wrong and his aunt is in the hospital."
"Poor kid," Sam muttered.
"Spider-Man has entered the common room," Friday interrupted.
Everyone exchanged glances and started towards the elevator.
(o-o)
DING!
The Avengers exited the elevator and looked around expectantly.
"Hey guys,"
Shrieks and screams emitted from the huddle of superheroes who were unaware that Spider-Man was on the ceiling above them.
He cackled and stood upside down on the ceiling, "Oh that is always so hilarious!" He flipped to the ground.
He didn't seem like he had just been at a graveyard thought the Avengers.
"Hey Spidey," Tony started, "Where were you we began training without you."
Those with enhanced senses and pro assassin skills noticed him tense slightly.
"Just doing my patrol, ya know, looking out for the little guy." He chuckled nervously.
It didn't take an Avenger to figure out that he was lying, but they remained silent.
Tony rolled his eyes slightly, "Anyways enough training I have work to do!"
Steve glared at him as they continued to the kitchen, "You didn't even train with us."
Natasha grabbed water bottles out of the fridge and passed them to Clint who in turn chucked them towards Sam, Bucky, Rhodes, and Steve. Wanda levitated hers over and Vision, well he's a robot so he doesn't need to drink.
"Yeah but I still have work to do," He replied.
"Oh really? Like what?" Steve questioned, starting to get a bit angry.
"Hiring my intern."
The room stopped, then everyone laughed.
"You? Hiring an intern? That's hilarious! You wouldn't work well with any kid!" Clint laughed while slapping Sam on the back as he laughed.
Tony scoffed, "I've already narrowed it down to two options, Garret Weissman a 19-year old engineering student who dabbles in chemistry and physics with a GPA of 3.4," He stopped momentarily.
"He sounds like a good intern." Spiderman inputted.
"No kidding Einstein," Tony joked unaware of Spiderman flinching.
"No, it sounds pretty good to me." Natasha mocked but side-eyed Spiderman, she had noticed.
Tony grinned, "Or this applicant, he has a 3.8 GPA, has won 13 science competitions in chemistry, physics, engineering and the study of Gamma Radiation, huh he's a fan of Bruce's work."
Natasha stopped at Bruce's name, "Why don't you hire that one?"
"Because he's 15." The room froze and Spiderman tensed.
"15?! He's smarter than most of us," Rhodes exclaimed.
Tony nodded, "Uh-huh, Peter Parker still attends Midtown High so I probably won't hire him."
Natasha stopped, Peter Parker? Wasn't that the kid from earlier with the graveyard debacle? She thought but was interrupted.
"Hey guys the news is on," Spiderman exclaimed, trying to distract the Avengers from the whole Internship thing. The Avengers had a new tradition where they watched the news every night to try and see any part of the world they could help. Unfortunately, a sensitive article came up from Peter's past.
This next part could be potentially triggering for some of you guys so just a warning!
(o-o)
"A forewarning to the viewers this evening the following article could include potentially triggering stories and/or information." The Avengers took no heed as they were sprawled across the couch together and weren't entirely worried.
Natasha glanced at Spiderman who had been off all afternoon, he was tapping his foot erratically.
The news presenter began to speak, "Earlier today a child rapist was released from prison seven and a half years through his eight-year sentence. Skip Westcott,"
The TV was interrupted by Spiderman, "Can we turn this off?"
"No," The room answered.
His breathing began to quicken.
"Skip Westcott molested and raped an 8-year-old boy whilst posing as his babysitter."
"Please can we turn this off," his voice sounded shaky but no one noticed.
"No," The reply came once again.
"What a sick dude," Sam muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear and Spiderman's fists clenched.
"Here is footage of the court case which featured Skip Wescott and the young boy he attacked Peter Parker."
Natasha's eyes widened and a few other people in the room made connections mentally but not actually taking notice.
The footage played, a blonde teenager was being handcuffed but he was grinning at a small boy who was crying and shaking.
"C' mon Einstein we had fun didn't we? You promised it would be our little secret, why'd you break your promise huh?" The teen smiled sadistically as he was led off and the woman holding the small boy starting yelling obscene things at him while a man comforted the boy.
Crash
The TV screen shattered and went black, the room looked in anger at Spiderman who was shaking and had his arm extended like he just threw something.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR." Everyone exploded but Spiderman just kept shaking and a sob erupted from his mouth.
Everyone stopped.
"Spiderman what's wrong?" Steve questioned.
Spiderman turned and began to walk away ignoring everyone.
"Why are you acting like this?" Clint yelled at his retreating back.
"Because you're him," Natasha said quietly but everyone heard her.
The room became so silent you could hear a pin drop and Spiderman froze as if he had been struck with a bolt of ice.
Wanda shook her head, "What do you mean you're him? He's who?"
Rhodes opened his mouth to speak alongside Wanda.
"How did you know?" His voice came weak, shaky and broken.
Everyone stopped and turned to him then looked to Natasha for an explanation.
She breathed in, "That's why everything that's happened today has affected you so much," still being vague she continued as Spiderman turned to her. "The graves you were at, you weren't visiting them on the anniversary of their deaths because they were scientists you were visiting them because they were your parents."
The eyes of the Avengers widened as they finally made the connections but Spiderman stayed silent.
"When we were talking about Starks intern he suggested Peter Parker and you started acting weird and told us the news was on to distract us because you didn't want him to be hired, you didn't want to be hired and risk your secret."
Everyone stared at Spiderman in shock but Wanda gasped when her mind made one last connection.
Natasha swallowed, "Stark called you Einstein and you flinched and then when we were watching the news that's what that sick man said to the boy he-he," Even the stone-cold Black Widow couldn't finish that sentence.
Sam continued for her, "You wanted to turn it off because that was you, you must have been having some sort of flashback or," He then stopped.
The rest of the Avengers stared at Spiderman, he was standing there, completely still and somehow that was worse than him running away.
"But you're just a kid," Steve said with a wobbly voice, "You're 15,"
"Yeah, but I do what I have to do." Spiderman finally spoke as he reached up and pulled off his mask.
The Avengers stared, his messy brown curls finally tumbling free, his face young and still with a hint of childish wonder in it and his brown eyes rimmed with red and brimming with tears.
They stood at opposite sides of the room then footsteps rang out as Tony wondered over, he stood and looked at the teen for a minute then pulled him into a hug.
Peter sobbed once more and accepted the hug, wrapping his arms around Ironman. The rest of the Avengers slowly wandered over and joined the superhero group hug.
Maybe Peter would finally have a family who understood, maybe thing wouldn't be so bad.
Hi, annoying authors note that you probably won't read here.
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