Stephen's Pov:
"I should make Anthony some coffee," I said looking at my cup when I heard a loud thump and then Anthony came running in half-dressed.
"Take me to the hospital!" Anthony shouted looking frantic and making Sam and T'Challa startle.
"Tony, what's wr-"
"NOW!" He snapped making my eyes widen and I noticed the panic on his face...
"Are you ok?" Sam asked.
"Fine," Anthony said quickly.
"What hospital?" I asked.
"The one...The big one...In Forest Hills." He said and my eyes widened...That's where Peter lives. "NOW PLEASE!" Anthony snapped and I turned as Anthony finished getting dressed. By the time the portal was ready Anthony jumped through and I followed quickly. I let the cloak carry me as I watched Anthony run through the halls till he skidded to a stop in front of the bench where...Peter was sitting looking run down.
"Pete?!" Anthony shot toward him and Peter looked up at him, eyes watering.
"Mr.Stark," Peter mumbled and Anthony pulled him into a hug.
"What's going on, kid? Tell me what I can do?" I have never seen Anthony like this...He was panicked and worried.
"...Aunt May..." Peter's voice cracked and my eyes widened...That's all Peter had left. Anthony held him tight his wings wrapping around Peter protectively as he glared at people that looked at them funny. "She fell...I wasn't there and she fell." Peter sobbed and Anthony nodded.
"It's not your fault...Breath Peter." Anthony said and I noticed him rocking Peter slightly...Anthony may not have had a father but he'd make a good one.
"Excuse me." I looked over and saw the doctor. Peter shot up and out of Anthony's hold looking nervous.
"Is she ok?" Peter asked and the woman looked like she didn't want to say anything...So...she's not.
"Are you Mr. Stark?" She asked and Anthony looked at her confused.
"Yes." He said.
"May would like to see you for a minute." She said and Anthony gave me a worried expression.
"I'll stay here with Peter," I said and Peter looked at Anthony.
"I'll go see how she's doing...She's tough so I'm sure she's fine." Anthony said and Peter nodded sniffling. We both watched the doctor walk Anthony in and I frowned...This isn't good...Why would she want to talk to him?
"I should have been there." Peter started to cry again and the cloak moved quickly draping over him as I pulled him into a hug.
"It's not your fault Peter...Things happen and we can't always be there for them. Sometimes were destined to not be there..." I said.
"She's all I have," Peter mumbled.
"You have Wade...You have Anthony and me." I said.
"Mr.Stark is just teaching me," Peter mumbled.
"He loves you Peter...you're like a son to him," I said and Peter looked up at me surprised.
"Really?" He asked.
"Of course...He rushed over here, after just waking up without coffee." I said and Peter chuckled a bit.
"I didn't mean to scare him," Peter said.
"Peter he probably didn't read anything except your name and the word hospital. He's always going to worry about you it's a parent's job." I said.
"Don't tell him this...I've always liked to pretend he's my dad...I don't have one so it's nice to think..." Peter trailed off.
"He won't be upset about that...He'd be proud." I said and Peter sniffled. I heard the door open and looked at Anthony to see that mask on...What happened?
"Pete, how long have you been here?" Anthony asked.
"I had just got off patrol," Peter said.
"Let's get you something to eat and then some sleep," Anthony said.
"What about Aunt May?" Peter asked and I saw the mask falter and a twitch of sadness.
"She's well enough to complain about you being here...Come on," Anthony said and looked at me.
"Are we eating at the tower?" I asked.
"Might as well...Peter, you want to crash at the tower?" Anthony asked and Peter's eyes lite up.
"Can I?" Peter asked.
"Yeah," Anthony said as I made the portal. I watched Peter walkthrough and saw Anthony glance at the door to May...I frowned when I suddenly saw him without the mask. His jaw clenched and eyes watering...He walked through putting it back into place quickly...
Sam's Pov:
"I hope he's ok," I said and T'Challa smiled.
"I'm sure he's fine...He's Tony." T'Challa said.
"Still he looked pretty freaked out," I said.
"He'll be alright, love. You worry about him a lot lately." T'Challa said.
"Because Steve's been treating him like shit and...I don't know." I sighed.
"Do...you like Stark?" T'Challa asked.
"No, babe...I have you." I said and T'Challa smiled.
"That doesn't mean you can't like someone." He said.
"Are you...mad?" I asked.
"No...Honestly, I worry for him to...Even though he's an annoying spider monkey." T'Challa said and I laughed.
"Why do you call him that?" Sam asked.
"He's always climbing up on to stuff trying to reach cause he's adorably short," T'Challa said and I grinned smugly. "What?" He asked.
"You called him adorable," I said and T'Challa looked annoyed before pulling me into a kiss.
"You're cuter," T'Challa said and I laughed.
"Nyah." I said and T'Challa frowned.
"I said stop that." He said and I laughed.
Tony's Pov:
"May?" I asked sitting next to her...She looked pale.
"Hello, Tony." She smiled and frowned.
"What do you need?" I asked.
"Well...I hate to ask for a favor but Peter's still only 16." May said.
"Yeah," I said.
"I need you to fill out some paperwork for me." She said sitting up and coughing a bit as she reached for a file. She opened it with shaky hands and my heart sunk...
"May...What's going on?" I asked feeling a tightness in my throat.
"I've been sick a while...I've known for a while..." May said as I stared at the papers.
"Let me pay...We'll get you up and moving again with the best doctors and med-" I stopped when her hand touched mine.
"There's no cure dear." I swallowed the tightness as my eyes began to fill with tears.
"I want you to take care of Peter for me...He loves you to pieces and always talks about you." May said.
"No...no...You're all he's got," I said fighting the tears.
"No...He has you." May said and I looked at the legal guardian papers.
"Shouldn't I ask him...I don't want to just...force him." I said.
"If you ask he'll know something is up and not want you to sign them...He'll hold on to the hope that I'll be ok till it's too late and child services get involved." May said.
"I don't want him to hate me," I said.
"He could never hate you...He loves you to pieces...please at least think about it." May said.
"I will," I said...I'll also make sure you're as comfortable as possible...
"Thank you...Peter was out late last night...Make sure he rests." May said and I nodded. I got up and started shooting Pepper messages...I put my mask on as best I could and walked out the door.
Stephen's Pov:
"I showed Peter to a room he can use...What's going on?" I asked looking at Anthony.
"...She's sick Steph...really sick..." Anthony said staring at the wall.
"I'm sure she'll pull through," I said and I saw tears well up in his eyes...Oh...
"She wants me to be Peter's legal guardian..." Anthony said.
"What did you say?" I asked sitting next to him on the bed.
"I said...I'd think about it...I wanted Peter's opinion but she says if he knows he'll never make a decision cause he'll cling to her till it's too late...I don't want him to hate me Steph. I have enough family members that hate me...I don't want to add on to that." Anthony said...
"He won't hate you," I said.
"You don't know that."
"Would you sign the papers if he said he was ok with it?" I asked.
"Of course Steph...I love the kid, you know that." Anthony said and I nodded. I glanced at the door wondering if I should say anything or just leave it..."I don't want to be my father though...what if I'm shit at being a parent?" Anthony asked.
"Well, you can either be shit at being a parent or be a shitty parent," I said.
"There is a difference?"
"Yes, being shit at being a parent means you've never really done it and you forget shit sometimes. Being a shitty parent is having a kid and treating them like shit...You will not be a shitty parent...Just ask yourself in a situation what Jarvis would have done for you." I said and Anthony nodded.
DP-Ha...Nyah
R-I broke it...I broke it...
Roy walks to next Chapter
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