Chapter 1
Peter had been working on this project for almost a year. Day and night, endlessly tweaking and inventing to make sure that they were perfect. Even skipping school a few times to do so.
And they were finally finished. He hoped that he would win first place at the expo. Or even second. The cash prizes for both are enough to pay his and Aunt May's bills for the next year if they're careful.
Midtown Science And Technology centre held an expo every year to showcase new inventions by local scientists. The top three contestants have always been recruited by top companies with high starting salaries. Granted, they were all nearing their thirties, while Peter was barely fifteen. But the cash prize would help him and his aunt while he worked on his resumè. And he could enter again next year.
Aunt May carried the conversation the whole drive down to the centre. Distracting Peter from spiralling into the deep pit which was his innate fear of failure and ridicule.
The centre was lit up like a Christmas tree, showcase stalls everywhere and packed with the Who's Who of the science and technology world. Tony Stark and Justin Hammer could be seen by the stage, likely throwing insults back and forth through a thin veil of classy lexicon.
There was also a decently sized military presence. It was common for them to try and catch and recruit inventions with potential military application.
As the announcement for the presentations began, Peter took a deep breath. There were four people in the list and he was last. The other three both flew by and dragged on. Time was a distant concept in the face of Peter’s borderline panic attack.
Then suddenly, he heard ‘Peter Benjamin Parker’. And it was his turn. Aunt May kissed his temple and patted his shoulder. Ned said a brief ‘you got this’ and MJ just nodded at him.
Peter climbed the steps to the stage, each step deepening the pit in his belly. Then Uncle Ben's voice sounded on the wind, and Peter felt himself calm. He opened his gaze to the middle of the gathered crowd, and saw him there. Right in the middle of all those people, smiling at Peter as he always did.
“This is the Biomechanical Alteration and Repair Robot.” He said into the microphone, showcasing the compact black cube. “I call him BARRY. For short. He doesn't look like much, but he is remarkable when put to use.” Peter twisted the cube. “When BARRY is twisted in a predetermined pattern, the microbots inside are activated and ready to be used. The pattern can be set to anything, ensuring that it can only be activated by the end user. BARRY comes with this: the PsyLink.” Peter showed off the circlet to the ever growing crowd and placed it on his head. “When activated, the BARRY microbots connect to the PsyLink and the user can set them to do just about anything. From construction to transport, these microbots are capable of amazing things.” Peter had his microbots construct a tower on the stage. “But the real breakthrough I had with these little guys was the medical applications. With just a thought, the user can have the microbots release nanotechnology which, as I found, has incredible results. Please direct your attention to the screen.”
Peter pushed a button on the remote, and his video appeared on screen.
“Nanobots test number 47.” Peter’s voice on the video called. “This is to once again test the potential medical application of my nanotechnology.” Video Peter’s forearm was covered in a gauze bandage, which he removed to show a deep cut which absolutely needed stitches. “Yesterday I fell down a flight of stairs and a shard of a broken glass bottle lodged in my arm. Now, this clearly needs stitches, but if I'm right, that won't be necessary. My hypothesis is that my BARRY technology can go beyond construction and transport, and into the world of medicine. I will release the nanobots into my wound, where they will hopefully repair the injury, negating the need for stitches.” Video Peter put on the PsyLink, activated his BARRY and released the nanotechnology. The effect was immediate. The nanobots swirled around the teen’s arm and burrowed into his wound. The skin could be seen closing and healing, leaving only a small, barely visible white line behind. Gasps rang out as video Peter celebrated.
Peter hit the button again, sitting off the video. “As you can see,” He said, gleefully, “the medical applications of this technology are real and proven. And it doesn't only work with cuts. This nanotechnology can repair broken bones, severed nerves and I am even beginning to research the potential benefits it would have for cancer research. This is all possible, it only needs the right mind behind the PsyLink to get it done. For with the Biomechanical Alteration and Repair Robot, the limitation is your imagination. Thank you.” Peter ended his presentation and walked off to the sounds of applause and cheers.
The video of his presentation went uber viral. Peter received multiple offers from Hammer Technologies and Stark Industries and a litany of other companies to employ him right out of high school while sending him to college. He accepted a paid part time internship at Stark Industries.
He won first prize and he and Aunt May don't have to worry about their bills for the next year.
Peter was ecstatic. Or he should've been.
But while Peter Parker's life just got a whole lot easier, Siderman's was getting harder by the second.
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Tony paused the video with a beaming smile on his face.
“Huh?! Isn't this incredible?” He asked happily.
“Tony, this is amazing.” Bruce said. “This technology could change the world.”
“Exactly. It could help us in our hero work. Heal those of us without a healing factor, make it so that we don't have to take unnecessary risks.”
“What's your point, Tony?” Steve asked.
“This kid is only fifteen, we can't employ him until he's eighteen, but we've given him an internship. He has a patent on his tech so tight that the Hulk couldn't rip it from his hands, so Bruce and I will be working with him to adapt and improve his work.” Tony answered.
“What did you say this kid's name was?” Natasha asked suddenly, her gaze fixated on the boy's smiling face on the screen.
“Peter Benjamin Parker.” Tony told her.
Nat and Clint exchanged identical looks, then looked at Bucky, who was staring at the screen intently.
“What is it?” Sam asked, noticing the tension.
Clint took a deep breath before speaking. “Peter’s parents were Richard and Mary Parker. They were scientists at OSCORP, but they really worked for SHIELD. Nat and I worked very closely with them. They were tasked with trying to recreate the super soldier serum, and last I heard, they succeeded. At least in some capacity.”
“But?” Steve asked.
Clint hesitated, so Bucky answered for him.
“But they figured out that SHIELD had been infiltrated by HYDRA. So, not knowing who to trust, they took their young son and attempted to fly to England, where Mary was born. HYDRA couldn't risk losing their secrets or the serum, so they sent the Winter Soldier to recover the serum and dispatch the Parkers.”
“Dispatch.” Sam murmured.
“I murdered Peter’s parents. I was supposed to murder him too.”
Bucky stood up and left the room, Steve followed after him.
“Why didn't you?” Steve asked when they were both on the balcony.
Bucky gave a small smile, looking over the New York skyline. “He tried to fight me. Told me to leave his parents alone. Said that I was a bully. And I think that might have been one of the first times that I was able to break through the brainwashing. Because I could've sworn I heard you. Your voice saying that you hate bullies. Trying to fight someone so much bigger and stronger than you, because it was the right thing to do.”
“What happened after that?”
“I activated the SOS signal on the plane before I crashed it, knowing that it would go to Widow and Hawkeye. Then I jumped out with the boy in my arms.”
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“Clint and I showed up to the wreckage to find five year old Peter on the beach, soaking wet. We dropped him off with his Aunt and Uncle.” Natasha told the remaining Avengers.
“Do you think he remembers?” Bruce asked.
“No.” Vision said decidedly. “At that age, with that type of trauma, the boy has most likely suppressed the memory.”
“Then it's decided. We'll try to keep him away from Buck and probably you two when he's here.” Tony said.
Nobody tried to argue.
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Spiderman dropped down silently onto the rooftop, still not being able to get the drop on the other man.
Daredevil smiled and turned to face the other vigilante, then lowered his cowl as Spiderman removed his mask.
The first time they'd met, Matt was able to smell that Peter was a teenager. Which was creepy, by the way. But then he'd threatened to go to the media with the information, which led to a fight, which led to a mutual identity reveal. Since then, they had teamed up regularly, when a threat was posed to both Queens and Hell's Kitchen. Nelson, Murdock and Page had even helped Peter secure his patent.
But Matt had never seemed so worried before. When he reached out to Peter for help on this latest threat, his voice was noticeably heavy.
There, on the docks of Hell's Kitchen, the vigilantes could see men loading heavy bags into crates and packing them into shipping containers.
“What's happening here?” Spiderman asked Daredevil.
“Focus your hearing.” Daredevil told him, seething.
Spiderman did so, focusing on the men, then on the heavy bags. There, under the wooden crates and the leather of the bags, he heard a human heartbeat in every heavy bag.
“Oh my god.” He breathed out.
“These monsters have been trafficking people out of this dock once a month for the last three months. Each heavy bag has a person inside. Each crate carries ten heavy bags. There are ten crates.”
“Three hundred people.” Spiderman said, disgust lacing his tone.
“From what I've found, every shipment follows a specification. Their first shipment was all women. The next month, it was all men. Then last month it was all African-Americans.”
“What is it this month?”
“...Ten to Fifteen year olds. Two crates of each age group.”
Spiderman didn't speak, until he did. “What are we waiting for then? Let's go cream these guys.”
“Not yet.” Daredevil said. “He hasn't given the signal to go.”
“Who hasn't?” Spidey asked.
Daredevil smirked. “You aren't the only one I asked for help.”
Not even a second passed when Spidey heard a bullet being fired from below, then another and another.
“Now!” Daredevil barked and lept from the rooftop, Spiderman following close behind.
The fight was brutal, bloody and over fast. Spiderman turned to face the third man he didn't know would be there. His identity was obvious from first glance.
Short cropped black hair, dark eyes, a crooked nose which spoke to years of breaks. Topped off with a massive ‘fuck you’ rifle and a kevlar vest painted with a white skull.
“Punisher.” Spiderman greeted.
“Circus freak.” Castle replied.
“Frank.” Daredevil admonished as he set about opening the crates.
Once the kids were all freed and the cops were called, the three vigilantes fled to a rooftop a few blocks away, where they spoke.
“Spiderman, Punisher. Punisher, Spiderman.” Daredevil introduced, before removing his cowl. “It's okay, he knows who I am.” Matt said.
Frank spoke up at that. “That's right. Spiderman and I both know who you are. You and Spidey both know who I am. It's only fair that I know who Spidey is. If we're going to be working together that is.”
“Are we going to be working together?” Spiderman asked.
“He's the one who brought this case to me. Even the lone wolf here knows that this case needs us all working together. It's okay.” Matt told him, pleading.
“Okay.” Peter said and raised his hands to his mask.
“Wait!” Matt said suddenly, then turned to Frank. “Just, don't flip your lid. Please.” He gestured to Peter to continue.
Once the mask was off and Pater fully faced Castle, he swe the older man’s scarred face twist.
“What the shit?!” Punisher exclaimed.
“Frank-” Matt started.
“What the shit, Red?” Frank continued. “Why the fuck is a ten year old in front of me right now?”
“Frank-” Matt tried again.
“He is a child. A goddamned kid. He has no business-”
Peter cut off Frank with a shout. “Hey!” He yelled, drawing surprised expressions from both men.
“Yeah, still here.” Peter said, waving sardonically. “I'd like to point out that I literally just helped you take down a bunch of human traffickers. Also, Matt doesn't get to tell me to stop doing this. Nobody does. And finally, I am fifteen. Not ten.”
“Oh, you're fifteen.” Frank said. “Did it occur to you that you could've been in one of those heavy bags? Huh? Either of you.” He yelled, looking between Matt and Peter. “If you didn't have powers-”
Peter cut him off again. “But I do have powers. And that gives me a responsibility to help people!”
“Children don't have responsibilities!” Frank shot back.
“Look! Matt had the right of it. This case needs all of us if we're going to shut down this trafficking ring. We still need to locate and take down the buyers as well as figure out who these goons were working for. So we can stand her and argue the morality of my involvement ‘till we're blue in the face. But personally, I'd like to get some friggin’ work done!”
Frank stayed silent before finally nodding.
Matt beamed. “Great. Frank Castle, this is Peter Parker.”
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