normalcy
The team found themselves on the front steps of sanctum sanctorum
Peter, of course, still kicking and screaming as they dragged him by a rope in the suit they trapped him in.
Although the screaming was more of maniacal laughter, while describing in detail how he would eat their brains and kill all of their loved ones. Nonsense obviously.
Tony pounded on the door, yelling for strange to open up.
The team assumed this.. Parasite.. Was not of earth, like some kind of alien creature or something.
And nobody knew anything weird like that better than strange, who opened the door with a annoyed look on his face, holding a mug half full of coffee with his cape wrapped around him like a blanket.
"Somehow you always come at the worst time."
He glanced at the screaming suit behind them all, sighing and letting everyone inside.
"I don't even want to know what is in that."
"That's actually why we're here." Natasha explained,
"Something is wrong with Spider-man, he's possessed by some.. Thing."
"And your assuming I know what that thing is?" he grumbled getting closer to the suit kneeling down.
"Well you are an expert in strange things-" Tony elbowed his shoulder jokingly, the unamused doctor giving him a side eye and ignoring his stupid joke.
He raised his hands, glowing yellow circles with symbols surrounded his hand as the suit was lifted into the air.
The armor was removed from his body, and nearly the instant it happened sludge shot from Peters body as a sharp knife trying to stab strange right through the eyes.
Of course strange wasn't an idiot, he casted a shield blocking the attack while he encased the boy in a large see through bubble.
The black ooze covered his body, forming that same black spider suit with the white markings from before.
Dr strange's eyes widened as he put a hand to his chin.
"I have seen this before- this is bad, but luckily it's very fixable if its early in the symbiosis process."
"English please..?" Steve muttered.
"I can fix it." he explained still annoyed, "do you know how long he's had it inside him?"
Tony tried recalling when he started acting weird.
"I'd say maybe a couple weeks? Like two or three at the least-"
"At the least-? Alright.. Have you noticed any physical changes yet?"
"If you don't count the obvious black goo on his body then no." Clint gestured to the bubble trapping him.
"Weren't we just talking about how it was eating him two hours ago!?" Natasha sighed,
"I wasn't paying attention two hours ago, I think I have a concussion anyway."
Strange held the bridge of his nose and groaned, "if its that late in the symbiosis process then this is going to be more difficult than I want it to be."
He finished his coffee, using his magic to put the cup on a nearby table as he explained, "this will take some preparation, let's discuss in the other room without the Symbiote here."
The team all agreed understandably.
"Someone should watch him at least, someone Peter trusts." Steve gave Tony a look, then followed by everyone else.
"Yeah alright- I'll watch the kid." he waved them away sitting on the stairs next to the yellow bubble, listening to the muffled threats and screams of the kid he once knew.
________________
The door clamped shut echoing through the large room, the two were all alone now.
Tony turned his head to the sound of Peters muffled laughter, he stood hunched over like he had dumbbells on his shoulders.
His head tilted to the side as he spoke.
"You’re surprisingly calm considering what I could do to him."
"Oh it speaks." he said slightly surprised. "Who, The kid? You won't do shit, can't live without a host can you?"
A Symbiote is an organism living in symbiosis with another; a symbiont.
thats what it is, at least that's what strange called it. And he also knows strange wouldn't leave them alone if he could do something to the kid. Which means he had to assume it will die without him.
"Correct, you really are a genius aren't you, Stark? Flattered? Is your ego fed now?" he taunted, chuckling to himself before slamming his fist against the glass, the black sticking to the bubble before it all retracted back inside his body.
Peters face looked the same, of course it did. It was still him.
"Maybe I'll kill him for fun, just because I know you'll somehow find a way to blame yourself for it." he pressed his forehead against the bubble wall.
"I'll happily kill myself knowing you'll be the one to tell his family. Or the one person left at least-" more laughter.
Wicked laughter that made him sick to his stomach, gave him a lump in his throat.
He pushed past it, the sickness he felt hearing it use Peters voice to say these things.
"Sorry, I'm still on the part when you called me a genius."
"I'm not surprised in the slightest. You are always stuck in the past." he began.
"Your still in that cave, vulnerable and dying."
How did it know about that?
"Still at mommy and daddy's grave, I'm surprised you haven't avenged them yet considering its what you call your team."
He lunged to his feet, he got the worst feeling of his life.
"I could do it for you, no one to blame but me. I could kill Barnes for you. No one would know."
"You only know that because the kid knows that. Your using his mind against me, I'm not an idiot-"
"-The child doesn't know anything about your past Stark, I got into your mind. Back on the rooftop. I know how often you think about it."
That's bullshit, there's no way in hell he's falling for this.
"As quick as it was, I found out a lot. I might be the only person who understands you."
"Your not a person. Your some fuckingsludge in a human suit-"
He turned, walking to the door to get someone else to listen to its rambling, stopping in his tracks, his heart falling into his stomach as he turned around in horror at his own realization.
If he leaves, even for a second, anything can happen.
It could kill Peter in that bubble, how long would it take for it to consume the rest of his organs? Or just hit itself against the wall until Peters body goes limp?
It smiled wider than before,
"I know what your think-ing" it sung, like this whole situation was nothing but a game.
"If you call out to anyone, I'll kill him right here and now, Stark."
It was holding the kid hostage.
He had to be smart about this.
"Lock the door Stark." the mood immediately shifted in the room, the atmosphere cold and the tension alone was enough to give him a heart attack.
Nervously he took two steps back to reach and turn the lock slowly, not breaking eye contact with Peter, his hands shaking until it clicked.
"What are you trying to get out of this?"
"A meal. I'm sure you'd rather I didn't eat civilians, so let me take Barnes, I know how much you want him gone anyway, this could be a good thing." Peter shrugged,
"Just so you can run off and kill innocents anyway? I'll pass- your not eating anyone."
"I'll just eat the kid then-"
"Dont-! Just- fucking hell- how would I get you out of that thing anyway?" he asked referring to the bubble.
"Quite easily actually, as much as I want to kill em' the kids got some good hearing. Strange says the bubble is open able from the outside, just touch it and it pops." it explained, it's hands twitching like it was losing patience.
And that he did, walking closer and hesitantly placing his hand against the smooth cage, it popped as soon as he grazed it.
Like he expected the deal wasn't kept, he launched sludge attaching it to the rafters of the ceiling flinging himself through the roof.
Pieces of shingles falling inside as the light of the afternoon sun peaked its way through casting a shadow over the escaping teen.
"It's out!" Tony screamed into his ear piece, outside the Avengers already had the place surrounded.
The minute he slipped the other piece through the lock of the door they heard the whole conversation, coming up with a plan b on the spot.
Peter landed on the roof confronted by Hawkeye, who shot a net arrow knocking the Symbiote and it's hostage off the side falling to the ground bellow.
The black ooze struggled to grasp anything to slow the fall, it's body slamming against the side of the building making another attempt to get away after sharp spikes cut the net into small pieces.
"Second step guys! Make it work!" Clint warned over coms.
Dr Strange lifted his right hand, yellow chains rose from the golden spell circle next to him, wrapping itself around the neck of the screaming Symbiote who failed to dodge; he pulled his arm back slamming their body against the ground as they continued to flail their arms in a struggle like a wild animal caught in a trap.
"Ready!?" he glanced at cap who held his shield to his chest, giving a nod of reassurance.
"Start the separation!" Natasha threw small metal disks landing on the ground beside the boy, the flashbang combined with a sound wave weakened him just enough for Dr Strange to cast his final spell.
The Symbiote and the boy began to pull apart, it used it's hosts body to try and pull itself back inside as it screamed once more.
"I gave you your chance, Stark! This isn't the first Peter Parker I've killed!" it grunted in pain as it rolled over not having any strength to run.
It stopped screaming to throw up an alarming amount of blood, mixed with black sludge.
"There's more of me! Billions more-"
It choked as Peter collapsed, the last of the ooze was thrown into Steve's direction, who flipped his shield the opposite way last minute, encasing the black blob underneath like a spider under a cup.
He quickly kicked his foot ontop, cracking the road below him using his entire weight to keep the flailing monster trapped.
The doors burst open and Tony came rushing out, immediately turning his head to the unconscious, now normal, Peter Parker.
He collapsed on his knees and shook the boy at the shoulders,
"Pete!? Hey- kid come on your aunts gonna kill me after this I don't want to meet you in the afterlife-"
He put his fingers to his neck, barely feeling the slow pulse but thankful it was there at all.
He sighed in relief, the plan was stupidly risky but it was better than first option.
Killing Peter to get the Symbiote to leave his body was a last resort, but thankfully the whole crazy thing was over without casualties, the Symbiote was stopped and it took a whole half hour for it to die on its own.
Dr Strange wanting to find out there the creature came from lifted the shield picking up the black slime tossing it back and fourth in his hands, finding out with a spell that it wasn't even from their universe.
____________________
"Well it wasn't lying, it has killed multiple Peter Parkers." Dr strange walked into the room, leaned against the medbay door frame carrying the dead Symbiote in a glass jar.
Peter was still out of it on a bed, breathing slowly but breathing nonetheless.
The room filled with confused looks as Dr strange moved closer to explain, putting the jar on the table.
"This thing has been traveling between universes killing as many people as possible using our bodies."
"And you know this because..?" Steve asked.
"Because in a neighboring universe.. He was the only survivor," he pointed to Tony who blinked forrowing his eyebrows.
Moments of awkward silence and Strange finally sighed picking the jar back up and turning,
"I'm assuming we're done here, thanks for ruining my weekend."
The doors shut behind him, Steve nervously looking over to Tony who looked puzzled, thinking to himself.
"Thanks for not letting it kill my friend." he flashed a smile.
"Yeah, I'll do it myself one day." he sarcastically added still looking upset.
"The kids gonna be fine, don't worry about it Tony." he tried reassuring, but the side eye he received told him that wasn't the problem.
By now they were the only two in the room besides sleeping Peter, drooling on the bed. Poor kid hadn't slept since that thing took over his body.
"What's really wrong-?"
"The fact that it wasn't wrong. I did want to.. I wanted to let it kill him even if I knew it wasnt his fault," he began keeping his voice low.
"It wasn't him, he didn't do it but I still hate him for it."
"That's fine," Steve shrugged, hesitant to put a hand on his shoulder.
"I never expected you two to become friends- even talk to each other. I told you because you deserved to know, I'm just happy you understood." he moved his hand up and down his pals arm, who smirked in response before pushing him away.
Steve comforted him even more, "you don't have to like buck- hell you don't even have to tolerate him, that's your choice and I have no judgement." he nodded before starting to leave.
"Thanks," Tony blurted still smiling, pauseing before letting out a breathed laugh.
"Your fly was down the whole fight by the way."
"Oh, aren't you hilarious." Steve mocked him leaving, after the doors shut Tony heard him loudly curse through the wall.
__________________
After Peter woke up he barely managed to sit up on his own, Mr stark holding his back as he groaned holding his stomach.
"Please tell me I didn't eat anyone-"
"You did not eat anyone.. To my knowledge."
"God- don't even joke!" Peter tried laughing, only grunting again and leaning over.
"I am joking! We did a scan and we only found garbage in your stomach, no humans." he patted his back as Peter sighed in relief.
He couldn't remember much, but what he did remember he felt awful about.
He mumbled nervously, "Im sorry I called you all that stuff Mr stark- I don't actually think that-!"
"It's fine kid," he hesitated getting embarrassed. "I needed to hear it.. I needed to get taken down a notch."
Pete smiled rubbing the back of his neck, suddenly he covered his eyes and groaned falling back into the bed.
"It was that dumb cat! How could I be so stupid!"
"Cat? What cat-?"
"An alley cat! I stared petting it after finding it in a dumpster- it was how I got possessed by that black ooze thingy.." he admitted kicking his feet embarrassed.
Tony could only laugh. of course that's how it happened, how else?
May was called as soon as he woke up, she came rushing through the doors bombarding Peter with a million hugs tight enough to choke him.
"Christ Peter-! You scared the crap out of me with all that! I mean I saw you on the news and I just couldn't believe-!"
"I'm fine May!" he whined as she kissed his cheek.
May harshly but still gently smacked the back of his head before hugging him again. "He's good to go home, right?" she asked Mr stark who nodded helping Peter out of bed.
Later he got another harsh smack after bringing Ms Romanoff her knife back from his nest of a bed, which he finally flopped back into and slept for nearly two days.