Peter
Peter will admit that he has become clingy.
He visits the tower almost every day, constantly checking on Tony as he recovers from the gun wound. His visits are supposed to be quick, yet most last for hours on end. Sometimes they work in the lab, other times they watch movies, though each moment is just as cherished by Peter.
It was too close of a call.
Today, Peter is planning to visit the tower as soon as school ends. When the final bell rings, he practically sprints out the door. It is a spontaneous decision when Peter chooses to take a pit stop to Delmar’s for a deli sandwich. There is a familiar ring from the door as he walks in.
“Hey Mister Delmar!”
Delmar turns from the cash register. An immediate smile forms on his face when he sees Peter. It’s an expression that is also familiar.
“Mister Parker, long time no see. I thought you were avoiding me.”
Peter hesitates for the briefest of moments, only because it is partially true.
Cleaning the streets from rubble and buildings has become an undertaking that not even Peter was prepared for. He thinks of the endless hours it had taken to get New York back to some form of normality. Construction teams constantly worked as well, though Peter can admit that Spider-Man expedited the process in a way that only an enhanced superhero can. When all is said and done, it makes Peter feel like he is truly helping.
Of course, his body doesn’t seem to agree with the labor. His arms are always sore, and his legs often feels like they are going to collapse. Many nights, the pain doesn’t go away. And yet, Peter doesn’t dare tell a soul about how he is probably overworking himself. There are bigger concerns than tense muscles.
“It’s been a busy few weeks,” Peter replies with a shrug.
Delmar moves from the cash register, eyeing Peter with suspicion.
“Your place wasn’t destroyed from the attack, was it?”
“No sir.”
“And your aunt is doing well?”
Peter raises an eyebrow of his own, “that depends, why do you want to know?”
Delmar snorts, shaking his head. Both of them know he is asking out of concern, though Delmar dodges the question anyway.
“You want your usual?”
Peter smiles knowingly, “and don’t forget the pickles.”
Delmar rolls his eyes, yet he turns to the back and repeats Peter’s favorite order with ease.
And just like that, Peter is filled with relief. He is infinitely grateful that Delmar’s shop wasn’t destroyed from the robots.
Delmar turns back to Peter just as he takes a steadying breath.
“How’s school going?”
“Muy bien,” he says with the thickest of New York accents. Peter knows that Delmar is really asking about his Spanish class.
Delmar glares in response. “You’re gonna have to do better than that.”
Peter laughs, ready to reply with an actual sentence in Spanish. The hairs on his arms raise before he can, and suddenly there is a chill that runs down his spine.
Peter turns around in an instance. There’s no one behind him. In fact, it’s only Delmar, the employee, and Peter in the shop.
Still, the feeling doesn’t go away. Peter knows immediately that something is coming.
“Parker?” Delmar calls out with the slightest edge in his tone. All traces of humor is gone as Peter faces to the register once more.
“Sorry, I thought I heard something.”
Peter shifts himself so he is standing in front of the door. The action blocks Delmar from the entrance. He leans against the counter, hoping that he looks somewhat casual. Delmar stares at him in a way that makes Peter know he is failing.
Delmar opens his mouth to argue, though he freezes altogether when the door rings open. Peter’s senses scream at him as he spins around. He is barely shocked by the pistol that points to his forehead.
“Everyone put your hands up.” A man in a ski mask yells into the store.
The door slams shut as three men follow. Each of them have guns that are now aimed at everyone. He hears the employee in the corner choke back his shock. Delmar takes a shaky breath of his own while opening the register.
“Alright, you want money? Take it.”
Peter turns to see Delmar taking a step away from the counter. His hands are up and his lips are pressed into a tight line. It is clear that he is holding his tongue.
He briefly directs his attention to Peter, giving an expectant look. It’s only then when Peter raises his own arms in surrender.
None of the offenders move. Their pistols are still raised as the leader slowly observes the store. Finally, he directs his attention to Delmar.
“I don’t want your money”
Delmar’s anger turns into confusion. Then, Peter’s entire body tingles with warning. Not even seconds later, the man meets his eye contact.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
Peter hears a gasp from the employee behind him, all while Delmar jumps forward. His voice seethes in both fury and terror.
“Parker, run.”
Even if Peter wanted to, it wouldn’t be a viable option. He would be shot as soon as he took one step forward. With the thought, he steels himself and ignores Delmar entirely.
He sees the leader light up in delight.
“You two know each other? This is perfect!”
He barks out a laugh, sizing Peter while he looks him up and down. There is a knowing glint in his eyes as he takes a step closer.
“Cause you know. Grief is a funny thing, it never really goes away.”
His words are taunting, and he looks at Peter like he is telling a secret. Peter feels his heart drop to his stomach.
Because he recognizes those words. It’s exactly what Spider-Man said at the memorial service.
They know.
Without thinking, Peter repositions himself into a fighting stance. His expression is stone cold though he doesn’t respond to the man. He is lost in his own thoughts.
He needs to contain them without having a trigger pulled. The other men still have their pistols pointed at Delmar and the employee. Peter quickly realizes that fighting is a risk that he can’t take.
The leader seems to read his mind, “make one move, I dare you. Mutt and Jeff here will be shot dead in seconds.”
Delmar speaks up again. Peter barely holds back his groan.
“There is no way he knows that reference.”
And it’s true, Peter has no idea what the leader is talking about. One of the men glances at Delmar and looks ready to shoot. It is only then when Peter finds his voice.
“What do you want from me?”
Peter is petrified, though there is no trace of fear in his tone. He stands tall and grabs the attention of everyone in the room.
The leader nods like he is impressed, “good boy.”
Then, he pulls something out of his pocket. He is holding a syringe filled with clear liquid. It is impossible to tell what it is. Still, the item offers a hint of recognition that Peter can’t fully place.
“Don’t move, let us give you this. It’s the only way your pals will live to see another day.”
“Peter, don’t do it.”
Delmar sounds horrified as he shouts at Peter. In his years of visiting Delmar, it is the first time he has ever called Peter by his first name. The detail doesn’t go unnoticed, though Peter refuses to listen.
Delmar has a daughter waiting for him at home. That alone makes Peter want to scream. Admittedly, he doesn’t know the other employee very well. He can’t even remember his name. Still, there is no doubt in his mind that both of them need to live over Peter. He doesn’t even think about his decision as he holds his arm out compliantly.
There is no way to know if the man is telling the truth. Peter can only hope that he is making the right choice.
The leader wastes no time poking the syringe to his skin. Peter is surprised when he feels the effects immediately. As the world blurs around him, he finally connects why this all feels familiar.
The drug is exactly what he had seen while finding Tony strapped to the chair. These are the same men who kidnapped Iron Man. They are the group responsible for the New York attack.
Peter thinks that the revelation should scare him. Instead, he finds it a tad humorous. The Avengers have been looking for these men for weeks on end, yet Peter somehow stumbles across them in a deli shop of all places. It shouldn’t be funny, yet Peter laughs anyway.
“You’re the bad guy,” Peter announces while pointing a finger at the masked man.
His voice sounds like it is under water, and Peter briefly wonders how they managed to replace the air. He doesn’t notice when his body tilts toward his extended hand. The leader catches Peter before he can fall on his face. He hears someone yell from what seems like miles away.
“Get your hands off him.”
Peter turns to the noise, noticing Delmar leaning over the counter. There is a gun that is now pressed close to his temple, and Delmar takes a quick step back as his eyes widen in fear.
Peter struggles to process what is happening in front of him. He takes a guess as he looks to the man holding the gun.
“That is not the right way to ask for a sandwich,” Peter slurs.
The man freezes, tilting his head as he observes Peter.
“How is he still awake? Did you give him the right dose?”
Peter feels hands tighten around his body. It reminds him of crowd surfing and makes him feel like a rockstar. The only problem is Peter can’t sing.
Delmar is still screaming, yet it’s hard to understand what he is saying. Before he knows it, Peter is being dragged out of the deli shop. It’s not very luxurious when he is jammed into the trunk of a car.
Suddenly, Peter is furious. He never got his sandwich. Even worse, he already paid for it. It is a desperate move when Peter shouts at his captor.
“Hey man, you owe me $5.”
No response. Peter closes his eyes and tries to listen to the front of the car. Words jumble together, though he can still hear voices.
“I can’t believe you were right. I think the kid is actually Spider-Man.”
Two men laugh while another hums in consideration.
“I don’t know, I’m still not convinced. I mean, he’s a child.”
“The stuff we gave him could take down an elephant. He has to be enhanced. And plus, you heard that voice. It sounds identical to the Spider-Man in the videos.”
Peter recognizes that they are talking about him. Unfortunately, it is the only thing he can register in his brain. His neck is starting to cramp and the world spins with each jolt of the car. He is starving.
Time blends together and drags out all at once. Peter is thinking about his upcoming Spanish quiz when the trunk suddenly opens. Something bright hits his vision and he squints his eyes shut.
“Turn down the lights.”
He hears someone laugh, “is he talking about the sun?”
“Just ignore him and get him out of there.”
The last voice sounds menacing, exactly like a movie villain. It reminds him of Darth Vader. Does that make him Luke Skywalker?
Peter contemplates this as he is yanked out of the car. He forgets to use his legs and feels his toes dragging against the concrete. Two men hold each of his arms and Peter lets himself hang off their shoulders. It feels like he is flying.
Peter bursts into laughter once the realization hits him.
“I’m a sky walker.”
A man turns around, offering a quizzical look.
“Are we sure this is Spider-Man?”
“It has to be.”
Oh yeah, he’s Spider-Man.
Peter then forces his toes to stick to the ground. The men are thrusted back when they suddenly can’t maneuver Peter anymore. They look at him in shock, which gives him the perfect opportunity to push them away. They each stumble back and hit the floor with a loud smack that echoes in Peter’s ears.
He is strictly following his sixth sense when he turns to leave. The feeling is subdued from whatever they gave him, though Peter can still trust his instincts. His heart tells him that he needs to check on Delmar. Then he can finally get his sandwich.
He is about 10 steps in before he is tackled to the ground. He feels a pinch and sting on his bicep. He looks down to see a new syringe in his arm.
He curses in Spanish.
The world goes dark.
- - -
Peter wakes up to someone poking his cheek.
Slowly, Peter opens an eye. A man with yellow teeth stares down at him in shock.
“I can’t believe that actually worked.”
Peter blinks back, not understanding anything the man is saying. Then, he yells over his shoulder.
“He’s up Boss.”
The boss in question looms over, looking unimpressed as his eyes land on Peter.
“We need to up the dosage. He should have been out for hours.”
“He must have some sort of enhanced metabolism. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The boss doesn’t acknowledge the comment. He leans down and shoves something into Peter’s face. It takes him a few moments to recognize his own cell phone.
The phone scans his face and unlocks into the home screen. The stranger is now on Peter’s phone, though he can’t bring himself to fully care. His brain feels like it has turned off altogether as he blankly stares above him.
“They won’t be able to track our location, right?”
“They couldn’t the first time, we’ll be fine. Turn on the device and then I’ll call Stark.”
The man with the yellow teeth leaves Peter’s sight. His head lolls back as he watches the man bend down to a grey contraption. There is a red light on the top corner that turns green as he presses the device. Then, Peter hears his phone ringing.
Peter isn’t too interested in the conversation until he hears the person on the other line. He would recognize Tony’s voice anywhere.
“Hey kid, you’re late. Not that I’m surprised, though you would think-”
“I have something that belongs to you, Stark.”
It’s silent for a few moments, and Peter begins to think that Tony hung up from the call. He can’t help the disappointment that he feels until Tony returns to the line. His voice is fuming.
“Where’s the kid?”
The boss smiles in victory, peering down at Peter.
“He’s safe for now.”
The man lets the message sink in before continuing. To Peter, it feels as though he is speaking a different language. Even through his confusion, he can hear the threat clear as day.
“Listen closely, because I’m only saying it once. I’m going to text an address for you to meet my guys at. You show there in thirty minutes. You come alone and tell no one. If you pull any tricks, your Peter will be dead in seconds. I’ll be watching from afar.”
Then, the boss looks back at Peter. He holds the phone to his face.
“Anything you wanna say Spider-Man? Daddy Stark is listening.”
The phone comes to life, and Tony is practically screaming in his ear.
“Peter, are you there? What’s happening kiddo?”
Peter has a million thoughts yet none at all. He says the only thing he can think of in the moment.
“Don’t do drugs.”
Of course, Tony understands what he means. He has always been able to read between the lines when it comes to Peter.
“It’s okay buddy, you’re okay. I’m sure they gave you the good stuff. Just sit tight and I will handle everything.”
Despite the situation, Peter smiles. There is a small part of his brain that is yelling at him. Telling him that Tony should not come anywhere near Peter. The rest of his thoughts feel calmed at once. It’s inevitable for Peter to feel safe when Tony is around.
Before Peter can say anything else, the phone is pulled away.
“See you soon Stark.”