Peter Edwin Stark was born from a one-night stand who passed away during his birth, hence Tony Stark was given the responsibility of raising him. Tony wanted nothing to do with Peter and left him in the care of nannies who raised him. Peter knew no love as a child for whilst the nannies were professional, they were cold and distant. When Peter was eight, however, things seemed like they might become positive. Another Stark child was discovered when their mother passed away, this child was ten years old and went by the name of Harley Keener. For the first time in years, Peter was excited, hoping that he would have someone to talk to and play with. It was never meant to be. Tony seemed to adore Harley, spending all his time with him, making robots in the lab or having family nights with the Avengers. Once again, Peter became a forgotten son.
Desperate for attention, Peter tried his hardest over the next few years, getting top grades in school and participating in many extracurricular activities. He even tried making friends with the Avengers like Harley did, asking to learn archery with Clint or how to speak Russian with Natalia but Peter was brushed to the side in favour of his brother. If Peter got an A, Harley got an A+ or if Peter did do better then he was told off for showing off and upsetting his brother.
At almost fourteen years old Peter was defeated, he had given everything he had over the last few years only to get nothing in return. He decided that there was no point trying anymore, he was always talked over or left behind. Peter started to drift, his grades dropped, school was skipped often, and food was part of his self-imposed punishment, a last cry for help. Every time he was told off Peter cut himself, if Tony and the Avengers hated him this much then surely there had to be a reason. A bad grade, cut. An argument, cut. Him being talked over, cut. The once vibrant boy was an emaciated pale ghost floating through his life, arguing with Tony over anything and everything.
One day Peter heard Tony and the Avengers discussing a surprise birthday party and felt a spark of excitement. It surely couldn’t be for Harley, his birthday was the week before, an enormous affair that was the talk of the school. Peter decided to give life one last try. He spent breakfast with the family, eating a piece of fruit rather than skipping completely and sat in the living room after school rather than shutting himself away in his bedroom. By the time the birthday party came around, Peter felt his old self creeping back in, the way he wanted to try his best no matter what.
However, it wasn’t meant to be, Friday night Peter was called downstairs only for his heart to shatter at the sight of the ‘Happy 16th Birthday Harley’ banner. He truly was the spare child, the unwanted one. Gritting his teeth, Peter put a smile on his face and refused to let the tears fall, he wished his brother a happy birthday and drifted to the shadows. Once everyone was distracted by the music and the party, Peter snuck upstairs and buried himself under the duvet.
Around an hour later Tony noticed Peter was missing and was furious, how dare he leave his brother’s birthday party like a brat. Tony stormed upstairs and started screaming at Peter, asking where he went wrong and why was he cursed to have such a rude, belligerent child. He finished off by saying he wished that Peter had died with his mother at birth. Peter stayed hidden under his duvet during this agreeing with Tony, he was a stupid, pathetic child who deserved to be hurt.
Once Tony left, Peter took his blade and started punishing himself. A cut for killing his mother, a cut for ruining Tony’s life, a cut for taking attention away from Harley. By the time he was finished, his arms looked like ribbons and blood was flowing freely. Peter could feel his heart, already weakened by the years of starvation starting to struggle but decided that he was done fighting. He got out of bed, stripped down to his boxers, climbed back into bed and pulled the duvet over himself. Peter curled up, shivering as he felt the last dredges of life leave him.
Monday morning came around and it started like normal for the rest of the family. Breakfast was made and Harley was given hugs and kisses before being sent out the door with Happy so Harley could get to school. Tony was grumpy because Peter had stayed in his room over the weekend, sulking. He decided that it was time for Peter to face the consequences of his actions and for upsetting Harley at his birthday party. Tony knocked on Peter’s door only to get no response, this only made Tony madder, how dare Peter ignore his father? FRIDAY was told to open Peter’s door and once she did, the smell of iron and death hit Tony’s nose.
Tony stalked into Peter’s room all whilst shouting about how lazy he was only to stop at the sight of the lump under the duvet. A bad feeling filled his body and Tony pulled back the duvet. A sob broke from him at the sight of his son, his body skeletal and limbs decorated with cuts. Every rib could be counted, his stomach concave and his cheeks as hollow as his soul. Tony reached out and stroked his dead son’s hair, all whilst telling Peter that he was sorry. FRIDAY called the emergency services who arrived quickly, followed by the swarms of press around Stark Tower who wanted to know what was happening.
Peter’s body was placed on a stretcher, covered with a sheet and taken away. Tony was left there watching as the baby he once held in his arms with Bambi brown eyes, bouncing curls and a gummy smile was stolen from his life. He knew that things would never be the same.