Sugar We're Goin Down
Peter had an essay due today.
He woke up before his alarm went off, and May made him and Harley omelets before the three of them left the house. May even dropped them off at school before her shift. His phone chimed when they got inside, and a text from Tony read 'Six months today!'. He showed Harley, who grinned, and then talked about how Billie was so excited to give Pepper her gift this weekend.
MJ pecked him on the cheek before calculus, and Peters essay was due next period.
Then his spider-sense started going off. He shot out of his desk, banging his knee as he stood with his hand raised.
'I need to use the washroom!' He declared, and didn't even wait before he was out of the classroom. He stashed his backpack under the sink and climbed out the bathroom window. A text shows up in the corner of the screen just as he reaches Queens.
'Dude what the hell's going on???' Harley texts him. 'I just found your backpack.'
"Karen, call Harley." Peter says, and Harley's voice assaults him a moment after. "Somethings going on in Queens."
"Should I get Tony?" Harleys voice becomes worried, and Peter grimaces.
"Not yet," He says. "If something big's going down then he'll be on it. I'll call if I need help."
"Stay safe." Harley says, and Peter nods, even though his brother can't see it.
"You too," Peter hangs up and swings the corner just in time for his sense to go off. He drops the web he was holding and begins tumbling toward the street. He catches himself at the last second and swings to the adjacent roof. His eyes widen. He recognizes the man terrorizing the street.
Harry Osborn grits his teeth as he stares him down. His eyes glow a dangerous yellow, and Peters heart sinks. It was barely three months before the snap that Peter defeated Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. Harry points a glowing finger toward Peter.
"Spider-Man!" He laughs. "I heard you were back in town!" Peter swallows.
"Stand down Harry." Harry Osborns eyes gleam.
"Not this time," He hisses, and suddenly disappears. Peters spider-sense flares, and he whirls wildly.
"Harry!" He shouts, and turns just in time to see the younger Osborn rearing up for a punch. Peter ducks a second too late and finds himself flailing backwards.
"Peter you have not reinstalled your parachute!" Karen warns, and Peters heart hammers in his ears as he falls. He starts aiming his webshooters and-
"I've got you kid!" He hears suddenly, and then an arm wraps around his waist and shoots upward. Peter twists in the strangers arm, heart thundering.
"Mr. Falcon?" He gasps, meeting the heroes face as they touch down in an adjacent alley. Sam Wilson grins as Peter faces him. His face flushes a moment after. "Or Mr. America, I guess."
"Sam's fine," He says, and Peter nods. His spider-sense pricks and he ducks suddenly, whirling around to kick his attacker into the wall. He hears a small grunt and turns, gasping as his face burns. Natasha Romanoff is recovering against the wall, a small smirk on her face.
"You're right," She says, meeting the Falcons grin. "He's good."
"Well you didn't have to attack the pipsqueak to find out." Another voice retorts, and Peter whirls again. Sergeant Bucky Barnes is in the mouth of the alley. Peter swallows, tripping over his feet as he points at the Falcon.
"Is this a kidnapping?" His mouth betrays him, and Bucky Barnes bursts into unmistakable Brooklyn laughter.
"Natasha still isn't answering." Tony licks dry lips. Across from him, Harley and Pepper sit side by side, her hand is over her stomach. Behind Tony, May leans with her elbows on the couch.
"Well at least we know with people we can trust." She amends. No one has heard from Peter since Harley called him before lunch. It's 2:30 now, and the elevator dings. All four heads turn to see Peter standing sheepishly in the opening. Behind him, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson lean against the wall. Natasha Romanoff nurses a Peters Drive-In milkshake. Peter holds up three bags of take-out.
"My phone died?" He says, and Bucky Barnes snorts.
Tony launches over the couch and reaches Peter a second after May, who wacks him upside the head before grabbing his head in her hands.
"Thank GOD you're alive." Sam Wilson shoulders past them and into the kitchen.
"My pleasure." He says, and Tony rolls his eyes as they drag Peter over to the couch.
"What the hell happened?" He asks. Peter has the decency to look guilty.
"It's my fault," Natasha says, and Tony snaps his gaze towards her. She perches down beside Pepper, and Harley reaches for one of the take-out bags by Peters feet. "Last week I approached Barnes about a case involving Norman Osborn. I'd been working on it before the Snap; things have only started taking off again a few months ago. When Harry Osborn started attacking Queens, we knew we had to move fast. Spider-Man was in the area, we helped him out a bit, then took him for a briefing."
"They got me lunch." Peter supplies, evident by Harleys chomping of a chili-dog.
"He's a CHILD." May stresses, then turns to Peter. "Honey, you know you can't just disappear - and I don't care if Captain America himself kidnapped you - you have to let us know what's going on. Tony was three minutes away from calling James."
"And I take full responsibility, but Tony - what Osborns doing, it's about Peter."