Harley and MJ were angry.
Peter had yet again decided to ditch class to beat up a supervillain. Yes, the Avengers were struggling against this week’s baddie, but Peter was supposed to be in school, taking a test.
They worried.
Usually, they got messages from Karen, updating them on the battle, but they weren’t this time. This could happen for one of two reasons. One, Peter had deliberately told Karen not to send them messages. That was unlikely however after the many arguments they’ve had over that. Two, the suit could be damaged and Karen couldn't send messages out.
Thus, MJ and Harley waited anxiously together, watching the news in their history class. The teacher, Mr. Harlow, thought it was important for students to be caught up in current events, and thus they watched the news.
Spiderman didn’t look so good. He was much more sluggish than usual, seemed to be favoring his right leg, and was swinging with one arm, indicating that something had happened to the other.
MJ bit her lip. This was going to be a rough recovery.
“Peanut’s in a lot of pain,” Harley whispered to her, barely audible.
She nodded slightly in agreement, unable to keep her focus away from the screen. Suddenly, the camera shifted and showed Spiderman fighting one of the baddies alone right over Midtown.
“Oh my god! Guys look!” One of their fellow students called as he ran to a window to get a better view of the fight. The rest of the class hurriedly followed his example.
“Shit. MJ put in your earpiece. I have a bad feeling about this,” Harley told her as he carefully got up from his seat. She fumbled in her backpack for a moment before finding it and smoothly securing it in her ear.
The villain and Spiderman fought viciously, however, Spiderman was quickly losing the battle, anyone could see that. Spiderman went for a kick to the villain’s stomach. The villain caught him.
MJ’s heart dropped.
“Harley…” She whispered in fear as she gripped his hand.
The villain flung Spiderman to the ground and pinned him. Spiderman struggled viciously to get out. A grin lit up the villain’s face as he brought his foot down on Spiderman’s bad leg, hard.
Poor, poor Peter screamed and threw his head back in agony. Not that the villain cared.
The villain picked up Spiderman, who was still fighting like a bat out of hell. Harley saw this and, unlike the rest of the class, had an ounce of common sense.
“Move! Fucking Christ, he is going to throw him, move!” Harley screamed at the crowd in front of the window. Thankfully, the crowd listened and ran to the opposite side of the room.
The villain smirked and seemed to stare directly at Harley, who glared hatefully at him, before chucking Peter right at the window, towards the class. The class screamed.
Peter crashed through the window and into the desks. The baddie, using some type of magic, enclosed the classroom in a molten, making any exit unescapable.
Many of Harley and MJ’s classmates began to scream and pound at the walls. They, however, ran to Peter. Peter curled into a ball and threw his hands over his ears. The beginning of an overload.
“Hey. I need all of you all to shut the fuck up. Right now. You’re hurting Spiderman,” MJ commanded in a loud, yet cool voice. The class, in fear of making the condition of their favorite super worse, shut up.
MJ knelt down next to Harley, who was already assessing Peter’s injuries.
“We need to get the suit off,” Harley said to MJ as he deflated the suit. “Get your medkit. He needs immediate medical attention now.”
MJ nodded and quickly ran to her backpack, which held her small yet extensive medkit. The class stared at the duo anxiously. MJ, in contrast, didn’t spare them a glance.
She rushed back over to her boyfriend and Harley.
“Fuck,” she cursed as she turned on her earpiece. “FRIDAY connect me to Stark.”
“MJ? Are you in school! Fuck, I saw Peter go down near you and we can’t find him. The battle’s-”
“Tony it’s okay! Spiderman crashed into our classroom. Harley and I are patching him up. One of the guys you were fighting magically sealed all the exits so we won’t be getting out for a while.” She said as she helped Harley pull the suit off Peter.
“Okay. I trust you. Take care of him alright? I’ll get to you as soon as I can,” Tony said quickly as he fought off a crowd of monsters.
“I will. MJ out.”
The suit was almost off, and dear God did he look worse without it. Bruises, slashes, and body misalignments covered his body. Harley tried to be gentle as he pulled the suit off of Peter’s severely broken leg, yet it still hurt the boy.
“Harley,” Peter sobbed as he slammed his head into the ground.
“It’s okay, Spiderman. Take a deep breath. We’re gonna fix you up,” Harley reassured the boy as he pulled the last of his suit off, leaving only his mask on. Peter nodded his head weakly and sucked in a big gulp of air.
MJ quickly unloaded her medkit onto the ground listing off the things they would need.
“Karen, what’s the damage?” She asked, ignoring the classroom’s confused yet worried eyes behind her.
“Spiderman has one dislocated left knee. One shattered left Tibia. One sprained left ankle. One right dislocated shoulder. Bruised ribs and 3 deep cuts on the chest and stomach area.” Karen reported.
“Fuck,” MJ cursed to herself. “Okay, Harley, we’re going to start on the left leg and make our way up, okay? Go grab the cuffs, I’m gonna need your help.”
Harley nodded shakily and rushed to his backpack.
“No, no, no. Please, MJ,” Peter choked out as he shot into a sitting position, pushing himself away from her. “I can’t fucking do this. I can’t-”
He wheezed loudly and clutched at his chest. MJ glanced back at the class and sighed deeply.
Fuck.
Hard decision-making time.
“Nothing that’s about to happen ever gets out of this room. Understood? Or Stark’s lawyers will bury you in debt.” MJ warned them with a deadly glare.
The class nodded hesitantly.
“Now, I need you all to sit down against the back of the wall and not make a sound unless I instruct you to. Am I clear?”
The class, again, agreed dumbly and quickly followed her directions. She turned away from them and back towards her boyfriend.
“Peter,” She whispered in a soothing voice. “It’s okay. We’re going to get through this, just like we always do.”
MJ heard the class gasp behind her. Peter rapidly shook his head, not noticing Harley approaching from behind.
MJ kept his attention on her, holding out her hand as an offering. “Yes it will. We’ll be okay. Stark will get us out of here as soon as he can. But for now, Harley and I have to do our part to keep you safe. We need to fix you up before anything heals wrong.”
“It’s going to hurt,” Peter wept hysterically. MJ nodded sympathetically and took another step forward. “I know. I know it will, baby.”
Harley suddenly grabbed Peter from behind and wrapped him in a hug, careful of his shoulder and injured body parts. Peter sobbed louder, not even putting up a fight and only turning to bawl into his brother’s shoulder.
Harley gently removed the mask and threw it to the floor. He stroked Peter’s hair softly, kissing his forehead as well.
“Peanut, let us take care of you, okay?” He murmured against Peter’s forehead. “Then tonight we can lay in bed and sleep and not have to worry about any more injuries.”
“They’re gonna make me spend the night in the medbay,” Peter tearfully explained as he gasped sharply. Harley rubbed the boy’s back soothingly, glancing over his head to look at MJ and the rest of the class who were in… shock, to say the least. MJ tapped her outer wrist a few times, indicating that they needed to start soon.
“Alright, Peanut. Lay down, we need to start,” Harley explained as he lowered himself and Peter to the floor. That earned another gut-wrenching cry, yet he went with Harley. Harley helped the boy lay down and quickly fastened the cuffs against his wrists and leg, the uninjured one, and locked them to the floor. Then, he set up a small curtain in front of Peter’s face so he couldn’t see the gruesome image that was about to happen.
Peter’s breath quickened.
“MJ,” he huffed. “MJ, please. I’m scared. I’m so scared. Please. Please, please, please.”
A few girls, hell, even the guys, in the class cried slightly as their hero was revealed to be nothing more than a scared boy.
MJ appeared next to his head. She kissed her forehead and whispered softly to him. “You need to calm down. Can you tell me how Nat taught you to meditate?”
Peter nodded shakily, and MJ gave him a soft smile before returning to behind the curtain.
“First, she, she says clear… clear your mind.” He stuttered. MJ hummed in approval. One hand landed softly on his injured leg, while something cold wrapped around his sprained ankle. Peter flinched at the spark of pain.
“What next?” MJ asked. The hand slowly moved to his knee, and two more appeared to gently hold the leg down. Peter shifted uncomfortably.
“Then she tells me to take a deep breath. From my stomach to my lungs to my heart.”
“Can you show us?” Harley chimed in.
Peter trembled but pulled in a deep breath. A white sharp pain filled his sensations as an audible crack filled the air. Peter positively screamed in anguish. What an awful noise pain brings.
“What next?” MJ asked as she and Harley probed the knee, making sure they set it properly.
The pain increased and Peter let out another loud wail. “MJ! Fuck!”
“What's next, Peter.” She asked again in the same calming voice. Peter struggled to regain his breath and remember anything through the haze.
“And then you breathe out. Gently. Softly,” he echoed Natasha. His knee felt cold as an ice pack was laid onto it. The hands returned to the middle of his leg and carefully lifted it up. The pain almost made Peter scream, instead he settled on throwing up.
“Harley,” Peter croaked as tears ran down his face.
Harley peeked over the curtain and his face fell when he saw the mess. Harley turned to the class.
“Do any of y’all have a jacket?”
A boy, Donovan, nodded and handed her jacket to Harley. Harley was quick to move next to Peter and wipe away the throw-up on the floor and around Peter's mouth.
“You are doing so well, Peanut,” Harley encouraged. Peter said nothing at the comment, only focused on not throwing up again from the pain as MJ continued to splint his leg.
“What's after you breathe out?” MJ asked from the other side of the curtain.
“You repeat. Repeat. Breath,” Peter breathed in and then out. “Out. Gently. Softly.”
The pressure on his leg increased as the poor piece of flesh was stuck between two boards and tied tightly to make a splint. Peter grit his teeth.
“Then what?”
“Close your eyes,” Peter said.
“Can you do that, Peter?” MJ asked.
Peter jerked his head no and said the word.
“Okay, that’s okay. What’s after you close your eyes?” Harley said softly. They finished the splint.
“Too tight,” Peter panted harshly.
“I’m sorry, Peanut, we can’t go any looser.”
Peter whimpered as more tears slid down his face.
“What’s next, Peanut? What’s the next part of meditation?”
Peter felt them move to his stomach.
“Imagine… imagine when you breathe in the breath leaving, leaving. Out your body. Mm!” He cried out as they cleaned the first deep cut. Peter knew what was next.
“Harley, please. No, no, no. Please!” He screamed and thrashed against the cuffs.
“Fuck!” Harley cursed as he grabbed Peter’s shoulders. “Peter, calm down! You’re going to hurt yourself. Peter sobbed in response.
“I won’t, I won’t do it!” He shrieked.
Suddenly something was pressed into his ear.
“... Pete?” Tony said through the comm. Peter bawled at his voice.
“Dad? Dad, it hurts! Please make it stop. I can’t do it. I don’t want to,” Peter absolutely broke down for his father figure.
“Oh, my baby. I’m so sorry. I need you to be strong for just a little longer okay? We’re gonna get you out,” Tony reassured him in a calm voice. Peter nodded as rain fell down from his eyes.
The first poke of a needle hit Peter’s skin. Peter shuddered violently as Tony whispered sweet nothings into his ear.
“Dad, I threw up,” Peter confessed as he squeezed his eyes tight, the needle threading quickly through his skin.
“It’s okay. That’s okay, my sweet boy,” Tony reassured his son.
“Harley cleaned it with someone’s jacket… I ruined their jacket,” Peter said as another wave of tears hit him.
“We’ll buy them 100 new ones.”
MJ tied off the first one. At the same time, Harley cleaned out another one.
“Fuck, Harley!” Peter panted. Harley tapped his stomach apologetically, yet continued.
“MJ said you were doing some of Nat’s meditation.”
Peter hummed in acknowledgment, trying to focus solely on Tony’s voice and not the needle stabbing him.
“Do you want me to say it with you?”
“I didn’t, ah! Didn’t know you knew it?” Peter questioned slightly.
“Kid, everyone knows Nat’s meditation. Now, clear your mind. Take a deep breath. From your stomach to your lungs to your heart.”
Peter inhaled deeply, twitching as the finished the second laceration.
“Breath out. Gently. Softly.”
Peter did so, biting his lip as they cleaned the last cut.
“Repeat. Repeat. Out. Gently. Softly.”
Peter repeated the steps twice.
“Close your eyes.”
“No,” Peter moaned as a particularly sharp poke hit his stomach.
“I need you to, baby. For yourself, I’m not going anywhere. Harley and MJ are not going anywhere. You're safe.”
“I won’t be in control.” Peter nearly screamed, frustrated.
“Okay. It’s okay. Let MJ and Harley take care of you.”
“Okay,” Peter said shakily as he closed his eyes. Tony continued.
“Now, imagine… imagine when you breathe in the breath leaving, leaving. Out your body.”
Peter did. Tears springing to his eyes as they finished the last stitch. Harley removed the curtain and helped Peter sit up.
“Almost done, Peanut. You are doing so well,” Harley said as he pressed a kiss to Peter’s temple.
“Dad,” Peter’s voice trembled.
“We’ll be with you soon, Petey. I promise, okay?”
“Okay,” Peter whispered back brokenly.
MJ moved in position, adjusting her hands on Peter’s shoulder. Even the touch hurt.
“Okay, sweetheart. Try not to move. We are going to roll your shoulder gently so it pops back in place.” MJ warned. Peter stared miserably at her and rested his head against Harley’s chest.
MJ slowly rolled his shoulder, evoking another scream from the poor boy.
“Stop,” Peter pleaded as he gripped Harley tight. Tony was whispering something to him, but Peter couldn’t even focus on it. MJ continued to roll the shoulder, tried to find the right place, before, finally, it popped back into place.
Peter sighed in slight relief at the procedures finally done.
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” MJ said as she pressed a kiss to his sweaty forehead.
“Okay, Pete, I gotta go so I can help them get you out, okay? We’ll be with you soon. I love you.”
The line went dead, yet the pain stayed. MJ put her bloody materials back into her medkit and threw it into her backpack. She then reached in and handed Harley a shirt and sweats for Peter. Harley carefully helped Peter put on the shirt, with only a few more pained grunts. Then, MJ and Harley both put the sweatpants on the smaller boy, with another round of tears.
Harley and MJ took a relieved breath as they could now fully focus on Peter’s emotional state. They back up against a wall opposite to their classmates and held Peter as he cried into MJ’s neck. The pain was still there, of course, and without access to Banner’s super pain meds, they were basically fucked for as long as they were stuck.
Harley gently held ice packs to Peter’s aching shoulder and stomach, with one already wound to his injured knee and ankle. The poor boy tried to curl tighter to MJ, but couldn’t succeed with his damaged leg. He settled on weeping quietly and trying desperately to fall asleep.
“You can sleep, it’s okay. We’re all done now. Rest,” MJ said and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Peter nodded slowly against her and leaned all his weight onto her, knowing she would support him.
She and Harley continued to speak quietly to him, rubbing his back, and petting his hair until he fell asleep. Once he did they turned sharply towards the rest of the class, who was now all in tears and was watching the trio in awe.
“You have a 10-minute window for questions, and then you will never speak of this again,” MJ warned. “And keep your voices down, he needs to sleep.”
“How… how do you know how to do that?” A girl asked.
“We have gone through extensive medical training, more than you can even dream of. Let’s just say we both have training levels above paramedic in order to be able to do this.” MJ answered as she stroked Peter’s hair.
“How long has Peter been Spiderman?”
“2 and a half years,” Harley responded.
“Does he get hurt a lot?”
“Yes,” Harley answered as he looked sadly at the boy. MJ pressured her face into Peter’s hair.
“Do you guys have to patch him up a lot?” A guy asked.
“More than we would like,” MJ grimaced.
“Who was Peter talking to?”
“... Tony Stark. His adoptive dad.” MJ answered hesitantly.
“How do you guys do that without… falling apart?” A shy girl asked hesitantly.
“We do. Every fucking time. We have just learned to hold it off now, stall it. Usually, I can hold off the shock and grief for… 2-3 hours? Maybe a little less. MJ… as soon as Peter is safe, usually. Anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour,” Harley answered, glancing at MJ.
The class noticed her eyes had glazed over and she was staring off. Her hand stroking Peter’s head stopped and she pressed the bottom half of her face further into Peter’s hair. Harley's eyes softened and he moved to press himself more firmly against her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, yet she didn’t seem to notice it. Tears filled her eyes, and they dropped slowly onto Peter’s head.
“MJ has more medical experience than I and has worked with Dr. Cho, so she takes over most of the procedures,” Harley explained to the class. “Imagine having your boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s life in your hands. It’s hard. We barely make it through mentally. Yet it’s necessary. If he is off saving the world, the least we can do is save him.”
“Harley,” MJ whispered, gripping Peter tight.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “We did good.”
She nodded hazily.
“I don’t want to break down in front of the class,” she said and glanced at them slightly. Harley pulled her head against his shoulder.
“Just sleep, I’ll watch over you both. We’re safe. We can cry together when we get home, okay?”
MJ snorted and snuggled against his shoulder. “Deal.”
MJ was out moments later, leaving Harley alone to deal with the class’s eyes.
“You are all so much stronger than anyone should have to be,” Mr. Harlow said to him. Harley shrugged and looked at the two angels next to him.
“It’s a necessary evil.”
30 or so minutes later, the walls were finally broken and the Avengers came charging in. Iron Man immediately grabbed Peter from MJ’s arms, and flew off to the tower. MJ, upon waking up with no Peter in her arms almost had a panic attack until she saw the Avengers standing in front of her.
That night, Harley fulfilled his promise to MJ. She was in her room, sobbing quietly to herself when a knock came at her door. Harley stood there, with red-rimmed eyes and a quivering lip. She immediately rushed him in, and together, they cried. Cried about what they had to do. What they knew they would have to do again. The possibility of Peter’s secret getting out. For making it through yet again.
And then, when the door was knocked on again. Tony and Pepper came through. They laid on the bed with their kids in all but blood, comforting them. Letting them cry into their shirts. Cuddling. Reassuring. Everything they needed. And then that night there was peace. As Pepper slept with MJ and Harley, she in the middle as both children clung to her. Tony with Peter in the uncomfortable medbay bed, a promise he made to MJ, Harley, and himself.
For the night, they would survive.