Baby Boy Can't Lift His Headache Head. Isn't It Tragic?
Tony had never thought that he would ever feel like his heart was being destroyed ever again. He thought that he had gotten rid of the feeling of shrapnel digging into his heart out of his body. But the world seemed to want to prove him wrong.
“Put your hands up!”
The voice was the first thing that Tony heard as his vision came out of swimming darkness.
Around Tony was a convenience store. It was late at night, probably around 11pm. Next to Peter was an older man that Tony automatically recognized as Ben Parker. Ben was holding some type of jar and his head was turned from Peter, watching the altercation in front of him.
“Ben…” Peter whispered and Ben shushed him. Ben’s hand slowly moved to Peter’s shoulder, gripping onto it like it would ground him.
The robbers had the poor teenage cashier at gunpoint, barking commands at the poor kid. The kid had probably hit the panic button the second they came into the store, they were wearing masks.
“Peter, get down slowly. Get behind that display.” Ben whispered to Peter quietly. Peter hesitated before slowly moving down and out of vision. One of the robbers saw the movement and turned to see Ben there, a hand reaching for a revolver that Tony knew Ben owned. He was a military branded police officer, he was licensed to carry.
“Hey” The one robber called out, and the other (who had the kid at gunpoint) flinched and turned to look at Ben. “Get down!”
“Now listen here, sons. You don’t gotta be so harsh. He’s just a kid. The panic button is on the other side of the counter, by the cigars.” Ben tried to reason. “I didn’t call the police, I swear. But if you want your money, you’ll have to stop threatening the kid. He’s shaking like a leaf. Look at him.”
Ben’s words came smoothly and the robbers turned to look at one another for a second. The one with the gun started to lower it before the other one shook his head slightly. He jerked his gun back up and the kid behind the register squealed.
“P-please!” The kid sounded hysterical.
Ben glanced down to Peter for a split second. Tony held his internal breath, wanting to yell out and break his sleep. Save them. Peter dialed the police and had the call running, capturing the interaction.
“Now, I’m going to ask you nicely to just put the weapon down.” Ben tried again.
“And I said get down, gramps.” The one who had talked to Ben barked out.
Ben reached down and took out his revolver and held it up to the armed man.
“And I will protect that young man.” Ben spoke out.
Tony couldn’t tell what happened next exactly, but he saw a blur of movements as noise crashed into Peter’s hearing. Peter let out a scream as sirens blared and he saw Ben hit the ground.
Peter dropped his phone, scrambling towards Ben quickly on all fours.
“Ben! Ben you can’t-!” Peter put his hands on Ben’s shoulders, holding onto him like Ben had minutes ago. Ben had a hole in his chest and Tony could feel the sick feeling of anger, sadness, despair, and fear curl throughout him.
“Peter… you hear me out.” Ben smiled up at Peter as his eyes seemed to visibly unfocus. “I love you and May, tell her that. You better find your soulmates and hold them close. Don’t let them go.”
“I will, Ben. I’ll find them for you.” Peter sobbed as he leaned down to hug Ben. Ben hugged him back before his body went slack.
Paramedics ran up and pulled Peter off of Ben, one checking on Peter and asking about what happened and who Ben was.
Tony felt his own chest restrict and panic fill him. The same feeling as when he found out his own parents died filled him. He started to gasp for air quickly and he felt himself be pulled from Peter’s consciousness and into his own body again.
His bedroom came into view and his body shot up from the bed, making him sit up suddenly. Pepper shot awake as Tony gasped out for air, making Pepper frown and put her arms around him.
“Honey, you’re okay. It’s okay.” Pepper whispered and started breathing exercises with Tony. Once he was calm, she looked him in the face. “What happened?”
“Ben… he died. In Peter’s arms.” Tony put a hand on his face.
Pepper went silent as she watched Tony regain his thoughts.
“I’ll have arrangements sent out for them.” Pepper offered.
“No… I’ll send them myself. I want… I want to deliver the packets and money myself.” Tony looked to Pepper.
“If you want to, I won’t stop you.” Pepper pushed some of Tony’s hair back. “Are you going to see Peter?”
“I don’t know…” Tony wasn’t there for Peter normally. He couldn’t approach him. Not now.
Pepper nods, understanding. Tony had his own hardships to deal with and adding them together could be explosive. Pepper didn’t want them to hurt, she wanted to support Peter also. But now wasn’t the time to suddenly show up.
“C’mon, let’s go get you a hot bath.” Pepper slowly stood up. Her mother would draw her one when she had nightmares or bad dreams because of her own soulmate. It calmed her down.
Tony slowly got up and followed Pepper to the bathroom.
-
Neither Tony or Peter slept for the next few days.
-
Tony stood in front of May Parker a few days later, holding a large manila folder.
They talked quietly over tea, discussing the arrangements. May invited Tony, but he couldn’t bring himself to accept. He told May that he saw it through Peter’s eyes.
May cried and Tony was there to hold her.
-
Peter received letters from Tony within a few weeks of Ben’s death. It explained things that Peter needed to know. Why Tony didn’t show up in his life, which Peter fully understood. Peter read the stories that Tony told him. Ways to cope with loss. It helped Peter a lot.
Peter had support from Ned and May. May seemed to try and keep herself together for Peter, and Peter tried to help her himself. It was an odd tradeoff.
Peter was bitten three months after Ben died. After the bite, he got horribly sick. He couldn’t keep down food and had a high fever. He became bedridden for about three days before he got better.
Spider-Man was born the night that Peter felt better and found out his powers.
By himself, Peter started to test his powers, trying to make sure he could just keep them underwraps and not be out of control. It was weird and uncomfortable for about a month or two.
But afterwards, he felt free.
Tony quickly noticed. How could he not? He watched the kid test his powers and May talked about his weird changing habits. Tony tried to play it off as puberty, and that sometimes it hits hard. Especially after traumatic experiences. May accepted that.
Tony watched as Peter formulated ways to make a spider’s web formula. It was amusing watching the kid fumble over different formula possibilities and do the research. He was 14 and summer was coming up quick. If Peter wanted to do it before high school, he had to figure it out now.
-
“Hey, what school are you going to?” Ned asked Peter as he hung upside down.
Tony had been watching them for about 25 minutes and nothing had really happened until now.
“I got accepted into Midtown.” Ned continued.
“Woah! Really?” Peter’s attention quickly snapped to his friend.
“Yeah. I can’t believe I actually got in.” Ned grinned. “You should try to. They can get you a scholarship. Actually, if Mr. Stark is listening in, you should totally sponsor Peter. It would be fun to go together.”
Tony liked this kid.
“Oh my GOD, Ned.” Peter huffed and threw a pillow at Ned, and Tony noted it was very carefully. “He can’t just buy me my way through school or help me with everything.”
Ned easily deflected the soft projectile and laughed. “Yeah, dude. He totally can! He’s your soulmate. And he’s LOADED. You really can’t undermine yourself, Peter. He obviously cares about you.”
Peter just sighs and stands up from the desk, stretching. “I know, I know. I just don’t want for him to pay for everything. And if I get used to it and he stops? I seem like a little ungrateful twat. A leech.”
“No Peter, it’s called you having gifts and being blessed in life.” Ned rolled his eyes and watched as Peter got into the top bunk of his bed.
“Go to bed, Ned. We have school tomorrow.” Peter huffed and it sounded like he was trying to deny it but couldn’t.
“You’re stubborn.” Ned mumbled with humor and turned the lights off.
“No, you are.” Peter closed his eyes.
Everything faded after that.
-
Two days later, Peter got a letter from Midtown saying that he was sponsored and accepted in. A note was added in. Peter read it and snorted.
“For the twat and leech that I gladly feed and will never stop feeding. - TS.”