knowledge
For what seemed like an eternity, Peter was trapped in the soul world. For what would equate to a year in the real world, Bucky was Peter’s only company, before they found the others. They grew close, nearly inseparable. And Bucky would never tell Peter this, but he needed the kid just as much as the kid needed him. Peter was the first person in seventy years to look at Bucky like a big brother. And Bucky missed it. He loved Steve, but the serum had changed him. Even before he was Captain America Steve could be a bit of an asshole from time to time.
And Peter was strong. Strong, and not just physically. He had admiral emotional fortitude. Bucky could tell that whatever had happened to the kid in the past, it had broken him.
Both Peter and Bucky were broken. They both needed someone to lean on.
They both needed someone to fix them.
And they both needed someone to fix.
——
Peter woke up in an empty place. It looked like everywhere else in the soul world, but here there were no other people.
He turned around. Tony Stark walked up to him.
“Peter,” he said, his voice broken but full of emotion. He pulled the kid into a tight hug.
Peter wrapped his arms around Tony’s torso and put his head in his chest. Both of them had feared that they would never see each other again.
Tony ran his fingers gently through Peter’s soft, wavy hair, holding back the sobs that threatened to choke him. “I’m so sorry, kid. I’m so, so sorry.”
Peter pulled back gently and gave Tony a quizzical look. “What do you mean? You don’t have anything to apologize for... I’m the one who’s sorry.”
Knowing that they could both go back and forth for hours about who had more blame and who deserved to apologize, he gave up and ruffled Peter’s hair. “God, I missed you, kid. You’re so annoying. I love it.”
Peter laughed. Then the mirth faded from his face, replaced with a speck of fear in his eyes. “Mr. Stark... if you didn’t disintegrate too then why are you in the soul world?”
A twinge of melancholy appeared in Tony’s eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Tony put his hand affirmingly on Peter’s back and swallowed. “There is something that you need to know. I should have told you long ago, but I wasn’t sure it was my place. But I talked with Cap and he agrees that you have a right to the truth.”
Peter was confused. What could he possibly need to know that was so confidential and important? “Ok,” Peter said hesitantly. “What do I need to know?”
Tony hesitated, staring at the orange sky in front of him, wondering how to fit the words together. “I knew your parents,” he said finally. Peter was left silent with shock.
“They worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. through the CIA.”
“They never told me...”
“Peter,” Tony said, voice heavy, “you know just as well as any of us that identity can be your greatest weapon. And that some secrets need to be kept, even from your family, for their safety. They were just trying to protect you.”
Peter nodded.
Tony continued. “Richard and Mary Parker were some of the best in intelligence and counterintelligence; they had the respect of the whole field. They were in charge of a top secret operation which had information that was vital to S.H.I.E.L.D’s termination of HYDRA. However, not everyone on the team was as passionate about their mission as your parents were.”
Peter swallowed, fearing what was to come.
“There was a mole on the team. Told HYDRA that extermination was necessary to clear the imminent threat. HYDRA hired an enhanced individual to take them out.”
And then a video started playing. Peter didn’t know where it was playing from, but it was like the whole sky was a screen. And Peter sank down to his knees as he had to watch his parents get killed. The buried wounds from his childhood came flooding open because now he had to watch it and now it was so much worse. Tony knelt down on the ground next to Peter and out a had on his shoulder as a familiar face was shown on the recording.
“I’m so sorry to tell you this, Peter,” Tony said, voice welling up with empathy. “But the Winter Soldier killed your parents.”
And then Peter looked up at the sky screen one more time and had to watch as Bucky Barnes, his friend, whom he had actually thought of as a brother, shot two bullets, two little pieces of metal that would change Peter’s life forever, right into the hearts of Richard and May Parker. And they fell to the ground, lifeless. And Peter saw it all.