Tin Can boy || Peter Parker

nine

"How the hell did the footage leak?" Tony was shouting down the phone. Peter could hear him distantly in the corridor outside the lab, the walls not thick enough to stop his superheating from picking up the conversation. The spidery had been asleep on the couch but the shouting had woken him up. Peter rubbed his hands over his face and sighed deeply as he glanced at the clock on the wall. Six twenty seven in the evening. It had officially reached the third day mark since Tate had disappeared and while they were making some headway, they still didn't know where he was.

Peter sat up, body achy and stomach rumbling. He had gotten perhaps two or three hours sleep. He didn't know. In the hall, Tony's voice had lowered to a stressed mummer. "How did the press find out Tate's identity? He's registered at school under his mother's name. What? Really? Shit". Peter pressed his fingers against the table to activate the holo screens. The trace on the hackers who had targeted Jason's phone was almost done. It had tracked back to Singapore but the Shield agents who had stormed it had reported the location empty. FRIDAY was now searching for any connection to New York. If they could trace the Kidnapper's movements in the city, then they could track them to wherever they were hiding Tate. That was the idea. It was just taking time.

"Damn it", Tony huffed as he pushed the lab doors open and strode in. "The press are swarming over this like flies. I was normally able to keep it hidden before but none of Tate's previous kidnappings have lasted over nine hours". He kicked the table and let out a shuddering sigh. "There's been nothing. No proof of life, no ransom demands. Is he even still alive? Have I failed him?" The last words were quiet but Peter heard them.

"He's still alive", Peter stated with forced certainty. He couldn't bare to think otherwise. "If there's been no signs, then they didn't take Tate because he's your son".

"You're right", Tony nodded. "It did occur to me after the second day and still no contact. Now the news is all over this, if there is contact it would be difficult to control".

"Maybe that's what they want?" Peter suggested. "Make big news so that when they demand something, you're more likely to comply".

"It's not that simple", Tony shook his head and leaned against the table. He looked just as tired as Peter felt. Dark circles hung under his eyes and his facial hair was unkempt. His stark industries hoodie was stained and stretched out of shape. "There has to be something else. They took Tate and have yet to make any demands. So they took him for something other than being my son".

Peter stood up and pushed his hair off his forehead. "Tate is a hacker. He is a whizz with programming. Do you think they know that?"

"He is but he doesn't really do much apart from.." Tony trailed off as his eyes lit up. "Hack shield. FRIDAY, access SHEILD. I want to know if there's any issues with their systems".

"Accessing SHEILD databases", FRIDAY's female voice echoed from the ceiling. "Someone has infiltrated the files. They appear to be copying the locations of storage facilities around the world".

"That must be him!" Peter exclaimed, fatigue disappearing as hope bloomed. "It's too coincidental not to be".

"Mr Stark. The hacker has just triggered an alert".

"Trace them. Get me a location", Tony ordered.

"Tracing. Tracing. Location found". One of the holoscreens on the table lit up and a map appeared.

"He's still in newyork", Tony breathed as he peered at the map. "This is a hotel just outside of Manhattan. FRIDAY, send this to my wrist com. Let's go!" He reached over and grabbed Peter by the shoulder. His eyes suddenly brighter as he smiled at him. "Let's go Spiderman".

"Did you get something?" Pepper's voice alerted them to her presence as she stepped through the doors. Her red hair in a messy bun and her office wear rumpled. She looked tired but hopeful. "My connections came back with something. I know who took Tate".

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Tate was halfway through the transferring of information when a glimpse of red through the windows made him glance up. The knife was still resting on his throat but the guard holding it had relaxed his hold slightly. Ae, who was standing at his side, was watching the transfer on the computer more than he was watching Tate. So he risked a glance glance upwards towards the window. The movement pulled on the slice at the base of his neck, causing the cut to start bleeding again. But he ignored it, eyes fixed on the distant sheen of red outside.

It flickered between buildings, disappearing and reappearing as it grew closer. Tate stopped himself from gasping at the sight of the Spiderman suit swinging between the buildings and steadily towards them.  Relief and love infusing his senses like ink coiling through water. The sight of Peter in the distance relieving him of his fear. It was strange how just how safe the mere sight of the other boy made him feel. It emboldened him and Tate wanted to cry.

Peter was coming closer. The red and black suit swinging up gracefully towards the, in a carefully controlled arc of momentum. When his feet and hands hit the glass window, the sudden thud made the four guards jerk their heads up. Ae cursed loudly and reached down to grip Tate's jaw in a bruising hold. He jerked the boy's face away from the window to face him. "If you scream, Carl will slit your throat", he warned in a low voice. "The window is reflected. Spider-Man can't see us".

Peter was crouched on the glass and seemed to be peering at it. The whites of the irises of his mask focusing and refocusing as settings in the suit seemed to change. Tate gritted his teeth against the bruising hold, the blade pressing harshly again to the skin of his throat. He flicked his eyes to the computer and the transfer still going on his screen. On the window, Peter had found the right setting and seemed to be planning something. Tate saw those white irises focus on him and then narrow dangerously. He had no doubt that Peter could see through the reflective coating on the glass and straight into the room. The only reason that he had not moved yet was because he seemed to be waiting for something.

Ae raised his spare hand to press against his mic. "Boss. We have a bug problem. He's on the glass. Don't think he's able to see inside".

Tate couldn't hear the reply from Kris, but Ae's face sharpened with concentration, so he doubted that it was good. That was when Tate reached out for the keyboard. It only took a second to press the right keys before the transfer was cancelled and the screen turning black. A particularly ear piercing Alan began wailing from the machine. Ae flinched and Tate took the opportunity to smack the hold from his face. Them he picked up the laptop, the alarm cutting off as he folded it shut, and used it to knock the knife from his neck before smacking the second guard around the face. The man staggered back and Tate was using his arms to pull himself up and over the table. The hand cuffs on his ankles hindering his movement, but he guessed that spending months on crutches and wheelchairs did wonders for his arm strength.

He was up and over the table, Ae reaching for him and the other two guards stepping away from the doors to bare down on him. Then something exploded distantly. Tate turned to Peter just in time too see him stick a web above him and press his feet to the glass. He jumped and the swing broke the glass with enough force that shards cascades across the room. Tate rolled onto the floor a buried his head in his hands as Spider-Man launched himself at the guards.

Unedited