Spider-Man? Who's He?

Ch. 9

Peter sat on his bed, working on his laptop and trying to finish his Spanish research project. After working for two whole days on nothing but Spider-Man updates and trying to get ready for Theo's birthday party, he'd fallen behind. It was due the following Monday, so he would have to work on it over the weekend. He knew it wouldn't be hard, just time consuming which meant less Spider-Man and less sleep.

"Peter?" Pepper asked, knocking on Peter's door. Peter looked up from his laptop, telling her to come in. When she did, he was surprised to see his dad following her. He immediately got a bad vibe and knew he was in trouble. Thankfully his arm hairs didn't stand up. That was a little more noticeable than his pounding heart.

"What's up, mom?" Peter asked, saving his work and closing his laptop. He had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation.

"We know you weren't at Decathlon today," Tony said. Peter forced himself to continue breathing normally. "Happy called Mr. Harrington to ask what time he should pick you up, but Mr. Harrington said he had no clue what Happy was talking about." Peter swallowed.

"Sorry," he said, knowing he had been caught on that lie. "I just, a Spider-Man themed party again? I just wanted to hang out with Ned again." Pepper nodded in understanding but that didn't ease his mind.

"That's what we thought too," she said. Peter knew he was screwed. "Mrs. Leeds said she picked you up from school right at 3:00PM. However, you disappeared at 3:45PM and Ned said she had just missed you leaving."

"MJ needed help," Peter interjected. Tony gave Peter a sharp look and he decided interrupting was not in his favour. He was going to just stay quiet now.

"Guess who showed up ten minutes later?" Pepper asked. Peter was trying to think how fast he could pack up all his things and leave. He was definitely dead. "Spider-Man. And ten minutes after he left, Peter came in. Not only that, but Spider-Man brought Theo a present that had been paid for with Peter Stark's credit card." Peter was sure his parents could hear his heart pounding. He felt so bad, mostly because he'd been caught and he knew now his mom was going to freak out, but also because it probably meant he wouldn't be Spider-Man ever again.

"Harley knew," Tony said. They had talked to Harley? "We asked him if he did once we figured it out and he's a really bad liar." He was. Almost as bad as Peter, although Peter had gotten much better at it after becoming Spider-Man.

"Peter, why didn't you tell us you were Spider-Man?" Pepper asked. Peter looked down at his lap when he noticed tears in his mom's eyes. This wasn't how he imagined today ending.

"I knew you wouldn't let me continue," he said quietly. He heard his dad sigh.

"Of course we wouldn't! It's dangerous," Tony replied. Peter felt tears of his own prick his eyes. They were going to take Spider-Man away from him. He wouldn't let that happen. "You're too young to be a superhero."

"Yeah? Well I am and I'm not gonna stop," Peter said, getting defensive. He refused to cry and be the bad guy in the scenario. He could go live with Ned if they kicked him out. Nothing was more important to him than Spider-Man. "I have these incredible, freaky powers that give me the ability to do crazy things. I can't just not use them," Peter said, raising his hands and looking at them.

"You're a high school student," Pepper reminded him.

"With powers!" Peter yelled. Pepper looked taken aback and Peter immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry, mom. God, I didn't mean to yell. It's just, I finally have something that makes me not just 'Tony Stark's Oldest Son'."

"Is there something wrong with being my son?" Tony asked. Peter shook his head quickly, standing up.

"Of course not!" he said, trying to backtrack. "It's just, you don't want to be known as Howard Stark's son-"

"That's different," Tony said immediately, standing up as well. Peter stopped. He'd never heard his dad use such a dark tone with him before. "That is completely different."

"Is it, though? I just want something that makes me different," Peter said, trying to prove why Spider-Man was so important. He had the feeling his parents weren't understanding. "You're a wonderful dad and I love you so much, but it's hard being known as just your son. I'm not even Peter Stark, just Tony Stark's son."

"Peter, we're not trying to hurt you," Pepper said. Peter groaned, pulling at his hair and turning in a partial circle. They weren't getting it!

"I'm not stopping Spider-Man!" he yelled. Pepper and Tony both stared at him. "You can try and ground me or take it away, but I'm not gonna stop because you think it's dangerous. There are people out there that need my help. They need me to go out there everyday and help them because they can't help themselves, but I can!" He looked around his room for his backpack and suit. He pulled out his suit and tossed at into their laps. "You can take it away, but I'll just make more and keep going out. I'm not going to stop," he said. Tony carefully picked up the suit, looking at it closely.

"You made this?" he asked after a while. Peter nodded, waiting for him to yell at him or something. He didn't. He grabbed the mask and slipped it over his head. The eyes lit up and Peter heard a barely audible gasp come from his dad along with Karen's voice. Pepper didn't hear it, though, and he wondered how well his dad could. Karen was made to be quiet enough it didn't overwhelm his senses. "What's all on this thing?" Tony asked. Peter heard Karen describe to him everything the suit was capable of and a small smile appeared on his face. He could tell based on the mask's oblong shape his dad's mouth was open.

"What's going on?" Pepper asked. Tony pulled off the mask, staring at Peter wide eyed. Pepper took the mask and put it on. When she pulled it off, she looked just as amazed as Tony.

"You created that?" Tony asked. Peter nodded hesitantly. "That's why you wanted to know about my Iron Man suit?" Peter nodded again.

"I had already put in most of it," Peter said. He told his dad how he added the heat signature scanning, phone answering ability, horizon line, and a few other things after sneaking into the lab and unlocking the computer. No use keeping anything a secret. Tony looked more proud than upset. "All the other stuff though, I coded myself. Ned helped, of course."

"That's amazing," Tony said. Peter nodded. Tony glanced at Pepper. "His suit is almost better than mine. Of course, it's made of spandex and should definitely be upgraded to nanetech before he goes out again, but it's more prepared for disaster."

"Wait, I can go out again?" Peter asked excitedly. It was really as easy as showing his parents Karen and the suit's abilities.

"After you're done being grounded," Pepper told him. Peter didn't even bother frowning. It was better than nothing. He hugged both his parents tightly, thanking them over and over again.

"I'll make you proud!" Peter promised. Tony patted his back and he pulled away.

"You already have," he said.