Broken Hero || Peter Parker X Reader

Badass Scars

(Reece's POV)

"They want you alive, obviously, or else that bomb would have killed you... they just wanted to scare you." Tony explains, him sitting at the corner of my bed.

I was laying against Peter, the back of my head on his chest, his arms loosely wrapped around me and his chin resting on the top of my head. I had just finally calmed down from a panic attack, and Tony was already filling my brain with information.

"Okay, but why do they want me alive in the first place?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

Tony hesitates, staring at me intensely. "Lea?"

I don't respond, looking anywhere but him. "Who's Lea?" Peter is the only one brave enough to ask.

"Nobody." I say, looking down at my hands and examining them, as if they were the most interesting thing in the entire world in that moment.

"Well, she's definitely not nobody." James crosses his arms.

"She's a real debby downer." I respond with, sitting up and moving away from Peter because all of the sudden, I didn't want to be touched.

"Lea Healy isn't just anybody either." Tony points out as I swing my legs over the bed, preparing to stand up.

I eventually get to my feet, not letting anyone help me, even though both Peter and Tony tried. "Wait." I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at Tony. "I never told you her last name... how did you know we had the same last name?"

Tony's face drops, as if he's just made a huge mistake. Well, I guess he just did. "Well..." He begins, but obviously doesn't know what to say. "I..."

I cross my arms. "Tony?" I use a warning tone in my voice so he knows I'm serious.

He sighs, hesitating as he stands up. "I have heard of her."

I raise my eyebrows, my heart literally dropping into my stomach. "What?"

Tony looks anywhere but me, shoving his hands into his front pockets. "I knew Lea worked for Hydra. When Sidney Reedus was telling me about you, and he had said your name, I put two and two together, figuring you were related."

I shake my head, trying to process it all. "You..." And I didn't know how to end that sentence.

"That's why I wanted to find you in the first place..." Tony explains, dropping everything on me right then and there.

I hesitate, shaking my head again. "Great, so now you're just using me?"

"No, not at all!" Tony frantically shakes his head. "Well, at least not anymore..."

I stare at him with hurt in my eyes. And I couldn't believe what he was telling me. "That's so cruel..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... things are different now, though! I wouldn't ask you to join the team just to use you, Reece. After I met you and learned about your powers, I really wanted you to become an Avenger." Tony explains, creeping closer to me, trying to get me to understand. But I was angry and kinda hurt all at the same.

I don't respond, especially because I just don't know how to. "But she is your mother, isn't she?" Tony asks just to make sure he was correct.

But I shake my head, trying to blink away my tears. "My mother died a long time ago when she ran away after my father died." I answer coldly.

Tony shakes his head, his voice now distant and quiet. "She's not dead, Reece."

"Well, she's dead to me." I spat. "I haven't had a mother in ten years."

That comment had made everyone go silent. Tears filled my eyes but I didn't dare let them fall. I was done crying over my mother a long time ago.

Although Tony's parents are dead as well, they didn't die until he was a young adult and Peter was so young he doesn't even remember his parents. I feel like in a way, they would never be able to understand my pain. But they've both lost just as much as me, so we've all shared the grief.

"Either way..." Tony shakes his head, breaking the silence, wanting to get back on track. "Lea Healy is alive and god knows what she wants from you."

I sigh, shrugging. "She left me a while ago, what would she want with me?"

Tony rubs his hands through his hair, obviously having no idea whatsoever. "I don't know."

"Yeah... me either."

~~~

Going back to school the next day was hell. Having to explain and lie to grandma about the massive burn mark on my face was hard enough. But having to tell a bunch of gossipy high schoolers? Needless to say, I wasn't at all in a good mood that morning.

But by lunch, I was just extremely tired. Alex had said something about the burn on my face and I said something along the lines of, "It's gonna leave an ugly ass scar, gawd I hate life."

But then Peter told me I was beautiful no matter what and that made me smile for the first time that day.

"I think it's cool." Ned comments, cocking his head to the side as he examines my face. "Badass, even."

I laugh slightly, nodding my head. "Thank you, Ned."

And before anyone could say anything else, a lunch monitor comes over to our table and hands me a hall pass. "You're needed in the principal's office." She stated and immediately walks away.

I groan, clutching the piece of paper in my hand as I stand up. "What did I do now?!" I complain, louder than intended, earning a few weird glances from the other students.

"Yeah, what did you do?" Alex asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I don't know..." I sigh loudly, gathering my books just in case the bell rings and I'm still in his office. "I guess I'll be back, then."

I make eye contact with Peter and he gives me a firm nod, as if to say it'll be okay. I nod back before turning on my heel and quickly making my way out of the cafeteria.

Once I entered the principal's office, he told me not to sit down. "This will only take a second."

"Okay..." So I awkwardly stand there with my books drooping over my arms.

"Reece, you're failing almost every class. You don't do your homework and you obviously don't study for any tests or quizzes." The principal explains, glancing down at his computer. "Is there something you need help with? It doesn't have to be school related. I just want to know why you aren't trying."

I take a deep breath, shaking my head. "I guess I've just been slacking off lately." I lie, because the truth was that I haven't really been trying at all.

"You either get your grades up by the end of this week or I'm scheduling you to see a tutor everyday after school." He lays his plan out in front of me, giving me no other option. "Deal?"

I was too tired to argue, or even care at that moment. So I just nod along to his words. "Yeah, deal."

"Okay." The principal gives me a single nod. "You're dismissed."