Hunted [1]

~ Two ~

"Woah, woah, buddy," Spider-Man said, holding his hands up, "could you stop attacking me please?"

Iron Man gave him a cold look (or maybe that was just the faceplate of the armour) and spoke for the first time in the battle. "You are a threat, Spider-Man."

"You're kidding me, right?" Spider-Man tilted his head slightly, making an adorable puppy-like expression, only realising afterwards that his mask was on. "I'm like a puppy! I don't harm people, no sir."

"Spider-Man, look around you."

Spidey did so, finally taking in all the damage around him. He deflated somewhat, looking smaller than Tony remembered, more childlike. He shook himself out of it.

He's just trying to get your sympathy.

"Wow," Spider-Man breathed, eyes darting about as he saw the destruction. "I swear I didn't mean to do this, not at all Mr Stark, I promise!"

Tony's eyes softened slightly at the tone of Spidey's voice, then shook himself again.

He's going to betray you.

"Stand down. Turn yourself in. It'll be best for all of us." Tony tried to ignore how much Spidey was like Peter - because Peter wouldn't betray him like that, that wasn't his kid, not at all.

"I'm sorry, Mr Stark, but I can't do that," Spidey said, turning away. "I've hurt enough people already, I may as well save more."

"Don't bother. The crime rates have gone up since you came here," Tony snapped, finally sick of the other superhero not listening to him. "Just leave!"

"I can't." This time, Spidey lifted up his mask slightly, showing a sad smile. "When you can do the things I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you."

With that last thing being said, Spidey pulled his mask back down and swung off, leaving Tony standing on the sidewalk, awestruck.

"I'd better check on how Pete's doing," Tony murmured, distracted, flying off. Luckily, he had FRIDAY on autopilot, otherwise there would have been much more destruction in the city.

-.-.-.-

Peter panted as he finally got home and changed back into his usual clothes - a science pun and some casual trousers. He lay in his bed, acting as though he had been there this whole time, a comic book lying on his chest.

He glanced up as he saw Steve enter the room.

"Hey," he greeted, picking up the comic book and reading it in favour of talking to the man.

"Hello, Peter," Steve said, softly sitting down on his bed. Peter felt the uncontrollable urge to scream at him to get the hell off my bed, but he didn't want to deal with Cap's 'language' talks again.

"What do you want, then?" Peter asked, finally accepting that Steve wasn't going to go away. "I'm busy, have homework to do soon."

That was a complete lie.

He wasn't going to do the homework. Really? He'd given it all in a week before and done the next three weeks in advance - he needed to get his grades up. His dad had been pretty annoyed when they lowered because of hero work.

"I need to talk to you," he said, looking nervously around the room. Peter's eyebrows crinkles in concern - Steve never looked that worried. Never.

"About what?" repeated Peter, curious for real now. "Is it about dad? Bucky? Is anyone hurt?"

He stood up, startled. "Is anyone dead? No! Don't say Clint's dead. I haven't gotten him back for our prank war yet!"