Fade - A Marvel Fanfiction

Chapter 22: He's Okay

It had to be more than 24 hours after the fight, and Peter was still vlogging about it. In a way, I found it endearing. He was so happy that he was finally recognized as a hero and I was happy for him. I listen as Dad and Peter create an alibi video, wishing that I could fall asleep and forget about everything. The car suddenly jolts thanks to Happy's driving, forcing me to look out the window in panic.  I realize we are near Peter's apartment, meaning he was finally home.

Dad gives Peter his signature speech about not doing what he would do or what he wouldn't do. I turn around in my seat and smirk weakly at him. He looks at me, obviously confused by the instructions my Dad gave him.

"Just ignore what he said, Parker. I'm still gonna be around to keep you in line." I say with a chuckle.

"You're just as bad!" Dad exclaims, laughing towards the end. I laugh in return, knowing that he was most likely right. I lay my head lazily on the headrest, the pain still plaguing my head. Dad goes to open the door and Peter misreads the situation, hugging him. 

"Just getting the door for you. We're not there yet." Dad says, obviously feeling awkward.

Peter gets out of the car quickly and his eyes tell me how embarrassed he truly is. Despite my weak state, I get out of the car and stumble towards Peter. His eyes widen when he sees me standing since I haven't been able to stand on my own in almost a day. Peter rushes over to me and holds onto my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck. Burying my face in his neck, I mumble:

"At least you have one Stark you can hug."

Peter chuckles lightly before dropping one of his hands and wrapping it around my knees. He swiftly picks me up and carries me towards the car. Peter uses his webbing to open the door without dropping me and he carefully lays me in the front seat. 

"Stay safe, Parker. " I say before he could close the door. 

"Same goes for you, Stark. " Peter replies with a smile. He then closes the door and walks over to the sidewalk and Happy quickly drives away.

_____________________

"Hey, Uncle Rhodey! How are you feeling?" I ask while walking into his hospital room.

"Now you know I don't like being called Uncle, Erin. Makes me feel old." he chuckles.

"Not even a crash can kill your sense of humour, huh?" I joke while sitting beside his hospital bed. 

"Nope. It's gonna take a lot more than that." he says. 

A moment of silence rests upon the room, the both of us enjoying the others company. I'm glad that he's alive but we still don't know exactly what was wrong with him. While Dad remained bitter and angry, I chose to try and stay positive. Uncle Rhodey is alive and he is here with us and that's what matters. The door to his hospital room suddenly opens to reveal a nurse with a smile too bright. 

"It's time for your MRI, colonel." she says through her smile.

Uncle Rhodey nods and I get up to leave. I squeeze his hand before I leave, trying my best to offer any comfort to him. Instead of joining my Dad in the room in front of the MRI Machine, I take a break and head to the outside balcony.

Taking a few deep breaths, I let the bone-crushing pain into my head. For the past day, I've kept the pain to myself and ignored it. When I finally let all the emotion through, it hurt more than a blade to the gut.  A few tears fall down my face as the usual buzzing of Peter's headband terminates the incoming attack before it could hit. But a new dose of pain is added, causing my entire body to vibrate, forcing me to the ground. Dad and Natasha walk out onto the same balcony and Nat immediately looks at me in concern.

"I'm okay, Nat, I promise." I croak. Dad then sits beside me, a sigh escaping his lips.

"The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1, extreme laceration to the spinal cord, probably looking at some form of paralysis." Dad explains in a monotone voice. 

"Steve's not going to stop." I say bitterly. 

"And if you don't either, Tony, Rhodey is gonna be the best case scenario." Natasha adds. 

"You let them go, Nat." Dad says tensely, getting up off the ground. 

"We played this wrong." Natahsa defends. 

"We?" Dad scoffs. "Man, it must be really hard to shake this double agent thing huh? It sticks in the DNA." 

"You could say the same thing about me." I correct, making him obviously feel a little sorry,

"Are you incapable of letting go of your goddamn ego for one second?" Natasha spits, ready to pick a fight. 

"T'Challa told Ross what you did so they're coming for you." Dad says.

"I'm not the one who needs to watch their back." Natasha replies before leaving the balcony. Shakily, I stand to my feet and rush after her, knowing that her next plan is to disappear. Thankfully I had enough energy to quickly catch up to her and so I grab her arm gently. 

"Were you really gonna leave before saying goodbye?" I say sadly.

"You know I'm not good at goodbyes." Natasha jokes with a smile on her face.

"Becuase we weren't trained to be good at it." I say smartly. Natasha wraps her arms around me and I return the gesture. 

"I'm gonna miss you." she whispers in my ear.

"So am I." I reply before pulling away. "But Earth is gonna need protecting sooner than we think. So I guess it's until I see you then."

"Okay. I'll see you then." Natasha says before walking away. Soon, she disappears from my sight and I wipe my tears away. 

"Rogers was right." Dad's voice suddenly says from behind me. I turn around to see him speedily walking away from me and I basically have to run to catch up.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"The doctor is behind all of this."