Pain Will Always Come Back to Haunt You

Night Terrors

My heart pounds against my chest as I stare into the dark brown eyes that I thought I could trust. I don't dare to breathe, afraid that any movement whatsoever will cause the situation to spiral out of control. Tears well up in my eyes and give me no warning before spilling over. For once, I don't care if anyone sees. I don't care if the whole world sees.

"Mr. Stark please. I'll, I'll be better I swear. Whatever I did...I'm sorry. I won't, I won't do it again. Please." I'm not afraid to beg. I can't help it. Looking into my mentor's eyes and seeing them so angry at me , I know I'd do anything to make it right. I've spent my entire life looking up to him and I finally got to meet him, only for it to end up like this. What's worse is that I don't even know what I did wrong. His eyes contain a cold fury that I've never seen before as he hovers above me in the Iron Man suit. It's as if he's looking at someone he loathes. He can't loathe me. He can't.

"You're oblivious and ignorant. It's...disappointing," he lectures in a dangerously low voice. No. I can handle him being mad at me, but disappointed? How could I do that again? Am I...am I really that much of a screw up? It's then that I realize we're in a warehouse. A warehouse with concrete columns. My breath hitches. "This is it, Underoos." His use of the nickname causes me physical pain. I had no idea I had grown so accustomed to it, but hearing it under these circumstances only makes it hurt more.

"Please, I won't-" My weak pleads are cut off by the high pitched whine of his repulsors charging and the deafening boom that follows as the beams of energy blow apart the concrete ceiling. I can't even manage a scream before the massive chunks of cement fall on me. I can't move or breathe or see and it's happening all over again.

Everything is so dark.

But I know my eyes are open.

His eyes have to be open.

The same brown eyes are looking down on him. No. He wants to beg him to please not do it again. He didn't mean to. He wants to push him away, but he can't move. He can't move and he can't breathe, but he can stare. It's the only thing he can do. No matter how hard he tries to move something, anything , he just can't. His chest is tight and his lungs are begging for oxygen. Tony's angry, isn't he? No. He's disappointed. Peter needs to get away from him or Tony's going to do it again. He needs to get out from under the concrete! He can't take it! Tony's hands are suddenly on Peter's shoulders, shaking him. It's enough to jar Peter from his thoughts and he feels the weight lift from his body. As soon as he's able to, he gasps in a breath. He needs to get away, he needs to get away, he needs to get away.

Peter pushes Tony off of him as quickly as his reflexes let him, but then Tony firmly grabs his forearms. He's going to trap me again. Underneath the concrete. Underneath an entire building. Peter becomes desperate to get out of Tony's grasp and struggles as hard as he can.

"Pete, calm down! You're alright! You're alright!" Tony sounds panicked and desperate, but Peter knows it's an act. It has to be, otherwise Tony wouldn't have dropped that building on him. Peter rips his arms free from Tony's grasp and kicks him in the chest to the far wall. It isn't enough force to send Tony through it, but it causes a sizable dent in the wall. What the hell was that about?! "Okay, that one hurt. Not gonna lie," Tony groans and raises his eyebrows at Peter. Since it's so dark, it's hard to gauge how angry Tony is. Peter's heart is beating so fast it feels like it might explode.

"Tony, what in the world is going on?!" Peter jumps at the new voice and snaps his head towards the door. Pepper is in her pajamas and staring at Tony with wide eyes before she turns her attention to Peter. What, what's Ms. Potts doing here? She wasn't here before. "Peter, is everything okay?" she asks carefully.