Archive of Our Own

   “That was the longest meeting ever,” Tony groaned dramatically as he strode from the elevator. 

   “You say that after every meeting,” Pepper teased, following.

   “That’s because they’re all too long,” Tony grumbled.

   “It’s good for the company for you to show your face to those meetings every now and then,” Pepper said. She gave Tony a peck on the cheek as she passed, then added a teasing, “I’m proud of you.”

   “That’s my meeting quota for the month, right?” Tony said cheekily. When Pepper spun to face him, Tony raised his voice and called out, “Hey, Underoos, we’re overdue for some lab work!”

   Silence answered him. Pepper shook her head, mouth twitching in a repressed smile.

   “Did you forget Peter was going to Ned’s house after school?” Pepper asked.

   “No,” Tony said.

   He had forgotten, of course. Usually Happy picked Peter up from school and gave him a ride to the Tower. But the Starks had finally convinced Happy to take a few days off to spend with his fiancé, May Parker, and Tony had planned to pick up Peter from school until Happy returned. Upon realizing Tony had a meeting that day he couldn’t avoid -no matter how much he wanted to- Peter had asked to go to Ned’s house after school. Tony had agreed, and promised to pick Peter up from the Leeds’ house after the meeting.

   Checking the time, Tony was shocked at how late it was. “FRIDAY, call Peter and let him know I’m on my way.”

   Tony was halfway to the elevator again when FRIDAY said, “He’s not picking up.”

   Tony halted, a chill running down his spine. He fought down a wave of panic.

   “You know how distracted Peter and Ned can get when they’re building something,” Pepper said, though her eyes were also worried.

   Tony looked at the innocuous red-and-blue box sitting on the kitchen counter. About the size and shape of a battery pack, the box was actually the nanotech that formed Peter’s suit. Tony hadn’t wanted Peter to bring the suit to Ned’s house, so Peter had left it and his web slingers at home. 

   Tamping down his alarm, Tony said, “FRIDAY, track Peter’s phone. Maybe the battery died or-”

   “Peter’s phone is located in an alley near the subway station,” FRIDAY said.

   Tony nearly stopped breathing. He darted in the direction of the balcony, calling over his shoulder, “Pepper, call the Leeds and see if Peter and Ned are there. Maybe Peter just forgot his phone or- or-”

   Tony couldn’t finish. In seconds, he was suited up and Iron Man was shooting across the darkening sky.

   By the time Tony reached the alley, Pepper was calling him. Landing outside the alley, Tony followed the beacon on his visor as he listened to Pepper’s shaky voice in his ear.

   “Mrs. Leeds said Peter didn’t come over. Ned got sick this afternoon, so she brought him home. She said- she said she asked if Peter needed a ride, but he said he had one.”

   “FRIDAY, did Peter try to contact either of us?” Tony asked.

   “No, boss,” FRIDAY said.

   The beacon lit up directly in front of him. Tony exhaled shakily, falling to his knees to scoop the familiar backpack close. He scanned the alley.

   “I found his backpack,” Tony numbly told Pepper. He pulled Peter’s phone from the front pocket of the backpack. “It was dumped in an alley.”

   Over the comm, Tony heard Pepper choke back a sob.

   “FRIDAY, hack the cameras,” Tony said, staggering to his feet. “Find him. Find our son!”

   Peter’s head was pounding and he had an odd taste in his mouth. His neck hurt, as his head was hanging forward for some reason, and Peter was about to lift his head into a more comfortable position when his spider sense all but screamed at him to stay still. He stiffened, willing himself to not move as his groggy brain tried to piece together what was wrong.

   Last he remembered, he’d been… at school, hadn’t he? He and Ned were planning on hanging out after school, but… Ned got sick after lunch. 

   (“I told you to not eat the fish sticks, Ned.” “Come on, Peter, don’t kick a guy when he’s down. My dignity’s already in the toilet.)

   Mrs. Leeds had come to pick Ned up… Peter remembered her asking if he needed a ride home himself. In his worry over Ned, Peter had forgotten that Happy was out of town and that his parents were supposed to be in a meeting all afternoon. What had happened next…

   Right, Peter had decided to take the subway to the Tower! 

   Peter knew how to get from school to the Tower on foot. He didn’t do it that often because Happy acted like he’d get kidnapped if he went on the subway alone. 

   That hadn’t… that hadn’t actually happened, right?

   Peter recalled getting distracted a few blocks from the subway station. There had been a noise in an alley, sounding like a whimpering dog. When he’d stepped into the shadowed alley, Peter had assumed the tingle down his spine was warning him about a possible bite from the dog that was tangled in garbage at the end of the alley. Peter had soothed the dog with gentle words and freed the dog. He’d been turning to leave the alley when his spider sense had gotten louder.

   Peter couldn’t clearly remember what had happened next. There had been rough hands grabbing his arms. He remembered kicking out. An odd-smelling cloth being shoved over his mouth when he’d tried to yell for help.

   After that, nothing.

   So. Yes. He’d gotten kidnapped trying to take the subway alone. 

   If Peter made it out of this alive, his parents would kill him.

   Another few breaths, and Peter started to get a sense of his present situation.

   He was sitting on a hard chair with his head lolling loosely forward and his arms pulled uncomfortably behind him. His wrists felt like they were zip-tied together. A snugness around his ankles made Peter think his legs might’ve been zip-tied together, too. 

   Peter couldn’t hear anyone nearby. The only sounds were the muffled hum of an engine and a distant sound that might’ve been splashing. The floor seemed to be moving under him, and it took Peter a few more minutes to realize it wasn’t just the after effects of whatever he’d been drugged with. He was on a boat.

   Tentatively, Peter peeked his eyes open. Seeing nobody, he lifted his head, blinking hard to clear his blurry vision.

   He was in a small metal room, the only piece of furniture being the chair Peter was sitting in. Directly in front of him was an oval shaped hatch, nearly confirming to Peter that he was on a boat. Over the door was a camera, the lens pointed right at him.

   Peter winced. While he was alone, he definitely was being observed. He’d be able to easily snap the zip-ties and sneak away, but couldn’t with his every move being recorded. Maybe whoever had nabbed him wouldn’t connect him to Spider-Man, but until he knew more, it was too risky.

   Peter wracked his brain, wondering who couldn’t have grabbed him. If it had been a simple mugging, he would’ve woken up in the alley. If whoever it was had wanted Spider-Man, there would be better restraints than a couple zip-ties.

   So that meant Peter Stark was the target.

   He was the son of Tony and Pepper Stark, owners of Stark Industries. It made him a pretty big target, so, yeah, he’d been grabbed a couple times. It was just that in times past, Peter had been freed minutes later when Tony -typically in the suit- clamped heavy hands on the would-be kidnapper’s shoulders.

   Peter bit back a whimper that it hadn’t been the case this time. He’d thought he’d be safe taking the subway like a normal kid. Peter usually ran under everyone’s radars since there were few pictures of the Stark’s only son on the internet; Tony had seen to that since Peter had been born. Most people didn’t know what Peter Stark looked like, and Peter blended in well enough that, aside from Ned and MJ, nobody at his school knew who his parents were.

   But someone had been watching him. They had to have been. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was grabbed when Happy was out of town. 

   Looking up at the camera, Peter forced his voice to not shake as he asked, “What do you want?”

   Not really expecting an answer, Peter couldn’t help flinching when there was a click, then a voice responding.

   “I already have it.”

   Searching the alley proved useless, so Tony soon left the search to the police FRIDAY had called, and flew back to the Tower. FRIDAY told Tony that Pepper was in the communal living room, so he landed on the balcony and slid the door open to stride inside.

   Pepper was sitting on the couch with an expression of forced calm. Rhodey and Natasha sat on either side of her, and Steve was just entering the room.

   “FRIDAY called everyone and told us what happened,” Steve said. “The others are on their way now.”

   Tony nodded once, then opened the suit. Taking Peter’s backpack from the hand of his suit, Tony crossed the living room. Natasha stood and moved out of the way, letting Tony drop beside his wife. Pepper leaned against him, and Tony wrapped his free arm around her.

   “FRIDAY’s scouring the camera feeds now,” Tony said, pressing a kiss to the top of Pepper’s head. “We’ll find him.”

   “Boss,” FRIDAY said, making everyone look up, “I’ve been able to track Peter until two blocks from where you found the backpack. There’s no cameras in the area, and no footage of Peter entering the subway station.”

   Tony’s heart thudded in his chest. “How long ago was that?”

   FRIDAY was quiet for a moment. “Nearly five hours ago.”

   Tony clenched his eyes shut. Peter had been missing for five hours already.

   “Tony.” Pepper squeezed his hand until Tony opened his eyes. “Have you looked in the backpack? Maybe Peter left us a clue.”

   Tony straightened hopefully and unzipped the backpack. His eyes ran over the thick textbooks and pencil case, stopping on a folded sheet of paper. Stiffly, hoping it was just a piece of homework, Tony pulled out the paper and unfolded it.

   “‘I have your Precious Cargo,’” Tony read.

   Shaking with rage, Tony wanted to tear the paper into a hundred pieces. Throwing it on the couch beside him, Tony leaped to his feet and paced furiously.

   “‘Precious Cargo,’” Rhodey repeated, eyes on Tony. “I haven’t heard that one in a while.”

   “What’s that mean?” Steve asked.

   “Precious Cargo was the code name the security team used for Peter whenever he joined Tony and Pepper to events and on trips,” Rhodey explained. “But they stopped using it… what was it, four years ago?”

   “Yeah.” Normally, Tony would’ve smiled at the memory, but at the moment, smiling seemed impossible. “Peter decided he didn’t like being called ‘Precious Cargo’ and insisted he needed a better code name.”

   “As if ‘Mini-Me’ was much better,” Pepper murmured, smiling shakily.

   “At least nobody could claim they forgot who it referred-” Tony ground to a halt. 

   “Tony?” Rhodey stepped closer.

   Tony snapped a hand up, halting his friend, then resumed his frantic pacing. His mind raced, sorting through memories for the right name.

   “FRIDAY,” Tony barked, “Pull up the files about Danny Low.”

   “Who?” Rhodey asked.

   “Five years ago, at the International Conference on Research in Science and Technology,” Tony said, locking eyes with Pepper to see if she was following. “You remember?”

   Pepper pursed her lips in thought. She nodded slowly. “Someone on the security team forgot Peter was our son.”

   “Forgot what the code meant, and didn’t bother to ask. I left Peter alone at the event, and he was mistaken for a party crasher by one of the security team,” Tony said, still pacing. “His name was Danny Low. It wasn’t the first issue he’d had with Conquer Security. The man was arrogant, cut some corners, and unnecessarily rough at times. Minor issues, but grabbing Peter had been the final straw.”

   “You think it’s connected to Peter going missing?” Rhodey asked.

   “I don’t know,” Tony said, gritting his teeth. “His boss warned us later that Low had been very upset over getting fired. He didn’t make any actual threats, but there were some heated words about ‘Stark’s Precious Cargo.’ We kept tabs on him, but he moved to another state and seemed to settle down in some office job. After two years, we stopped monitoring his every move. FRIDAY, where’s Danny Low now?”

   “Searching, Boss.”

   Pepper caught Tony’s hand. Tony let her pull him back down onto the couch beside her, squeezing Pepper’s hand as they waited. Finally, after a minute that felt like an hour, FRIDAY spoke.

   “Records at his workplace show that Danny Low requested a week’s vacation. I can find no indication of where he was going, though I did find audio of him mentioning going camping in the mountains, so he would be unreachable.”

   Tony grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Coincidence? It was their only lead, and it was a pathetic one. Did Low even care about what had happened at the conference that day? It had been almost five years!

   Then FRIDAY said, “Boss, I found a match of Danny Low’s face outside the Tower two weeks ago, and again last week.”

   Tony’s eyes slid shut. “What about today?”

   “Nothing so far. I’ll keep searching.”

   Tony rubbed his face hard and opened his eyes. He was a little startled to see Clint and Scott had joined them, having not heard them enter. Natasha seemed to be explaining what was happening, so Tony ignored them for the moment.

   “I have a match for today,” FRIDAY said. “Sending it to your tablet now.”

   Tony’s tablet, left on the table at some point, lit up. Tony leaned forward, snatching it up to see the image of a man on the screen. The face was only vaguely familiar to Tony, but FRIDAY identified the man as Danny Low. Tony recognized the angle of the cameras as the back of the Tower. Low was standing beside a low hedge, staring right at the camera with a small smirk.

   “He wanted to be seen,” Rhodey said.

   “How long ago was this taken?” Tony growled.

   “Four hours ago,” FRIDAY said. “I’m sorry, Boss. Danny Low was not a priority risk anymore, so his face did not set off any alerts.”

   “Did he do anything?” Tony asked.

   The still image came to life, and Tony watched as Low simply turned and walked out of view of the camera. His eyes narrowed, wondering if he was imagining the twitch of the man’s hand brushing the hedge. It was a subtle movement that could have been a casual wave of his hand, but just obvious enough that Tony knew Low wanted it to be seen.

   And Tony wanted nothing more than to punch the cocky look off the man’s face. 

   “FRIDAY, notify security to search the area,” Tony said.

   “Already done, Boss. Security just found a small box inside the hedge and are checking it now.”

   Tony got back up to resume pacing. The rest of the Avengers -minus Bruce- arrived, learning of what had happened in undertones. Everyone began suiting up and grabbing gear without being asked.

   The sight warmed Tony slightly. Everyone cared about Peter so much, Tony knew that once they had a lead, he wouldn’t be going after Peter alone.

   Bruce arrived last, a small black box in hand and an expression of barely repressed anger on his face. He held the box out to Tony without a word.

   Filled with trepidation, Tony hesitated for a split-second before snatching the box and opening it. His breath caught and it was all Tony could do to not suit up and smash something.

   The box held only a single photo. A photo of Peter, pale, gagged, tied up, and curled awkwardly in what was unmistakably a car trunk.

   “I’ll kill him,” Tony whispered, crushing the box and photo in his fist. 

   If anyone would’ve told Peter that being kidnapped was boring, he’d have laughed.

   But right now, he was bored out of his mind.

   After the initial jolt of horror upon realizing he’d been kidnapped and having an unknown voice speak to him, nothing had happened for what felt like hours. Peter had nearly called out to the camera again, but decided against it. The less his captors thought about him, the better.

   Craning his neck, Peter checked the zip-ties around his wrists. He’d been slowly rubbing the zip-ties against a rough edge of the metal chair, gradually wearing a groove into it. Spider-Man wouldn’t have any issue breaking free of zip-ties, but as far as Peter’s captors knew -he hoped- he was just an ordinary kid. And ordinary kids didn’t just snap zip-ties. Not unless they’d been weakened first.

   So, both for the sake of hiding his super strength and to pass the time because even if Peter did break free, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go running around blind. As he worked, he listened.

   The sound of the engines was a constant noise that was really starting to grate on his nerves. If he concentrated, he could hear waves slapping the hull somewhere to his left. Sometimes he caught the sound of voices or footsteps, but they echoed so much that it was impossible for Peter to guess where or how many people there were on the boat.

   Peter stopped sawing at the zip-tie. The fact that he couldn’t clearly make out voices meant the boat had to be fairly big. A boat that size didn’t operate with two or three people.

   Peter swallowed hard and told himself to not panic. He’d done that already. Of course there would be a larger crew. Just based on the fact that Tony hadn’t marched in the door yet-

   Shaking his head, Peter tried to shove that thought away before it finished. He wasn’t successful.

   Peter bounced his knees for a moment before making himself stop. He didn’t want whoever had grabbed him to see him nervous. If they even cared. Why did they want Peter? For ransom? That was probably it, Peter guessed. They clearly thought they’d just grabbed Peter Stark, a harmless teenager. Though it was pretty stupid to cross Tony Stark. 

   His knees were bouncing again. Peter stilled them with effort.

   How long had he been trapped? It suddenly occurred to him that he kind of felt like that time he and Tony had accidentally stayed awake all night working on one of the Iron Man suits. He couldn’t have been prisoner all night, could he? Tony would’ve found him by then, he would’ve, Peter knew he had to have!

   His knees were bouncing. His breathing sounded really loud and fast all of the sudden.

   Clenching his eyes shut, Peter shoved his panic down. It wasn’t as easy this time, but he couldn’t panic. He had to be ready to move. Tony would be here any moment now-

   Right on cue, footsteps rang from nearby, getting closer. Peter couldn’t help the swell of hope rising in him, though he quickly realized those weren’t Tony’s footsteps. They echoed in the same way Steve or Bucky’s did when they walked around the Tower or Compound in their heavy military boots. And Peter kind of doubted that Tony would send anyone else to free Peter from the room…

   Peter’s suspicions were confirmed when the door swung open to reveal an unfamiliar man in heavy black armor. Peter’s eyes darted from the man’s grim face to the tray in his hand, which held a cup and a sandwich.

   The man looked obnoxiously smug when Peter’s stomach growled, swapping Peter’s fear for irritation. He hadn’t had supper because these guys had grabbed him and Peter was pretty sure breakfast time had passed. Even without a super fast metabolism purging whatever he’d been knocked out with from his body and healing any bruises he’d doubtlessly gotten while being moved, he’d be starving.

   “Enjoying your stay?” the man asked, still with an overabundance of satisfaction to a teenager currently tied to a chair. 

   Peter told himself that as long as these guys kept underestimating him, it would make his escape that much easier. Let the guy have his fun, don’t-

   “One out of five stars,” Peter said in his most deadpan voice. “I’d like a refund.”

   Making jokes was how Peter coped, so sue him.

   The man gave him a sneer. “I’d get comfortable.”

   “I would, but, you know-” Peter lifted his zip-tied legs slightly. “I’m a little tied up at the moment.”

   The man responded by pulling a knife out of his belt.

   “Woah, man, the joke wasn’t that bad, was it?!” Peter yelped.

   “No funny business out of you,” the man said, pointing his knife at Peter.

   Peter was blaming the nerves, but it was really hard to not roll his eyes at the guy.

   “I’ll behave, I’ll behave,” Peter said, putting on what he hoped was an appropriately worried look on his face. 

   “Good,” the man grumbled, going around Peter. “Still don’t see the big deal with- what the-”

   Busted.

   Twisting his body, Peter snapped the frayed zip-tie around his wrists. He lurched upright, hands flailing. Before the goon could react, one of Peter’s fists connected with his jaw with carefully checked strength. The man spun halfway around before slumping to the floor, the tray clattering loudly beside him.

   Peter dropped into a swift crouch, letting his knees swing out. It was a trick he knew someone with normal strength could use to snap zip-ties -Tony, being the protective father he was, had made sure Peter had always known tricks for the unfortunately inevitable case of him being kidnapped. The zip-ties snapped easily, then Peter was racing for the open hatch.

   “Tell me you have good news,” Tony said without turning when he heard the elevator doors open.

   “Tony-”

   Tony snapped upright and spun around to face Happy. He blurted, “You weren’t due back until next week.”

   “I called him,” Pepper said, getting up from the couch to join Tony and Happy. “Thanks for coming, Happy.”

   Happy dealt with enough craziness on a daily basis -especially since the Avengers became involved- that he was generally unflappable, but now he wore a very obvious expression of guilt. “I’m sorry-”

   “Don’t,” Tony said, flapping a hand and turning away. “Low’s obviously been planning this for some time. He was patient.”

   “What have you found so far?” Happy asked, coming alongside Tony.

   Tony grunted. “Not much. No camera footage of Peter getting grabbed. He was just there, then he just. Wasn’t.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, snarling. “It’s been almost twenty-four hours, Happy. What does Low want?”

   “This.”

   Tony gave Happy a tired, frustrated look. “What?”

   “He wants to get to you, Tony,” Happy said, not looking any happier with his explanation.

   “Mission successful,” Tony growled. He leaned against the table. “Pep tell you about the press conference?”

   Happy nodded. “She said you’d offered a reward for any information on Peter.”

   That and a thinly veiled threat against Peter’s kidnappers had been released in a press conference shortly after Peter’s disappearance had become known. Low hadn’t been mentioned by name -they didn’t have any solid evidence yet, Pepper had pointed out- but Pepper’s announcement had included, as Tony would’ve preferred to put it, a warning to release Peter before Iron Man blew him halfway across the city.

   “Boss,” FRIDAY said, “The police have received a lead.”

   “What is it?” Tony asked. 

   “Possibly the escape vehicle,” FRIDAY said. “A street vendor noticed three men coming quickly from the alley and getting into the vehicle. He didn’t see Peter, but they may have been shielding him from view.”

   “Tell me we’ve got a licence plate,” Tony said, barely daring to hope.

   “He provided a description of the vehicle, and I was able to find a matching vehicle on the camera outside the subway station.”

   “Track it,” Tony said breathlessly.

   “Already tracking it, Boss.” FRIDAY is quiet for several painful minutes before, “The car left the city, Boss. I can’t track it any further.”

   Tony slammed a fist on the table so hard pain shot all the way up to his shoulder, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He shoved away from the table, activating his suit. “Tell me where you lost it and I’ll-”

   “Boss,” FRIDAY interrupted suddenly. “SI just received a message from Low.”

   “What is it?” Tony hissed.

   “Only an image. Putting it on your HUD now.”

   An image appeared on Tony’s visor. His breath caught at the sight of Peter tied to a chair, looking up at the camera. He looked calm, but Tony knew his son too well to miss the pleading in his eyes.

   “I’m going out,” Tony said, resuming his march toward the balcony. “FRIDAY, let the others know. Happy, stay here with Pepper.”

   He was gone before anyone could respond.

   Peter’s spider sense continued to scream at him as he fled down identical hallways. Anytime voices sounded ahead, Peter veered in another direction or clung to the ceiling, not breathing, until the soldiers had passed.

   It didn’t take long for the soldiers to realize Peter had escaped, and dodging them suddenly became trickier. Peter had to hide in practically every hallway, retracing his steps so many times that Peter at one point actually found himself back at the room he’d been held prisoner. The goon from before was gone -so was the sandwich, Peter noted in disappointment- and Peter debated hiding in that room. It would be easy enough to stay out of the camera’s view and it would be the last place anyone would look.

   In the end, Peter decided against it, though. He had only a vague idea as to how long he’d been missing, but it felt like it had been a full day and… and if Tony hadn’t found him yet, Peter worried he never would. With every hour, his trail would grow colder.

   Peter shook himself as much as he dared with his back pressed to the ceiling and two soldiers passing below him. If they looked up…

   They didn’t, of course, and soon moved on. Peter dropped lightly to the floor and snuck through the hatchway. He looked through another hatch on his left, and he perked up at the sight of a stairwell leading up. Pausing only long enough to ensure nobody was standing at the top of the stairwell, Peter bolted to the stairs and scurried up, stopping near the top to peek out.

   Open sky greeted him, nearly making Peter wilt in relief. Then his gaze went down and tension returned to his body.

   Peter had known he was on a boat, but it didn’t make the endless expanse of blue beyond the ship’s railing any less shocking. He’d let himself hope that the boat was at least docked somewhere, but of course he couldn’t be that lucky.

   Distracted by the ocean, Peter heard footsteps behind him a fraction too late. He jerked around, making eye contact with the soldier at the foot of the stairwell, then fled outside as the soldier shouted he’d found Peter. 

   Peter frantically spun in a circle. The bad news was, land was a shadow in the distance to the north-west -thank you, spider instincts, for an internal compass. The further bad news was that there were about half a dozen soldiers also on deck, and every one of them was looking at Peter.

   The good news was that none of them stood between Peter and the railing.

   He could totally swim back to land! 

   Probably?

   Deciding he’d rather take his chances in the open water, Peter bolted for the nearest railing. Boots pounded the deck behind him and soldiers shouted, but they were too far away and Peter was faster than any of them. Just a few more steps, then he’d be in the water and-

   Bang!

   Impact on one arm sent Peter spinning halfway around and crashing into the deck before the pain registered. Unable to fully control himself, Peter rolled with his momentum and onto his feet, but collided with the railing with enough force to make his ears ring. His right arm swung uselessly, and Peter could feel the blood spilling warm down it. 

   Peter looked at the waves below, then a hand on his shoulder was yanking him back. Yowling with pain and panic, Peter lashed clumsily out. He was thrown to the deck for his efforts, knocking the air from his lungs. By the time he managed to suck in a breath, he was surrounded.

   “Can’t you idiots keep track of one kid?” snapped one man, possibly the leader. He wasn’t wearing a black jacket like the other guys, but a gray vest and he was holding a pistol.

   “Watch it, Low,” growled one of the soldiers. From the bruise on his cheek, Peter was pretty sure it was the soldier he’d knocked out.

   Peter glanced at his arm, sucking in a sharp breath when he saw the blood soaking through his shirt sleeves. He clamped a hand over the wound, biting back a whimper.

   “Someone wrap that before the kid bleeds out,” huffed the first guy, Low?

   “What do you- hey, get off!”

   Ignoring Peter’s protests, the soldier forced his hand away from the wound. Another soldier crouched on Peter’s other side, restraining his good hand. Peter only looked away when the first soldier pulled out a roll of bandages. He glared up at Low, trying to not shake when the soldier not-so-gently wrapped his wound.

   “What do you want?” Peter forced out of grit teeth.

   “I already have it,” Low said, sneering at Peter.

   “I-I don’t understand,” Peter said, stammering slightly.

   “Of course you don’t,” Low said, starting to pace. “I suppose you don’t remember how you ruined my career, do you?”

   Peter didn’t, but further antagonizing the guy who’d already shot him once seemed like a bad idea, so he remained silent. Not that it helped.

   “Of course you don’t,” Low barked out a harsh laugh. “You’re too high above following the rules to care about those trying to keep order.”

   “I…” Peter blinked. “What’s this have to do with me?”

   “Not you. Tony Stark,” Low said, halting to look down at Peter.

   “Leave my dad alone,” Peter said with a glare.

   “As if you have any say in it!” Low said with another cruel laugh.

   “Low,” said the soldier with the bruised cheek.

   “What, Ray?” Low barked.

   “We didn’t go through all this effort to gloat,” Ray said sharply.

   That was rich, coming from the guy who’d been having a power trip threatening Peter when he’d been tied up.

   While the two of them argued, Peter glanced at his arm again. There was no fresh blood on the bandages and his rapid healing would-

   Peter had a sudden hope that the soldiers wouldn’t show any interest in changing his bandages anytime soon. In all likelihood, the bullet hole would be nothing but a scar in an hour or two. 

   “Would you like to call Stark down here now?” Low asked mockingly, drawing Peter’s attention back. “Stick to the plan, Ray. Trust me, it’s been a long time in the making.”

   Ray scoffed. Peter’s eyes darted between the two men. Why were they working together if they clearly didn’t like each other? Were they both just after Tony? And if they were, why? Money? Tech? Some kind of blackmail?

   Then the soldier who’d bandaged Peter’s arm stood up and turned away to put the medical kit away, giving Peter his first good look at the back of the soldier’s jacket.

   A skull, perked over six coiled tentacles, leered back at him.

   Hydra had Peter. Hydra was using Peter to lure Tony out or get him off-balance or-

   Whatever their reason, Peter couldn’t let Hydra use him against Tony.

   The soldiers are too busy watching Low and Ray argue to pay close attention to Peter. They probably expected him to lay down and roll over, whimpering and subdued. But Peter didn’t plan on doing that.

   Flipping onto his knees and good hand, Peter shoved himself between two of the soldiers, giving them an extra shove to stagger them. Low stood in front of the railing, so Peter spun away from that, eyes plotting a course across the deck, finding cover behind the equipment and crates-

   Peter’s foot caught on something -a darting glance down told him it was a rifle one of the soldiers must’ve set aside- and he sprawled on the deck, right on his wounded arm. Yelping in pain, Peter scrambled to stand, then there were Hydra soldiers pinning him down. 

   Peter flailed, but his legs were twisted under him, so he could barely move them. A soldier was pressing down right on his wound, and the pain was so intense that black edged Peter’s vision. Blinking hard, Peter forced his vision to focus.

   Looking up, Peter saw Low standing over him, glaring. Peter unconsciously shrank at the raw hatred in the man’s eyes.

   “No more escape attempts,” Low said, his voice low and dangerous as he lifted one heavy boot. “Be a good boy and stay down.” 

   On the final word, he stomped down hard on Peter’s twisted legs. 

   Something snapped. 

   Blinding pain filled Peter’s body, and he couldn’t hold back a scream as unconsciousness yanked him under.

   The clue turned out to be a dead end.

   Tony, Rhodey, and Sam had been scouring the countryside for an hour before someone else called in with a tip about a car abandoned in a field. Going to the field, Tony found the abandoned car and confirmed with FRIDAY that it was the car they’d suspected to have been used in the kidnapping. The flattened grass of the field quickly led to them realizing that Peter had been moved into a chopper.

   It had been over twenty-four hours.

   Peter could’ve been anywhere at that point.

   “Where did Low even get a chopper, not to mention the help?” Tony asked, pacing in the Tower after two hours of fruitless searching. “FRIDAY found that he was barely making enough money to live on.”

   “The car was stolen,” Rhodey supplied.

   Tony grunted in acknowledgement. His steps dragged and his eyes were heavy. He’d been awake for, what, thirty-six hours now? He could barely think straight, though he blamed that as much on worry as on sleep-deprivation.

   “Tony,” Pepper said, catching Tony’s arm.

   Tony reluctantly halted and looked at her. 

   Reaching up to brush Tony’s hair away from his forehead, Pepper said, “You need to sleep.”

   “I don’t need sleep, I need to find our son,” Tony said.

   Pepper’s eyes welled, and Tony instantly felt terrible for his sharp tone. He hugged Pepper close, feeling her shake.

   “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Tony murmured.

   Pepper sniffed and nudged Tony away. She wiped her eyes and said, “I’m serious about sleeping, Tony.”

   “But-”

   Pepper stopped him with a finger to his lips. “You’ve been going non-stop since Peter went missing. You need some rest. I promise we’ll wake you once we find anything new, okay? You can’t help Peter if you collapse from exhaustion.”

   Tony wanted to protest, but Pepper had a point. He could barely see straight.

   “Promise?” Tony murmured.

   “I promise,” Pepper said, wrapping her arm around him.

   Tony let himself be led to their bedroom, where he flopped onto the bed without bothering to change. His eyes sagged shut and Tony drifted off to the feeling of Pepper running her fingers through his hair.

   Then, all too soon, someone was shaking his shoulder and calling his name.

   “Wa’zzit?” Tony slurred, feeling like his thoughts were slogging through molasses.

   “It’s Peter.”

   The two words were enough to jolt Tony to full awareness. He scrambled off the bed, stumbled, and only Pepper and Rhodey on either side kept Tony from falling. He shook himself and got his feet under him.

   “Where?” Tony asked Pepper.

   Rhodey wordlessly held out a tablet. Tony looked at the screen and his heart nearly stopped.

   Peter was laying on a metal floor. His hands were tied behind his back, and Tony could see a bloody bandage wrapped around one arm. His legs were unbound, but the way they were laying looked odd. Peter’s eyes were clenched shut, and Tony honestly couldn’t tell whether or not he was conscious. 

   A man -Low- was standing over Peter, gesturing wildly as he said, "-technological advances seen across the world today. The amazing Tony Stark.” Low leered into the camera, as if he knew Tony was watching.

   “Is this a live feed?” Tony asked nobody in particular.

   “It is,” FRIDAY confirmed. “I’m attempting to trace the source now.”

   “The world looks to you for protection,” Low continued. “Protection from a man who can’t even protect his own son.”

   “He’s so dead,” Tony growled, eyes only on Peter.

   “Well?” Low said, nudging Peter with one foot. “Don’t you have anything to say to your father?”

   Peter’s eyes opened halfway. Tony’s heart ached at the pain in his gaze.

   “Dad?” Peter asked, his voice barely audible. “Can he… hear me?”

   “I’m sure he’s watching you right now,” Low said with a sneer.

   “FRIDAY, where are they?” Tony asked sharply.

   “I’m sorry, Boss, they’re jamming their signal.”

   On the screen, Peter rolled slightly onto his back, looking straight at the camera. Straight into Tony’s eyes. He took a shaky breath.

   Then Peter yelled, “Hydra boat, south-east-”

   “You little-” 

   Low didn’t finish, but he kicked Peter’s legs, making the boy cut off with a pained scream that hurt Tony to the core. The footage abruptly cut off.

   “Hydra has Peter,” Tony said dimly, swaying.

   Rhodey reached out as if to steady Tony, but Tony snapped back into control. “FRIDAY, start searching for any transmission signals south-east of here.”

   “I already have five possible locations,” FRIDAY said.

   “Get everyone headed that way.” Tony turned to Pepper and grabbed her arms. “I’m going to bring him back, okay? I promise I’ll-”

   “I’m going, too,” Pepper interrupted.

   “What? How-”

   “The Rescue Suit,” Pepper interrupted, walking briskly from the bedroom.

   “No, no, you have to stay here, Pepper,” Tony protested, hurrying after her.

   Pepper turned on her heel, and the fire in her eyes made Tony halt. “Tony, if you think I’m going to just sit here while that man tortures our son, you’ve got another thing coming.”

   “It’s too dangerous!” Tony said.

   “That’s what the Rescue Suit is for,” Pepper said patiently. 

   Tony stared into her eyes for a second longer, then realized it was pointless and a waste of time to keep arguing. He activated his armor.

   “FRIDAY, take Pepper to the Rescue suit,” Tony said, striding toward the balcony. “And after we get back, you’re telling me how you know the suit exists!”

   Tony, with Rhodey right behind him, blasted into the sky.

   “Sam’s already on his way,” Rhodey said over comms. “Everyone else took the Quinjet as soon as the video first showed up.”

   “I have a location,” FRIDAY said.

   “Show me,” Tony said shortly.

   A beacon appeared on the HUD. Tony changed direction and shot across the sky as fast as his suit would go. Rhodey began to fall behind and it wasn’t long before Tony passed Falcon. FRIDAY said that Pepper in the Rescue Suit was on her way soon after, and Tony knew she’d pass Rhodey and Sam soon enough as well.

   Buildings, then trees blurred under Tony before giving away to water. Tony was moving faster than he’d ever moved before, but wondered if it would still be fast enough.

   “Tones, slow down!” Rhodey called out. “You can’t take a boat full of Hydra soldiers on by yourself!”

   The beacon was dead ahead, a dot on the water when Tony said, “Watch me.”

   Something blasted away from the boat, and Tony veered aside, easily avoiding the missile launched his way. More missiles came his way, as well as gunfire. Hydra might not have been expecting Iron Man, but they were prepared.

   So was Tony. 

   Dodging the missiles, Tony heard bullets ricochet off his suit. A blast of his repulsors, and one of the missile launchers exploded, sending soldiers sprawling. Then Tony was in the soldier’s midst.

   Tony spun and fired, launching soldiers over the railing or tumbling across the deck. He only paid them enough mind to avoid getting hit himself, most of his focus on searching for Peter.

   That was a mistake.

   Boom! 

   Tony jerked, then fell gracelessly to the deck. His armor clicked and whined, and FRIDAY alerted him that his suit’s integrity was down to eighty percent. Tony spun to face a Hydra soldier who was holding a bulky gun with a barrel that was already starting to glow for another shot.

   Then a blast hit the gun, blowing it to bits, and a blue-and-silver blur slammed into the soldier. Tony huffed out a small laugh as he watched Pepper in the Rescue suit throw the soldier overboard.

   “I told you to wait for us!” Rhodey scolded as he took out another missile launcher.

   “As if,” Tony grunted, turning his attention to more soldiers flooding the deck from below. “FRIDAY, give me a quick scan; how many are we going against here?”

   “Check your fire!” Pepper yelled. “FRIDAY can’t locate Peter!”

   Tony jerked his hands down, mentally kicking himself. Using his repulsors were an old habit, but until they knew where Peter was, they couldn’t risk damaging the ship too much.

   “Brawling it is, then,” Rhodey snorted, then launched himself forward, bowling over three soldiers.

   Tony braced himself to follow Rhodey’s example, then-

   “Stark!”

   Tony whipped around, then went rigid and shouted, “Everyone, stand down!”

   Low smirked, but Tony barely noticed the man. His attention was wholly on Peter.

   Peter, who didn’t look like he could’ve been standing if Low hadn’t had one arm wrapped around his middle, forcing the teen to stand. Peter’s head lolled to the side, eyes closed and face somehow more pale than before. Blood was smeared on his shirt. While Peter seemed to holding his weight on his left leg, his right was turned oddly like-

   Low had broken Peter’s leg?!

   “Let Peter go right now,” Pepper said, fire in every word. 

   Tony glanced at his wife, bracing herself halfway across the deck. Rhodey was somewhere behind Tony, and indicators on Tony’s HUD told him Sam and the Quinjet were circling overhead.

   But nobody dared to move any closer because Low had a gun pressed against Peter’s skull.

   Before Tony could figure out his next move, Clint’s voice sounded over the comms.

   “I’ve got Low in my sights, but I don’t dare take the shot until the gun’s not pointed at Peter. Tony, annoy Low, get him to point the gun at you.”

   Without hesitating, Tony said with as much snark as he could muster, “You’ve really moved up in the world, Low, threatening unconscious teenagers with guns.”

   “And who’s fault is that, Stark?” Low snapped, his gun not budging.

   Tony gave a bitter laugh. “Forgive me for being upset about my son being snatched. Let him go, Low. This is between you and me.”

   “You’re right, Stark,” Low said with a weaselly grin.

   “Time for a little one-on-one?” Tony challenged. 

   He took a step forward, but the gun remained pressed against Peter’s head. Tony wondered if it was his imagination, but it looked like Peter’s eyes opened for a second. Tony’s HUD displayed the Hydra soldiers currently surrounding him, Pepper, and Rhodey. 

   “What do you want, Low?” Tony bit out when Low continued to just sneer at him.

   “I already have it,” Low said.

   Something in Low’s voice made Tony feel like he had ice in his veins. Pepper started to move, but Tony felt frozen in place, eyes locked with Low’s heartless, hate-filled gaze. In a split-second, Tony knew the man was about to pull the trigger.

   In that same moment, Tony saw Peter’s eyes snap open.

   Then both of Peter’s feet were planted on the deck, his body was straightening, and his head snapped back, connecting squarely with Low’s nose.

   Bang!

   Tony would be haunted for months by the sound of the gunshot. By the sight of Peter falling forward with blood spilling down his temple.

   Tony didn’t recall moving, only that he was suddenly halfway across the deck on his knees, with Peter cradled in his arms. Low was an unconscious heap right in front of him, hastily kicked aside by Pepper as she skidded to her knees in front of Tony, screaming Peter’s name.

   Peter twitched and his eyes opened a slit. “Dad… Mum…”

   “We’re here, honey,” Pepper murmured, running her armor-covered fingers through Peter’s hair. “We’re here.”

   “FRIDAY, scan him,” Tony said through the lump in his throat.

   “The bullet only grazed his head,” FRIDAY said. “The bullet wound in his arm is already half healed, but the broken fibula needs to be stabilized.”

   Tony opened the suit long enough to pull out the box that was Peter’s suit. Pressing the box against Peter’s side, Tony said, “Karen, initial Support the Head Protocol.”

   “Yes, Mr. Stark,” Karen said.

   The box seemed to melt into Peter’s clothes. Tony felt the nanotech surround Peter’s leg and stiffen, creating a temporary cast for the broken leg.

   An explosion made Tony look up. He was intensely grateful for the rest of the Avengers, who’d leaped into action the instant Low’s gun had fired. Rhodey, Steve, and Natasha had formed a protective circle around the Starks, Clint was steadily taking down any soldier that got close, and the rest of the Avengers were handling the rest of the Hydra soldiers.

   Rhodey glanced over his shoulder. “Take him home. We’ll handle the rest from here.”

   Tony nodded once, then looked down. His breath caught when he saw Peter’s eyes had fallen shut, but Karen reassured him that Peter was still breathing smoothly and his heartbeat was steady. Tony gathered Peter closer to his chest, then stood. He glanced at Pepper, who nodded, then the two of them took to the sky, leaving the battle behind them.

   Peter woke up groggy and sore. His whole body ached, but it was a dull sort of ache. He tried to remember why he was sore and so, so tired. Had he been patrolling too late again? Or had he-

   The alley. The nauseating smell. Waking up in the hold of a Hydra ship. How could he have forgotten?!

   In his panic, Peter didn’t realize that his spider sense was silent. His heart raced, and he suddenly became aware of a rapid beeping, like an alarm. 

   “Peter? Peter, it’s okay.”

   Peter couldn’t help twitching at Pepper’s voice. His breath hitched and the alarm sounded faster.

   Then a calloused hand gently grasped his. A whimper escaping him, Peter turned his hand and grabbed the hand.

   “Steady, Underoos, don’t be breaking my fingers,” Tony’s voice said.

   Fingers carded through his curls and Pepper whispered soothingly, “It’s okay, Peter. You’re safe now.”

   The soft words and gentle touches soothed Peter’s heart -and, oddly, the alarm- and Peter sank back into sleep. 

   Tony sat at Peter’s bedside, the only sound in the room the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Tony couldn’t help glancing at the monitor, though it had been three hours since Peter had half-woken up in a terror that had sent his heart rate through the roof. Helen had removed the bandages from Peter’s arm and head, and when Tony wasn’t checking the heart monitor, he was staring at the reddish scars.

   A half-empty IV bag hung beside the bed, steadily dripping down the line to Peter’s arm. Tony had honestly lost count of how many bags they’d gone through, as Peter had been severely dehydrated and borderline malnourished when he’d been brought to the Tower.

   Pepper, her hand gripping Peter’s opposite hand, had managed to fall asleep on a folding cot that had been placed on the other side of Peter’s bed. Now that Peter was stable, Tony wished he could sleep as well. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw Peter, bloody and unmoving, in his arms.

   Tony took a deep breath and ran a thumb across the back of Peter’s hand. He smiled a little when he felt how Peter had unconsciously stuck his hand to Tony’s; even if Tony wanted to leave the room, he couldn’t.

   “Tony?”

   Peter twitched with a moan. Tony turned slightly to acknowledge Steve’s voice, but didn’t take his eyes off Peter until his son settled back down.

   “How’s everyone, Capsicle?” Tony asked, glancing over at Steve.

   “Helen’s released everyone except Wanda and Scott,” Steve said, absently rubbing the bandage he had on one arm. “She said they should be good to go by tomorrow; she was mostly worried about Scott’s concussion.”

   Tony nodded, relieved. When he’d gotten the initial report from FRIDAY, Tony had been surprised by the number of Hydra soldiers present. It had soon become clear, though, that kidnapping Peter hadn’t just been Low trying to get revenge on Tony; Peter had been kidnapped as bait to lure the Avengers straight to Hydra. Tony shuddered to think of how the fight could’ve gone if Peter hadn’t been able to give them the clues to find the Hydra ship before their preparations had been completed.

   “And Low?” Tony murmured.

   “Fury just confirmed that Low’s in SHIELD custody,” Steve said. “Low claims that he wasn’t involved with Hydra-”

   A moan from Peter made Steve break off. Tony looked back at Peter, his heart nearly breaking at the distress on Peter’s face.

   “It’s okay, Peter,” Tony soothed, rubbing his free hand over Peter’s forehead. “Everyone’s safe. You saved us, kiddo.”

   Peter settled down, but his face was still twisted. Tony wondered sadly if he was reliving the events in his dreams.

   “Thank you, Steve,” Tony said, looking over his shoulder, “For helping me save Peter.”

   Steve nodded with a fond smile at the boy. “He’s a good kid. When he grows up, he’s going to be the best out of all of us.”

   “Yeah,” Tony said, his voice cracking with love and pride. “Yeah, he is.”

   Peter jolted awake with a gasp, not sure what had woken him, but whatever it was, Peter had the urge to move. He struggled against the heavy weight covering his body, unable to completely hold back a distressed whine when his limbs remained pinned down.

   “Shh, Peter, it’s okay.”

   Pepper’s voice was accompanied with a gentle hand cupping his chin. Peter relaxed, leaning into his mum’s touch, humming contentedly.

   “That’s it,” Pepper murmured. “It’s okay.”

   Peter forced his eyes open, whining a little at the bright lights overhead. But it was worth the effort when he saw the relief in Pepper’s eyes. 

   “Hey, honey,” Pepper said softly, her eyes shining.

   Peter hummed, already distracted. His eyes slowly roved around and another whine slipped out of him.

   “Your dad’s right here,” Pepper said.

   Peter blinked at her, then his eyes slid lower down until they landed on Tony slumped in a comfy chair nearby, eyes closed and tablet sitting lax in his fingers. Peter frowned a little when he saw the dark circles under Tony’s eyes. He looked back up at Pepper and saw the same shadows under her eyes and a drawn weariness on her face.

   “S’rry,” Peter mumbled.

   Pepper gave a shaky little laugh as she smoothed Peter’s hair back. “You have nothing to apologize for, Peter.”

   “Worried you,” Peter insisted.

   “None of this was your fault,” Pepper said firmly. “Understand?”

   Peter mumbled agreement. His eyes felt heavy.

   “Go back to sleep, Peter,” Pepper said with a gentle smile. “You’re still healing.”

   Peter hummed, letting his eyes fall shut. Nothing hurt and his parents were with him. He could sleep…

   Metal clattered nearby, sounding, to Peter’s dozing mind, like boots on a metal deck. His eyes shot open and he sat upright with an alarmed shout.

   Tony jerked awake and halfway to his feet. His tablet hit the ground, spiking Peter’s panic so he jolted sideways, nearly falling off the bed.

   “Woah, hey, Underoos, you’re okay,” Tony said, blinking hard and reaching over to Peter.

   Peter stared at Tony, then Pepper, then back to Tony. His heart was thundering in his chest as he reminded himself that he was safe in the med-bay of the Tower.

   “I-”

   The door was thrust open, and Peter scrambled backward with a panicked shout of, “Stay away from me!”

   Tony jumped in front of Peter, arms out, but his defensive stance fell as quickly as it rose. Peter gulped air, trying to force himself to calm down as he realized his spider sense wasn’t even tingling.

   “What happened?” Happy’s very familiar voice made Peter wilt a little. “I heard shouting.”

   “I think it was a nightmare,” Tony said, turning to give Peter a comforting smile.

   Peter couldn’t return the smile. He leaned slightly to the side to see Happy in the doorway.

   “Hey, kid,” Happy said with a small smile. “Glad to see you awake.”

   Peter silently nodded. He startled at a sudden touch on his arm, then instantly felt bad when he realized it was just Pepper.

   “S’rry,” Peter mumbled to the room at large, hunching over.

   A flurry of voices drifting through the open door made Peter flinch again. His head darted up and he stared at the door with wide eyes.

   “Hey, Pete?” Tony said.

   Peter’s eyes darted over to his dad, who very slowly reached down to rub Peter’s shoulder. Peter leaned into the touch, then flinched away when he heard footsteps.

   “Right, you’re probably hearing everything, huh?” Tony murmured. 

   Giving Peter a worried look, Happy stepped back. “Rhodey and I are right outside if you need anything.”

   As the door clicked shut, Peter looked up at Tony in confusion.

   “Nobody’s getting into the med bay without my permission, but Happy and Rhodey still insisted on standing guard outside,” Tony explained.

   Peter tried to smile, but he could still make out voices outside the room. He couldn’t help but strain his ears, unable to make out any words but searching the tones for any threats.

   “Hey, Peter, it’s okay,” Tony said. “You’re safe now.”

   Peter looked down, startled to find he’d moved to the edge of the bed. Both legs hung over the edge. His right leg, which was twinging in pain, was encased in a woven plastic cast.

   “The broken bone is nearly healed,” Tony said, effortlessly swinging Peter’s legs back onto the bed while Pepper straightened the blankets. “But you still need to rest, kiddo.”

   Peter nodded mutely. His panic was fading, leaving Peter feeling dull and groggy. His eyes sagged shut and he leaned back on the pillow.

   Slam! 

   Peter jerked back to full wakefulness with a wordless shout, his heart hammering in his chest. 

   “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Pepper soothed, rubbing Peter’s arm. She shot Tony a worried look. “Tony, the med-bay is loud for Peter on a good day.”

   “S-sorry,” Peter stammered through a hiccupy gasp.

   Peter had faced Hydra soldiers before. He fought aliens and hybrids on a semi-regular basis. Why was he suddenly jumping at every noise?

   His vision blurred, then warm tears spilled down his cheeks. “Sor-sorry.”

   Instantly, he was wrapped in a gentle hug. Peter slumped into Pepper’s side, sighing and letting his eyes fall shut. He couldn’t help flinching when another door slammed, nor could he help raising his head enough to peer over Pepper’s shoulder, ensuring the door to his room was still closed.

   “Peter,” Tony said, crouching in Peter’s eyeline. “I’m going to step outside for just a minute, then I’ll be right back, okay?”

   Peter mumbled agreement. He nervously watched Tony leave -closing the door silently behind him- and heard the murmur of his voice before footsteps moved away.

   For a minute, everything was blissfully silent. Peter slumped further against Pepper, listening to her soft humming and feeling her hand move slowly up and down his back. He’d nearly drifted off again when he heard two pairs of footsteps approaching. He jolted upright with a gasp, then slumped down when the door opened to reveal Tony and Bruce.

   Bruce remained in the doorway while Tony went to the edge of the bed and again crouched. “Hey, Peter, we’re going to get you somewhere quieter, but Bruce has to make sure it’s safe to move you, alright?”

   Peter mumbled agreement. He couldn’t quite hold back a whine when Pepper urged him into sitting upright, but held himself upright as well as he could while Bruce quickly looked him over. He was swaying in place, eyes at half-mast, by the time Bruce finished.

   “He’ll be fine as long as he stays off that leg and covered up,” Bruce decided. He eyed Peter. “But are you sure he needs to move? Poor kid’s about to conk out right now.”

   Tony shot Peter a warm, amused smile. Peter reflexively tried to return it, then hurried footsteps jerked him fully awake and made his eyes snap back to the closed door.

   “...yeah,” Tony said after a moment of silence. Peter wilted, staring down at the blankets. “Don’t be getting those puppy eyes, Pete. I can’t sleep in med-bay, either.”

   Peter huffed a little, embarrassed with himself. There was nothing wrong. He was safe, he was-

   He’d felt safe taking the subway home.

   Peter began to shiver, his teeth chattering.

   “Pete?” Tony leaned down. “Okay, Underoos, I’m going to pick you up now, okay?” Tony waited until Peter gave a jerky nod, then he wrapped his arms around Peter and lifted, murmuring, “I’ll never understand how you can eat so much, but weigh so little.”

   Peter opened his mouth to make a joke, but then Bruce opened the door and voices spilled over him. Peter shuddered and his legs twitched in an urge to climb the nearest wall.

   “Sorry, kiddo, I should’ve grabbed your headphones,” Tony said with a wince as he set Peter in a wheelchair. 

   “S’kay,” Peter mumbled, most of his focus on the hall outside.

   Bruce walked away with Happy and Rhodey. Peter heard them talking to someone else, explaining that Peter was being moved. It was only the calm in their voices that kept Peter from leaping to his feet.

   Well, that and the fact that Pepper was tucking blankets around Peter so snugly that he wasn’t sure he could move a finger if he wanted to.

   “There, snug as a bug in a rug,” Pepper said, kissing the top of Peter’s head.

   Peter playfully groaned. “Spider’s not a bug, mum.”

   Tony chuckled as he pushed Peter into the hall, which was thankfully empty and quiet. Peter yawned and leaned his head back, dozing until the sound of the elevator startled him awake again. Pepper gently shushed him, running her fingers through his hair.

   The rest of the trip passed in a blur, until Peter realized Tony was crouched in front of him again, talking.

   “I’m going to lift you up again now, Peter, alright?” Tony said.

   Peter hummed. He lifted his arms, clumsily wrapping them around Tony’s neck when he leaned closer. Tony’s chuckle rumbled through Peter’s chest.

   “I’ve got you, kiddo.”

   Tony lifted Peter out of the wheelchair, then settled him onto a soft bed. Peter hummed and reluctantly let his arms slip free from Tony’s shoulders. He blinked slowly when the mattress dipped again, then tilted his head to see Tony and Pepper laying on either side of him.

   “Is this alright?” Pepper asked.

   “Yes… stay,” Peter mumbled.

   Tony turned onto his back, one arm stretched out. Peter couldn’t help but cuddle closer, stretching one hand behind him to snag Pepper’s shirt as he moved. Pepper laughed softly as she let herself be pulled closer until Peter was practically pinned between his parents.

   In the warmth and silence, his head laying on Tony’s arm and Pepper’s fingers carding through his curls, Peter’s eyes drifted shut once more. And this time, he sank into dreamless, healing sleep.