Spider-Man: Keep No Secret

Caught Red Suited

(October 24)

Peter slowly crawled up the wall of Avenger's tower with one hand holding his open wound on his stomach.

His warm blood was dripping over his hand, giving him the only sense of warmth that he felt, his body was chilling quickly, it was getting hard for him to breath.

He knew he was losing a lot of blood, he needed to get to Bruce's lab. But he knew he wouldn't make it on his own, he dialed Bruce as he pushed open his bedroom window with all the might within his body.

He fell through into his bedroom, he crashed into the floor beneath his window & down fell a lamp with him. His phone landed beside him & Peter quickly slammed his hand over the call button.

Someone ran over to him, Peter couldn't make out who it was, whoever it was though was sitting in Peter's room in the dark waiting up for him.

"What in the hell", Someone said. Peter recognized the voice, but he was too out of it to figure out who it could be.

Peter coughed blood through his mask, & not even a second later, Peter felt his mask get ripped off of his head & he heard a chilling gasp.

"Hello", Bruce asked through the phone?

"Bruce, get up to Peter's room", Someone yelled into the phone.

"Help", Peter mustered out. He could feel the blood entering his lungs, preventing him from breathing. Peter couldn't speak any louder, so he whispered, "Help".

---

The next morning Peter woke up to a blinding light shining in his face. He slowly raised his hand over his throbbing eyes, that's when he saw the iv in his wrist.

He jerked, sitting up instantly in his bed & looking around the white room. He only saw his restless father sitting in a chair with his head in his hand.

"Peter, Peter", Steve said calmly as he jumped to his feet & joined Peter at his side while holding down his arm. "Calm down, calm down".

"Dad... what happened", Peter asked? He knew what happened, he was just hoping that Bruce made up some lie for him.

"Peter, don't play dumb with me", Steve said as he walked in front of Peter's bed. Peter didn't respond, he hesitated, he knew why he was in the medbay, but he didn't know what Steve knew. "What, don't you remember"?

Peter hesitated again & evaded Steve's glaire by looking down at his lap with guilt in his eyes.

"You crawled into your bedroom at Eleven in the night, you fell to the floor with blood spilling out of you, while you were wearing this", Steve said as he threw Peter's Spider-man mask onto Peter's lap. "Peter", Steve shook his head as he started to pace in front of Peter's bed. "What were you thinking"?

"I was hoping that I could help", Peter replied in almost a whisper. He was on the verge of tears, he couldn't handle being yelled at by his parents. "I didn't mean for this to happen, I just wanted to help, I didn't think anyone could hurt me".

"Peter, this is dangerous, why did you think you could do this", Steve asked? He placed his hands on his hips & stared down Peter.

"I just wanted to help", Peter mumbled out. He took his mask & put it under his blanket. "So when I found out... when I found out about my powers... I thought that I could help, & I was, for a while".

"Peter", Steve said as he calmed down. He couldn't be mad, he did the same thing back in 1941. Steve rubbed his hands over his face as he sat down in the chair again.

They sat in awkward silence.

"Have you told dad yet", Peter asked?

"No", Steve shook his head & then rested his chin on his knuckles.

"You can't tell him", Peter begged.

"Peter... ", Steve said disappointedly. "You don't understand the position you're putting me int".

"I know, but if you tell him, he'll freak out", Peter spoke. "He won't understand, you know how he is, he'll try to take this away from me, I need this, it gives me purpose, & I love being Spider-man".

"You're not giving your father enough credit, he would never take Spider-man away from you", Steve said as he hopped to his feet again & started pacing.

"I don't expect him to understand", Peter said sadly. Peter threw his legs over the edge of his bed & stood up. He pulled the iv out of his arm & walked, with a limp, up to Steve. "But I don't expect him to let me go out & be Spider-man, throwing myself in the line of fire, or always putting myself in danger to protect everyone else".

"As much as we wanted you to have a normal life, I know with everything in my heart that he will be proud of the man you have become", Steve said as he placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. "He'll come around to the idea, eventually... if we go tell him right now".

"I'm sorry dad, I'm not telling him, & you can't tell him either", Peter said as he grabbed the clothes that Steve brought down for him. "Can you go please, I need to get dressed, & I'm almost sure I'm naked under this gown".

"Oh, of course", Steve said as he started turning around & walking to the door. Peter pulled on his underwear under the gown as Steve turned away. But Steve turned back around as he had one foot out the door. "Wait, Peter"?

"Yeah, dad", Peter asked as he stood there without any clothing on? Peter put the gown over his crotch.

"Be safe out there today", Steve said.

"Oh...", Peter said in surprise. He looked down at his healing scars on his side & his stomach. "I don't think that's such a good idea, I'm still badly hurt & it just isn't a good idea".

Peter looked away with a look of frustration on his face.

"Peter, don't let this discourage you", Steve said.

"... Oh... of course not, I wouldn't dream of it", Peter said, despite knowing that it would get to him.

"I'm proud of you, y'know, it takes guts to become a hero", Steve said from the doorway.

"Yeah, I really need to get dressed", Peter said. He pointed at the clothes he held in his hand.

Steve quickly walked out of the room & shut the door behind him. But Peter walked up to the door & locked it.

Peter walked back over to the bed & sat down, running his fingers over each scar he gained from the night before.

He reached for his phone & called his friends.

"Hey, MJ, I was hoping that we could hang out today, maybe go to a movie with Ned", Peter said while he continued to run his fingers across the stitches on his stomach.

Peter waited for a response with a sad expression on his face.

"Yeah, I'll call Ned, & we'll be waiting for you at his house", Michelle said over the phone.

Peter's face brightened up.

"I'll be there in an hour", Peter said as he stood up & started to dress himself.