Going Through Changes -> Peter Parker

30.

Peter and Liam waited on top of the building. Helicopters were still flying in the distance; sirens were blaring. With a gasp for air, Peter took off his mask. His hair was damp, and bags underneath his eyes told the story of this exhausting day. Liam sat cross-legged on the floor, his face towards the sky, eyes closed. He still couldn't believe how this had escalated. Peter carefully sat down next to him, not in the mood to talk either. Silently the two awaited their judge, who came in the form of Iron Man, landing smoothly in front of them. Both boys were too tired to move. "Previously on Peyer Screws the Pooch: I tell you to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked into a multimillion-dollar suit so you could sneak around behind my back doing the one thing I told you not to do. And you.." he pointed at Liam.

" You promised me to keep him from making messes like that. You almost got yourself killed twice in a week."Tony was furious, and he had all reason to. "Is everyone okay?" Peter asked quietly, and Liam had the strong urge to take his hand for comfort. But he knew it only would get Peter more in trouble as he already was. So he began picking at his fingers instead. The Iron suit glared at Peter. "No thanks to you.", he answered the boy's question harshly. That angered Peter, who jumped to his feet: " No thanks to me? Those weapons were out there, and we tried to tell you about it. But you didn't listen. None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me. If you even care,you'd actually be here." He laid all his anger and frustration into his little outburst, giving the Iron Man a big piece of his mind.

But his assumption was wrong. Tony Stark was actually here, and he stepped out of his suit as nearly dressed as always. He marched towards Peter, who backed off. "I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI, huh? Do you know that I was the only one who believed in you? Everyone else said I was crazy to recruit a 14year old kid."
"I'm almost sixteen.", Peter corrected him. " No, this is where you zip it, all right? The adult is talking. What if somebody had died today? Different story, right? 'Cause, that's on you. And if you died, I feel like that's on me. I don't need that on my conscience."
"Yes, sir." "Yes."  "I, I'm sorry.", Peter stumbled, tears in his eyes. " Sorry, doesn't cut it." Tony sounded so disappointed; it broke Peter's heart. "I understand. I just wanted to be like you." 

"And I wanted you to be better. Both of you.", Tony shot at him. Now tears were flowing down the young boy's face. He looked more and more like a kicked puppy. Liam rose to his feet. His heart was aching with guilt. He should have been the one to know better. He should have said no instead of following his own selfishness of wanting to fight. He had used Peter. And he was feeling awful for it. That was a thing he couldn't make up. So he stood a few steps away from the younger teen, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. " Okay, this isn't working.", Tony concluded. "I'm gonna need the suit back." This was what Liam had been afraid of.  "For how long?" Peter asked wide-eyed. He was hurting so much. "Forever.", Tony responded sternly. The boy shook his head in shock, glaring at Liam for help. But the other remained quiet, feeling like he was pushing the metaphorical dagger even further into Peter's back.

He was the one to blame for this. Tony had warned him. " Yeah, Yeah, that's how it works." Tony remained stern. His decision was final."No, no..please!" Peter pleaded, but Tony just outstretched a hand. "Let's have it " "You don't understand.Please.This is all I have. I'm nothing without the suit."  Peter was close to cracking down. "If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it. Okay? God, I sound like my dad.", Tony continued. Peter just whispered: " I don't have any other clothes." "Okay, we'll sort that out. And you..", he pointed at Liam again. " You're coming home with me. That will give you time to think about what was your part of that misery." Liam shrugged. This was the first time he held his head low in front of Tony.

Less than half an hour later, Peter was walking down the hallway of his apartment, wearing pink Hello Kitty pajamas and an oversized NYC tourist T-shirt that said: "I love NY." He was devastated as he knocked on the right apartment door. He had lost everything. His suit, his dignity, his almost relationship, and kiss. Liam had only had a pained "Sorry" for him as ha, and Stark had dropped him off. He had a feeling he would see him that soon again. May answers the door. She looked stressed and worried. "Hey.", he softly whispered. May inhaled deeply, then stormed inside. "Five. I called five of your friends." "I'm fine.", Peter assured her.  But May continued: " I called Ned's mother." "May, I'm okay. Just relax. I'm fine.", Peter repeated. But he wasn't.

Within a heartbeat, his eyes filled up with tears. It was just too much. " I lost the Stark Internship.", he interrupted May's rambling about him leaving detention. May looked at him baffled."What?" "Yeah.*, he nodded, sniffing. " What happened?" May's voice had gotten softer as he saw her nephew suffering. Whoever hurt him hurt her too. "I just thought that I could work really hard, and he could; he would, you know. But I screwed up." The words were barely audible between wet sniffs of misery. He sat down on the sofa next to him, and May immediately came to his side to enclose him in a warm, comforting hug. "Oh...It's ok; It's ok. It's ok." "I'm sorry I made you worry," Peter sniffed even louder." You know I'm not trying to ruin your life..", May purred softly. "Yeah, I know.", Peter responded. " Just...I used to sneak out too." Mary tried her best to provide paternal understandment.

"To go out with boys or my girlfriends...It's normal." "Yeah.", Peter nodded. " But please  at least leave a note." Peter nodded again in agreement. He never intended to hurt her.  "Now, take a shower. You smell. You smell like garbage." "I know."