𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬✓ 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤 [𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟑]

6: Grounded.

Peter sat on the edge of a building, without his mask, feeling guilty.

If Mr Stark was here, does that mean he knows Lisa is here? What is Lis gonna say? She'd be so disappointed. He barely noticed the Iron Man suit flying towards him.

"Previously on Peter Screws the Pooch: I tell you to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked a multimillion-dollar suit so you could sneak around behind my back doing the one thing I told you not to do." Tony scolded, barely able to keep his anger in.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"No thanks to you." Tony replied.

"No thanks to me?" Peter scoffed angrily as he swung his feet over the ledge, walking towards his mentor.

"Those weapons were out there, and I tried to tell you about it. But you didn't listen. None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me." Peter exclaimed. "If you even cared, you'd actually be here."

The suit suddenly opened, revealing Tony inside. He stepped down from the suit and marched toward Peter, who backs off.

"I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI, huh? Do you know that we were the only ones who believed in you? Everyone else said we were crazy to recruit a 14-year-old kid." Tony gritted out.

"I'm fifteen." Peter added.

"No, this is where you zip it, all right? The adult is talking." Tony snapped. "What if somebody had died tonight? 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. I have enough on it already." His mind goes to his Smalls.

"Yes, sir." Peter muttered as he looked down at his feet. "I–I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it." Tony replied.

"I understand. I just wanted to be like you." He admitted.

"And I wanted you to be better." Tony responded. He looks away for a few seconds before turning back to the kid. "Okay, it's not working out. I'm gonna need the suit back."

"For how long?" Peter asked.

"Forever." Tony answered with finality. His heart sank as the boy shook his head, tears filling his eyes.

It's for the best. Smalls would have supported me. It's for his safety, that's what Lis would have wanted.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's how it works." He added.

"No, no, no…Please, please, please…" Peter pleaded, his voice breaking.

"Let's have it." Tony insisted.

"You don't understand. Please. This is all I have. I'm nothing without this suit." Peter begged.

"If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it. Okay? God, I sound like my dad." Tony muttered.

Peter stared at him for a few seconds, trying to persuade him, but when he saw the finality in his eyes, he succumbed.

"I don't have any other clothes." He muttered.

"Okay, we'll sort that out." Tony responded.

▪️🔸▪️

A knock resounded in the almost quiet apartment, and she rushed to the door.

"Hey." He whispered, so softly.

She inhaled deeply as she looked over his features in a quick single glance, before storming inside.

"I've been calling you all day. You didn't answer your phone. You can't do that. Then this ferry thing happens. I've called five police stations." She rambled as she took a seat on the edge of the sofa. "Five. Your sister has been to twice as much. I called five of your friends—"