"Goodmorning Class! Now I'm sure you already know, today is very special." Mr Harrington said, "Your parents and carers have signed you up to try some new Stark Industries technology! Now don't worry it is perfectly safe and has been tested before being brought here. Now I will lead you guys into the sports hall where someone from Stark Industries will take over.".
The class buzzed with excitement and Peter surprisingly couldn't see anything that could go wrong unless he knew the SI employee but that wouldn't matter because Flash has already spread the rumor of his internship so really what could go wrong?
They all walked into the hall, excited chatter and whispers and gossip flowing around the group. Ned was trying to literally talk Peter's head off at this point and Peter thought that maybe he might actually have the power to do so by the time they were lining up. Infront of them stood a blonde lady with a kind smile who introduced herself as Katie and oh no I know her! Peter thought looking at the familiar young woman who he knows he has spent time working with in the Labs and in PR with one of the other Peters (yes they are still in this universe but they are very happy).
"Now Guys this is the peice of technology you will be trying. You don't have to participate if you don't want to but I assure you it is perfectly safe. This is called TADD, spelled T, A,D,D. It stands for Technologically Advanced Death Detector. It follows certain brain waves to find out if you have seen death or experienced it. It does have other similar functions but they don't seem appropriate to use at a school so it may not be as exciting as you have expected." Katie explained and showed the class the machine.
Peter squinted then his eyebrows rose dramatically because of course his Parker Luck™ has striked again. He had designed and made the T.A.D.D with Peter 2 and Peter 3. He hadn't noticed until now because he was trying to solve a marketing problem in his head and very not listening.
Now he stood in line with his classmates knowing that when it got to his turn that his results would almost definitely be a cause for concern but he shouldn't worry because he has Mr. Stark and all the SI lawyers and everything so nothing truly bad could happen.
Peter is near the end of the line as they are in alphabetic order and it is only the acadec team and some other smart students that have this unique opportunity to use SI exclusive technology. There are only a few people behind him in line the suspense is really disturbing him. His spidey sense is warning him of something but surely it could only be that maybe they accuse him of breaking the machine when they see his results. Oh well there's no chickening out now as that would be stupid and possibly suspicious.
So first went Bianca then Alex followed by kid after kid until it was finally Peter's turn. He walked up to Katie and her eyes widened in surprise as she recognised him but he gave her a look as if to say please don't say anything, you don't know me right now and she nodded in agreement.
He sat on the chair as his classmates watched, Katie attached different parts of the machine on to his head and neck that all connected through wires to a large box with lots of numbers on it.
She pressed a couple buttons then watched the numbers on the box rise. And rise. They kept rising until they reached high in the hundreds then, with a look of confusion, she pressed another button and everyone watched as the number 1 appeared on the screen.
"Erm Peter may I ask you a question about your results to check there isn't a fault with the machine?" Katie asked him kindly. He nodded. "Have You ever died?" She asked, multiple classmates watching in confusion and concern for their classmate and/or the machine's wellbeing.
"Yes." Peter answered, eliciting gasps and other odd sounds from everyone as they tried to process what he had just said.
Katie looked sad but she carried on, "Okay. And do you think the number shown here is around the amount of deaths you have witnessed?" She asked.
Peter glanced at the screen and thought oh my estimate was correct! Then promptly realised that scientific joy was not appropriate for his situation. "Yes." He answered and that was when everyone started talking and yelling.
Mr Harrington calmed them down mostly but unfortunately, while Katie was telling Eugene off for doing the usual Flash things, he was left to get all the little pieces of tech off of Peter. Yes technically Peter could do it himself but only Katie knows that so he's not really willing to let everyone know he also used this thing before.
Katie told Mr Harrington to press the green button but his finger slipped and he accidentally accessed the projector. And oh dear was that a Massive Problem!
Peter watched as the projector began to start, he didn't know what to do, the other Peters had built this part. And then he saw it. That scene was playing infront of him. Ben falling to the ground. He did nothing.
He didn't save him.
"Peter! Peter look at me it's okay!" He heard someone shouting and twisted his head away to see MJ. She was holding onto his shoulders and now his face, telling him not to look. The projector kept playing though as Katie wasn't sure how to stop it, Luckily Ned stepped in to help. Katie let him as Ned and Mj were also known in Stark Tower for helping Peter and other employees with projects.
Peter focused on MJ as his classmates gasps of horror and shock and disgust carried on. The projector kept playing, there were hundreds and hundreds of deaths now. Including his. Everyone but Peter, MJ and Ned watched as they saw Peter in the mirror, he had a large knife wound but he didn't panic, he just stood there.
"Peter you are in need of urgent medical assistance if you do not stop the bleeding." A disembodied voice said.
"Karen. Deactivate." Peter said.
The voice protested but eventually shut down. Peter sank to the floor, "At least it will be peaceful." He said before closing his eyes. A few minutes later is hand had gone limp and fell off his side and he appeared to be sliding slowly further down the wall. His face was clear of any emotion and was beginning to look paler. Oh God he's dead.
A voluntary death. No no it-
Suddenly Tony Stark barged into the room and scanned around it until he saw Peter led against his wall, blood staining almost every surface around and on him. "Peter!" Tony yelled, rushing to the kids side and asking his AI,FRIDAY, to check his vitals. FRIDAY's voice was full of concern as she answered, "He is Dead sir".
Peter's eyes were still open, they must have opened either right before he died or on their own but either way this how we could see everything happening around him.
It was horrifying to see their classmate dead, in the hands of a crying Tony Stark, being layed down on a hospital bed in Stark Tower where a Dr. Cho attempted to help his wound heal and inject large amounts of blood into his system. Then came chest compressions and mouth to mouth. There was very little hope but Peter came back to life. Weak and fragile but Alive! Even Flash was so relieved he couldn't stop crying even after the saddest parts were over.
Expectedly, less than a minute later, Tony Stark barged in and scooped up Peter. Tony left with a very very loved Peter and Mj and Ned happily handed out NDAs to everyone then erased any security camera footage. All was well again. I can't write endings but they were all happier and together and Thor accused Dr Strange of putting sprouts in the toaster. Again. We will likely never know who keeps putting them there or why Thor is so adamant it was Stephen.
