Peter Parker one-shots

Maybe You Don't Need me at All

The Avengers had barely made it back to the Tower after a brutal mission. Everyone was exhausted, bruised, and eager to put the day behind them. Peter Parker was sitting in the corner, still in his Spider-Man suit, mask off, gulping down water. He had spent most of the fight zipping around, trying to handle several threats at once. But despite his best efforts, there were a few too many close calls.

The room was quiet, everyone either lost in their own thoughts or focused on patching up their wounds. Tony Stark, who had been unusually silent on the flight back, finally spoke up, his voice cutting through the stillness. “Alright, team. I’m just going to say it. Today didn’t go well, and part of that was because we weren’t coordinated. But it was also because some of us”—his eyes flicked to Peter—“weren’t decisive when it mattered.”

Peter’s head snapped up, and he frowned, clearly caught off guard. “What? What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, kid,” Tony said, his tone sharp. “I saw you out there, hesitating. Twice, you had a chance to take down those drones, and you hesitated. Instead, you went swinging around, trying to do ten things at once.”

Peter’s brows furrowed, and he set his water bottle down. “I was trying to keep those drones away from the civilians, Tony. If I had taken a shot and missed, someone could’ve gotten hurt.”

Tony let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temple. “And while you were busy playing it safe, the rest of us had to pick up the slack. We can’t do that every time, Peter. We need you to make decisions and act, not second-guess yourself.”

Peter felt his pulse quicken, anger bubbling up inside him. “I wasn’t second-guessing myself. I was making sure I didn’t put anyone in more danger. You think I’m just supposed to swing in and start blasting without thinking?”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “I think you need to stop making excuses. You’re on this team because we trust you to handle yourself, and right now, you’re not doing that. You’re putting everyone else at risk because you can’t commit.”

Peter stood up, his hands clenched into fists. “Are you serious right now? I’m out there every single day, doing everything I can to make sure people are safe, and you’re going to accuse me of putting people at risk? I’m saving people, Tony. I’m pulling them out of burning buildings, stopping runaway cars, and keeping things from going from bad to worse. And you want to act like I’m the one screwing up?”

Tony didn’t back down. He crossed his arms, his expression hard and unyielding. “Yeah, I do. Because if you can’t make a call when it matters, what’s the point of being out there at all? You think you’re helping by trying to do everything at once, but all you’re doing is spreading yourself thin. We need focus, Peter. We need you to handle your part so we can handle ours.”

Peter’s face flushed with frustration, and he took a step closer to Tony, his voice rising. “I am handling my part! I’m doing more than my part! You think you’re the only one who’s got to deal with pressure? I’m out there making split-second decisions while trying not to get anyone killed, and you’re acting like I’m just slacking off. Maybe I’m not blasting everything in sight like you, but I’m doing my job, and I’m doing it well.”

Tony’s jaw tightened, and he glared down at Peter. “Your job isn’t just to play hero, Peter. It’s to work with the team. If you can’t keep up, maybe you’re not ready for this.”

Peter’s eyes flashed with hurt and anger, and he could feel his chest tightening, but he refused to back down. “I’m not ready? I’m the one who’s been out there fighting since I was fifteen, and I don’t have a suit of armor to hide behind. I have to be careful, Tony, because I can’t afford to mess up. You get to blast through everything because you know you’ll be fine. I don’t get that luxury. I’m not hesitating because I’m scared—I’m hesitating because I know how quickly things can go wrong if I make the wrong call.”

Tony shook his head, unmoved. “We don’t have time for that. You need to trust yourself, or you’re going to end up being a liability.”

Peter’s face hardened, and he felt a cold chill run through him. “A liability?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “Is that what you really think? That I’m just a problem you have to deal with?”

“If you can’t step up when we need you, yeah,” Tony said bluntly. “We’ve all got to make tough calls. If you’re not ready to do that, maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing here.”

Peter’s heart sank, and he could barely breathe past the knot forming in his throat. For a moment, he wanted to scream, to yell and tell Tony exactly how wrong he was. But he couldn’t find the words. Instead, he just clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into his palms. “Fine,” he said, his voice shaking but resolute. “If that’s how you see it, then maybe you don’t need me at all.”

Before Tony could respond, Peter turned and stormed out of the room, ignoring the shocked stares of the other Avengers. He didn’t care where he was going—he just needed to get away before he said something he couldn’t take back.

The room was left in stunned silence, and Tony stared after him, his expression unreadable. Wanda, who had been watching quietly from the corner, finally spoke up, her voice icy. “That was harsh, Tony. Even for you.”

Tony’s eyes flicked over to her, but he didn’t respond. He just sighed, running a hand through his hair, and turned to leave, his footsteps heavy.