Irondad and Spiderson oneshots. [discontinued]

Identity reveal

By EmilyWeaslette on Ao3
-------------------------------------------------------
"Mr. Stark?" Peter appeared in the lab. "Pepper sent me to ask if you'd be coming up for dinner."

"No, kid, not tonight," Tony shook his head, tapping something on the StarkPad he was holding. "I'm kind of busy right now."

Peter nodded, glancing at Steve, before hurrying out.

"Nice kid," Steve commented. "You said he's your intern?"

"Yeah, Steve, but that's not really what we should be talking about right now," Tony snapped.

"Okay, okay," Steve held his hands up in mock surrender. "So, what exactly is this we're working against?"

Tony did not look up from his work. "Some kind of alien virus. So far, it's only been affecting kids, those under 18. They get a really high fever, vomiting, just symptoms of the normal flu, at first. And then, about an hour in, their veins start to get really visible, like scary visible, you know? Around that same time, their eyes go almost completely black and they start acting really aggressive. They'll attack anyone around them for about two hours, and then... they die. It's taken almost a dozen children already. We've got to figure out how to stop it."

Steve inhaled sharply. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

Tony paused for a moment. "I don't know, Steve. Natasha and Clint are out, watching for any... particularly aggressive children. You could go help them."

Steve nodded. "Okay. Let us know if you need anything in here, alright?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded vaguely, already immersed in his work. Steve left the room.

Tony had only been working for five minutes after Steve left when his phone rang. Exasperated, he picked it up, ready to decline, when he noticed it was May Parker calling. His brow furrowed. He'd given May his personal phone number to use in case of emergencies, after she'd learned about Spider-Man. And, although he desperately wanted to just get back to work and figure this virus thing out, the thought that maybe it was something about Peter made him accept the call.

"Tony?" May's voice came through the phone. She sounded like she'd been crying. "Oh, thank God, Tony, I need your help, please, it's Peter-"

"What's Peter?" Tony asked immediately, his veins turning to ice. "What's wrong?"

"Well... last night, Peter came back early from patrol. Said he wasn't feeling well, that he was dizzy, shaking, you know. About ten minutes after he got back, he started vomiting, and noticed he had a fever. And of course, I thought it was that virus thing, the one that's been killing those kids. But I'd heard that their veins get visible within the hour, and their eyes go all funny and they start acting aggressive, and three hours in, none of that was happening with Peter, so I figured, he's just got the normal flu." May took a deep breath, and it sounded like she started crying again. "But... oh my God, Tony, I just went in their to check on him, and... and it's exactly like everyone's said. I can see all his veins, and his eyes are black, and he was snapping at me and acting all angry. And then I told him I was taking him to the doctor, and he shoved me into the wall, broke the window, and left. Tony, I am so scared. That... the thing that's been taking the other kids, it's got him, and, I don't know, it's not working through him as fast, maybe because of his powers, but I'm so scared that I'm going to lose him, and he could be out there hurting someone right now, he's not himself, and he's got these powers, and he's dangerous right now but I can't lose him, I can't, Tony, you've got to help me!"

The room was swaying in front of Tony. He felt sick, he felt like he was going to pass out. Not Peter, he kept thinking. Not Peter. But he pulled himself together enough to respond to May.