[• ᴛᴏɴʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴛᴇʀ •] Legacy

Chapter Five

It was the next morning, Peter packed up his bag and ran directly to school without taking his breakfast. Aunt May didn't bother because she already kept money for him if he wanted something to eat. He entered in the classroom, gloomy and not looking happy, sitting beside Ned without looking at him.

"Hey, bro. You alright?" He patted his back, but Peter didn't respond anything. Ned sighed. "Look, Peter. I know your loss. But sometimes we cope up with it somehow right? My grandma who I loved the most passed yesterday, but still I'm here, happy and supportive for you. It's not healthy to-" Ned line's broke when Peter interfered.

"-they tried everything, Ned. It's not helping. I've already lost a lot of loved ones in my life, now I can't lose anyone of you again. First my parents, now him? Who really acted like a father figure to me the whole time just spent a few hours with me during the battle after getting resurrected and I never realized that he only spent FIVE years alive without me, but now when I'm alive he.. he left me?" Peter's eyes started tearing out. "Why the heck would someone leave me alone?" Peter's voice raised a bit that drew the whole class attention.

"Peter Parker, you alright?" The teacher, Julius Dell asked while writing on the whiteboard. "Y-yeah.. s-sorry Mr. Julius. Y-you may continue.." Parker wiped off his tears, before paying attention to the book.

It was recess. Peter didn't even had the strength to get up from his chair and Ned was kind enough to join for his company. There, he tried explaining Peter about it.

"Look, Pete. I dearly and really understand your pain. But, as I was about to tell you it's not healthy to be depressed. It's just gonna rot your body like a swashed tomato." 

"I don't care. Until and unless I don't try to fix myself my body won't depend on that one." 

"Grief is never gonna help you! How many times people have explained you this-"

"Hey, Parker." All of a sudden, MJ came up, jerking the boys in an instant. "O-oh, hey MJ, h-how a-a-are you d-doing?" Peter blushed, MJ was still not amused.

"Well, it's recess. Why don't you go take a round?" She folds her arms. "And guys, there's a new thing coming on the news. Since the snap, people have been turning out real, weird crazy. And to the facts, this five years span led to many people have a change of appearance, like age. Calling it the Blip."

"I was kinda wondering how would a kid now look like today.."

"You know Brad Davis? He's become the local hot market out there in school."

"But, what about me?" Peter pointed himself out.

"Hmm.. well, I can only see a change in your personality, Pete. You weren't like this earlier since before the Blip." MJ shrugged. Peter sighed.

"MJ, he's just trying to cope up. He cannot do this anymore." Ned comforted Peter.

"I too understand he cannot get over with that Iron Man's death. But Peter let me tell you. Sometimes in life, we have to lose those things when it wears off. You cannot keep it to yourself and if you do, it'll just rot your body in living Hell."

"I just explained that as an example of a tomato so he won't feel too angst about it." Ned intervened.

"So, Peter. Get over it. People don't take things inside them too much, they just throw it away after some couple of time. I'm not saying don't mourn, but it's for your future. You already may don't know that what was his true reason for you to be alive."

Peter was quite silent from MJ's advice. She wasn't wrong after all, but his heart was just too weak to handle, he too had feelings for Tony a lot. "But, you know MJ.. it's even not easy to get over the love of someone who just treated you like it's own child. Mr. Stark might have sacrificed himself but he doesn't know his life wasn't meant to be like this. He deserved more, the people, the world but he still fought it like a man and got through everything for his own happiness.. the way he was slowly dying I couldn't get over it.. I never realized it was the last of us.." Peter sniffed and got up from his seat. ".. I just have wished if I could still be dead.. so I might be happy with him up there instead.." He moved out of the class, and MJ and Ned looked at each other, worried.

The day was over and Peter walking the way back home. He tried to distract him from the depression but each and every time he saw pictures of Iron Man, to pay for his tribute for saving the Universe. He tried to wipe off his heavy tears coming out unexpectedly, because of the guilt and regret for losing his dear mentor. While walking blindly, he avoided every tribute so he won't break into tears again. It happened for almost many days, and turned to months. He was walking very slow and like a complete zombie. He was just hopeless that his entire grief was just making him feel worse. 

"It's been months since Mr. Stark passed away.. they said to cope up with it.. but I can't-" Suddenly, he bumped into somebody, making Peter alert at an instant.

Peter tried to apologize. "A-ah I-I'm really sorry, I-" Peter's eyes widen when he saw the man he bumped through. He was wearing a black hoodie, with his head covered but his face was slightly hidden, that Peter didn't recognize it well. He could also see the beard with the goatee, but he saw a little imperfection in his face, it looked like it was burnt out. Peter looked at the man awkwardly, as too the man. 

The man tried to break the silence, by apologizing him. "I-it's fine kid." He walked way in an instant after replying. The voice, just was just so familiar that made him remember Mr. Stark. Whatever Peter saw was just feeling so similar because of his spidey-senses. 

"T-that person felt like.. Mr. Stark.. but I just can't recognize him.." He shook his head in thought. Was that person really him?

For some moments, the same man walked in an alleyway, trying not to cry in the public and found a place where he can avoid the people from seeing it's appearance. When he lifted up the cap, it was actually the one, Tony Stark. His half-face was burnt due to the snap's gamma radiations. They all thought the Iron Man died, but.. he was alive?

Tony whimpered and shed tears from seeing Peter in accident. It was never his intention to meet him too, but looking him so wear off and upset by his attire and appearance just melted his heart. He really felt he did a huge mistake for leaving the kid alone, though he did it better for the world and for him.

"Oh, kid.. I'm so sorry.. r-really sorry.." He looked up the sky, tears streaming on his face. "It was never an example to leave you alone.. but.. I can't let you turn weak like this.."