Spider-Man: Homebound (Book 1)

Chapter 4: The Threat

He found Peter in Tony's old workspace in the basement. The area looked similar to when Tony had a wall full of Iron Man suits, but the wall had 6 Spider-Man suits and plenty of room for more.

"It's not going to be ok." Peter sighed as he was genuinely bugged by something. He was also working on designing a new suit.

"Who are you talking to?" Tony asked and Peter looked to him and seemed a bit unsure of himself. Just then MJ slowly accelerated down from the ceiling on a web. She hung upside down. She then did a flip and landed on her feet.

"I'll give you two some time alone. You've needed it for over a year." MJ said and Tony stopped her and smirked.

"I just wanted you to know that Peter couldn't have picked a more incredible woman to date. I'm really glad that he has you." Tony said and MJ slightly smiled and then walked out of the room.

"I'm not going to forgive him for this." Peter said as he continued to work on his suit.

"I don't blame you. I already chewed him out. I was hoping he would get passed his stubbornness but he didn't. I just hope your Aunt May does what's right and divorce the asshole." Tony sighed and Peter looked to him sadly.

"My Aunt May deserves to be happy, and if he makes her happy then so be it. I'm the reason that Ben's dead. If I had just stayed away from Oscorp I never would have been bitten by that spider and everything would be normal." Peter said as his voice shook and Tony got emotional.

"No it wouldn't. You and your Aunt May would still be dust in the wind." Tony sighed and Peter looked surprised.

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.

"The only reason I even invented time travel was because of you." Tony began to explain and Peter's eyes filled with tears. "I had Morgan to compensate for the fact that I had lost the closest thing I ever had to a son." Peters let several tears fall. "I wasn't going to do it. My life was perfect until I couldn't ignore the fact that I was missing a certain teenager in my life who never stopped using Pop Culture references." Peter let out a laugh as several more tears fell. "I swore I would never admit this to you, but I lo...." Tony couldn't speak and he closed his eyes and shook his head and then looked to Peter. "I love you kid. You mean more to me than anyone and you have no idea how much it means to me that you are taking after me in so many ways. I never considered myself even a half decent hero, but you were the first kid I had ever met who idolized me, and it wasn't because of my money, or my endless supply of technology, it was because you saw me as something I never thought I would be. The truth is that I never would have dreamed about having a kid of my own, until the day that I knew that I was a father figure to you." Tony revealed and Peter tried not to cry.

"I missed you so much, and as much as I hate to admit it, I NEEDED you almost every day that I was gone. From the moment I went to my field trip, I NEEDED you, but you weren't there, and yet, you were. Everywhere I turned you were there. Everyone missed you, but I missed you the most. And every time I saw your face," Peter started to cry. "I kept thinking about how badly I had failed you. I wasn't a hero. I wasn't strong. I didn't want to get back up. I just wanted to be normal, and it took me a vacation, a fight with a madman, and me getting hit by a train, to realize that the reason I couldn't get back up, was because I was TERRIFIED that I had failed you. I was TERRIFIED that I wasn't worthy of being an Avenger, because," Peter started crying harder. "the only reason you made me an Avenger was because you didn't have a choice and neither did I." Peter explained his insecurities and Tony walked over and grabbed his hand which was working on his suit. Peter looked to Tony sadly. Steve quietly walked in without either heroes noticing him.

"I was scared to make you an Avenger because I was worried that you would be a better hero than me. I had to grow up living in the shadow of Captain America. My father idolized the red, white and blue 100 year old virgin." Peter couldn't help but let out a laugh as he shook his head at Tony's comment and Tony let out several laughs.