Truth is... I'm a Stark

With great power comes great responsibility

{AN: very important question for my American readers. Do you really not have kettles there? How do you make tea?! 😱
The song above doesn't have much to do with the plot but it fits the theme so if you want to listen to it while you read to set the mood then do that.}

It had been a few days since Ben had died. Yes, died, Peter was willing to acknowledge it, people didn't need people to walk on eggshells around him. He had come to terms with the fact that his uncle was dead - he was there for Odin's sake! He was all too aware that Uncle Ben had died: neither after being compromised during the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA, nor in active duty. No, he died at the hands of a common robber, a petty thief  that Junior could've stopped.

There was something bubbling up in Peter - scratch that - there was a raging fire inside him, engulfing his sense of morality. All he saw was red.

_________

Human beings are one race, yet each individual is so different. It only makes sense that we'd have different coping mechanisms. Some people eat, others meditate or cook and Junior invents stuff (and obsessively cleans but Nat had told him that if he tried to mop the floor and caused the others to slip again, she'd kick his butt. It stopped being funny the 5th time Clint slipped after jumping down from the vents).

As Junior welded a large slab of metal his spidey sense alerted him that someone had entered the room. The mask he wore prevented him from looking to see who was there.

"Uhh, hey Junior - "

Peter pretended to be startled and took of his mask a turned to see Sam Wilson. He was mildly surprised to see him; the veteran didn't show up often as he still worked with the VA and was more of his Uncle Steve's friend than his father's, much like Peter and Ben weren't super close, he Sam weren't either, but was still quite fond of the teen and had earned an 'Uncle' status.

"Wow, you'd think someone as old as you would know not to sneak up on someone with a blowtorch," Junior scoffed. Sam just rolled his eyes, already used to sass the Stark family could give, or as his bird-brother, Clint, liked to call it - the 'Stark Snark'.

"I know kid, that's why FRIDAY announced me when I came into the room. No one wants a repeat of what happened last time with Clint and your dad," the two began to chuckle.

"Oh yeah, Uncle Clint didn't have eyebrows for a month until dad and I came up with that hair growth serum. Poor Nate was so confused he started crying the first time he saw him," Peter giggled. "Oh sorry, I guess I didn't hear FRI announce you," Junior added with a nonchalant shrug, he wasn't too surprised he hadn't heard, when he really gets into the zone while working it takes a lot to distract him - it's his form of escapism.

Sam nodded, "well uhh I heard the news about your Uncle Ben, I'm so sorry. If you ever want to ta- "

"I know my parents sent you hear to talk to me or whatever but I'm fine," the young genius cut him off.

Sam sighed, "look, I know it's hard. I've been there, you never forget what it's like to watch someone pass away before your eyes and I don't expect you to move on just like that," Peter shifted on his feet uncomfortably, "your mum and dad and worried, Nat's worried, we're all worried; you don't seem sad - just angry," Sam explained, genuine concern dripping from his voice.

"I told you I'm fine," Junior repeated, though it seemed more forced this time, as if he was trying to convince himself as well.

Sam raised his hands in the air as if to show he's not a threat, "I get it your angry, but remember, none of this is your fault. You couldn't have stopped it," the man assured Peter, who flinched slightly.