Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A black Audi drove down the long road and a figure silhouetted from the sun behind him appeared on the roof of a building across the street. The shadow moved to the very edge and proceeded to look through his black binoculars. As the binaculars followed the car, the man raised his walkie-talkie "Stark has left his compound. You know what to do"

"I see him" a static masked voice replied on the radio followed by a click

"The kid will be seated with Stark"

"Roger that" the radio went dead and the man on the roof smirked "This is going to be fun" he placed the binaculars in the bag and fled from the building.

"Peter your rides here" Ned nudged at his best friend with his elbow with a hint of amusement in his voice. Peter groaned looking at the black Audi. Tony had yet again come to pick him up. He didn't mind that at all, infact he loved when the older man would act all 'fatherly' towards him but why in the world did he have to park the car right infront of the main gate where whole school could see them "Yeah I can see that"

"Dude this Stark internship programme is really awesome. I didn't know they were giving free rides to the interns" commented one of Peter's classmate

Peter smiled sheepishly rubbing his hand at the back of his neck "It's not like that... really... Mr Stark is.. he's just being nice"

Ned giggled beside Peter who cleared his throat "Okay then... see you guys tomorrow. Bye" he waved and started walking towards the car

"Say hello to Mr Stark for me" shouted Ned and Peter showed a thumps up

"Good evening kid" Tony greeted with a smile. Peter slouched down next to him placing the bag in his lap "Good evening Mr Stark... Good evening Happy"

"Good evening Peter" replied Happy pressing on the gas pedal. Tony adjusted his glasses "So how was your day?"

Peter shrugged "Usual... boring classes and boring projects" Tony snickered "You do realize these boring classes and projects are gonna help you graduate right?"

"I know Mr Stark" Peter said nonchalantly "Actually you don't .. have to come pick me.... everyday"

Tony looked at Peter norrowing his eyes "You don't like when I come?" The boy pressed his lips "It's not that.. umm... my friends.. they always teas..." he paused when his spider senses spiked at the back of his head

"Pete?"

"Mr Stark... something is wrong"

"What do you mea..."

Tony's words were cut off when sound of a loud explosion reached his ears. He looked to see everything was burning in flames infront of him. Happy slammed on the brakes and tried to serve around the fire and the smoke. Out of nowhere came a car and crashed right towards them, the same side where Peter was seated. Happy lost control and the car flipped into the air, all three being tossed like rag dolls, even with their seat belts on. Before Happy could stop their roller coaster ride, the car headed straight for a brick wall, colliding with loud impact and then everything went black for them

The car had flipped so many times that Peter had become disoriented before he even sustained the concussion that had him drifting in and out of consciousness. He was fleetingly aware of the coppery blood pooling in his mouth making him even more nauseous. His head throbbed because of the blunt hit he took when the car crashed to his side. He knew it was bleeding as the trail of blood dampened the collar of his shirt

When the car stopped rolling Peter tried to look at his mentor with his blurry eyes and heart raced to new level when he saw the older man was already knocked out cold "Mr Star.." was all he could get out before a sharp pain shot through his skull and his eyes rolled at the back of his head as he finally lost consciousness

Tony slowly opened his dark brown eyes and groaned when his muscles screamed at him. His ears were ringing loudly while his head and rest of the body hurt like he had just rolled down a steep hill. He coughed as the black smoke invaded his lungs and grimaced at the pressure on his chest. When he could breathe a little better, a new fear settled in his chest when he saw dark smoke was rising at the front of his car. This was not good. He needed to get out of here...

Peter

Tony looked to his side to see if the boy was okay but found him leaning as far forward as his seat belt would allow, with eyes closed and head hanging. With heart pounding against his ribcage and adrenaline pumping through his veins, he quickly checked for a pluse "Please be alright... Please kid"

Tony sighed in relief when his fingers traced the low thumping of hearbeats. He gently pushed Peter back in his seat "Pete wake up!"

Peter's head lolled to his side and that's when Tony noticed blood dripping down the boy's forehead behind his soft black curls "Shit" he cursed softly

"Sir...?"

"Happy! Are you okay?" Tony asked feeling relieved to hear his friend's voice. Happy let out a groan "I think so"

"Can you move?"

"Yeah...but what happened?"

"No time. Get out and help me with the kid. He's suffered a head wound and is unconscious... the car looks like is going to go on flames. Hurry!" Tony barked orders as he unbuckled Peter's belt "C'mon kid let's get you out of here"

It took a five long minutes for Tony and Happy to pull Peter out of the wreck, the door smashed shut from two sides. Both men were exhausted by the time they were able to drag the boy away from the car before it blew into flames. Just when Tony was going to suggest what to do next, a strong booted foot jabbed him right below his shoulder blades. The same treatment was given to Happy as well

The sudden and unexpected attack forced both men to stumble forward, dropping Peter's limp body on the ground

Tony turned around just in time to block another kick that was aimed at his head, with his forearm. He was still sore from the accident so he was having hard time blocking the rain of kicks and punches that were thrown at him from his attacker. Happy too was dragged away from them and got engaged in a fight with the other masked man

During the fight Tony was unaware that he was purposely being seperated from Peter and taken to other side of the car where he couldn't see his incharge

A third masked man jumped from a motorcycle and ran towards Peter who was still lying unconscious on the other side of the car. He roughly grabbed the young boy's hand and pulled it straight out, causing a light blue vein to pop in the crook of his arm. He then pulled a syringe out from his pocket and jabbed it in the vein and proceeded to inject neon yellow liquid in the boy's arm. Peter let out a soft groan and moved slightly but the man wasn't worried. He had done his job. The liquid had vanished inside the boy's body. The mysterious man left the street without being noticed by Tony or Happy

Tony was surprised when his attacker abruptly ran away from their fight. He turned around and saw Happy come running towards him "Are you alright?" he asked panting heavily

"Yeah" Tony brushed off the dirt off his clothes

"Who were they?" asked Happy

Tony shook his head "I don't know...where's Peter?" he quickly rushed to the other side of the car and sighed in relief when he saw the boy was slowly propping himself up from the ground "Pete? Are you okay?"

Peter's hand went to touch his bleeding forehead "I think so"

Chapter Text

Peter's hand went to touch his bleeding forehead "I think so"

Tony saw the whole place was now slowly getting crowded so he quickly made a decision and looked at Happy "Can you arrange a ride for us. Peter will heal fast, I don't want to cause any unnecessary attention"

"Will do Sir" Happy pulled out his cell "Dammit" he cursed on looking at the smashed screen. He pressed on the main button and was glad atleast it was still working

Tony ran towards Peter and helped him sit up, keeping a hand on his arm "Stay still. Our ride will be here soon" he quickly checked the boy for any major injuries. The older man almost panicked when he saw blood smearing on Peter's lips thinking he suffered an internal bleeding but then another thought crossed his mind "Open your mouth" he ordered

"Huh?"

"Pete I need to see your mouth. C'mon open up" Tony repeated grabbing the kid's jaw and prying it open and carefully inspected "Okay.. it doesn't look that bad.. you just bit your tongue"

The teenager groaned when he brought his bloody hand to his eye level. Tony pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed it lightly on the open cut which was still bleeding. Peter hissed clenching his eyes shut and weakly pushed Tony's hand away

"I need to stop the bleeding" Tony tried to place the cotton fabric back but Peter shook his head "It hurts.. Mr... St.. Starch?"

Eyes dilated, sluggish speech and hand movements. Tony mentally noted down the symptoms and knew the kid was suffering a concussion. He wondered when his super healing would kick in and make him feel better "It's Mr Stark"

Peter nodded but soon regretted when his head throbbed. His body ached at different places and he so badly wanted to go to his soft bed and sleep for months "Can we...go home?"

"Ofcourse kid" Tony eyed the head wound and frowned when blood still oozed from the cut. He leaned down whispering near Peter's ears "Peter why are you not healing?"

"Huh?" Peter blinked confusingly "Healing from what? Aaaww... this really hurts" his hand went to touch the wound again but Tony caught his wrist "No touching and stay awake" he said when Peter's eyes started to droop close

"Wann..S'lllp" Peter slurred again and Tony worries heightened. Something was definitely wrong with the kid. Yes he did take most of the hit during the accident but his healing powers should have atleast half healed him by now

A whine escaped from Peter's lips and hands went to cover his ears when sounds loud siren boomed into his ears. He started shaking when his senses felt like they were giving him electric shocks to his head "Mr Stark... make it stop!"

Tony quickly held Peter to his chest wrapping his arms around the smaller frame "Sshh...It's okay... It's gonna be okay" his heart broke when Peter whimpered in pain. He couldn't even call for his suit, not infront of hundereds of witnesses.

"Sir" Happy called out and Tony sighed in relief "Did you get our ride"

"Yes sir. It's right over there" Happy pointed to his right "Is the kid alright?" he asked looking at Peter with concern

"We need to get him to compound" Tony got up from the ground pulling Peter with him. The boy swayed, his knees buckling under his legs. He would have surely fallen down if Tony's strong arms weren't wrapped around him tightly

"Whoa... hang on Pete" Tony placed a hand under Peter's knees and other behind his back and easily lifted him off the ground. In normal case, Peter would surely have protested being carried like a baby but right now he didn't care. He welcomed the much needed warmth, hands weakly clutching at Tony's expensive suit as he closed his eyes. Tony tightened his hold on the boy and rushed towards their ride

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bruce quickly got to work when Peter was brought to him. Just as any doctor would do, he stiched the wound on the boy's head and ran few scans to see if he hadn't suffered any internal bleeding. Like Tony, he too was baffled by the fact that Peter's healing powers weren't working and the boy was unconscious the whole time as he patched him. It was only when Bruce was inserting an IV on the kid's hand, he noticed a puncture mark and frowned "What the hell is this?"

Bruce walked back outside where Tony was pacing impatiently. He perked up on seeing the doctor "So how's Peter? Everything is okay right?"

"You said you were in a car accident right?"

Tony nodded

"Did something else happened?"

Tony nodded again "When we got Peter out of the car, we were attacked by two masked men... but soon they fled away from the scene. Why?"

Bruce pressed his lips "So they attacked Peter too? You should've told me about it"

Tony shook his head "No no Peter was unconscious on the other side of the road. I don't think he was attacked"

"That's where you're wrong Tony"

"What do you mean?" Tony felt his heart race at his friend's words "Is Peter okay? What's going on?"

"Follow me" Bruce went back inside with Tony following him behind

No matter how strong and brave the Ironman was, he was definitely not ready to see the boy on the bed who looked so pale and unnaturally still. Was it him or the bed seemed too big for the boy. The first thing he did was to caress the kid's forehead affectionately "Please tell me whatever you're going to tell me isn't that bad"

"I'm afraid it is" Bruce gently moved Peter's arm so Tony could see the puncture mark "You see this?"

Tony leaned in closer, deep frown settling on his face "Correct me if I'm wrong, Is this a...?"

"Yes it's a puncture mark Tony. I think the kid was injected with something" said Bruce and Tony's heart started pounding "Injected with what?"

"I've to do some blood tests to find out"

Tony stared at Peter with concern "Is this the reason why he isn't healing?"

"Maybe" Bruce looked up in the air "FRIDAY could you give me Peter's vitals"

FRIDAY : Mr Parker has sustained a minor concussion and few bruises to his right side.

"What about the puncture mark on his arm?" asked Tony

FRIDAY : My scans are showing an anomaly in Mr Parker's blood

"What kind of anomaly?"

FRIDAY : I'm not sure Boss. I haven't seen anything like this before

Tony cursed and saw Bruce grab a syringe "I've to start with the blood tests as soon as possible to detect what was the kid injected with" he wrapped a band on Peter's arm before finding a vein and drawing blood

Peter let out a small groan, face scrunching in discomfort. Tony ran a comforting hand on Peter's forehead knowing how he never liked injections

"Keep an eye on him Tony. I'll come back soon with the results" Bruce rushed out of the medbay heading towards lab. Tony felt an unknown fear build in his chest. He was afraid to know what exactly Peter was injected with. Obviously it was some kind of strong chemical that was blocking his powers but he didn't know what going to happen the longer the injected liquid stayed in his body

Tony cursed himself for not being careful. He should have kept an eye on the kid. He now understood the accident wasn't a random one, it was all well choreographed. At first he thought he was being targeted but that was not the case. They wanted Peter. Someone was out there who wanted to hurt the boy. But who?

A moan from the bed caught Tony's attention. He looked down to see Peter blinking his eyes open "Hey kid. How are you feeling?"

"Mr... Stark" Peter's eyes flickered around in confusion "What happened?"

"We were in a car accident. Do you remember any of it?"

Peter gave a smalll nod "Little bit... are you okay Mr Star?"

"I'm fine" Tony was able to give an amused smile "It's Mr Stark kid"

"What about Happy?" Peter asked ignoring Tony's correction

"Everyone is alright... except for you"

Peter stared with confused expression "Me?"

Tony nodded "Did you feel any kind of prick on your arm.. I mean you were half conscious when I got to you... Did you see anyone come close to you?"

"No.. I don't think so.."

"Are you sure?"

Suddenly Peter had a strange feeling wash over him "I think.. I may have felt something after the accident.. I was down and... then a pinch on my arm.. I think it was what got me to wake up fully"

Tony's heart sank further "It wasn't a pinch"

Peter felt himself a little coherent "What do you mean?"

Tony pointed at Peter's arm "You've been injected you with something unknown while you were out. Bruce is running few tests to find out what exactly are we dealing with"

"Oh" was all Peter could reply. No wonder his body still felt very sore and head throbbed painfully "And it's affecting my powers? I can feel... pain... I'm not healing"

"Yes but don't worry okay. Bruce is doing his best. I'm sure he'll come up with antidote or something" Tony smiled assuringly

"Okay" replied Peter quietly. If Mr Stark said he was going to fine then there was no need to worry. He was glad his aunt had gone on a mini vacation with her co-workers otherwise it would be difficult explaining his absence at home. Atleast he didn't have to worry about her. The young hero sighed tiredly and closed his eyes

Tony saw Peter had fallen asleep so he covered him with a blanket. His cell vibrated in his pocket and he reached out to pull the device. His brows narrowed in confusion when he read the message

'Did you like my gift? Do take good care of the kid....while you can'

Chapter Text

Tony stared at the message for few seconds before flickering his eyes on the sleeping boy. Fearful thoughts began to loop around his mind until there was no room for anything else. In his line of profession, he knew this message wasn't a bluff. He clutched the phone tightly to stop his hand from shaking. If the message was about him, he would have easily ignored it but that was not the case. It was clear that someone was keeping tabs on them... on Peter and today were able to hurt the boy because he failed to protect him

Forcing himself to think rationally, Tony covered Peter with an extra blanket and rushed out of the medbay. Taking huge steps he ran towards the lab "Bruce! Did you find out what's wrong with Peter?"

Bruce looked up from the computer screen "No Tony. These results take time... atleast couple of hours. Why? What's wrong?"

Tony showed the message "I need you to hurry Bruce. Whatever Peter is injected with, I'm sure it's deadly. Please hurry with your tests so we can find the cure"

Bruce nodded with worry shining in his eyes "Who is this guy?"

"I don't know but I'm not going to let anything happen to Peter... I won't. He's my responsibility Bruce " Tony's voice grew heavy and Bruce placed a comforting hand on his shoulder "Don't worry okay. Peter will be fine"

MEDBAY

Peter woke up as violent coughs tore through his body. He wrapped an arm around his mid section where he felt most of the pain and groaned. He curled to his side bunching the blankets in his fists, almost tearing the material. He couldn't understand how he felt hot from inside and yet cold chills ran down from his head to toe. The young hero cracked his eyes open and was glad the room was dimly lighted. But that didn't stop the pounding in his head and he whimpered in pain

Peter bravely faught all the symptoms for ten minutes before calling out to Al "FRIDAY.. Where's Mr... St..Stark?"

FRIDAY : Mr Stark is currently with Mr Banner at the labs

"Okay" Peter mumbled under the sheets

FRIDAY : Peter you have a high temperature of 103° You need medical assistance immediately. I'm reporting Mr Stark"

"Yeah... Thank you" Peter shivered pulling the sheets over his head. Damn he was freezing. He hoped Mr Stark would arrive soon and fix him. It hadn't been even thirty seconds and Peter heard the door open followed by footsteps which neared towards him

"Kid?" Tony called out softly. Peter shifted a little but didn't remove the comforter from his head

"FRIDAY told me you've a fever?" Tony gave a gentle pull at the blanket but Peter held it tightly with his fingers "Co..Cold" the boy complained

"C'mon spider baby" Tony coaxed gently "I need to take a look at you" he tried to pull the blanket again and this time Peter let him. Pale flushed face and glassy eyes peeked through the blanket and Tony felt the guilt weigh heavier in his chest. He wiped the tiny beads of sweat that was glistening on the boy's forehead "Oh kid"

Tony placed the back of his hand on Peter's forehead being careful not to touch the white bandaged part on the side of his head "You're burning up pretty badly" he stated with fear evident in his voice

Peter leaned against Tony's warm hand but then he started shivering and curled to his side "So c..c..cold" his teeth chattered

"FRIDAY I need you to call Dr Banner right now"

FRIDAY : Already done Boss. Dr Banner will be in thirty seconds.

"Okay" Tony fixed his eyes on the door as he waited for Bruce to come. The door wasn't even fully opened and Tony nearly yelled "Peter is having a high fever"

Bruce rushed inside grabbing a thermometer on his way. He had just placed it near Peter's ear when the boy flinched away "It's me Peter, Dr Banner. I need to take your temperature" he spoke softly

Peter relaxed at the familiar voice and batted his eyelids. His fever induced eyes met Tony's worried ones who was standing beside Bruce "Mr Stark"

"Right here kiddo" Tony immediately reached out to grab Peter's warm hand. Bruce once again placed the device near the ear, this time slowly pushing the tip in. Peter couldn't help but whine at the cold touch and tried to pull back but Bruce kept a gentle hold at the back of his head "Almost done kid. Stay still"

Bruce waited for the small beep and paled at the reading "104.2" he said aloud and Tony frowned. How could Peter's temperature spike within minutes "Bruce..."

"I was fearing this would happen"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later. Right now we need to cool him down or else it will result in seizures"

"What?" Tony felt his heart skipped a beat. He saw Bruce run towards the bathroom "I'm filling the tub. Bring the kid when I say" he yelled back getting into action

Tony looked down at Peter who was shivering like a leaf in storm yet his body felt like it was on fire. The teenager's face had gone even paler than before as he wheezed out short breaths. This was not good. He wasn't ready for this. Why would anyone want to harm Peter, someone who was innocent and had nothing to do with his past

"I'm ready Tony. Bring Peter in!"

Tony blinked and scooped the almost unconscious boy in his arms and ran towards bathroom. Every soft grunts coming from Peter's mouth, felt like stab to his heart. Bruce helped to remove the boy's clothes as soon as Tony lowered him on the edge of the tub. They were having hard time holding the kid straight as he kept slumping forward in their arms

Peter gasped loudly when he was slowly immersed into the cold water. He whimpered as his body immediately started to tingle with the feeling of being poked by thousands of tiny needles "No!" he thrashed to get free from the tight hands on him but their hold only got stronger "Peter calm down... It's me.. you're okay.. sshh.. calm down kid"

Tony wrapped his strong arms around Peter's thin body, not caring if his clothes got wet in the process and spoke softly next to his ears hoping his voice would calm the boy down. Next to him, Bruce picked up a small plastic mug and was pouring water over Peter's head inorder to lower his high temperature

Next ten minutes were agonisingly slow for both Tony and Bruce as they tried to cool Peter's burning body. The boy was slack in Tony's arms, apart from the occasional whimpers escaping through his lips

"FRIDAY read Peter's temperature" Bruce instructed not wanting to leave the boy as his right hand was supporting his head above the water

FRIDAY : Peter's temperature has lowered down to 101.4°

"I think he'll be okay for a while" Bruce said looking at Tony "Let's get him back to bed" Tony ignored the cramp in his legs and hoisted Peter up with Bruce's help

Peter was totally worn out, exhausted from the cold bath. He felt like the fever had zapped all his strength out of his body. He had no idea when and who dried him and dressed him into soft clothes but he was so grateful for the warmth. He let out a soft sigh when his sore body was laid on the soft bed and he curled to his side. When he shivered, a blanket was draped over him "Get some sleep Pete" he felt a familiar hand run on his hair that lured him into peaceful slumber

Bruce left to complete his tests after helping Tony with the boy. Tony swallowed thickly when he laid Peter on the bed. He had never seen the kid so weak and vulnerable. He wanted old Peter back. The boy who was full of life, brave, talked too much and who always had a smile on his face that could easily lit up the whole room. Tony noticed Peter had started shivering so he quickly covered him with a blanket and ran his fingers through the soft hair at the base of his neck "Get some sleep Pete" a small smile tugged on his lips when Peter snuggled into the blankets and closed his eyes looking so young and innocent

Tony's cell rang again and he saw it was an unknown number. He glanced at Peter one last time before rushing out of medbay "Who are you?"

"How's the kid...sorry wrong question. How's your kid doing Tony?" a cold voice spoke in too calm manner which worried the Ironman "What did you do to him!?"

"I'm surprised you still haven't figured it out" the voice mocked with a laugh

"Listen to me carefully you son of a bitch. If anything happens to Peter..."

"Blah Blah Blah... you'll pull my insides out? Is that it? Ooohh... I'm scared"

Tony clenched his jaw "Why him? Why the kid!?"

"Because he's close to you. Almost like a son right?"

"He's fifteen you bastard! Stop hurting him!"

Silence

"Hello!"

"Catch me if you can and save your kid"

The line went dead

"Shit!" Tony cursed "FRIDAY locate my last call immediately"

FRIDAY : Tracing the location now

Bruce came running towards Tony "The results are out"

"And?"

"It's not good Tony. I've found some unknown chemicals in Peter's blood and it's doubling itself as we speak"

Tony could only stare at the information

"The kid's healing factor is trying to fight off but it's not enough. Whatever he was injected with has capacity to shut down his new regenerating cells" explained Bruce dreading for next part

Tony shook his head "No no no... there's gotta be some way out of this! You're a medical marvel. Do something! Can't you create an antidote?"

"I can but it will take hours or maybe a day or two"

Tony frowned "So what? Take all time you need. Just fix him"

"I'm not sure if it's going to work or if I'm able to make the right antidote"

"We've to try Bruce. You can't just give up on the basis of your doubts. Make as many antidotes as it takes"

Bruce looked at his friend apologetically "I might have time but... the kid doesn't Tony"

Tony took a step back, heart threatening to leap out of his chest "What? How much time does he have?"

"Tony..."

"Tell me!"

Bruce mustered up the strength to speak his next words "Maybe twelve hours... fifteen at most"

Chapter Text

Peter woke up to a very uncomfortable feeling. Even under the light cotton sheet, he was radiating heat like a brick right out of the oven. His body ached and cheeks burned with the flush of fever. His eyes felt so heavy like they were being tied to bricks making it nearly impossible for him to keep them open. A low whine escaped from his lips and he curled himself on the bed. Every inch and hair on his body ached, channelling the pain to a new level. Why was he hurting so much?

Peter forced his eyes open only to realise he was alone in the medbay. Just when he parted his lips to call out for Tony, violent coughs wracked through his entire body. He wheezed out short breaths as pain erupted in his chest like a volcano

Peter pushed the covers off him and slowly sat upright, still coughing. With shaky hands, the boy grabbed a glass of water and drank greedily to soothe his burning throat and chest. He groaned when his bare feet touched the cold tiles below and started his almost impossible journey towards the door. The boy stumbled to the corner of the room and with each step his stomach tightened and ached even more. He kept swallowing the bile that threatened to rise. Dark spots danced infront of his eyes and he swayed dangerously. The teen clutched his mid section and when a stabbing pain erupted around his stomach area "Aaah!"

FRIDAY : "Peter your vitals are dropping down. I'm detecting a blood clot in your stomach. Calling Boss and Dr Banner for help right now"

Peter froze bending over in half and took slow deep breaths desperately waiting for the pain to fade away. Few seconds later the pain lessened a bit and he sighed tiredly. He wasn't sure what just happened but he did not like that feeling and hoped it wouldn't come back. Yet when he tried to straighten himself, the strange pain came back with full force

Peter collapsed on the floor as tears of pain leaked from his eyes. He needed help. He couldn't do this alone. The boy looked up with his watery eyes and mustered up strength to speak "HELP!"

FRIDAY : "Boss and Dr Banner will be with you in twenty seconds"

The door to medbay flung opened with a loud bang and in came running Tony followed by Bruce. The genius gasped when he saw Peter lying on the floor, barely conscious "Peter!"

Tony's heart skipped a beat and face turned white as chalk. His eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. He shook his head in disbelief. Peter had only sixteen hours to live. The boy who had yet to start living could probably die?

"Tony... Tony are you okay?" Bruce nudged his friend on his arm "Tony!"

"Huh?" Tony looked at Bruce as if he was seeing him for first time "What?"

"Did you hear what I said? Peter has very less time before..."

"No!" Tony raised his voice "Nothing is going to happen to the kid! I won't..." he rasped and clutched his chest feeling suffocated. He couldn't loose the boy, not Peter... please God not his kid "Bruce do something.... anything... you're a medical marvel.. save him.. please save him"

"Tony calm down!" Bruce frimly held the man by his shoulders "Breathe! C'mon Tony stay calm. Peter needs you"

Tony was still breathing heavily as he tried to stop the oncoming panic. It took few more minutes before the billionaire calmed down and he covered his face with his both hands.

"Are you okay now?" Bruce asked letting go of Tony's shoulders "You scared the hell out of me"

Tony nodded taking in a deep breath "I'm fine" he pulled his hand away "I'm worried about Peter. I can't loose him Bruce.. not the kid"

"I know the boy means a lot to you, infact he's made a place in all of our hearts but... as a doctor, I've to warn you about the possibilities. I'm going to get started on the antidote. Why don't you..."

FRIDAY : "Boss Peter is in need for immediate medical help"

Tony was alarmed by the announcement "What happened FRIDAY? Is he alright?" he rushed out of the lab followed by Bruce

FRIDAY : "No Boss. Peter is suffering from abdominal blood clot and seems is in severe pain"

Panic settled in Tony's heart at impossible speed and heart raced widly as he forced his legs to work harder. The genius gasped in shock when he saw Peter lying on the floor barely conscious "Peter!"

Peter partially opened his eyes, hands still wrapped around his mid section. He looked at his mentor and let out a small whimper "M'..Mr Srk"

In an instant Tony was beside Peter "Ssshh" he coaxed rubbing soft circles on the boy's back wincing at the over heated skin under his palm "I'm here kid. It's going to alright"

"Hurts!" Peter cried out and Tony's heart broke at the sight. He couldn't bare to see the boy in so much pain. Bruce then got to work. He slowly unfolded Peter's arms from his stomach and did a quick check up "It's his stomach. We need to get him to med bay"

Tony nodded and immediately scooped the young hero in his arms. Peter cried out again, pressing his face on Tony's chest. He heard the older man murmur soft words like "....s'okay.. stay..srtng..." and tried to focus on them other than the immense pain in his stomach

Bruce grabbed the necessary medicines and doubled the dose. He saw Tony lay the boy on the bed. Peter curled to his side breathing heavily. His eyes were slightly swollen and face all blotchy due to crying. Tony ran a hand on his forehead "Hang on Pete. Stay strong okay"

Bruce walked towards them with a needle "Hold his hand out. I need to inject this"

"What is that?"

"Heparin, it's an Anticoagulant. It will help in thinning his blood cells in his stomach that is formimg in clots. It's the effect of the deadly virus he's been injected with. I don't want to perform a surgery since his temperature is too high" Bruce quickly explained and motioned Tony to hold the boy's arm out

Tony gently took Peter's arm out and pushed the sleeves higher. Something broke in his heart when the boy let out another painful groan "Dr Banner is here kid. He's going to give you something for the pain"

Peter looked at his mentor with dazed and fever induced eyes "Wht's... hap'in...to me?" Tony hushed the boy again not wanting to scare him by telling the truth "You're going to be fine soon. I promise. You hear me? Everything is going to be alright"

Peter nodded and closed his eyes. If Mr Stark said he was going to be alright then it had to be true. He could do this. Though he wished atleast the pain would lessen a little. The boy flinched a little when Bruce injected the liquid "Almost done Peter. Why don't you try to get some sleep. We'll be right here if you need anything"

Peter didn't needed to be told twice. His body obeyed like an exhausted engine that was running for hours. Bruce placed a cold cloth on his burning forehead and he sighed in relief. With Tony's hand running on his hair, the boy never knew when the sleep claimed him.

"Peter's health is deteriorating faster than I thought. We need to find that antidote soon" Bruce whispered in worried tone. Tony's eyes shone with tears and he rushed out of the medbay

"FRIDAY did you find the location?" asked an anxious and worried Tony who stood outside the medbay as he didn't want to disturb Peter's sleep

FRIDAY : Yes Boss. The call was from Perth which is in Australia and the caller has been identified as Mathew Horne"

Tony frowned at the name as his mind desperately tried to make any connection with the name. After few seconds his eyes widened when he finally remembered why the man was targeting him. The genius cursed inwardly thinking about what happened in past. So Peter was suffering because of his mistake

Tony inhaled sharply. He didn't have time to think about his past. Right now the most important thing was to get Peter an antidote "FRIDAY how long will it take to get to Australia from New York"

FRIDAY : "Approximately sixteen hours in plane"

"What!?" Tony yelled "But..." he couldn't even say Peter had less than fifteen hours to survive "What about my suit capacity. Can I make it to Australia and get back here within fifteen hours?"

FRIDAY : "I'm afraid not Boss. Your suit needs to be charged after every 12 hours and it takes atleast one hour to recharge at it's full capacity"

Tony felt his heart drop to his stomach. His suit could handle only twelve hours? He might be able to make it to Australia but Peter might not survive until he returned with the antidote. The billionaire never felt this helpless before. Was he actually going to loose his kid.

The door to medbay opened and Bruce nearly yelled at Tony "You've to come inside!"

Chapter Text

Tony had no idea what to expect when Bruce's frantic yell reached his ears. It had barely been half an hour since he left the kid to rest so he had to be fine right? His footsteps worked faster than ever and he pushed the door open to the medbay only to feel his heart drop to his stomach at the scene thay played infront of him

Peter was holding a scaple in one hand while other tightly wrapped around his midsection. Blood dripped down from his arm where he had ripped off his IV. Terror and pain was evident on his pale face and wide eyes that were streaming down tears. Something he never wanted to see. He didn't know how the kid managed to stand on his feet since he was shaking so badly

Bruce leaned into whisper near Tony's side "I was checking his vitals and suddenly he just jumped from the bed and grabbed the scaple before I could stop him. I think it's his fever...he's hallucinating"

Tony nodded and slowly approached the frighten child, holding his both hands out "Hey kiddo. It's me... Tony. Can you hear me?"

Peter trembled even more and shook his head "Stay back! I won't let you hurt him!"

Tony frowned "Hurt who Pete?"

"I won't... not again... you can't hurt him.. no..no.. "

"There's no one here Peter. You're at Avengers compound and with me.. Tony. You know me right? I won't hurt anyone" Tony tried to coax the boy in soft voice

"Please don't kill him... not uncle Ben.. I've to save him. I've to..." Peter's chest heaved with short breaths as he took another shaky step back

Tony's heart clenched painfully. Peter was probably hallucinating about his uncle's death. He took a step forward and pleaded "Peter please listen to me. You're not..."

Suddenly Peter's eyes rolled at the back of his head and his body propelled backwards

"Peter!" Tony ran to catch the falling boy and caught him last second before his head hit the floor. He noticed how Peter's temperature had spiked since last time. He cradled the boy's face who's head plopped back like a ragged doll and the scene crushed his heart "Pete open your eyes buddy"

Bruce knelt down and pried the scapel from Peter's fingers "Get him back on the bed Tony. He'll be fine.."

Tony glared at the doctor. He didn't want to shout but he was frustrated at himself and the situation so the words just flew from his mouth without his consent "Are you blind!? Can't you see how much my kid is suffering? How can you say he is fine? Doctor's are suppose to save lives but you are a no good doctor. You can't even save a child's life! If anything happens to Peter, I'll never forgive you Bruce Banner"

Bruce stared at his friend for a long minute. He didn't feel bad or wasn't even upset at Tony's harsh words. The doctor knew right now it wasn't Tony talking but a father living inside the man expressing his concern over his sick child

"I'm sorry"

"Huh?" Bruce blinked back to reality "What?"

Tony cradled Peter's body closer to him "I'm sorry for yelling. I didn't mean to...I was just..."

Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed "It's okay Tony. Let's get him back to bed where he'll be more comfortable"

Tony nodded and picked Peter up, laying him as gently as possible. The boy let out a soft groan, eyes sluggishly blinking open to see at his mentor "Mr Stark.. where am I?"

Bruce attached the IV back while Tony stroked Peter's forehead pushing back the sweaty curls "At the medbay kid"

Peter scrunched his face "Why... it hurts... everywhere"

"I'm giving you a higher dose of painkillers. It should help you" Bruce assured with a small smile

Peter tried to reach out to Tony who took his small hand in his large calloused ones "Are you...okay?"

Tony wanted to cry. Maybe he was. Even in so much pain, Peter was worried about him "I'm fine kid. It's you I'm worried about"

Peter sighed closing his eyes "I'm fine. You.. worry too much"

Tony felt a lone tear slip from his eyes

"Can I sleep? Kinda...tired" Peter asked in strained voice and Tony covered him with a thin sheet "You can Pete. I'll be right here when you wake up"

Bruce saw Peter fall into deep slumber and placed an oxygen mask over his mouth. He then decided to get back to his lab as he still had an antidote to make. Tony pulled a chair next to Peter and finally cried openly "I'm so sorry Underoos. Please forgive me.. I can't protect..I don't know how to get that antidote before..."

An idea suddenly popped in Tony's mind "FRIDAY contact Dr Strange! Tell him his assistance is required immediately at the compound" he felt a rush of hope built inside his chest. Dr Strange can help him portal to Australia within seconds and he could give him the antidote in time. Yes! This was perfect solution. The billonaire pressed a firm kiss on Peter's knuckles "I'm going to save you Pete. I won't let anything happen to you"

FRIDAY responded forty seconds later : Boss I regret to say that I cannot contact Dr Strange.

Tony's eyes widened "What!? What do you mean you cannot contact him?"

FRIDAY : Dr Strange is currently not on this planet and I'm not designed to search out of planet earth.

Tony felt his happy bubble burst right infront of him. Nothing... no plan or no idea was working on his favour. How can fate be so cruel to him? How can it snatch away the one person who now meant the world to him. Peter was too young to die. He was suppose to do his homework right now, not fight against some stupid virus. Tears resurfaced again and this time the genius didn't bother to wipe them "Keep trying FRIDAY"

FRIDAY : Yes Boss

Another half an hour passed with Peter blabbering on and off in his feverish state about stuff that was unknown to Tony. He recited chemical formulas, spoke about his upcoming Aunt May's birthday and how he needed to buy gift. Peter even looked at Tony with his blurry eyes and called him Dad. This broke Tony's heart all over again and he walked out of the room feeling overwhelmed by Peter's words

When Bruce was unable to make the antidote the billonaire made a decision.

"You're going to do what?" Bruce asked in a shocked tone

"I'll fly to Australia with Peter. It's the only way"

"Tony you can't be serious"

"I am dead serious Bruce. FRIDAY said my suit's capacity is of twelve hours and it takes sixteen hours to Australia. If I cover half distance in my private jet and rest half in suit, I might be able to make it in time"

Bruce pursed his lips "Do you have any idea how dangerous it can be for Peter once you get him out of the jet"

"More dangerous than watching him take a step closer towards death?" Tony challenged back

"I know you're desperate but how in the world will you manage. The oxygen levels will be low when you go up and Peter is already having respiratory problems"

Tony clenched his jaw. He knew Bruce was right but he couldn't just sit and wait and watch "I've to try Bruce. Sitting here and watching him suffer every second is killing me. Please help me save him"

Bruce resigned his argument at the father's plea and gave a small nod "You'll have to be very careful. I can attach an oxygen nasal so Peter can breathe easily and give him extra dose of painkillers. That's all I can do"

"Let's hope it will be enough"

"I'm coming with you"

"You don't..."

Bruce held his hand out "I've made my decision. You don't expect me to step aside now"

Tony gave an appreciative smile "C'mon let's shift him"

For next twenty minutes Bruce and Tony were busy making arrangements for transferring Peter. Bruce packed all the necessary equipments and medicines while Tony went towards Peter who was fidgeting in his sleep in an obvious pain

Bruce tried to fix a nasal around Peter's nose but the boy sluggishly swatted his hand away "No.. 'ont... want..no"

Tony took Peter's wrists and held them to his chest "Peter stay still kid"

Peter whimpered turning his head to his side. He just wanted to sleep. Why wasn't Tony letting him sleep? Why was he in so much pain?

Bruce quickly placed the nasal and motioned Tony to grab him so they could start their long journey. Tony's one hand went under Peter's knees and other on his back and scooped the boy in his arms. Peter grunted at the movement but had no strength left to fight against the tight grip of his mentor. His head rested on Tony's chest and eyes drooped close welcoming the darkness once again

Tony and Bruce rushed inside the jet. Peter was carefully placed on a temporary makeshift bed where Bruce inserted an IV again and monitored his vitals. The jet roared to life and Tony took his place beside the boy. He took his hand in his and softly ran a thumb "Stay with me Peter. Please stay with me"

Chapter Text

The private jet was flying in the air for last five hours. The clouds moved constantly, flowing as sheets hundereds of feet above yet giving appearance of one dense layer from the land below. The view was spectacular with the hills and mountains passing by as if being coated with thick fog. Outside it might look beautiful but inside the small plane, the scene was opposite

Tony watched intently at the small and young looking boy on the makeshift bed. Every breath Peter inhaled, it was a blessing to him. That was all he was asking for. He just wanted to Peter to keep breathing until they reached Australia

Bruce had taken a seat to the right side of the jet, working on the antidote. He didn't want to take any risk. What if the man who was behind Peter's suffering refused to give him antidote. He needed to be prepared for any kind of worse situation. The scientist titled his head and glanced at the pair. His heart ached at the scene

Tony held Peter's hand in his, thumb slowly running in circular motion. His eyes shone with tears and he let them fall. This was all his fault. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to the boy. He didn't deserve to die...not like this

Peter moaned and tried to move but Tony quickly placed a hand on his chest pushing him gently back "Don't get up Pete"

Peter fidgeted, face scrunching in discomfort "Up..pleas'.." he pleaded feeling suffocated as it was getting harder to breathe "Can't... breathe"

"Tony help him up. It'll be easier for him to breathe" Bruce said, voice laced with worry. Tony nodded placing a hand under Peter's small back and lifting him up, wincing at the heat that radiated from his body "There you go kid"

Peter managed to give a small nod as he inhaled deeply through the nasal around his nose. With blurry and feverish eyes, he looked at his mentor "Hurts" he complained with a whine just like a child does to his parent when they fall sick

Tony ran a hand on Peter's curls hoping it would bring some comfort "It's gonna be okay kid. I promise"

Peter shivered, body leaning heavily towards Tony who immediately wrapped his arms around him and held him close. Peter crawled on to Tony's lap and curled himself on his chest. Cold shivers wracked his entire small frame and he whimpered, eyes stinging from unshed tears and sobs erupt his throat "Co.. so Cold"

Unable to hold back his own tears, Tony held Peter even more closer, rubbing his arm and whispered few soothing words

Tears exhausted themselves from Peter's eyes and his sobs turn into small whimpers. His muscles were screaming in pain, head pounded mercilessly and veins felt like they were on fire. His chest burned whenever he tried to breathe. Maybe this was it. He was going to die. If this was his last day on earth, he needed to confess two very important things. He didn't have the energy to lift his head to look at Tony as words slipped from his lips "Tell... Aunt May... I love her"

Tony froze, his hands going still around the boy. Why did Peter say that? Why was he talking like this some kind of goodbye?

Peter shivered again as he wheezed short breaths "I.. Thank you... Mr Stark... for everything"

"Peter don't!" Tony said fiercely "No goodbyes okay. You're going to be fine"

"I..love you Mr...'ark" Peter continued, eyes shutting down in slow motion and Tony's heart clenched painfully in his chest "I..I love you too kid"

Peter felt hand on his face and a firm voice nudging him to stay awake but he lost battle against darkness

Tony's heart nearly stopped, his finger dipping under Peter's jaw to check for pluse. He took a huge sigh of relief when he felt low thumping "Oh thank God"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next few hours were agonizingly slow and torturous for Tony. His hold on Peter never wavered as he kept him close to his chest. The boy was in and out of consciousness, again blabbering anything that came to his mind. At one point he even confessed not attending a history test and lied about it. Tony assured him it was no big deal even though he knew Peter was not coherent enough to hear him

It was almost twelve hours when Tony laid Peter back down who whined at loss "Mr...Stark?"

"Right here kid. Just give me few seconds okay. I'll be right back" Tony whispered softly and asked Bruce to prepare him for the ride outside while he wore his suit

Bruce injected a fresh dose of painkillers and changed the his oxygen tank with a new one. He smiled when Peter was looking at him with his half opened eyes "You're a strong kid Peter. Fight this okay. I know you can. Now I need you to listen to me carefully"

"Wh..t's ...ha..pening?"

Bruce exhaled sharply. He needed Peter to understand what was going to happen so he wouldn't panic and adjust himself accordingly "Tony is going to carry you out Peter and I need you to keep breathing nice and slow. Close your eyes if you want but don't forget to breathe. Can you do that?"

Peter gave a small nod. He didn't know why they needed to get out but if Tony had decided something, it had to be for his own good. He trusted the man with his own life so he was ready to do anything he said "I an... do that"

Tony came back wearing his suit "Okay let's go. Bruce did you tell him?"

"Yeah I told him. I need him to wear extra hoodie so he wouldn't feel cold when he's out" Bruce pulled out extra pair of Peter's clothes and helped the boy with the sleeves and covered his head with a winter cap "There you go kid. Okay now he's ready"

Tony took a deep breath and nodded with confidence "C'mon Underoos. We're going to fight this. You and me"

Bruce helped Peter up supporting him when he swayed. Tony easily scooped the boy who rested his head on the metal chest letting out a tired sigh. Bruce adjusted his nasal tube "I'm right behind you" he said looking at Tony and ruffled Peter's hair "You'll be okay Peter"

Tony turned his suit on and within seconds he was flying through the blue sky. Peter gasped when cold air seeped through his clothes and soaked into his skin. His chest hurt like hell and stomach cramped painfully. He tightly cluched Tony's metal arm pushing himself closer as he tried to inhale oxygen, finding it extremely difficult because of Tony's speed. He hid his face on Tony's chest and concentrated on two things... inhale exhale... inhale exhale... inhale exhale... inhale ex..

Tony pushed himself at his best. The engine of his suit was turned to fullest as he flew with Peter in his arms. He felt the boy shift and dared to look down. He could barely see the kid's face since he had curled himself but the pain was visible from his tense posture. Tony's eyes welled up again and he tightened his hold on Peter "Few more hours. Please hang on" he then spoke to Al "FRIDAY give the location where Micheal is hiding his sorry ass"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Micheal Horne released a satisfied breath as he placed the antidote on the table in an abandoned warehouse. He checked the time, eyes wandering around the dull walls. If his calculations were right, the boy, Peter barely had fifteen minutes left before the virus in his system would kill him. And that exact moment his revenge would be fulfilled. Even if Tony somehow miraculous made it to him, there was no way he would be able to get the antidote to the boy in time

Suddenly the door to the warehouse blasted and Micheal jumped in shock. With wide eyes he saw Tony as Iron man flew in, cradling a boy in his arms

Tony landed on the ground and slowly lowered Peter on the ground. Dread pooled in his stomach when he noticed Peter's white skin and blue lips "Peter! Hey kid.. open your eyes. Pete!"

"You're too late. The kid is dead" said Micheal in vicious tone with shock written all over his face. He didn't expect Tony to bring the boy along with him. He glared at the man and spat out "Now you'll know what it feels to loose a child!"

"NO!" Tony exclaimed angrily and charged his repulser throwing the man in the corner over the pile of old boxes "Where is the antidote!?"

"It's no use" Micheal struggled to get on his feet "This time I win. Consider this as a payback for what you did to my son"

Tony blasted another attack "It wasn't my fault what happened to your son! It was an accident!"

"An accident you're responsible for Stark"

"I can't deal with you right now. Tell me where is the antidote. Peter has nothing to do with this. He doesn't deserve to die!" Tony looked around and finally saw a small syringe of blue liquid. This had to be the antidote, thought Tony and rushed to pick up the bottle

"Take it Tony but I don't think it's going to do any good to the boy" Micheal wiped the blood off his mouth "Look at him... he has already given up"

Tony glared at Micheal "Then you know nothing about my kid. He's a fighter. He's the strongest person I've ever known" he shot the man knocking him out and ran towards Peter and jammed the syringe in his thigh "C'mon Underoos... fight it. Peter I need you to fight it"

Peter remained rigid and unresponsive which heightened the worry in Tony's chest. He cupped the small pale face letting his tears flow freely "Pete please! Don't give up on me son.. come back... you hear me.. you've to come back. PETER!"

Peter gasped and Tony thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He helped the boy up and hugged him tightly "Oh thank God"

Peter blindly grabbed Tony's metal suit, his wide eyes showing clear signs of panic "Mr.. Stark.. wha.. Mr.. " he whimpered as his body still felt the effects of virus

Tony caught Peter's failing arms and hushed him softly "Hey hey..ssshh.. it's okay buddy.. You're okay now... take deep breaths"

Peter leaned into Tony's hands and let his exhausted body go limp. Tony placed his two fingers under the boy's jaw and sighed in relief when he felt soft thumping "You're going to be okay Peter" he landed his eyes on Micheal and narrowed his eyes "I won't let him hurt you again. Never"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Peter woke up to constant sound of beeping. His body felt stiff and muscles ached in different places. When he tried to move a voice reached his ears "No moving kiddo. Your body still needs rest"

Peter slowly blinked his eyes open and saw Tony looking at him worriedly "You... okay?"

Tony smiled fondly ruffling Peter's hair "You almost died kid and you're asking if I'm okay?"

Peter frowned. Died? When? What happened? His last coherent thought was...the accident. After that everything was blur to him. Sensing the boy's distress and confused look, Tony replayed last twenty hours to him "It was very close kid. I'm sorry you had to suffer because of me but he won't come after you ever again. I made sure of it"

Peter stared at Tony, taking in all the words. He couldn't remember much except that he was in so much pain but it definitely sounded bad. He hesitated for few seconds before asking in small voice "Can I ask you something Mr Stark"

Tony nodded

"Who is Micheal? Why did he wanted to take revenge on you?"

Tony sighed rubbing his tired eyes, a look Peter read as guilt and regret "I don't know if you were aware but five years back there was an explosion in one of the Stark labs. An experiment had gone wrong and the whole place was burned to ashes"

Peter vaguely remembered reading an article about the explosion in a newspaper

"Micheal Horne use to work for us. The day of explosion... his twelve year old son tagged along with him"

Peter frowned "But you have strict rules.. no children below fifteen"

"That's what I told Micheal but he said his son had a day off at school and wanted to see his father's work place. He said it would be a quick tour and he'd soon drop his son back home"

Peter noticed Tony's eyes grew heavy and voice cracked as he spoke further "Micheal was busy talking to his colleagues outisde when his son was roaming inside the lab.. everything happened within minutes... there was a blaring alarm...the lab was going to explode.. the place locked down itself before ..."

Peter's heart skipped a beat "The boy was..." he never wanted to finish his sentence even though he knew there was no happy ending coming

"He was trapped inside the lab when it exploded"

Peter sucked in a shaky breath and whispered softly "Oh my God"

Tony's eyes welled up "It was really a tragic accident that no amount of money could heal the loss Micheal suffered. He thinks... he blames me for his son's death.. this is when you come into picture. He knew I.. I think of you as..." he hesitated but then locked his eyes with Peter's brown ones "...my son and decided to take revenge. I'm sorry Pete"

Peter's heart warmed with Tony's confession. Though they never said it aloud there was always that invisible trust and love between them. Tony was liks a role model for him, something he always wanted to see in his father. He reached out to grab Tony's hand who took it without hesitation "It's not your fault Mr Stark"

"Except it is Peter. You could've died"

"I didn't. I'm here alive and thanks goes to you Mr Stark. You saved my life"

"I would do anything for you Underoos" Tony ruffled Peter's hair affectionately and next second he got himself an armful of the boy

Peter wrapped his arms around the man's waist and hugged him tightly "Thank you so much for everything Mr Stark"

Tony smiled placing a soft kiss on Peter's curls. He mentally thanked all the angels above who kept his kid alive and safe "Does that mean I get to pick you up daily from school?"

"Da..Daily?"

"Yup! Or even better... I'll also drop you to school"

"What?"

"Everyday"

"Mr Stark!!"

THE END :-)))