Chapter Text
"-Lass! Class! Pay attention! Parker, wake up! This is no time for napping!" Peter suddenly awoke from his light sleep by his fuming teachers booming voice. He snapped his head up, and internally cringed when his least favorite teachers piercing brown eyes stared at his.
"Thank you for finally joining us, Peter. See me after class." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and amusement. A few rows behind him, Peter could hear Flash Thompson and his cronies sniggering. They both knew Mrs. Green always had it in for him, because, it seemed, he knew more about Biochemistry than the teacher did. Her signature smirk across her face, the cruel teacher turned her attention back to the now silent class.
"As you know, Juniors have always been granted a special field trip. And this year, it is very special indeed. Tony stark has personally invited us for a detailed tour of the Avengers tower!" The normally mean teacher had an almost childlike expression on her face; the whole class knew she was basically crushing on the whole avengers team like a 14 year old.
Peter dropped his head into his hands and sighed. 'Really Tony? A field trip to my own house? Come on." The teen thought bitterly, knowing Tony and the other Avengers would love to mess with him the entire time he toured his own home.
"Please have a parent or guardian sign these slips by Friday. Class dismissed." The teacher passed out a white sheet of paper to all the students while they left the classroom. However, when Peter tried to quickly exit the class and avoid the teachers harsh glare, she grasped his shoulder with her long, piercing nails. He winced as she dug her purple painted claws into his arm, and she said,
"Not so fast, Parker."
Peter backed away from the stream of exiting students, until his last peers had left. His best friend, Ned, and girlfriend Mj cast him pitying looks. Mj mouthed to him 'Sorry dude', and she and Ned backed away from the class, narrowly avoiding Flash. Before the bully could cast him any harsh stares or send him rude gestures, the teacher slammed the door, leaving him and the rude lady alone in the chilly classroom.
"Now, Peter. I can't have you falling asleep in my classroom, you know that. A weeks detention should serve you right for not paying attention."
She smiled, ever so slightly, and Peter was a hair away from punching her into next week. However, Peter knew he couldn't argue himself out of this, so he simply put his eyes to his shoes, and nodded, keeping his composure despite the anger rising within him. He knew it technically was his fault, but you don't exactly get an even sleep schedule when you're swinging around with the Avengers.
When he left the class, Ned and Mj were nervously waiting along the wall outside the classroom door.
"What happened? Did she suspend you? is she gonna make you clean the locker rooms?" Ned asked, half joking. Everyone knew the gym locker rooms hand't seen a bar of soap in years.
"Nope, just detention." Peter replied, with a bitter tone. Both Ned and Mj breathed out a sigh of relief.
"God, I really thought she was gonna kill you. Did you see the way she stared at you? It was like you murdered someone." Mj said, in a vaguely sarcastic manner.
"Mrs. Green wouldn't," A venomous voice behind the trio rose. "But maybe I will. How are you looking forward to your little internship lie to fall apart, Peter?"
Peter groaned aloud as he heard his bullies' footsteps approach them. As Peter turned to face Flash, he was suddenly being pinned to the wall by his neck.
"Peter!" Mj and Ned cried, but they were being held back by two of Flash's followers. Mindless students who either adored or feared Flash.
"
You'll pay for your lies, Parker." Flash whispered in Peter's ear. He socked Peter in the stomach, causing the struggling teen to cry out from the unexpected harm, and he dropped to the ground as Flash released Parkers' neck.
Flash then kicked to Peters' exposed chest and face, as if he were punting his head like a soccer ball.
Peter screamed again, and even though there were other students, janitors and even teachers in the area, no one rushed in to help the pained boy. They were either staring at the scene unraveling before them, or they were shielding their eyes, not wanting to see what happened next.
Flash was ruthless, hitting the teen square in the nose, snapping it and causing blood to spurt out, drenching the tile floor.
Ned and Mj were still being held, now two of them were grabbing Ned, who was yelling Peters name, and four of them had trapped Mj on the floor, who was flailing desperately, trying to break free. They both had tears in their eyes, and they watched in horror as one of Flashes' burliest goons roughly grabbed Peter, and stood him back up for Flash to use as a human punching bag.
Flash topped off his 'Session' by pulling Peters' drooping head up by his curly brown hair, and putting two well placed punches over his left eye. Both boys felt a quiet 'crack', and Flash motioned for the muscular teen to drop him. Peter fell to his knees with a grunt, and Ned and Mj were released as Flash walked away, and the cruel students were giving and receiving high fives and fist bumps.
Flash turned around, and snarkily spoke to the bleeding teen, "Hope you learned your lesson. Until next time, Parker" and walked away with his goons as the bell rang.
Peter shakily stood, with the help of his best friends. He wordlessly took his bag, which was tossed aside. Peter gingerly touched this bleeding nose, and winced. It was most likely broken.
"Peter, don't be stupid, you gotta tell someone! I'm sure Tony would love to beat Flash's ass." Mj cried when he tried to wipe the blood off his face. He shook his head, and tried to walk off, but was stopped by Neds' hand on his shoulder.
"Mjs' right. Are you gonna tell Mr. Stark? " He said quietly, making sure no one heard. "And your nose looks broken. This has gotta stop sooner or later."
"No, Ned. It'll heal in a few hours. He doesn't need to know." Peter responded, attempting to walk out of the building again, but was stopped again, this time by both of his friends.
"Then at least hit him back! You've gotta defend yourself!" Mj spoke, her tone broke Peters heart. He had never heard her this desperate before.
"And risk my identity? Risk hurting you guys? No thanks. I can take a couple hits." and with that, Peter broke free of their grasps and speedwalked out of the school, leaving his friends behind. He walked a few blocks with his head down.
He ducked into the nearest ally, took out his phone, and put the camera towards himself. He humorlessly chuckled when he saw the bloodied, broken mess his face was.
His hair was soaked in blood from his nose, which was sill bleeding, and was turning purple. Blood was dribbling down his lips and chin, dripping down on his now red shirt. Under his shirt, his sternum was aching, and he suspected severe bruising.
His eye was starting to puff up, and was turning beet red. He really did look like a mess. He started to cry, tears were suddenly streaking down his broken face. He crouched down, not knowing what to do.
He pressed his contacts on his phone, hitting the green phone icon after a few attempts with his shaking hands. He looked over his few contacts, and contemplated on calling someone. He would've immediately called Aunt May, as she (along with Mj and Ned) was the only person who knew about Flashes' relentless attacks.
But Aunt May was gone. She had been for 3 months now, after she lost a fierce battle with cancer.
He looked over his contacts once again. He decided, and went to the 'T' section of the contacts. He selected Tony Starks' name, and his name flashed up on the phone. It rang, and within 10 seconds, the warm, familiar voice answered the call.
"Peter? Why're you calling me now? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Stark spoke, sounding slightly preoccupied. Peter could hear loud voices in the background. Peter sniffled, then asked, "Uh, hi Mr. Stark. Um, *sniff* You're n-not busy or anything right?" Peter asked, trying desperately not to let his cries carry over to Tony.
"I'm a little busy, bud. Whats on your mind?"
"Uh, *sniff* d-do you think you could pick me up?"
"Pete? Peter are you crying? Are you okay?"
"I- Uh, yea. But can you maybe s-send Happy over? If your not busy, o-or anything." Peter hiccuped.
"Peter? Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"N-no! You know what, I'm fine. I d-don't want to, *sniff* Uh, I don't want t-to disturb y-you." Peter was now nearly sobbing. He Ignored Tonys' protests, and hung up the phone on him. He pressed his back against the cold, brick building he was hiding next to. He put his beat up head into his knees', and started to sob.
At Stark tower, Tony Stark was left bewildered by the words Peter had spoke. He turned away from the board meeting he was attending, despite their objections, and called out to FRIDAY.
"FRIDAY, where the hell is Peter?"
Peter was still crying 10 minutes later, in the same, fetal position he fell into before. He heard a car screetch bright by his left ear, and he turned his head up. There, in the entrance of the ally, he saw the Familiar silver car, then the more familiar, and uncharacteristically scared Happy Hogan.
"Peter? Peter, what the hell happened to you?!" Happy rushed over to the boy, and held out his hand. Peter looked at the man, surprised. He then took his hand, and came crashing into Happy's arms, and Happy pulled him close and gently patted him on the head.
The beaten up teen sobbed in the very confused mans' arms. After a minute like this, Happy pulled Peter away from him, and looked over the teens' face with concern.
"
Peter, what happened? Was it Spider-Man stuff?"
Peter shook his head no, "It was... someone else. I'm really sorry for bothering you, I'll be fine in a few hours." Peter said after he stopped crying.
"Peter, you don't bother us. Come on, lets get in the car, and get you cleaned up." Happy offered.
Peter agreed, picking up his backpack, and he walked over to the silver-gray car. He opened the door, and almost hopped in, when he remembered something.
"Oh, Happy?"
"Yea?"
"Don't... Please don't tell Tony."
Happy looked over the boy, thinking.
"Alright." He agreed, "But if something like this happens again, you tell me, or Tony right away, ok?"
"Ok." Peter agreed. He sat down inside the self-driving vehicle, and the two of them drove off to the tower.