Iron Daddy and Spider (taken by Bard Jr)

[ash5150]

The weight of the entire building upon his back crushed him to the ground. His chest barely had room to expand. Even so, the bits of concrete in the air filled his mouth making it feel gritty. Every breath took all his energy to make. “Help! Someone help! Please!”

The concrete wouldn’t yield no matter how hard he pushed. Super strength or no. “Please. Someone help!” He begged. The tears came fast and heavy down his cheeks. Peter became desperate. Frantically pushing against the ton of concrete on his back as if, by some miracle, it would move. He wished for Mr. Stark to show up. To save him. Hell, he’d take the lecture it’d get him. He’d even take being suspended from the suit even longer. If only it’d save him from being crushed.

Soon enough, his breathing grew quicker as the air around him grew heavier. He was using up all the oxygen which didn’t help as he struggled to keep enough room between him and the ground to breath.

Suddenly, the thought hit him like a freight train. He was going to die here. Peter felt his heart sink at the idea. Nobody knew where he was. There wasn’t even a tracker in the suit to tell Mr. Stark where he was. Aunt May certainly didn’t know. Peter sobbed. She’d go in to wake him up the next morning and would panic when she wouldn’t find him. She’d fill out a missing person report with the police who’d swear they’d look for him. They’d chalk him up as a simple run away a week after. She’d worry herself to the grave wondering what could have happened to him.

Another sob wracked his body and made his body shake. It felt like another ton of weight was added to his load and Peter simply couldn’t hold the concrete anymore. “Please! Help! Aunt May! Ned! Mr. Stark! Anybody! I don’t want to die!” He called out in a last ditch effort to maybe get someone’s attention.

Peter coughed several time which disturbed the dust around him. The dust stung his eyes causing him to want to rub them. He couldn’t though. His arms were busy holding up the rubble. Even so, they shook with the effort. Slowly, oh so slowly, he felt himself sinking. Peter’s breaths were forced to be shorter and shorter as the space closed around him. “No! No! No! Please! I’m sorry!”

The space got smaller. There was no hope now. He would die before they’d dig him out even if they were there to hear his pleas. “Ahhh!” He screamed one last time as he tried to force the slab off his back. All he succeeded in doing was losing more air and more room. He could barely pant now. Each breath hurt his rib cage. Was this what it was like to be constricted by a snake?

Peter tried to hold his breath to keep from losing so much space. Even another second could keep him alive long enough for rescue to come. They had to have heard the building collapse! Still, the work he was doing to hold up the building was doing him in. He simply couldn’t hold up the building and the rubble!

His next breath caused his ribs to burn. He couldn’t even breathe in anymore. There was no room. It was only a matter of time now.

Each second that passed made the pain grow in his chest. He couldn’t do it anymore. Any second his ribs would crack and he’d suffocate. It was unbearable now. With his final breath he gasped out, “Please…” in a weak whisper. Finally his arms gave out. He couldn’t fight anymore. All he could do was give himself over to the darkness clouding his vision. It’d be over so quick.

 

Just then, Peter darted up in his bed. A cry broke free from his lips as he fought to bring a deep breath into his lungs. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tore the blankets off. It was too hot. Not enough air.

His door burst open as Aunt May came in wielding a bat. She looked for an invisible intruder to enact her wrath. Her eyes locked on her nephew and she dropped the bat in her rush to make sure he was okay. “Peter what’s wrong?! What happened? Are you okay?!”

Peter didn’t know he was crying until the sobs filled the room.

“Oh Petey…” Aunt May said gently. She seemed to understand what had happened as she sat on the bed next to him.

It was then Peter realized his pajama pants were wet from something more than sweat. Oh god. He wet the bed. “I-I’m sorry!” He sobbed.

“Shh, it’s okay.” She pulled him into a one armed hug as she tried to soothe him.

“Noooo!” He couldn’t help but say. This was just too much.

“Yes, Petey. It’s okay. It’s okay. It happens with kids your age. We can fix this…”

“H-How?!”

Aunt May was quiet as she tried to think of how she could help her nephew though what she could tell was a rough time. “Go get cleaned up, Petey. I’ll clean up here.”

“I-I can do it..-”

“No. It’s fine, Petey. I got it. Go. Take a shower. I’m calling you in tomorrow.”

Peter didn’t fight her too hard as he headed for the door. As long as he didn’t have to look at her pitying look anymore.

When he came back into his room, his bedsheets were changed and his aunt was nowhere to be found. He considered himself lucky and crawled under the sheets without a second thought. There was no way he was staying home tomorrow with two exams and a final project due. No way. So, he tried to fall asleep as fast as possible.

To saw that May was concerned would certainly be an understatement. Ever since she had discovered that Peter was the friendly neighborhood Spiderman and that his "internship" with Stark Industries was a shame, she could see a toll being taken on the teen. Between school, his nightly patrols, and the few times he'd been called in to help the Avengers, the stress on the boy was increasing tenfold. Peter constantly said that he was fine, getting enough sleep, being able to balance his teenage and superhero lives, but May could spot a bullshit smile a mile away, especially when it came to her nephew.

Chewing her lip and peeking into Peter's room to ensure the boy was asleep, she consulted the time on her phone. Throwing caution to the wind, she pulled up the contact for Tony Stark and shot off a text to the man, expressing concern and wanting to talk about Peter when he had time. Fortunately, summer vacation was just a few days away, so at least some stress could be taken off of the boy.

[Bard Jr]

Tony was straighting his tie when his phone beep. He picked it up and read though the message from Peter's aunt. This was disturbing news. His mind was blank on what to say. He let it go for a few hours thinking what to do. It was until lunch time that he called her.

"What's up?" He listened carefully. "I'm not sure what I can do." He thought about the time it would take. Did he have avilable to him. He looked though his calendar. "Ok, I can give a month. I can only hope it will be enough. I'll right over." 

He called for a car and drove over. He knocked on the door.  When Aunt May answered and let him in, "Where is he and how's he's doing?"

[Bard Jr]

He's listening carefully as she describes what is happening. All she knows is the bad dreams without any details about the dreams. "The bedwetting may be physical. I'll have him checked out." He wonders if what gave him his powers also has negative effects else wheres.

He goes to Peter's room. He taps on the door. "Hey, Peter, It' Tony. Can I come in?" He waits for response. He hears "Come on in." He walks to the room and grabs a chair from the desk and sits. He doesn't comment about Aunt May's worries. He wants Peter to tell him on his own. "What's up?"