Four months. Four months, and Tony was no closer to finding Peter. It was like the kid had completely disappeared off the face of the Earth. There were no records of him being enrolled in a school, no video databases with tape matching his face, not even a single account of him going to a store to buy something. May really didn't want Tony to find Peter.

Pepper had started to worry for Tony. Sure, she always worried about him, but this was different. He spent every waking second in his lab, huddled over his computer and searching everything he could, hacking every video camera, record database, and phone that he could access, all for Peter. He was becoming practically obsessed, but she couldn’t bear to tell him to stop. She couldn’t pull him away from this, especially when she desperately wanted Peter back too.

“Tony?” Pepper called softly, stepping into the room. She hardly bothered to knock or enter with caution anymore. Tony sighed to acknowledge her presence.

“I brought you some food.” She set it down carefully, grabbing the plate with untouched food from the day before. “You have to eat at some point.”

“I guess.” His eyes darted from the blue screen long enough to glance at her, then they shot back to the hovering video in front of him. With an excited jump, Tony sprung to his feet.

“There! That’s him!” He stabbed his finger into the holographic screen, pausing the video in front of him.

“Tony,” Pepper clutched his shoulder gently and eased him back into his chair, “that kid is too old to be Peter. He’s at least twenty, hon.”

Tony’s entire body seemed to deflate with each word, crumbling back into itself. Tony’s head slumped forward and an upset sigh broke from his mouth.

“I don’t know what to do, Pepper.” Thick, watery words slide through his mouth and tears slip down his face. “I failed Peter. I should never have let go of him in that warehouse. I should never have let May get away with any of this. It’s all my fault…” He looks up at Pepper with shining eyes, and Pepper’s heart broke, just like it always did whenever she looked at Tony in this state.

“Have you tried looking everywhere for Peter?” She asked the same question everyday, hoping that it would spark an idea somewhere in his depression-ridden brain.

“Everywhere. Every state, country, city, he’s nowhere.” He shakes his head. Pepper can see something in his head moving, the start of an idea forming behind his eyes.

“What? What is it?” She says excitedly. For a second, Tony just looks at her, before blinking. “It was nothing.” Suddenly, he rises to his feet, knocking her hand off his shoulder.

“I think I’m going to sleep.” His voice is almost robotic, and his eyes are focused blankly on the door to the lab.

“Finally!” Pepper throws her hands up in the air triumphantly. “I mean, good idea, hon. I’ll be in my office if you need me.” She smiles warmly at Tony, and encourages him out of the door with a shooing motion.

Tony winds through the large building, and stops right in front of his room. His hand reaches out and clutches the handle, but something draws his attention. A random thud comes from behind the door to Peter’s room three doors down from his.

With slow, jerky movements, Tony walked the several feet to Peter’s room. He clutched the handle so tightly that his hand started to turn white. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and thrusts the door open and steps into the dark room.

Tony hadn’t been in the room after Peter left. It was too painful, and he didn’t want to accidentally ruin anything in the room. He hadn’t allowed Pepper or Happy into the room either, and they hadn’t objected. For the most part, people were just giving Tony his space.

The room was freezing, and Tony shivered as he crossed the room. The source of the noise, and the temperature, was the open window. The curtains were blowing out dramatically, like you see in movies. Tony sat on Peter’s bed, listening to the creak of the springs. He finally saw it: the picture that the wind coming through the window had knocked over. He picks it up, frowning at the crack splitting through the middle of the picture.

It was Tony’s favorite picture, and he had a matching one on his desk in the lab. It was Peter hugging Tony tightly around the shoulders, and both of them were laughing. Despite himself, Tony smiled when seeing the picture. His face felt tight, and it almost hurt to smile. He could hardly remember a time in the last four months that he had smiled.

Something in Tony’s brain clicks, and this overwhelming urge to go to Peter’s house overcomes his every sense. It feels that there’s something drawing him there, something important there. Maybe… No, Peter definitely couldn’t be there, could he?

Hurrying through the house, Tony jumps into his car and speeds through the streets, pushing his car as fast as it can go. Usually, he’s a somewhat safe and responsible driver, but he’s desperate, and adrenaline courses through his body.

He jauntily parks his car in the apartment complex’s parking lot, hurriedly pushes the lock button, and hurries up the stairs and towards Peter’s apartment. He has the number memorized, and the way there even more so. He sprints up the stairs, breathing hard from climbing several flights, but desperate to get there quickly.

He approaches the door and listens for a second. Silence. But, he expected that. He knocks on Peter’s front door, standing out of the way of the peephole in case May came to the door. He didn’t have a lot of faith that Peter would still be here; it would be too easy for Tony to find them.

“Oh, darling, if you’re looking for the Parkers, they don’t live there anymore.” An old lady says from behind Tony. He whirls around and looks at her.

“Do you know where they went?” He asks, furrowing his brow.

“All I know is that they were in a mad rush.” The old lady laughs. “And that sweet boy Peter was incredibly worried. And very quiet.” She nods, remembering the details.

“Can… can you tell me more about Peter?” Just his name and the tiniest details make Tony’s heart hurt for more. Anything to know that he was okay.

“Well, he looked unhappy, that’s for sure. He had these weird marks around him, and it seemed like he was wearing makeup on top of them. Strange kid, but very kind.” She smiles warmly at Tony.

“Wait, before you go,” He reaches a hand out to her, “when did they leave?”

“I believe that it was probably a few months… Around four, if I had to guess.” She nods at him, and then begins her walk down the stairs.

Once the old lady is safely away, Tony kicks in the door. The cheap hinges swing open and the door crashes against the opposite wall. He hurries in, searching for any sight of life. Nothing.

The lights are dim, the place is cold, and there’s not a single item remaining. Tony walks through every room, becoming more discouraged with each step. Peter obviously isn’t here, so why did he feel that something here was drawing him?

After searching May’s room and the other rooms, he heads into Peter’s room. His throat tightens when he sees that the entire room is empty, except for the bunk bed that Peter loved so much. He goes to it, running his fingers along the crooked wooden ladder.

“Oh, Peter.” Tony sighs. “Where are you?”

Suddenly, his eyes lock on the single item of Peter’s that was left behind. The lego Death Star that Peter and Ned had worked so hard on. Tony remembered taking Peter to the Star Wars movie, and how much Peter had loved it. There is no possible way that Peter would have left something this special to him behind, unless…

Tony crosses the room in a few steps and tenderly grabbed the lego creation. He clutches it tight to his chest for a second, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. This feels like his last link to Peter, but there must be a reason that Peter left it behind. With a cry, Tony smashes the Death Star to the floor, sinking into the halo of lego pieces spread around a piece of paper.

Through blurry vision, he grabs the paper and shakily unfolds it. Written in Peter’s neat print, is the following words:

Mr. Stark, I don’t know when you’re going to see this. I don’t even know if you’ll think to come to my house before it’s too late. But I know that no matter what, you’re going to be really, really sad. And I can’t bear to think of you being unhappy, especially because of me. Trust me, I would always, completely, and 100% rather be with you. I won’t lie, because you’ll probably be able to tell that I’m lying to you. I’m scared, Mr. Stark. I don’t know if I can do it. If I can go with May wherever she takes me. But I promised her, and all I need to do is think of you and Pepper and I remember why I’m doing this. I may not be able to be Spiderman anymore, but I’ll be able to be a hero for myself, and in a way, for you guys, too.

May is coming, and I probably need to go and stash this in the lego-set before she figures out what I’m doing. I just need you to know that I love you more than anything else, and whenever you get sad, look at the picture in my room. You’re a genius, Mr. Stark, and I know that you can do anything you want. Maybe you could find another kid like me to take under your wing. Someone who needs it, like I did.

No matter what, I will always love you and remember you as the man who changed my life forever, in numerous ways. I don’t need powers to be strong, because I know that having you with me, even in memory, will make me the hero that everyone needs. So even if I never see you again, Dad, ________.

Love, Pe__r

Check underneath my bed.

Some of the final words in the letter are blurred and washed away by water, presumably tears from Peter. Tony leans against the bunk bed’s ladder for support as he re-reads the letter over and over again. The words burn into his mind, and his heart aches to hold Peter and tell him everything that’s been bursting around in his mind for the last four months.

Something sparks his mind, and Tony jumps to check under the bed. In sharpie, etched several times into the wood, is the word “Italy”.

A slow smile spreads across Tony’s face, this one hurting less than the last.

“Peter, you freaking genius!” He kisses the letter, happy tears replacing the sad ones that had been streaming down his face. Laughing quietly, he sets back for his car.

His phone starts to buzz with an incoming call. He puts it to his ear, listening to Pepper’s frantic cries pound through the speaker.

“Hey, I know. I just went to Peter’s apartment.”

“You… what?” Pepper’s confusion is evident through the phone.

“I went to see if I could find something… and I did.” A smile splits Tony’s lips just thinking of the letter tucked away in his pocket. “A letter from Peter. And a clue. He’s in Italy, or at least that’s where he was headed when they first left.”

“So…”

“So, how would you feel about a trip to Italy?”

**********

Peter stared through the barred windows of his tiny room. He could hear the laughter of other kids out there, probably having fun and doing something they enjoyed. He wasn’t allowed to leave the house, or use the phone or internet. He was practically a prisoner in his own home. If May could have gotten her hands on a house arrest bracelet, Peter was sure that he would be wearing one right now.

With a sigh, he got up from his bed and walked to his desk. He crossed in front of the mirror, and paused to look at himself. He had started to get dark circles under his eyes, and his hair hung in limp tendrils around his face. He cut it often, but it never looked the way it used to. He had lost a lost of weight, and shirts that used to fit tightly now billowed around him like a sail. Most notably, the glint in his eyes that always sparkled with happiness had been replaced by a dull sadness. It reflected through his entire body, but shone most obviously in his eyes.

“Peter, ready for your appointment?” Aunt May’s grinning face appeared in his doorway. He flashed a pained smile at her. “I’ll get my shoes on.” He watched as she disappeared down the hallway before pulling on his shoes as slowly as possible.

He hated the appointments, if you could even call them that. It was just him pretending that his problems were with normal teenager things instead of being kidnapped by his crazy Aunt. They probably were the biggest reason for the reason why he looked like a zombie instead of a teenager.

The car ride, just like all car rides, was silent. Aunt May attempted to initiate conversation, just like always, but Peter would never reply other than small sighs or nods. He was surprised she hadn’t asked him if he was happy, but he wouldn’t have had the stomach to lie to her. He knew what happened when he back talked her. Especially since “back talking” could mean anything from looking at her the wrong way to saying he didn’t like her cooking, as he and his fresh bruises quickly found out.

They pulled into the parking lot for the appointment. Aunt May turned off the car, before turning to look at Peter. “You’re acting strange. What’s going on?”

Peter shrugged, attempting to open the door. She clicked the locks, trapping Peter in the car.

“I want an actual reply, Peter.” She crossed her arms. “Not a shrug, or a sigh, or a whisper. I want you to use your words and actually speak to me like an adult.”

“It’s nothing.” Peter mumbled, tugging desperately on the handle again.

“It’s obviously something.” Aunt May says. “I just want things to go back to the way that they used to be, it’s not a hard request, Peter.”

“It’s just weird, you know, being in Italy and everything.” Peter lied. He wanted to tell her that he could never see her the same way after the incident, or that he was unhappy, or even that his ideal life would be to live with Mr. Stark and Pepper.

“You miss them, don’t you?” Aunt May asked in soft voice. Peter’s eyes, which had been trained on the ratty carpet of the car, now glanced to meet her gaze. He had expected fireworks behind her eyes, or a sneer pulling her lips into an odd shape, but she stared at him with large eyes and a kind expression. She didn’t seem angry, and to Peter, it seemed like she already knew the answer to his question.

“I miss them more than anything.” He said quietly, swallowing hard. A lump in his throat threatened to rise and spill tears over his eyes. But he refused to cry, especially in front of May. He had learned that lesson the first week. Crying only earned you pain.

“C’mon, we can discuss it more later.” She smiled at him and unlocked the door. “We’re already late for the appointment.”

They walked into the small brick building and talked to the receptionist. As Aunt May chatted with the man behind the desk, Peter worked his way across the room and sat in the same chair he always sat in. The only reason he sat there was because that’s where they always put the Stark magazines. It was his only way of keeping up with what Mr. Stark was doing. Today’s headline read, “Tony Stark Not Seen in Months: Has the Billionaire Finally Lost It?” Blowing air through his mouth, Peter closed his eyes. A few minutes later, May came and took him into the back to go meet with the Doctor.

“Alright, Pete.” The Doctor rubbed his hands together and clapped, the way that all Doctors seem to do. At first, Peter hadn’t been able to understand the Doctor, due to his poor english and thick Italian accent. But now he was almost as good at understanding him as he was at programming robots.

“Today we’re going to work on some-” The Doctor stopped talking when May motioned towards the hallway. They met out there, and Peter could hear everything through the door because of his super hearing.

“I know you have that… modification device downstairs.” May said, almost smugly.

“How do you know about that?” The Doctor hisses. “No one is supposed to know about that!”

“A little birdy told me.” She let out a cold laugh. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I just need you to use it on my nephew.”

“It’s dangerous.” The Doctor protests.

“I know, but it’s the only thing that will work.”

“If you’re sure, then.”

The pair heads back into the room and a chill settles over Peter.

“Alright, Pete! Change of plans, we’re actually going to head through the building and try something new today, alright? Follow me, please!” They head out of the room and down the hallway. They get to a large iron door, which the Doctor has to wave a key card in front of the handle, then types a code into the number pad next to it, then puts his finger print on the door.

“That seems a bit extensive, don’t you think?” Peter says weakly.

“Nothing is too extensive for this.” The Doctor grimly looks at the pair of them, then leads them through the door and down a large flight of concrete steps.

About halfway down the stairs, the room because freezing. Almost too cold to bear. Peter’s teeth start to chatter, and he wraps his arms around himself, trying to conserve heat in the tiny amount of body mass he has left.

“Ah, here we are!” The Doctor gestures to a leather chair in the middle of an empty room.

“Are you sure…” Peter says, before being roughly shoved forward by May. His heart pounds violently in his chest, and every nerve in his body is being set off by his Spider Sense.

“Just sit down and relax your arms on these.” The Doctor gestures to the arms of the chair. Peter does as he’s told, ignoring the crawling feeling up the back of his neck.

No sooner did his arms touch the leather chair than thick metal bars shot up and tightened around his arms, legs, and abdomen.

“What!” Peter struggles briefly, before realizing that he stands no chance, even with his super strength.

“This is for the good of the family, Peter.” Aunt May says from the corner. “I hope you understand.”

The Doctor moves with a weird-looking hat and sets it on top of Peter’s head. Peter struggles again, attempting to knock it loose. It’s so heavy that it doesn’t matter, and stays firmly rooted to the top of his head. Then, random wires are connected to other parts of him.

“Think happy thoughts, Peter.” The Doctor says, pushing a button. Instantly, blue electricity crackles through the wires and touches his skin. Although that hurts, nothing hurts more than when the helmet suctions to his head and begins to burn. It feels like no pain Peter’s ever felt before. He starts to scream, his voice mixing with the deafening sound of snapping electricity.

It happens for what seems like a lifetime, before it slowly starts to die out. With huge, heaving breaths, Peter manages to say one thing. “Mr. Stark… help.”

Then, the pain starts again, but even worse this time.