#please tony stark could be saving kids in one comic panel and I would still punt that fucker into an active volcano bc I hate him

[imperiuswrecked]

People never hate a character on vibes anymore, they have to PROVE that fictional character is the worst for REASONS so they feel justified for hating that character and if they can’t find some fictional crime then usually they have to take stuff out of context to do this.

[imyourliquor-youremypoison]

A Girl’s Best Friend (Peter Parker x OC) - Part 1

Synopsis: Diamonds are man’s best friend- or dogs are girls’ best friends, wait... how does the saying go again?

Warnings: Family issues; Peter has a crush and it’s complicated; mention of assault; good dogs; College AU; aged up! characters; TONY STARK IS ALIVE AND WE ALL LIVE IN A HAPPY PLACE CALLED DENIAL

A/N: In this story, Peter has Tom’s dog, Tessa.

Word count: 1.5k

>>> Part 2

MASTERLIST

                Today was blood donation day, the Red Cross invested one of the faculty’s buildings this morning, turning it into a momentary blood bank. About half the student body decided to do the right thing and donate, and so the line was longer than the meet’n’greet line at the San Diego Comic Con Peter attended last year.

                And he couldn’t even donate his blood! Unless he wanted to have a Spider-Sidekick turn up one day, Tony had strongly advised him to stay clear of needles outside of his lab. No, Peter Parker stood in this endless line to keep company to Ned, who was afraid of needles but wanted to donate still because he had told a girl he liked that he would.

                Peter was half convinced they would still be standing there tomorrow. He should have brought a tent and something to eat. A least something to do. Luckily Ned nervous-babbled to keep his mind busy, or Peter might have fallen asleep while standing – last night’s mission had lasted longer than planned and he hadn’t had as much sleep as a college student would hope for.

“Hey, it’s my turn next,” Ned told him, nudging him in the ribs and waking Peter from his little snooze.

                And sure enough, they stood right next to the doctor’s little desk. Five doctors had set up their desks behind large panels as if those guaranteed any intimacy at all. Peter recognized the girl sitting in the chair at the nearest desk as one of his fellow classmates. He only knew her first name, or rather, her nickname. She didn’t look like she had any close friends, but most people called her Em. So, Emily, or Emma, he guessed.

                He briefly wondered why this girl always kept to herself. She was always well put together, he had never heard her say something off, she didn’t smell weird, and he had no reason to think she wasn’t intelligent. Then again, she must have her reasons, and whatever they were, they were none of his business.

                Okay, so, maybe he did notice her because he thought she was pretty, but that was it, and it still didn’t make it his business.

                A part of him knew it wasn’t nice to eavesdrop, but Peter was bored out of his mind and he had no ill intention, it was just plain curiosity. Ned had finally stopped talking his ears off, therefore nothing stopped him from listening.

“Name and date of birth please,” the doctor asked, his voice as toneless as expected after a day of saying the same thing over and over again.

“Emmeline Gerard, April 1st 1996,” she answered just as flatly.

                Not Emily or Emma then, well… Peter didn’t think too hard about it, but the doctor seemed to pause and the young woman momentarily gained his full attention as his eyes switched between her and the application form in his hand.

“Yes, I’m his daughter,” she snapped, clearly having been there and done that before.

The doctor hadn’t even asked anything, but Peter guessed the question was obvious – the man must know her father, whoever he was. A fellow practitioner maybe? He didn’t even know why he cared, but this was the most thrilling interaction he had witnessed today.

The doctor shook his head and resumed his questions.

“Did you eat and drink something before coming? Do you feel ready to donate blood?”

                Peter’s attention dwindled from then on, until she was almost done.

“Any medical history in your family?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never met them,” she quipped, sending the old man a clipped smile that showed nothing but restrained annoyance. “I’m adopted.”

                Upon hearing that, Peter turned cherry red. He shouldn’t have been listening in on that doctor-patient conversation. Yet, he felt oddly drawn to her after hearing that she was an orphan like him. Sure, she had been adopted and her father was apparently someone of importance, but still, it tugged at Peter’s heartstrings.

                 Her one on one with the doctor quickly came to an end, but he didn’t let her go without a final word.

“Please tell your father I wish him the best of luck for the election to come!” he called just as the young woman grabbed her bag and stood up to leave.

                She froze, put her bag on her shoulder, clutching at the strap so hard Peter thought she must have been picturing the doctor’s neck in its stead, and she smiled. The smile was wrong, it had something off.

“I will. Good day, doctor.”

                Peter knew, by the sound of her voice and the way her smile immediately dropped when she turned around, that she would never, not even in a million years, tell her father. She walked around the panel and nearly bumped right into him.

“Oh, sorry, I-“ Peter started, feeling as though he had been caught red handed doing something bad. This was the first time he even opened his mouth in her presence.

“Oh great! You heard everything, now didn’t you?!” she snapped, clearly mad though he wasn’t convinced it was entirely his fault. That conversation must have rubbed her the wrong way. “God fucking dammit,” she cursed. “Well, go on, it’s your turn!”

                She stood slightly aside to tell him in so she could walk out but Peter only stood there awkwardly, hands in his pockets.

“I-I’m not donating, I’m just here with-“ He had barely gestured towards Ned, who now watched the two, before she cut him off.

“Even better! Out of my way, then.”

She pushed him aside, elbowing her way out of the little crowd that had formed around the door so she could go to the next stall where she’d finally make that donation, now that all the formalities were over.

“Who was that?” Ned asked Peter, watching the enraged girl stride away, her angry vibes making people step out of her way.

“Emmeline Gerard,” Peter answered offhandedly, eyes not leaving her form until she was out of sight. Ned simply frowned because her name meant nothing to him, but he didn’t get the time to ask any further questions.

“Next!” the doctor called, and Ned stepped in, leaving Peter to stand in the hallway with the hundred other people waiting there.

                He made a mental note to look her up tonight.

  *

  “Can you believe this? I can’t even talk to a doctor without hearing about my father!” she ranted, making angry hand gestures while Bella watched on, titling her head to the left. “You’d think a doctor would be a little more professional than that! Bringing politics into a medical consultation, ugh!” she groaned, finally seeming to calm down a little.

                She had been chewing on her tongue all day, biting off harsh remarks whenever somebody dared look her way. That poor boy she lashed out on this morning! He looked vaguely familiar; she must have a class with him – she would have to apologize if she saw him then.

“I just-“ she started, glancing at Bella who walked beside her. “I’m so sick of only being somebody’s daughter.”

                Bella’s ears perked up and she looked up at Emmeline, her big brown eyes full of questions.

“Of course, you don’t understand my problems, do you?” She knelt down and scratched Bella’s ears, watching her tail wag now that she had her owner’s full attention. “Your only concern in life is when you’ll next have to go to the vet.”

                The sun was setting now, the last orange rays filtering between New York City’s buildings. Her walks in Central Park with Bella were supposed to be a moment of relaxation – not a moment to scare the kids hanging there with her grumbling. Most must think her crazy for ranting at her dog.

                But Bella didn’t mind – at least Emmeline thought so – and she couldn’t give less of a crap what people thought of her. Her father would; in fact, her father gave many craps what people thought of him and, by extension, his family. Emmeline had never liked the word family, it just never made sense to her. She was born and immediately abandoned and then she was placed into the arms of another set of parents whose love never left right.

“Thank you for listening, Bel,” she told the happy dog who waited for her to unhook the leash so she could run around for a bit.

                Pitbulls were considered dangerous dogs and Bella had to wear a muzzle every time they went out – it broke Emmeline’s heart but it was the law. She couldn’t play fetch with her like this, but at least she could play with other dogs in the park. A lot of them already knew each other, and Emmeline waved at an old lady who walked her labradoodle, Sir Henry.

                She watched them run in circles for a while.

“I can’t speak about this with anyone else,” she muttered to herself, eyes never leaving her dog. “Who would pity the beloved mayor of New York’s daughter? I’m supposed to be the luckiest girl in the city.”

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[petersquips]

Stark Contrast: Introduction

Masterlist || Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four (pt 1) | Chapter Four (pt 2)

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Word count: 3,632

Warnings: Swearing, reference to familial death, mentions of sex, mention of a drop of blood

Chapter Summary: Y/N first meets Tony Stark as his illegitimate daughter from a party 17 years ago. As Mr. Stark and her lawyer discuss custody, she must ponder if this is even something she wants.

A/N: The beginning is finally here! I hope you all enjoy this introductory chapter. It’s really focused on introducing the character of Y/N and how she came to live with Tony. Peter and the whole big bang will begin in Chapter One, I promise! Also, I know Project Arsenal is something completely different in the comics, but here I’m using it to refer to the new element that saved Tony’s life in Iron Man 2. Please feel free to comment, reblog, send me an ask, anything helps. I want to hear from you all, even if you just want to tell me how your day is going!!!

If you want to be added to the tag list for this fic, Inbox me and I‘ll add your username. Members of the tag list MUST reblog. I look forward to your feedback, friends!

Throughout her childhood, somewhere buried in a musty old closet was a document that held more family secrets than Y/N could care to know. Not that her life was great before Pandora’s Box opened. Her parents tried, but there was always that surreptitious foundation that made her feel like a black sheep, just left of center, and still outside the circle. One small life-ending car accident later, and she was discovered. The illegitimate daughter of Tony Stark, a poor girl from the slums of some nameless city in the midwest now suddenly torn away to upstate New York, riding in the car alongside a lawyer who was nervously adjusting his tie and preparing his big case. The clammy man awkwardly muttered an explanation about why this was not just another false claim, that this was his actual DNA pulsing through the result of a wild after party he threw in Seattle 17 years ago.

The driveway up to the obscene white building was long, winding and pointless. The security was at every corner, the vehicle constantly being stopped by AI surveillance that needed yet another verification.  A scan here, a code there. Y/N couldn’t help but play with the automatic window in her boredom. The glass slid up and down with the flick of a switch. The sound of the outside air rushing in before being funnelled and cut off amused her childish mind, and the cold autumn air dusting over her cheeks was refreshing. Just the feeling of having control over the window made Y/N feel more secure in her current, dodgy affair. The car pulled up to the main entrance and beyond the silver-framed glass doors a large empty lobby could be seen, like a pristine shopping mall without the stores and gum-ball machines. The nervous man beside Y/N took a deep breath and then eagerly unlatched the door and pushed his way out. When she heard the door loudly click shut behind him, Y/N shrugged and shoved her shoulder into the door to follow suit.

It was sunny outside. The kind of beautiful August day that had no right to be so summer-y. The warmth radiated into Y/N’s cheek as she gazed upon the vast white monstrosity. She slowly stepped around in a circle, noticing the quin-jet on the runway in the front lawn and the slightly demolished trees of the uncultivated forest along the shoreline, flickers of the ocean water glimmering through the branches as it sloshed against the land. It was as ugly as it was beautiful. Y/N closed her eyes, just for a moment, and inhaled the fresh ocean air, it’s impurities tickling her nose as it rushed to her brain. She felt cleansed.

Finally, Y/N turned back around and jogged across the heated pavement to catch up with her lawyer, who was hurrying in a manner somewhere between stoic confidence and absolute frantic anxiety. The interior was a stark contrast to the bright white outside. A collection of black and grey floor tiles glowed in the natural light flooding in through the windows. Above their heads a couple of people in lab coats trotted across a glossy black catwalk, accented by the silver hardware that connected it to the glass panels and handrails. The two were speaking about in something that sounded like another language entirely, but she figured it had to be English given their London accents peeking through the dialogue. The whole place felt vast, but not empty. 

A man approached, whom Y/N recognized as Harold Hogan, known to his friends as “Happy”. The man who was once Tony Stark’s bodyguard was now known for his responsibility in managing the operations of the Avengers Facility. His face was serious and his walk meant business. Y/N couldn’t imagine what inspired the nickname “Happy” outside of good, old-fashion sarcasm. 

“Adam Goldberg?” Happy inquired, stepping up to Y/N’s lawyer with a slight scowl. Goldberg nodded tentatively, without any words. Happy huffed and turned to glare straight into Y/N’s eyes. “Is this your client?” he asked Goldberg passively, still staring at the teenager beside him.

“Yes,” Y/N heard Adam Goldberg state confidently as he straightened up. She was beginning to become annoyed by the accusing eyes of “Happy” Hogan. 

Happy nodded, “Alright. You two follow me. Do not touch anything. Better yet, don’t look at anything. Look straight ahead the whole way.” The man turned and began briskly walking at a pace it was hard to keep up with. Goldberg looked excited as the two of you trotted along, like a little kid on ‘Bring Your Kid to Work Day’, like this was his first big case. In fact, it probably was to some extent. How many cases could possibly warrant meeting a celebrity the likes of Tony Stark? Y/N shook her head at his ignorant bedside manner. This was her life in the hands of a billionaire and whether or not he’d really want to take the responsibility of a child he never knew he had. Quite simply, it was stressful. So when Happy Hogan stopped on the side of a glossy black door, it’d be safe to say her heart stopped for a few seconds. 

Mr. Goldberg reached for the golden door handle and eagerly pulled it open. Y/N couldn’t see behind his broad, suit-jacket wearing shoulders, adding to her heightened anxiety. She followed the grey-wool clad mass that was her lawyer into a dark office. Goldberg finally stepped aside to take a seat and Y/N’s breath hitched as she was faced with Tony Stark, slouched in a chair behind a large black desk and surrounded by gunmetal grey computers and machines. The room was lit up almost exclusively by the bright blue displays, depicting blueprints and schematics that seemed incomprehensibly detailed. Quickly, she took the seat to the right of Goldberg. It was strange to sit so close to a celebrity. She could see his pores, the faint scar across his left cheek and the grey hairs peeking out in his beard and his hairline. It all made him seem so real and human. The visual appearance of age made Y/N relax some as the feeling that this man was no longer the party monster that brought her into this world. He was a superhero, and that had to mature someone.

Still, she just lost her family, was at a meeting to determine what stranger she’d get tossed off to, and she wanted to be angry at this man. It was his immaturity that put her in a childhood of poverty. A rich man who had a fun night with a poor woman, and left her to raise the child. There was the small detail that her mother never told this Tony Stark that Y/N ever existed, but how would she even have gone about that? One night at a party doesn’t exactly warrant exchanging contact information on a hunk of Blackberry phone.

“Mr. Stark-” Goldberg began but was too startled to finish as Tony wordlessly jumped up from his chair and began working his way around the desk.

“So you’re what, fifteen?” Tony inquired dismissively, tapping a large silver pen against his palm as he meandered toward Y/N.

“Seventeen,” Y/N corrected passively, not hesitating long enough to skip a beat.

“And I’m just finding out about this now? A little suspicious, don’t you think?” Mr. Stark continued as he cornered around the evidently invisible lawyer.

Goldberg interrupted, “Sir, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t address my client directly-“

“I guess my mother just didn’t think you were the “father” type, though I can’t see why. Seems you made a pretty good sugar daddy for her,” Y/N remarked over her lawyer. It felt good to just give in to her hormonal teenage whims. She wanted to act out, and if there was a place to do it, of course it was this very important meeting.

Tony stopped and smiled. He set a hand on Goldberg’s shoulder and leaned in. “I like her,” he commented, before looking back at Y/N. She crossed her arms, leather jacket squeaking, and slouched back in her chair in defense. His face was different now. It showed a level of disassociation mixed with curiosity that quite frankly scared the teen he was staring down. It was like looking at an angry parent mocking fake innocence before blowing their top. The big crazy eyes and the slow approach. Y/N chewed her lip nervously as Tony Stark stepped behind her chair and set his hands on the corners of the backrest.

A zap ran down Y/N’s spine and she jumped away from Tony in her chair, yelling, “Ouch!” as her hand flew up to the back of her neck. It was wet and she pulled her hand down to see a small spot of blood on her palm, nothing that wouldn’t stop in a matter of seconds, and still blood. “What the hell?” Y/N yelled, shifting in her chair to face Tony Stark. She was shocked, confused, angry, and she wanted answers even if she couldn’t form a sentence that communicated any of that.

“DNA test,” Tony shrugged, pulling back the object Y/N had previously thought was a pen, and now understood to be the machine that stabbed her moments ago. The man smirked at the obnoxious teen's obvious frustration as he backed away confidently.

“You couldn’t have just asked?” Y/N sputtered.

“You see, I really couldn’t have,” Tony sighed. “DNA tests are a tricky thing. Could be faked, could be toxic, and it was much more fun to see your face do that thing.”

“What thing?” The insecurity was already forming, though for what she didn’t know. She watched as the man placed the not-a-pen object into a slot that had opened up in his desk. It disappeared before their eyes as it was sucked away.

“Mr. Stark, really-“ Goldberg tried again, only for Tony to ignore him and begin explaining.

“We’ll see the results from that in a few seconds, and then we can talk.”

Y/N adjusted in her chair. She really didn’t know what would happen. For all she knew, she wasn’t actually Tony Stark’s kid and her mother was a compulsive liar. All she had to tell her otherwise was a shitty piece of paper that had been hidden in a closet for years if not her entire life. And what if she was Tony Stark’s daughter? Would that really be any better? He was an annoying, childish stranger from what she had seen and what business did he have suddenly trying to be a father? That is, if he even would try. It was all very agonizing, and Y/N found herself compulsively tugging at the sleeves of her leather jacket.

“Now I’m gonna be honest with you, kid,” Tony started, “I don’t remember your mother at all. I don’t remember a lot of women, to her credit, but when someone starts knocking down your door claiming they have your DNA, you have to be careful,” Y/N couldn’t tell if she wanted to roll her eyes or cry at what this man was saying. She felt lost and lonely, and he was definitely only making it worse. “Especially now. We don’t know who’s out there, and when the media has given us the whole ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ gig, who knows what kind of people-”

“The results are in, Sir.” It was like a voice from the sky. Y/N hadn’t noticed any speakers in the room, and wasn’t prepared to be hearing the voice of this AI interface the entire world had heard about without actually hearing it, called “J.A.R.V.I.S.”

“Right on time,” Tony commented, plopping back down into his chair, slightly sideways with a leg hanging over the armrest. “What’ve you got for me, Jarvis?”

“It’s a match.” Tony’s smug faced drained into a pale expression of nothingness. He stared vacantly into the wall beyond his dangling leg.

“Get out,” Tony mumbled.

“What?” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh as she spoke, though her face was contorted in a type of concern and confusion she had never known.

“Get out, kid,” Tony commanded aggressively as he once again stood up, mentioning, “I want to talk to your lawyer,” as he hurried around the desk and opened the office door. Y/N kept staring at the manic man as he gestured like a doorman. “Vamoose. Move your caboose, kid, I’ve not got time to read you a whole Dr. Seuss book,” Stark complained as he dropped an exhausted hand.

Hurriedly, Y/N collected herself and scuttled out the door, not sure where she was supposed to go while this was going on, or what that even meant. She gasped as the door slammed behind her, wind gusting through her hair at the sudden movement. Her brows knit together and her lips gaped as she began to panic. Eyes watering as she stared at the floor. A throat clearing beside her pulled her back into reality, turning to see the now softer, yet clearly uncomfortable face of Happy Hogan. He didn’t even speak, just nodded his head to the side and started walking. Y/N followed him as she presumed that is what he intended, though everything seemed so different here it was hard to tell. He led her into an open lounge they had passed on the way to Tony’s office earlier. There was a wall of windows behind a large black leather couch, that made a “U” shape around an unlit stone fireplace. Directly behind was a bar lined with various expensive-looking liquor bottles. Y/N turned to look at Happy, trying to figure out if this was where she was supposed to be. He shifted awkwardly and nodded toward the couch while clearing his throat again. She sadly looked at the floor and walked over to the couch, taking a seat before looking back for approval from Happy, still back at the walkway. Upon seeing her on the couch, he promptly walked off back toward Tony’s office. She was alone.

She was crying before she could even process it. Y/N hated crying, but here she was doing it. A tear here for how overwhelmed she was, a sniff there for how scared she was, and a long exhale for how exhaustingly alone she felt. Time was slow. Even as the orange glow of sunset flooded into the room, Y/N felt as though she’d be trapped in that awful moment forever. She watched the sun sink lower into the sky as her tears dried, the weight of a thousand buildings on her chest. It was devastating as the burning light silhouetted the trees and glimmered in the ocean. After what she could swear had been hours, Y/N finally heard placid voices and turned to the open end of the room that aligned with the hallway. She saw Happy and Mr. Goldberg walk past, their giant shadows hurrying against the warm glow of the wall behind them. Neither so much as turned to look at her. She caught only a fragment of their conversation. Something about the logistics of transferring materials, but they disappeared behind the second wall so quickly. Y/N couldn’t be bothered with being concerned anymore. It had been too many hours that day she had worried, so she shrugged off the appearance and turned back to the last of the sunset. The flaming orb had all but disappeared, and all that was left of its presence was a pink hue over the shoreline. Sunset always moved at such an exponential pace. Once it was almost over, you’d blink and it’d be done.

It was beginning to grow dim in the room. It had probably been about 15 minutes since Mr. Goldberg had left and the windows were providing minimal light, but the whole place was muted and blue without the sun to light it up. Y/N almost found herself feeling drowsy, but was pulled right back as suddenly the fluorescent ceiling lights popped on, causing her to swing her head around suddenly to find the source, eventually landing on a tentative Tony Stark not quite standing in the room as he half hid behind the wall closest to his office.

“Hey, kid,” Tony greeted calmly, as he walked into the space, hands hidden in the pockets of his blue jeans. The imposing glow of his chest piece polluted his black t-shirt as he approached Y/N. She watched him carefully as he sat down beside her, about another person’s worth of space between them. It was quiet. They both stared at their own shuffling feet and between the two of them, nothing was said for what seemed like an eternity. “Happy talked to Goldberg about getting your stuff here. It’ll be in your room sometime tomorrow morning.”

This was a lot more information than what was said, and still Y/N felt the need to clarify, “So I’m staying? Like, here?”

“Yeah. I mean, this is where I live and I guess I’m your guardian now, so this is home.” Tony seemed to be speaking aimlessly, struggling to find the right words.

“Weird,” Y/N responded simply, sitting on her hands uncomfortably.

“Weird,” Tony agreed before remaining silent for another hopelessly long amount of time. The moon was beginning to take place in the early-evening lavender sky when he shifted, pointing his knees toward the teen. “Look, I am sorry but I really don’t remember your mother.”

“Why would you even say that?” Y/N asked, suddenly standing up and facing the now small looking man on the couch.

Tony sat up and defensively snapped back, “I was just trying to be honest-”

“Honest doesn’t make it okay. I don’t know you. You’re a strange man who sexed my mother, and now I’m standing in your house without warning. I am not here for honest right now,” Y/N ranted. Her face was heating up and she felt the need to begin pacing a small path in front of him, only about a meter wide. “And where was that honesty when you decided to stab me in the fucking neck?”

“I had to make sure you weren’t just another ‘fake news’ case.” Tony’s face turned harder as he now stood up from the couch, not much taller than Y/N, and probably not as threatening as he would like to be as a consequence. “I’m trying to tell you that I cannot remember anything about that night. I don’t remember your mother. From what I can tell, I was so blackout drunk that night I forgot to use a condom. My mistake.”

Y/N jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?” she shouted. “I didn’t have a choice to be born. I just was; whatever the reason. I just lost my entire family and now I’m supposed to live with a strange man. I’m scared!” She near screamed.

“Well I’m scared, too, kid,” Tony stated firmly, staring her down. “Neither of us asked for this, okay? I’m not a dad. I don’t have the prerequisites for that. I’m just a guy who now has custody of a teenager. What am I supposed to do with that?” The sound of his voice beginning to break apart sobered Y/N from her previous state of anger. The man took a calming breath before continuing, “I’m trying to be honest about not remembering your mother so you don’t have any pretenses about me. I can’t be your parent—not in the way she was.”

“She was a bitch anyway,” Y/N commented submissively, plopping back on the couch.

“You don’t miss her?” Tony sat down again, this time next to her. His words, for the first time, expressed genuine interest.

“I mean, I do, like she cared for me and all, but she had her shortcomings, too. She lied about who my biological father was for the last 17 year of my life, which is all of them, so that kind of sucks.” Y/N felt a little embarrassed about the dialectics she was toying with, and felt the need to simplify it all into a simple, “It’s complicated.”

“I get that,” Tony agreed, cautiously placing an arm along the back of the couch behind Y/N’s head. “My old man was a pain in the ass. Couldn’t even find the time to acknowledge my existence. Then after he died I found out about Project Arsenal.” The curious teen looked Stark in the eyes for the first time that night and pulled her legs onto the couch so she could sit sideways and face him. “It saved my life, but it still doesn’t make up for getting ignored through an entire childhood.”

“Big mood,” Y/N nodded.

“Big what?”

“Big mood,” Y/N repeated. Tony turned his palms up and shook his head, making her giggle to know that even if he is one of the most relevant people in the world, he still was an old guy who didn’t know the lingo. “It’s like, I feel that. You know?” For the first time since meeting the world famous Tony Stark, she saw a genuine smile begin to play at the corner of his lips. “You’re not getting this, are you?” Y/N presumed. “It means it’s relatable,” she tried again, laughing at the strange man. She knew he was right in that he couldn’t be a “dad” to her, but if this was Tony, she figured she could survive having one of those.

[namixart]

To start off 2019 with some positivity, I'm going to make a list of things that I absolutely love and make me happy in my favourite shows, movies, books, games etc. Small things, big things, no particular rhyme or reason. It was surprisingly therapeutic. Feel free to reblog and add your own!

Link being left-handed now let him use sign language Nintendo please

The entire Sector 6 Market section in Final Fantasy VII and the Honeybee Inn in particular

Zuko's character arc

The Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack

Final Fantasy X's worldbuilding

Everything about Disney's Mary Poppins it put me in a good mood for three days straight

How Percy absolutely adores his mum and is supportive of her relationship with Paul (after a while)

Edward Elric

(Yes. Just Edward Elric as a character, person, concept, actions...)

Major character design kink: boys with long (ish) blonde hair (see Edward, Link, Zidane, Howl)

Final Fantasy IX's soundtrack

Aerith and Tifa being close friends despite both being in love with Cloud

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence's worldbuilding

The fact that one of the characters in Zootopia speaks with my city's accent in the Italian dub (you never see it in any movie)

Final Fantasy IV's world being just vague enough that it tickles my creative bone to expand on it

Kingdom Hearts I using original storylines for the Disney Worlds

How Yato's eyes are very a very clear indication that he's a supernatural being in Noragami, being unnaturally light and bright

That one panel in the Kingdom Hearts II manga where an almost-naked Pete carries Maleficent bridal style out of the collapsing tower

Sleeping Beauty's art style and instrumental soundtrack

The fact that two super popular shonen manga/anime have leads who are super smart instead of being dumb muscle or the stock happy-go-lucky-not-very-bright protagonist (Fullmetal Alchemist and My Hero Academia)

How some of the Olympians like Hermes and Poseidon are so casual when interacting with mortals

The scene where the Spaceport is revealed in Treasure Planet and the look of the film in general

The first few chapters of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga before card games took over the plot

People in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence being emotionally honest despite being literal con artists

The theatre motif in The Republic of Thieves

Cloud, Aerith and Tifa threatening Don Corneo, but especially Aerith saying that "she'll rip it off" if he doesn't cooperate

Locke and Jean becoming pirates in Red Seas Under Red Skies

The Hunger Games movies being the most accurate film adaptations I have seen in my life

The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack, especially the vocal tracks, Dearly Beloved and The Other Promise

Final Fantasy VI shoving you in what usually is the backstory of a videogame and literally destroying the world

Edward defending Mustang when he had his sight taken from him despite them having spent 90% of their screentime together bickering

Tony Stark and Peter Parker's relationship in the MCU

Sophie throwing a tantrum after she realises she's in love with Howl and creating deadly weedkiller to express those feelings

Darcy being a goddamn social Disaster in every incarnation of Pride and Prejudice

The relationship between Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye

The Once Upon a December sequence from Anastasia

The mere existence of Zamira Drakasha and Ezri Delmastro and everything they represent

Sokka's role as both the strategist and the goofball in the Gaang

Peter Parker sharing a hot dog with Loki when he could have asked for anything because Loki owed him a favour

How the plot of Kingdom Hearts is so ridiculous we don't even question it anymore

Enormous muscly men I can still categorise as "super adorable and sweet" (Major Armstrong, All Might)

Howl being the biggest drama queen in the book

My Hero Academia's fantasy AU ending

Spider-Man (PS4) nailing the Friendly Neighbourhood Spidey aspect of the character and letting him interact with civilians

That moment when I was sure Bakugou was going to join the League of Villains but then he didn't and I've never been happier about being wrong my entire life

Zuko practising before asking the Gaang to join them

SNAP SNAP SPARK SPARK

Harry's wonder at every new thing in the Wizarding World

The fact that Spider-Man's backstory could just as easily be that of a villain but instead he's a hero and he has the biggest heart

Jake and Amy being in an Adult and Communicative relationship while still being themselves and each other's best friend

Winry being just as much of a prodigy as Ed and Al and building Ed's automail at 11 years old

Percy Jackson starting out as a standard straight white kids' series and Riordan adding ALL THE DIVERSITY as soon as it got popular enough that Disney couldn't say no

Charlie Weasley just outright trespassing into Hogwarts to smuggle an illegal dragon out

The soul and essence of Pride and Prejudice being passive-aggressiveness and sarcasm

Apollo's haikus in Trials of Apollo

Every scene using Deep Canvas in Tarzan

Winry and Edward's diametrically opposed reactions to the realisation they're in love ("Oh I guess I've fallen for him alright moving on" vs "Fuckfuckfuckfuck oh shit no why oh god aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh")

Lilo & Stitch's watercolour backgrounds

The fact that Roy Mustang's womanising persona is a facade to hide the fact that he's a) a huge nerd, b) going to overthrow the government and c) in love with his lieutenant

The "makings of greatness" speech in Treasure Planet

Spider-Man (PS4)'s swelling score as you start web swinging

The Battle of 1000 Heartless in Kingdom Hearts II

Sophie proudly describing Howl to Abdullah, him assuming she was listing flaws and her getting angry about it

Edward and Alphonse being atheists despite having literally met their version of God

The fact that Amajiki is one of the top three hero students despite his crippling anxiety

Rubicante recognising Edge as a warrior and apologising for Lugae's horribleness

Edge unlocking new powers out of sheer rage

Sora throwing a tea party at the end of Dream Drop Distance while his best friend was still asleep

The backstory in Skyward Sword about Hylia and the first Link

The "immoral manga" omake in Fullmetal Alchemist

The School Festival arc in My Hero Academia, Eri finally smiling and Deku and Mirio being the best big brothers I've ever seen

Kingdom Hearts III finally coming out this month

McGonagall's cat form resembling her human form

Edward finally breaking down at the end of Fullmetal Alchemist god I love this boy so much he has such a big heart

The Enlarged Suit Scene from Howl's Moving Castle

Most of Howl’s Moving Castle is a delight to be honest

Kairi's reaction at the news that she would be training with Axel in A Fragmentary Passage

The bonfire scene in Cosmo Canyon from Final Fantasy VII

Uraraka deciding not to focus on her crush on Deku in order to grow as a hero

Rydia summoning Titan and raising a mountain at the ripe age of seven in Final Fantasy IV

The friendship between Percy, Annabeth and Grover

Kairi and Lea looking like they're going to be a team in Kingdom Hearts III

Greed (at least the second one) claiming that his goal in life is to have everything when in fact he only ever really wanted friends

The Main Theme of Final Fantasy playing during the scene where the characters not in the final battle pray for the party in Final Fantasy IV

The Overture from Phantom of the Opera

Locke Lamora from the Gentleman Bastard Sequence being named after Locke Cole from Final Fantasy VI

Luna Lovegood never having to change who she is and remaining weird and happy

Terra Branford becoming more human by feeling not romantic love but maternal love for a bunch of orphaned children

The "You're not alone" scene from Final Fantasy IX

Darcy respecting Elizabeth's refusal of his first proposal and working to become a better person after she points out his many flaws

Neku learning to open up to people in The World Ends With You and literally saving Shibuya through character development

Bakugou's slow development into a better person

The sketchy animation during Disney's Dark Age

The official character artwork for Skyward Sword

Harry and Sirius's relationship

Spider-Man being a street-level hero and being super humble even though he can literally lift Thor's hammer

That little high-five between Sora and Remy in the 30 seconds trailer for Kingdom Hearts III

Rosa and Rydia immediately ignoring the boys' order to not come to the Moon and stowing away on the Lunar Whale

Plus Edge's adorable "Y-you're here too!?" in the DS remake

Cloud not being allergic to smiling and joking around in the original Final Fantasy VII ("Let's mosey!")

Thor and Loki starting to mend their relationship in Ragnarok

Into The Spider Verse has a scene where Miles uses Spider-Man comic books to figure out how to use his powers and it's the best and I love it

You know what, Into The Spider Verse as a whole because I saw it a while back and I'm still gushing

[pluckyredhead]

Daredevil 101: The Nifty (Late) Nineties

Last time on Daredevil 101, Matt had yet another nervous breakdown, and Foggy finally found out, after 30 years of canon, that his best friend was Daredevil.

Now, with Matt having un-faked his death, he, Foggy, and Karen are free to settle into a new status quo - and it’s a refreshingly light-hearted one! Honestly, I would say this is the peppiest Daredevil ever is - there’s less melodramatic thought-bubbling than the Silver Age, and no undercurrent of severe depression like in the Waid run. It’s just sheer, pleasant fun.

In fact, it’s basically a romcom, with wacky misunderstandings and lots of workplace shenanigans thrown in. Which, considering we’re talking 1996-1998, is right on schedule.

Over the next three posts we’ll be covering Daredevil Volume 1 #353-375, mostly by the creative teams of Karl Kesel/Cary Nord and Joe Kelly/Gene Colan (the latter of whom also drew much of Silver Age Daredevil, aw).

Content Warning: Reading between the lines, emotional abuse by a parent.

We begin with Matt deciding that the best way to announce his return to the world is to stroll into the courtroom during one of Foggy’s cases and just start arguing it alongside him, creating a media circus. Foggy’s...less than thrilled:

How on earth would he know you’re really blind, Matt? You never a) explained anything or b) apologized, you literally just jumped out the window and ran away.

Anyway, they don’t have time to go into it (and Matt gets to skip out of apologizing again) because they get a shocking message:

1. Foggy, you are a fashion icon, never change.

2. How does he know Rosalind Sharpe? And why is he so agitated at the prospect of meeting with her???

Meanwhile, Karen's trying to find her own direction in life:

Matt’s always been pretty careless and jovial about Karen selling out his secret identity - he has literally never tasked her with or blamed her for it - but it weighs on Karen. Also, I don’t blame Karen for not being sure what job to take, since her last two were “handing out anti-porn pamphlets on a street corner” and “running a drug addiction hotline,” both of which are noble causes but neither of which seemed to come with a salary.

Side note: this haircut is very dated but it is my 100% favorite Karen haircut of all time. So kicky! So fresh! So Monica Gellar circa Season 2! I love it.

Meanwhile, Matt’s gone back to “swashbuckling banter-er” when it comes to fighting crime:

I mean, Matt’s jokes are stupid, but that’s part of the point. At least he didn’t say “Talk to the hand” or “Don’t have a cow, man.”

Later, he and Foggy meet with Rosalind, and she offers them both junior partnerships in her firm. Foggy instantly, gleefully accepts, but Matt’s more reluctant:

So yeah, Rosalind is a stone cold bitch, and I don’t use that word lightly. I think she’s a fascinating character but not because she’s, like, not an awful person or anything. (For anyone reading this who doesn’t know why this is so awful: Rosalind is Foggy’s biological mom, though Matt and the reader don’t know that at this point. That’s why this means so much to Foggy.)

It’s also pretty baffling, because Rosalind declares Foggy “adequate” and Matt “astounding,” but Matt has been a) disbarred and b) declared dead twice, while Foggy is a former district attorney and legal counsel to both the Fantastic Four and Tony Stark around this point in time. The perceived wisdom about the characters up until Bendis takes over in a couple years is that Matt is a brilliant attorney and Foggy’s a fumbling buffoon, and both Kesel and Kelly steer hard into that curve, but not only does it not match what the characters actually do, it never made any sense from a character point of view. Why would Matt, The Greatest Lawyer Ever, saddle himself with an incompetent? And how could he run The Most Successful Law Firm In New York while dragging Foggy’s dead weight behind him when it’s canon that he barely ever has the time or emotional capacity to do legal work? I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS FOGGY NELSON SLANDER!

Anyway, Matt and Foggy take some time to hash it out (though Matt obviously doesn’t tell Foggy about Rosalind’s ultimatum), but it’s a tense discussion considering how hurt Foggy still is about the Daredevil thing:

“I can only say I’m sorry so many times, Foggy!” Maybe start with once? That’s a good number to begin at, Matthew. (This “UGH get OVER it” attitude continues for a while, btw, until Foggy finally stops bringing it up. Gee, I wonder where he learned to put up with such belittling dismissal from his loved ones?)

That’s Liz Osborn at the door - formerly Liz Allan, Spider-Man’s high school dream girl, now the widow of Harry Osborn, mother of his child Normie, and head of OsCorp. Foggy helped her with a legal matter recently and she’s come to, well...

Yeah, she’s there to ask him out. GET IT, GIRL. Liz knows what’s what. (Well, she does now. Not so much when she was 16, but then who among us did?)

Check out Foggy’s foreshadowing about Rosalind there in panel 2, btw.

Matt, meanwhile, realizes that he really does owe Foggy this after, you know, the lying to him forever thing, so he tells Rosalind he’s in, on one condition:

Yeah, so Rosalind wants to fuck her son’s best friend, right? That’s what’s happening here? I mean, I kind of get it - Cary Nord draws a hell of a Matt - but also Jesus Christ, no, Rose, keep it in your pants.

And so Nelson and Murdock becomes Sharpe, Nelson, and Murdock. Meanwhile, Karen is fully on board the Foggy/Liz train:

Matt, as usual, is deliberately obtuse/borderline resentful of the fact that Foggy might have other relationships. Oh, Matthew. I’m sure if you just tell Foggy you’re in a triad with him and Karen he’d be on board.

Hey look! It’s Misty!

(She’s the investigator for Rosalind’s firm. She’s also talking about Danny there, yes. They dated pretty consistently in the comics for like 40 years. They’re very cute. COMICS DANNY IS BETTER. Anyway I like it when she and Matt flirt.)

Oh and hey, while we’re here, let’s have the one-two punch of Nelson and Murdock in action. ONE: Matt, having badgered Foggy into defending a supervillain for convoluted Daredevil reasons, fails to show up in court:

Foggy, you are a sartorial wonder and a joy forever, I love you. (Seriously: KILLING. IT.)

TWO: Matt bursts in, either in costume or out, with evidence he’s just come into possession of that’ll blow this case wide open!

There you go, that’s every Daredevil trial scene ever except for the time Matt made Peter dress up as Daredevil so that he could cross-examine him.

Please note Rosalind cackling evilly back there, because she’s trying to get Foggy to throw Matt under the bus, because...she resorted to extortion to get Matt to join her firm and now she wants to ruin his reputation? Which will hurt hers to? Again, Rosalind’s so busy being calculating and cutthroat that her actions frequently don’t make any goddamn sense.

But this is also pretty much the moment that Foggy lets go of his resentment over Matt’s secret and re-pledges his troth, so I feel a lot of feels about it. Even if I would like to see Matt dangle a bit longer.

Meanwhile, Karen’s found a job, though she’s been a bit cagey about what it is with Matt. Why? Well, she’s a late night DJ/talk radio host...but for WFSK, which is owned by - you guessed it - Fisk. But she’s great at it!

This dialogue is 100% ridiculous but also 100% believable, can’t you just hear her cadence? If you’re old enough to remember this kind of thing, at least.

Rosalind has decided to turn Foggy’s friendship with Daredevil (who of course she doesn’t know is Matt) into a win for the firm by branding him as “Daredevil’s Pal,” so she calls in and puts a very startled Foggy on the phone so that he can talk about his relationship with Daredevil:

YOU GUYS. I’M CAN’T. <3 <3 <3

A few callers dial in with weird theories and questions (“What if he has weird bug eyes?” “Whatever happened to those funny little kids he used to hang out with?”), but then “Mike” from the Bronx calls to ask what Karen - I mean, “Paige Angel” - thinks of Daredevil:

Karen goes on to say that Daredevil’s saved her life, and she wouldn’t be the person she is without him. “Mike” replies that Daredevil must be blind...if he can’t see how lucky he is to have people like her in his corner. He adds that whoever Daredevil is, he’d probably be impressed that “Paige” is trying to do some good from the inside at a place like WFSK.

Karen, not being an idiot, recognizes Matt and is touched. And Matt, who’s just heard his two favorite people wax rhapsodic about how wonderful he is?

AWWWWW LOOK AT THIS HAPPY BOY! You enjoy it, buddy. You don’t get to have it too often.

Next up: Nelson family drama, and the return of two of Matt’s old flames!

[hawleystories-blog]

The Death of Spiderman

[Norman Osborn, otherwise known as the Green Goblin has been broadcasting to New York on loop that he will reveal Spiderman's secret identity if he does not fight him. Goblin has kidnapped Aunt May and is holding her hostage somewhere in downtown Manhattan. Spiderman is going toe to toe with goblin atop the Chase skyscraper. Peter is exhausted, beaten bloody, one lense from his mask completely shattered, and he's out of web. Goblin is equally beaten the jaw of his mask reveals a bloody face, he is out of bombs and tricks (or so Spidey thinks). It's a brutal fist fight that rattles both their bones with every hit. Peter has come to grips with the fact that there is only one way this battle will end, but Peter has one more trick up his sleeve. Secretly he signaled Tony Stark, who since has been flying around New York City frantically looking for Aunt May while trying to stay in contact with Peter. ]

   "How ya doin kid? Hang in there!" Tony radioed to Peter. 

   "I've-" Peter took a punch to the face, "Argh...I've been better". 

   "You're gonna be good. We're gonna do this!" 

   "Mr. Stark, no disrespect-" Peter said as he blocked a punch, and kicked Goblin back, panting, "please stop talking. Find Aunt May!" 

   Goblin grinned and said, "It doesn't matter who helps you now Parker! It's over!" 

   The Goblin's glider swooped in and he grabbed hold and jumped onto it in a fluid motion. Thinking quickly Spiderman jumped onto the bottom and grabbed hold as hard as his grip would allow. 

   "You want to know where your precious Aunt May is? Let's Go!" Osborn laughed insanely. 

   The Glider blasted off and Spiderman clung to it so hard he almost broke skin. "Tony! He's going to Aunt May! Follow us!" Peter yelled through gritted teeth. 

   "I'm on it!" Tony replied immediately. 

   Peter tried to pull himself atop the glider but the Goblin flying was too fast and haphazard. All he could do was hold on. 

   Eventually Goblin started flying in circles, "There she is Parker!" he pointed at Times Square, which was full of innocent people, frozen, watching the fight unfold above them from the helicopter footage on every screen. "She's in one of these rooms, in one of these buildings, but you will never find her in time! I knew you had connections to the Avengers; particularly favorable towards Iron Man. So I placed panels with encryption chips in the walls of all of the rooms within the building that disrupt even Tony Stark's scanning technology." Osborn calmly stated as the glider came to a hover above the hundreds of thousands of innocents below. "It's either the people of this City or your Aunt May!" He pressed a button on his wrist and the glider began beeping rhythmically.  Now that the glider stood still Peter began climbing over the front and Goblin started a nose dive. The Goblin screamed, "There's a bomb strapped to your Aunt's chest and this glider is going to explode! Choose Spiderman!" 

   With all of his strength Spidey pulled himself over and kicked the Goblin off the glider. He laughed maniacally falling to the ground. 

   "Tony!" Peter yelled, "Times Square! She's in the only building you can't scan! Find her Now!" 

   "You got it!" Stark replied, "But kid what are you doing?!" 

   "I've got to stop this glider or everyone is going to die!" Peter yelled.

   Tony was panicking, "Don't do anything stupid Pete!" 

   Peter smiled and whispered to himself, "Just doing what an Avenger would do." 

   Pete tried figuring out the controls to no avail. "Screw it!" He grabbed the front of the glider and threw his body back, pulling so hard blood streamed from his lacerated palms and fingers. "Come on, come on, come on!!!" He yelled through gritted teeth. At the last second the glider gave way and Pete pulled up just over the heads of the people below him, almost close enough to touch and directed it straight up. 

   Tony arrived outside Times Square. "Friday, show me what we can't see. Give me something!" 

   Friday stated, matter-of-factly, "Boss, there seems to be signal disruption coming from this building." Friday highlighted a building covered in giant screens and lights. 

   "Just hang on kid." Tony said to himself 

   Peter zoomed into where Iron Man was with his one good eye lens and saw Tony crash into the building headfirst. "A little brash but that'll do." 

   "I'll remember that next time you need a favor." Tony said as he raced through the walls from top to bottom until he crashed through into the room Aunt May was in. She was bound, gagged and had a bomb strapped to her that was beeping, like the glider. 

   Tony's helmet retracted behind his head, revealing his face. "Hey there May..." he looked at the bomb. "What no big, red, numbers? I guess Osborn isn't completely insane. Friday, how do we disable it?" 

   Friday replied, "Sorry Boss, something is preventing my systems from full funtionali-" 

   "Got it." Tony interrupted and ripped the bomb off Aunt May. He chucked it through the wall. Grabbing May and hunching over he pushed off through the ceiling as the bomb exploded. Tony hovered over a neighboring building clear of the smoke from the blast. He set her down atop an apartment building and removed the bindings holding her too the chair. "Plenty of time."     Aunt May removed the gag and screamed "PETER!!" 

   Tony saw the terror in her eyes, turned around and looked to the sky to see the glider flying straight up. Peter still on it. "C'mon kid bail-"

   The explosion was massive. Instantly Tony's mind flashed back to the nuke he flew through that wormhole, all those years ago. Except Tony dodged the blast. Snapping back from his crippling memory he spotted Spidey falling and blasted off toward him. 

   Tony rushed toward Peter, "He's falling too fast! Friday more power!"     Friday replied, "Redirecting energy to thrusters, 80%." 

   "Dammit Friday!" Tony snapped, "100% Now! Activate the emergency power and kick in the overdrive!" 

   "Remaining energy diverted. Thrusters and flight stabilizers now at 125%, Boss. Go get him." 

   Tony flew faster than he ever had; desperately hoping to catch Peter. As he came close, he thew out a hand, but he missed by inches. His speed sent him careening past, so he arced backwards into a huge loop. Diving straight down Tony could feel his armor warping from the G-force. His ears popped. His nose started bleeding. Tony extended his hand straight out in front of him. "Come on! God Dammit! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!" 

   But he wasn't fast enough. Peter hit the ground with a sickening thud. Tony hit the ground and fell to his knees. The landing punched a crater in the pavement. The metal pang from Tony hitting the ground send a shockwave that shattered surrounding windows. Half crawling, half stumbling, he made his way frantically to Peter. Tony knelt beside him and cradled him in his lap. He removed his mask and retracted his own helmet. "Hey kid. You're gonna be okay, you're good. You can shake this off. You're Spiderman." 

   Peter's eyes shot open and he gasped, "Aunt May… she okay?" his voice shaking. 

   Tony, with tears in his eyes said, "Yeah buddy. She's okay. I got her."     "What about everyone else?" 

   Tony smiled and tears rolled down his cheek, he held back his sobs. Trying not to break down in admiration of Peter's selflessness, "Yeah. Everyone is fine. You did it Peter. You saved them all." 

   Peter smiled, "Good." He coughed and blood speckled Tony's face and suit. "We did the impossible. We saved everybody. I thought that only happens in comic books." 

   Tony smiled. “Well kid, you shoot webs and climb walls. I fly around in a metal suit that shoots lasers. We're as close as you can get." Tony chuckled, still holding back the urge to cry. 

   Peter tried to laugh but was only hit with a violent coughing spell. He inhaled, a rickety breath, "Mr. Stark...please take care of Aunt May for me. I know I'm not gonna make it." 

   "Peter I told you, call me Tony, and yes you are. I'm gonna get you out of he-"  "It's okay," Peter coughed. "You don't have to lie to me."     Tony looked at Peter with tears in his eyes and smiled. "Of course Peter. I'll take care of her." 

   Peter returned his smile and said, "Thank you, Tony… " His eyes looked blankly into the sky and he released his final breath. Slow. Peaceful. Tony let a sob loose and hugged Peter's limp body. He laid Peter gently on the ground and closed his empty eyes. 

   Tony looked up to the crowd. "Where is he?" He demanded in a steely voice. They parted to reveal Norman Osborn, lying on the ground, broken. His fall wasn’t fatal, but he would never walk again.

   The Goblin laughed, "They've lost their hero. Who will save them now?" 

   "We've always kept them safe." Tony said as he walked toward Osborn. 

   "Who?" Osborn asked, "The Avengers? No. They fear the Avengers. Spiderman was their anonymous hero. The people's vigilante. He will never be replaced. And these people will never trust you or the other 'heroes' you all claim to be. You're no better than me.” 

   "We are nothing like you!" Tony screamed. His head felt like it was on fire, and his face was red, veins bulging from his forehead and neck. 

   Osborn laughed at him, "You have no laws, no code, only loose rules binding you to these 'mortals'. Gods among men. You fight amongst yourselves and pretend to be peacekeepers. You are your own evil. In time you will crumble. Spiderman was incorruptible. Truly a symbol of justice. He fought selflessly, with nothing to gain and everything to lose. Now only a martyr to an impossible cause." 

   "I think we've heard enough!" Tony said and blasted a hole in Osborn's chest. It was over. Suddenly a cry broke through the silence. Aunt May had made her way down to the square and ran to Peter's body. She cried and cradled him in her arms. 

   Tony knelt beside her and placed his hand on her back. "He was a good hero May. And a better man, he... he was someone to be proud of." 

   Aunt May sniffled and cried but managed to speak, albeit barely, "I knew. I knew all along he was Spiderman." She chuckled through the sobs. "He always was a terrible liar... such a good boy... but I didn't stop him. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I knew he would always do the right thing. Just like his Uncle Ben... shot down protecting the people and the city he loved..." 

   Unable to bare the sorrow any longer Tony broke down and embraced Aunt May in a hug. They sat together, while New York cried for their fallen hero... 

[One week later]

   May was sitting in her apartment watching the news. Waiting. On the TV J. Jonah Jameson was standing in front of a pack of reporters. "I realize now how wrong I was about Pet-… Spiderman… as many of you know Peter Parker was a photographer I've had for the past four years. Since he was 15 he has brought me pictures of his alter ego Spiderman..." Jonah paused to gather himself, "and I...I tried to paint this picture of a villain. All for ratings. Controversy sales, and no matter how many people he saved, everyone bought my papers to read about how Spiderman was 'working outside the law', with 'no regard for the common people'. I apologize for any...and all negative comments that were in my articles." Jameson then pointed to a reporter with her hand raised. "Yes? You there." 

   "Where do you stand on Spiderman being recognized as a hero?" The young reporter asked quickly. 

   Jameson paused and thought for a second. “I disagree." Jonah said bluntly. The crowd erupted into a storm of voices, and Jonah yelled over them all, "Spiderman!" The crowd fell silent instantly over his commanding voice. "Spiderman was the Super that all young boys want to be..." he paused for a moment and choked up a bit, "Peter Parker was the Hero that all Supers try to become." 

   A knock on the door caught May's attention and she began to get up to answer it. Mary Jane placed a hand on her shoulder, "I got it Aunt May." She said with a smile. She opened the door to see Tony Stark. Dressed in his signature black suit. 

   Tony tipped his sunglasses down, and looked at her over the frame in confusion. "Who are you?" He asked as he took off his sunglasses to look at the room number on the door. "Am I at the wrong place?" Again looking to Mary Jane then quickly, but obviously, scanning over her figure, "because I could definitely come back later." 

   Mary just smiled, blushed and extended her hand, "My name is Mary Jane Watson, Mr. Stark. Call me MJ. I was Pete's girlfriend." 

   Tony shook her hand and said to himself, fully aware MJ was right in front of him. "Way to go Pete." Mary Jane blushed again and smiled a sad smile. He noticed May stand up behind MJ, clad in black. Tony cleared his throat, let go of MJ's hand and asked May, "Are you ready?" 

   Aunt May said, "Let's just go..." She followed Tony down the stairs of the apartment and he opened the door to the limousine for them. She got in after MJ and Tony followed her. The limousine drove slowly behind a police escort.

   She looked at Tony, "Seems like an awful lot just to go to a funeral." 

   "He told me to take care of you." Tony said as the limousine came to a stop. Tony opened the door and extended his hand to May. "C'mon." 

   May took his hand and exited the limo. She froze and gazed out over the largest gathering of people she had ever seen. "Tony? What's going on? Where are we." 

   "We, are at Ground Zero," Tony said. He saw the confusion on both May and MJ's faces. He extended his hand and gestured for them to follow, "Just come with me. You'll see." 

   May took his hand and he led her and MJ through the crowd. She took a better look around and saw the two fountains where the Twin Towers once stood tall, dominating the New York skyline. But in between was a new tall figure covered by a red silk sheet. She was almost sure what was underneath. As they walked toward the covered figure she saw a podium on a stage and recognized several faces standing near the stage. She only knew them from the news and media, but as she saw them she named them off in her head. Colonel Brody Rhodes, the former War Machine, caught her attention first. He stood at attention with a cane, in his Air Force dress uniform. She also saw Vision. King T'Challa, the Black Panther. Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlett Witch. Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, standing in his hundred year old Army dress uniform, with his hands resting on his shield in front of him. Next to him was Bucky Barnes, who used to be the Winter Soldier. His metal arm glistened in the morning light. The rest of the Avengers were present as well, Scott Lang (Ant Man), Sam Wilson (Falcon), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Natalia Romanov (Black Widow). Even Bruce Banner was there, May noticed tears running down all their faces. Except for Steve's. He just stood there, but she could see the pain in his eyes. May could only imagine the horrors Steve had witnessed in the Second World War, and for the death of her nephew to cause him so much grief touched her. 

   On the opposite side of the stage from Avengers stood the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards, Susan Storm, her brother Johny Storm. He sobbed on his sisters shoulder, and Ben Grimm, whose stone face hid nothing. Ben was the most hurt out of the Four…  

   All of Peter's heroes were here to honor his memory. This nearly overwhelmed her. Then out of nowhere lightning struck in front of the podium and everyone except a few heroes jumped, startled. 

   A burly, towering man, stood where the bolt had struck and walked over to May and MJ and took a knee in front of them. May finally recognized the handsome stranger as Thor. He said, "I apologize for my abrasive entrance, I did not mean to frighten you." He stopped and took May's hand and she looked up at him in shock. "But I am here to pay my respects to your nephew. Although young, he was a valiant warrior, and it was my honor to fight beside him. Rest assured he will be welcome and hailed within the halls of Valhalla." He kissed her hand and said, "I look forward to seeing him again." He turned to MJ and kissed her hand as well. "I'm sorry for your loss, my lady." 

   Both Aunt May and MJ looked at each other and couldn't help but smile a little and blush over what had just happened. Then she saw a man walking towards her with an unsightly face. 

   "Aunt May?" the stranger asked quietly. 

   "Well..." May cleared her throat. "Just May, please." 

   The man placed a hand on his chest. "Sorry, my name is Wade Wilson. And I knew your nephew, and he was a truly great man. Much better than most, especially me. I know you keep hearing this, but..." Wade paused to wipe the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat. "He really was a hero." 

   May hugged Wade and said softly, "Thank you Mr. Wilson." 

   They separated and Wade said, "Please, just call me Wade. By the way Charles Xavior and the other X-men couldn't make it. They all send their regards, but Wolverine is here and he'd like to say a few words to you if that's alright?" 

   May looked behind Wade and saw the man known as Wolverine in a leather jacket with very wild hair and a cigar in his mouth. "Of course. That's fine, Wade." Wade signaled to Wolverine to speak to her. 

   "Ma'am. My name is Logan. I can't stay, but I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for both you ladies' loss. If you two need anything give us a call. Charles said you two are welcome to visit the mansion and speak to some of Pete's friends he made there. I think they'd like that. Might I recommend speaking with the Professor? He's a good man to talk to." 

   "Thank you Logan." May replied.

   “Well I'm sorry, I really don't have much time...they need me.” Logan gave her a friendly nod and left on a very loud motorcycle. 

   Many others were still arriving. Some flew, some ran, some drove vehicles, and some just appeared. She couldn't recognize most of them but she was amazed at how many people and other heroes her nephew had touched. She saw that even some of Spiderman's adversaries were in the crowd. Wilson Fisk (Kingpin), Otto Octavious, a man Peter looked up to as a scientist before he fought him as Doctor Octopus. Even Eddy Brock, the man who transformed into the creature known as Venom. This was a day of peace, of grief, and of respect.  As Tony led May and MJ to the podium Steve Rogers passed his shield to Bucky and he along with another well dressed man approached May. She immediately recognized the man Rogers was accompanying as President Ellis. "It's an honor to meet you Mrs. Parker." he said as they shook hands. 

   "The honor should be mine Mr. President." May replied. 

   "I disagree ma'am. To meet the Woman who raised one of the greatest heroes of our time." President Ellis assured “he wouldn't have become a hero without you May.” May blushed and was taken aback.

   All she could say was “Thank you.” He directed her, MJ and Tony to their seats on the right of the podium, directly in front of the rest of the Avengers.

   As President Ellis stepped up to the podium, the crowd fell silent. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the life and achievements of a young man who became more than most of us could even dream. Peter Parker. Bitten by a genetically altered spider raised in Oscorp Labs, Peter became, who we only knew until recently, the vigilante dubbed Spiderman. Spiderman was not with us for long, but in four short years he reached out to all of you in some way and made this world a better and safer place for us all. I would like to invite our distinguished guests to say a few words for their fallen comrade, and their friend, but first the National Anthem, followed by a prayer.”

   Steve Rogers looked at Tony who put his phone in his coat pocket and nodded. Steve stood slowly and rendered a salute at the Position of Attention. The National Anthem began playing from speakers that were hidden all around Ground Zero. The entire area filled with the traditional sound of bugles and snare drums. The crowd was full of hats and hands over hearts, and a million voices sang together.

   Over the song, May heard something coming from behind them, getting louder. At “...and the rocket's red glare...” five F150 jets flew over the ceremony, and flawlessly performed a short but spectacular air show overhead. Shooting flares and flying in patterned loops.

   “… And the home, of the, brave!” The jets turned around and exited back the way they came.

   After the crowd finished the Anthem, a very old man walked up to the podium from the left side. He was obviously a man of the Church. May felt a slight lurch of guilt for not going to church after so long, but it soon passed. After the prayer the crowd was silent again and President Ellis said into the microphone, “And now the eulogy will be read by Mr. Steve Rogers, or as most of you may know him, Captain America.”

   Steve handed his shield to Bucky again and approached the microphone. He pulled some battered papers out of his coat and laid them gently on podium. He cleared his throat and started. “I remember the first time I met Pete. Well...I guess I met Spiderman. I didn't know who he was at the time. It was a dark time for the world. The Avengers were torn into a 'Civil War' if you will. He took my shield and bound my hands with his web and I was impressed. I knew he was going to be a challenge if he could sneak up on us like that, let alone disarm me. Then I heard his voice, and was even more impressed. He was only a boy. Even at that age Pete was strong. He was fast. He was smart. These qualities were refined as he grew up. There was a point when we were fighting, he stopped and the only thing he wanted was talk to me and shake all of our hands. Pete didn't see it as stopping criminals. He fought for what he thought was right, but still saw that there were no bad guys. No easy answer, and that was what really set him apart. It gave him the conviction to always fight for his own belief, and what he believed in was us, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four. He still looked at us as his own heroes, even with the amazing gifts he had himself.

   “But there was also something else he always believed in. He believed in people. He believed that if people saw Spiderman helping everyone it would make them want to help each other. He wanted to prove that one man could make a difference; all he had to do was try. Keeping his identity a secret not only protected his loved ones, but it meant that Spiderman could be anyone. Your waiter, your neighbor, the paperboy.” Cap paused. Cleared his throat again. “He wanted to show that anyone could be a hero.” Rogers finished and stood still. He leaned on the podium with his head down and just stood for a few seconds. Finally he reached up and wiped a tear from his cheek. Steve turned around and went to May. He took her hand in both of his and whispered, “I'm sorry for your loss...it's a tragedy for the whole world...” Then he turned again and walked back to his seat, taking his shield from Bucky as he sat down.

   There were other heroes who gave short speeches and told stories about their encounter with Peter. This took place over the next hour or so, until Tony stood up and May looked at him. Her eyes already misty.

   Tony walked up to the podium nervously. It was odd, May thought, for him to be rattled. She had never thought of Tony Stark as a nervous person. When he reached the podium he took his sunglasses off and his eyes were pooling with tears. He said, “I'm gonna keep this short.” Tony was trying very hard to keep his voice under control. “Peter Parker was the smartest kid I ever met. Hell, he created his own web shooters in his room and filled them with a nearly unbreakable substance, which he also developed, by the way. He reminded me a lot of...me, except, how I should have been. Standing up to bullies. Random acts of kindness. Being almost obnoxiously selfless. So I took an interest in him. I didn't want him to change. I didn't want him to become another rich snob who made a living inventing ways for people to kill each other.

   “He didn't. Pete didn't change. He always had his witty sense of humor, his charming boyish demeanor, and his positive, selfless attitude toward every situation. I was, still am, and always will be proud of how Pete used his gifts, and although I never got to meet him, I know his Uncle Ben would've been proud of him too.”

   Tears streamed down May and MJ's faces.

   Tony put his sunglasses back on and quickly retreated back to his seat, but before he could get to his chair May got up. She walked to him, met him halfway, and gave him a long hug. “You said it the best of everyone. Ben would have been proud of Peter. He would have been so proud...” Then Tony surprised May again. He hugged her back, and sniffled.

   After the two sat down President Ellis made his way to the podium.  "It is always a tragedy; death. Especially the death of those we respect and love. Fathers, mothers, siblings. Family. Then sometimes we are stricken with the death of a hero. A soldier fighting for the country he loves. A would-be bystander who intervenes in a mugging and takes a bullet for a victim. Police officers and firefighters protecting the citizens in peril throughout our cities. “We are fortunate enough to have individuals with exceptional abilities among us. They can fly, they can control lightning, fire, even the very gravity around us. Some use their abilities or 'powers' for evil. They are greedy, angry, and spiteful. Others use them for good. Spiderman was one such hero who stood up to defend the city of New York, and even the Earth itself. Though Spiderman was exceptional, the real hero," he turned to May, "was Peter Parker." She began to sob at the mention of his name. "Peter was the man behind the mask. The man who always stood up to any challenge no matter how big or powerful. The man who's character was truly that of a real Hero." The president paused, "It is said in the Greek legend of Hercules, that he could not pass through the Gates of Olympus without proving himself a 'True Hero'. Peter Parker was deserving of that elusive title, and though I cannot grant him access to the Home of the Gods, I can present him with a token of our appreciation. To forever remember Spiderman, and more importantly Peter Parker, here among the memorial of America's greatest Heroes, made possible and paid in full by a generous donation from Stark Industries. The Spiderman." 

   The red silk sheet was pulled away from the statue and May started crying so hard her body was racked by her sobs. Mary Jane, also crying, held May tightly.  The statue was of Spiderman, crouching, one arm bracing him with his hand between his feet grabbing the corner of the sculpture. The other arm extended out with the hand making his signature gesture. His two middle fingers curled with his index finger, pinky, and thumb spread, to imitate the Web-Slinger shooting his webs one last time. The most important part, however, was his face. It was not veiled by the large eyed, Spiderman mask. It was Peter's. Smiling like he always did when he leaped from a building. 

   May turned to Tony with tears streaming down her face and hugged him. "Thank you." She whispered. 

   Wade Wilson looked up to the statue, teary eyed, and said, "You did it Pete. Superhero landing." He touched the statue in farewell and left. 

   After the ceremony concluded, May couldn't take much more, so she told a few of the heroes and Peter's friends goodbye. Then Tony took her and MJ back to the limousine. May clung to MJ as if her life depended on it, once they were inside. Tony said they had one more surprise but it was a longer drive. About 15 minutes later they were there. When they arrived they all got out of the limo and May looked around at a cemetery. She knew why they were here. 

   "I thought you might like to say your own goodbyes away from the crowds." Tony said to May and MJ. 

   May took MJ's hand and they walked together behind Tony, who was leading them to a place already mapped in her mind. They reached a patch of grass with two headstones and saw an old man standing there, staring at the graves. When the old man saw the three of them, May in particular, he wiped his tears away and extended his hand to May. "Ma'am. Pleased to meet you. My name is Stan. You've never met me but… " 

   "He was a Hero?" May said with an exhausted, but genuine smile. "Thank you." 

   "Well yes he was." Stan continued, "but he was like a son to me. It was very nice meeting you.” He turned to MJ and nodded, “You as well young lady. I'll leave you be now."  

   The old man walked away and May wondered who he was. She even gave MJ a quizzical look. She looked back just as confused, so May turned her attention back to the headstones. The one to the left was Ben's. The epitaph read: "With great power comes great responsibility." 

   "Peter lived by those words from his uncle you know." Tony said to May. 

   She smiled. "I remember the day Ben told him that. Like it was yesterday."  She then looked at Peter's headstone. The epitaph read: "Good-bye from your friendly neighborhood Spiderman."