"When life gets harder, challenge yourself to be stronger."

Dr. Cho ran in to see her favorite patient leaning against the headboard, holding his side awkwardly. He looked really out of it, though it was clear he was trying to put on a brave face. "Hello, Peter." Helen said softly as she jogged in, pulling on her coat and nodding at the nervous Tony Stark behind her. Natasha and Clint stood up from chairs beside Peter's bed with uncertain expressions. "I've got it, you can go." Cho insisted, and after another unsure moment they left - having to physically drag Tony with them.

"So... what happened?" Cho asked, prompting Peter to take a hand off his freshly healed side. "Well... I kinda got... shot..." Peter said slowly, and Cho's heart skipped a beat. "You got shot." She repeated evenly, and Peter nodded. "Yeah... m'fine though... just worried 'cause I passed out before I could check if the bullet... exited." He slurred, gesturing weakly with one hand.

Helen resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Ok. Ok, let's see. Does it hurt when I press here?" She asked, pressing beside the small star on Peter's skin that would no doubt soon disappear thanks to his sped up healing. Peter shook his head and Helen moved her hand to the opposite side of the scar.

"Here?"

Another head shake followed.

"Does this-?"

"GAH!" Peter yelped and twisted out of her touch when Helen put direct pressure on the wound, which made her let out a long sigh of relief. Even though Peter was in pain, the fact that the area around the scar wasn't sore meant there was no bullet - probably only a build up of scar tissue because his metabolism healed it to fast to smooth out the skin evenly.

"Good news; you do not have a bullet lodged in your side." Helen explained with a smile. "Just some scar tissue that should dissipate once you've finished healing." Peter let out a sigh of relief and grinned at her. "Told... you... m'fine!" He managed triumphantly, making a move to get up.

"That's not to say you can just go!" Helen said quickly, lunging forward to stop him. "Your body needs time to heal - even with your even-more-sped-up-than-normal metabolism. Speaking of which, it does seem to be taking a while... for a hyper charged metabolism, I mean. Any normal person probably would've bled out. Anyways, what I'm saying is, this is slow for the state your metabolism is in right now. Have you eaten anything today?" Helen asked, turning to arrange some papers and taking her coat off.

Peter was about to respond guiltily when Steve came rushing in. "Cho! We need you!" He yelled hysterically and Helen quickly grabbed her jacket. "What happened?"

"Clint and Natasha were training and...!"

"Say no more; where was Clint hurt this time?"

"Arm." Steve said with a crooked grin, sending Peter a relieved smile. "The kid's ok?"

"Yup, no bullet, just some scar tissue that's taking a strangely long time to heal."

"Huh..." Steve was about to ask into it when Rhodey came lumbering around the corner. "Oh good, you found her!" He said. "How's Peter?"

And Helen had to explain the boy's condition about 15 times through her journey to the training room.

oOo

Peter was left in the infirmary on his own - and actually glad for it. He hoped that by the time Dr. Cho got back, she would've forgotten the whole 'have you eaten' subject. It wasn't that Peter didn't want to eat - he was in fact, very hungry - he just didn't want the Avengers to be sidetracked worrying about him.

Peter swung his legs over the side and attempted to stand, which turned out to be as much of a mistake as Cho warned it would be. He immediately crashed to the ground, and gripped his side in pain. He needed to start thinking about listening to orders.

Well, too late to go back now, he decided. Peter managed to stand and stagger into the hallway, moments away from dropping to his knees the whole time. He wandered down the hallway, getting more used to the dull ache in his side with each step. Finally, he found his way to the training room.

"Seriously. Every time!" Natasha was yelling. "Why do you even challenge me anymore?"

"Because one of these days, it will not end like this!" Clint responded determinedly. "I have a bow for pity's sake, one day I will be able to beat you!" He insisted, and Peter could practically hear Nat's eye roll reverberate down the hallway.

Peter leaned casually against the doorjamb and took in the situation. Clint was sitting on the mat while Cho wrapped his bleeding upper arm, and Steve and Natasha berated him for his insanity at taking Nat on practically every week.

Tony had Rhodey sitting in a chair while he made some adjustments on his friends leg braces and Falcon and Vision were taking turns on a punching bag... scratch that, Vision just broke it.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed as the sand flowed out of the gash in the fabric. "Those don't grow on trees!" He grumbled, and Vision apologized while he and Falcon attempted to clean up the mess.

"I heard what happened, and didn't expect you to be up for another few hours." Came a voice from behind that made Peter jump. He spun to see Wanda looking at him skeptically and he shrugged. "What can I say? Sped up metabolism and all, I think I'm fine..."

"Peter?!" Tony's head shot up at the sound of his voice and he noticed the teen standing in the hallway. Standing in the hallway. Um, no.

"Peter Parker, why aren't you resting?" Tony growled, sounding far too much like his mother - and Natasha when she was talking to Clint or Clint's kids. "Uh... I'm fine?" Peter attempted as Tony stormed towards him.

"Fine? Fine?! You got here with a bullet in your side!"

"Actually, no, didn't Dr. Cho tell you-"

"There could've been a bullet in your side." Tony corrected. "Regardless, that's never happening again. From now on, if there's a serious situation, you're calling for back up. If one of the Avengers has to call for back up, then a 15 year old rookie should definitely call for back up instead of trying to go in solo and getting hurt!" The billionare ranted, leaving Peter to look down at his shoes.

"Y-you're right. I didn't think they..."

"Peter." Tony cut him off seriously. "You simply didn't think."

Peter flinched at the sting of his words and refused to meet Tony's eyes. Tony hadn't meant to be unkind, he was just exhasperated. He'd never been a mentor before, and him actually caring about this kid was new for him. In fact, it was pretty terrified. He found himself irrationally scared everytime he heard a report about Spiderman, or Peter texted him a few minutes later than their weekly check in times.

He kept trying to think of upgrades he could make to the suit that would make Peter safer. He desperately wanted Peter to get home ok - though part of him knew there was no 'ok' in the life of a superhero.

"Right. Sorry." Peter admitted finally, taking a deep breath. "So, I'm feeling better, I'm just going to go." The teen explained, turning slowly. After watching the whole thing unfold with painful silence, someone else finally spoke up.

"I don't think that's great idea!" Cho squeaked, somewhat broken hearted after seeing Peter's expression as he was scolded. "I mean, I would like to keep tabs on you. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to leave and go back to your life when there's still a danger of that scar tissue. It could make you clumsy and you could get yourself hurt again."

"Right. Falcon and Vision can handle Queens for a couple of days." Steve added, and Peter smiled gratefully, if not dejectedly. "You go get some rest." Nat finished, and Tony didn't miss the glare she sent him. "Th-thanks." Peter nodded quickly and started back to his room, doing his best not to limp.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him." Rhodey suddenly advised his friend, finally making his way to the door. It took Tony a moment before his words sunk into his own brain and he leaned heavily against the wall.

"I-I didn't mean to make him feel guilty... I was just... worried and I never want him to get hurt ever again." Tony rambled, and Natasha scoffed apologetically, adding simple logic to the wave of emotion;

"Occupational hazard."

Heyooooo
So, I am so surprised honestly that I'm already at chapter 21 of this book. I never thought I would get this far, and I haven't even been thinking about it until I had to scroll through the chapters to create a new one and I was suddenly like holy fudge, I have 21 chapters to this book. I was only planning 12. 12!!!

I am so shocked, I can't even believe it. I also cannot belive that 500 frickin people are reading my stuff. This has literally half a plot and is mostly spidey whump and I reread it and I was like 'how did my sleep deprived brain come up with this? People actually like this and I didn't even know what I was writing 90% of the time.'

I love you all! These realizations have made me the happiest kitty ever!!!!!

Seriously though:

21 chapter

500+ reads

My brain is so close to exploding with this information

I'M DYING FROM HAPPINESS

SHEER JOY HAS CAUSED ME TO RAMBLE

I'M SO SORRY HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER ALONG WITH ALL THE REST!!!

~Meow