Contains guns and shooting.

Peter was just finishing up patrol when Karen alerted him to an attempted armed mugging. Although currently on the phone with his dad, Peter swung off in the direction Karen was leading him and informed his dad he'd be just a little later.

"I'll stay on the line, kiddo," Tony told him, his face hovering in the corner of Peter's mask. "I hear Spider-Man has some good one-liners."

Peter rolled his eyes and dropped down into the alley a metre from the armed robber, successfully shocking both victim and assailant. Despite the mask hiding his face, Peter grinned.

"Dude, way to show off America's love for guns!" he exclaimed.

Pulling the gun from the man's hand, he pretended to take a closer look at it before shrugging and tossing it over his shoulder. Just was Peter opened his mouth to make another quip, the gunman charged at him and he hit the ground hard.

"Stupid spider," the man muttered, kicking Peter and reaching for his gun.

Peter wrestled him, trying to pull the gun out of the man's hand but struggling to reach it. Just as his fingers were within reach, the gun was shot and the kid screamed. Peter glanced at him quickly to make sure he wasn't hurt and froze when he recognised the kid as Flash. His delay was just enough for the gunman to take his gun back and point it at Peter.

"Is someone pointing a gun at you?" Tony asked over the phone worried.

Still on the ground, Peter raised his hands as the man kept his gun aimed at him.

"Now's not the best time for distractions, Dad," Peter muttered.

Thinking that Peter was talking to him, the robber snarled, "Don't insult me!"

In a rush to keep the man from shooting him, Peter explained he wasn't trying to insult him, but that he was actually talking to his dad if the gunman could hang on just a second, he'd take care of it. Confused, the man lowered his weapon just a bit.

"If you keep distracting me, Dad, I'll hang up," Peter said, turning slightly away from the gunman. That was his first mistake.

"Don't hang up on me!" Tony exclaimed as in front of Peter, the gunman raised his gun again and shot at him.

Peter's second mistake was not moving when he felt his spidey senses go off.

"I'm fine," Peter argued, glancing down at his dad's face and looking away from the man in front of him. "I'm just in the middle—"

Suddenly he was in the middle of screaming. The gunman took off and Peter gasped. His hands flew to his abdomen and came back sticky with blood he couldn't feel.

"Peter? Talk to me!" Tony yelled, "What happened?"

Peter gasped, trying to stop the bleeding by covering up his wound.

"I'm on my way."

The image of his dad changed from the lab to his Iron Man helmet, but Peter hardly noticed.

"Don't move!"

With the pain coming from his side, Peter had no desire to breath, let alone move.

"Spider-Man? Are you okay?" Flash asked, rushing to Peter's side.

Peter nodded quickly and gasped again. He couldn't breathe with his mask on but refused to take it off. Flash was not going to learn he was Spider-Man.

"Yeah, head on home now, kid," Peter said, gasping for air.

Flash shook his head and looked around for something to stop Peter's bleeding.

"I'm gonna help you."

Peter groaned in frustration and pain, shifting so he was leaning back against the alley wall.

"My Dad's on his way," Peter groaned, trying to sound calmer than he was. "Just go."

He heard the Iron Man armour above him and sighed in relief. His dad was here. Now he could panic and his dad could be the calming one.

"Oh god, Peter," Tony said, dropping out of his Iron Man suit and ripping off Peter's mask.

Peter gulped in the cold air and promptly started crying. How did Aunt Tasha get shot and say it wasn't that painful? This hurt like hell!

"Dad!" Peter cried.

Tony nodded and gently moved Peter's hand from his wound. Blood poured from his side and Peter shook in pain. Hastily, Tony got back in his suit then gently picked up Peter, not bothering to speak to Flash about hiding Peter's identity.

He rushed Peter to the Tower's medical bay and waited anxiously for Peter to get out of surgery. When a doctor came and told Tony he was out but unconscious, Tony pushed past him and into Peter's recovery room. Sitting beside Peter's bed, Tony grabbed his hand.

A few minutes later, Pepper came running in wearing a bathrobe and with her hair pulled back in a messy bun. Only once Peter had been let out of surgery had FRIDAY been allowed to inform Pepper about what had happened.

"Oh my god," she gasped when she saw her son. Dropping down beside Tony, she reached for his hand.

Tony squeezed her hand tightly and said nothing about the tears in her eyes.

"He'll be okay, right?" she asked, brushing a hand through Peter's curls.

"Yeah, he's gonna be okay," Tony promised, not tearing his eyes away from Peter.

They both watched Peter while he slept, waiting for him to wake up. When he did, his wound was almost entirely healed despite still hurting when he attempted to stretch. The incision from his surgery was still a pink line, but other than that it was healed.

"Hey," he murmured softly, blinking blearily at his parents.

Pepper let out a small cry and leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

"Hey, mama," he whispered, leaning towards her touch.

"You're so stupid," she said, tearing up again.

Peter gave her a small smile then looked at his dad.

"Did you talk to Flash?"

Tony frowned in confusion. Who was Flash and why was he so important that it was the first thing Peter asked about after getting shot?

Peter spoke up before Tony could voice his questions. "He was the kid in the alley that I helped. He goes to my school and now he knows you're my dad and that I'm Spider-Man."

Tony sighed. He had completely forgotten about the kid.

"I'll contact him and tell him not to tell anyone."

"Thanks, Dad."

Tony nodded and kissed the hand he was holding.

"Do you think I could skip school today? And maybe tomorrow?" he asked shyly, one hand tracing over the incision through his hospital gown.

Pepper gave him a look.

"You're staying home from school for a week," she said. Peter groaned.

"Mom! I'm fine!"

"Getting shot does not leave someone 'fine'," she told him, shaking her head firmly. "You had surgery. You are in the hospital. You are the opposite of fine."

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Fine, three days," he bargained hopefully.

Pepper looked hesitant but Tony backed Peter up and she agreed.

"But no more Spider-Man for at least a week!"

With the constant ache in his side and a groggy head from the pain killers, Peter nodded without much arguing. At least that gave him time to finish the pile of homework he was bound to get.