Fandom The Avengers (2012)/Spider-Man (2002 – 2007)
Character(s)/Pairing(s) Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Pepper Potts, Tony Stark; some Tony/Pepper (but not a major plot point), mentions of Mary Jane/Peter
Genre Death/Drama
Rating PG
Word Count 1,357
Disclaimer The Avengers c. Marvel, Paramount, Spider-Man c. Marvel, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Summary New York wanted to know where Spider-Man was during the battle against Loki. They find out one week later.
Warning(s) potential spoilers for Avengers and all three Raimi Spider-Man movies.
Notes This fic assumes that Raimi!verse Peter Parker was in the class of 2002. I was listening to grunge radio and that was where the inspiration for this fic came from oddly enough. It was so put together that I had to write it.

Identify

It was a week after the battle with Loki when authorities found the body. They found him underneath remains of an evacuated building surrounded by the corpses of the alien invaders.

"…found the body," a reporter said as Tony flicked between channels he frequented when Bruce and Pepper were in the same room. He sat on the couch. Pepper sat next to him and Bruce walked towards them with a bottle of water. It was a long day and time to unwind.

"Wait. Stop," Bruce said.

"I can read," Tony said. He started to turn up the volume.

The camera focused on a man covered in debris and sweat. The man took a breath. "Yeah, I found him." His eyebrows furrowed. "He saved my life you know. That kid…that stupid kid. Eleven years ago almost."

"Can you tell us how you found him, sir?" the reporter coaxed.

"We were removing the debris. I scooped up…I don't know, but I'd know that red and blue suit anywhere. I radioed my superior and we worked to get him out of there. People have been saying 'Where was Spider-Man?' and…well, he was under there."

"Did you see him?" Bruce asked Tony. The reporter's questioning seemed designed to elicit the maximum emotional response from the worker now.

"No," Tony said. "I was kind of busy." His eyes kept watching the screen, focusing on the things going on behind the worker. Pepper squeezed his arm and he instinctively leaned into the touch.

"It was kind of a blur," Bruce admitted. He looked to the couple on the couch and then looked back at the television. The news program now had a picture of Peter Parker on a split screen with some basic facts about the man. He was twenty-eight, on and off boyfriend of television actress Mary Jane Watson. He was a freelance photographer and first-year professor for an online university. Bruce recognized him. "I met him once before there was a Spider-Man and that guy."

Tony turned the television off. "His aunt died two years ago." He started to walk for the door. Pepper was quick to follow. Bruce put his water bottle aside and soon fell into step. "Mary Jane is a seven hour plane ride, if she can leave the set."

"Jarvis," Tony said, "I need you to run that program. Send the results to my phone."

"'That program?'" Bruce asked. The trio got into the elevator. It was one of the first things repaired after the battle at the now unnamed tower.

"You'll see," Tony said. He checked his phone when the elevator exited onto the first parking garage. Tony led the way to the exact car he wanted. It was a dark red hybrid sedan. Something discreet and would not attract the press immediately.

Bruce got into the backseat and Pepper got in the passenger seat. Tony started the car and headed in the direction of Jersey.

After awhile, Bruce asked, "Did either of you meet him?"

Pepper looked at Tony and then at Bruce. "I did a few times. Not as Spider-Man." It was new knowledge to Pepper as it was to Bruce that Peter Parker was the local superhero. Pepper could tell that it was not a surprise for Tony.

"We worked together," Tony said, "sort of."

"Showed up in the same place at the same time with the same enemy?" Bruce asked.

"A couple times," Tony said. "He worked part time at one of our research facilities until he graduated." He kept his eyes on the road. There were roadblocks periodically and police directing what traffic could be on the road. Tony had a special road access pass dangling from the rearview mirror.

Once out of the damaged area, Tony picked up speed. He pulled into the Hoboken University Medical Center. The three arrived at information. Tony held up his phone. There was a picture of him and Peter sitting together at a picnic table huddled over a data tablet with sandwiches. "I'm here to identify my cousin." Cousin could mean anything. It was simple enough to be plausible, but Tony was not related to Peter.

The receptionist looked at the picture and then at Tony. "Your…oh. Yes. How did you know…?"

"It's the closest hospital that the press wouldn't turn into a circus," Tony said. "I can identify the body."

The receptionist considered Tony, Bruce, and Pepper. He knew them from the news, but he had a job and a responsibility. "I can get you in touch with the morgue director." He got on his phone. "He'll meet you." He gave them directions.

Bruce could spot the plain clothes police officers scattered throughout the hospital as they made their way towards the morgue. The morgue director met them outside of the facility. There were officers in their uniforms flanking the doors.

"Oh and this isn't obvious at all." Tony observed the officers. "I'd give you maybe three hours for the press to catch on only because they won't look in Jersey first."

"Mr. Stark," the director said. She observed Pepper and Bruce. She recognized Bruce. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes looked Bruce over. Bruce kept eye contact, but the director did not mention her concerns about the other guy.

"You know why I'm here," Tony said.

"You're not his emergency contact," the director noted.

"Yes, and I don't have to be to be to do this," Tony said. "His emergency contact won't be here for hours." Mary Jane lived in California now.

"We don't want something bad to happen to him either," Pepper said in a calm but firm voice. "We came to help a good friend."

The director nodded. "Alright." Her eyes returned to Bruce and for a moment, Bruce thought she might ban him from the morgue. Instead, the director turned and led them into the morgue. She carefully brought them to the lockers and then directed her attention to the three following her. "We already preformed the autopsy." Then she pulled Peter's body out and carefully lowered the sheet covering his face and neck.

Peter was missing one of his eyes. Through his now cleaned hair, they all could see a potentially fatal injury to his skull. Tony closed his eyes and then opened them. "That's him," he said quietly.

"What killed him?" Bruce asked.

"Multiple injuries happened in close proximity," the director answered. "I think the building collapsed on him." Her eyes swept over the three standing around the body and then she said, "I can give you a moment, but I'll have to stay in the same room. Top security."

"Thanks," Pepper said for the three of them.

Once the director was on the other side of the room, Tony said quietly, "He had a conference in Chicago. He texted me before he got on the plane if anything was going on, he heard a rumor there were aliens." Tony paused. "I made a joke about a Star Trek convention. Then I got on the helicarrier."

"He had good instincts, from what I read," Bruce said. "He seemed very bright when we met." It was why Bruce remembered Peter. Peter was unlike the other high school students filtering through the lab.

Pepper nodded. "He was reliable and kind." Her eyes followed the rise of Peter's legs under the sheet. His right leg looked crooked and he was missing part of his left leg. She shared a look with Tony and then squeezed his arm. Tony nodded and Pepper slipped out of the room to start making some basic arrangements that could be elaborated upon once Mary Jane arrived.

Bruce stepped away from Tony and Peter's body. He kept a distance from the director for her benefit and clasped his hands behind his back to show he would not touch anything.

Tony collected himself and moved away from Peter's body so the director could put him away. Tony rubbed his face and frowned. His mind already provided a vague idea of how the next few days would go. He also wondered what other bodies might lurk in places recovery teams considered low priority areas.

The End