Inferior Flames (4) - FINALE
MCU!AU | MCU!Peter Parker x Stark!Reader | MCU!Spider-Man x Stark!Reader
genre: enemies to lovers, angst, slow burn, fluff
chapter description: You go off on your own to battle your greatest enemy, but Spider-Man does everything in his power to save you.
chapter 1 description: Your father wants you to knock Peter down a peg. OR Peter is bitter because you’re an Avenger and he’s not.
word count: 4.3k
warnings: cussing, fight scenes with a dragon demon, threats, one death (nothing too graphic), references to the Spider-Man movies and the Avengers, Tony Stark as your father is a warning for sure, but he's hilarious, first kiss, HAPPY ENDING :)
a/n: I started this fic three years ago and never finished the last chapter... until now! Thank you Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
A few hours later Peter regained control of his body just as you said he would. A loud gasp escaped him, like he had resurfaced from being underwater for far too long. He found feeling in his fingers and toes before sitting up straight.
“[Y/N]!”
He grabbed his phone and tried to call you, but it went straight to voicemail. With a heavy sigh, he decided to call Mr. Stark next but met the same fate.
“Why must all Starks ignore me?” he muttered under his breath. Happy was next on the list and Peter bit his lip as the call rang for what seemed like hours.
“Hey kid, what’s up?”
He jumped out of bed. “Happy! Thank goodness! [Y/N]’s in danger and I messed up. I tried to stop her, but she paralyzed me and—”
The man held his hand up and Peter stopped yammering. “Whoa, whoa, slow down. Where is she?”
“She’s off trying to take on a three-headed dragon demon by herself and I have no way of contacting her.”
“Three-headed dragon?” Happy’s face quickly morphed from alarmed to one of realization. “Okay, I have so many questions, but first things first. She needs backup. I’ll call Tony and see if he responds.” He ran a hand across his face. “God, he’s going to kill me… but you have to go help her. Do you know where she’s heading?”
“No, but she has this pearl that can track the dragon. It’s in her room at the Avengers Compound.”
“Pearl? The one her mother gave her? Can it do that?”
“Yes, it’s magical.”
“Makes sense. Come over first. I’ll let you in and we’ll come up with a plan.”
He didn’t have to tell Peter twice. After swinging across the city, he eventually arrived at the Compound. Happy quickly led him to your room, pointing to your safe.
“Do you know the combination?” Peter asked. Happy shrugged.
“Try password.”
Peter shot him a look of confusion. “You think [Y/N]’s combination is the word password? It’s a number lock.”
Happy put his hands up. “Hey, I was just guessing.”
Peter’s eyes soften with pity and genuine concern. “The head of security’s password… is password? Dude.”
“I don’t feel good about it either.”
“Okay, do you know her birthday?”
“Try MM/DD.” The lock glowed red and made an annoying buzzing sound. Peter shook his head. “Or maybe her birth year? YYYY.”
Peter tried once more. “Still doesn’t work. Is there another date that’s important to her? Something really significant?”
“Try the date Mr. Stark adopted her. MM/DD.”
The safe made a loud click! sound and Peter quickly opened it. He recognized the black velvet box and cracked it open, the bright light putting him and Happy in a mesmerized state.
“Whoa…”
“I know. It’s beautiful,” Happy said. Peter brought the box closer to his face and rotated it slowly.
“I wonder how much it’s worth.” Happy snatched the box away from him and slammed it closed. “What? I was joking!”
Just then Happy’s phone rang and he was relieved to see your father’s face on the caller ID screen. “Tony! We have a problem.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Mr. Stark sneered. “I’m flying across several countries trying to find these criminals and you’re calling me, so it better be an emergency.”
“Your daughter’s going after Triroth.”
The silence was deafening. “I thought that bastard died.”
“Peter here tells me she went after him alone.”
“The Spider-ling knows? Good god, Happy. I thought you were keeping an eye on them for me.”
Happy frowned. “Hey, I didn’t know she was going to go off and do this. She’s always been a good kid.”
“Yeah, but this is personal. I’m going to head home as soon as I can but for now, I need you to find backup.”
Peter chirped up. “I’m back up.”
Happy pointed the phone camera at Peter, so Mr. Stark could face him. “No, you’re a spectator. You know [Y/N] has magical abilities and this dragon demon must’ve been insanely powerful to have killed her parents. If anything happens to you, I feel like that’s on me.”
“But Mr. Stark—”
“Stand down until I get there.”
The call ended and Peter gave Happy a look he wasn’t too keen on. “Happy… you know she needs help now. Please. I don’t want to lose her.”
“My hands are tied, kid. This is dangerous. And what’s up with the pearl anyway? How can it track the demon?”
“I don’t know. She wasn’t specific.”
“Well if Triroth gets it, it’ll amplify his powers to the point of being unstoppable.” He turned around and headed back to the safe, carefully laying the box inside.
Peter’s eyes narrowed and without thinking, he shot a web. It landed right on the box and before Happy could react, Peter yanked it back into his hands.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to use it to find her.”
He was about to dash out of there when Happy’s next words threw him for a loop.
“And risk the fate of the entire world?”
Peter closed his eyes, the words hanging in the air and burdening him. He turned back around.
“She’s alone and she’s scared!” Peter shouted, using his arms while he spoke. “Do you know why she doesn’t want to be an Avenger? She’s scared of dying, yet she’s going to fight him because she doesn't want me or Mr. Stark to get hurt! The world is already at risk if she loses!”
Happy remained silent. Peter took a second to collect himself and plopped down on your bed.
“I’m sorry, Happy. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t shout. I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“Yeah, me too. Now, you’re a smart kid. [Y/N]’s gone, Iron Man isn’t here, but the pearl is still here. What are you going to do about it?”
Peter rubbed his chin deep in thought. “I’m going to save her.”
It’s like his words triggered something within the velvet box. It started to shake uncontrollably until the lid snapped open. A holographic map burst across the ceiling. And something else.
Or maybe someone else.
“H-Happy, who is that?” Peter asked, swallowing hard against the knot in his throat. Happy stepped closer, squinting at the projection.
“That’s… [Y/N]’s mom.”
“Hello,” the figure greeted. Peter blinked at the eerily monotone voice. “I’m what remains of [Y/N]’s mother. I carry all her past memories and knowledge. I sense you have questions.”
Peter and Happy look at each other and Peter points to himself while mouthing, Is she talking to me?
Happy rolled his eyes and shoved him forward. She was dressed in celestial robes like a deity.
“Yes—uh… Your Majesty,” Peter stammered, immediately regretting it as he dipped into an awkward bow. Why was he bowing? He had no idea. Lowering his voice, he added, “Are you… a ghost?”
Happy facepalms himself. “Peter!”
“I am closer to an artificial spirit,” your mother answered.
“Ask her where [Y/N] is!” Happy urged under his breath.
“Oh! Right, right. Where is [Y/N]? Can you help me find her please?”
You concentrated on the flame in your palm and it doubled in size as you used its light to guide you through the cave. When you left Peter, you headed straight home and asked the pearl to help you find Triroth. The last thing you would’ve expected to happen was to see your mother again. Or well… a hologram of her.
She told you where Triroth was. Hence why you were in a creepy dark cave with no back-up.
“I knew you’d come, Ember.”
You extinguished the flame and sprinted towards an eerie purple glow at the deepest part of the cave. There was a narrow tunnel, but once you made it to the other side, you saw Triroth sitting on a makeshift throne made out of boulders.
“Triroth…” Your voice was seeping with venom. “I’m here to end things.”
He slowly rises from his seat. “I’m aware. Must hurt to see I’m alive but not your daddy.”
You snarled at him. “Watch it.”
“Before you attempt to kill me and graciously fail, you should know I have something very valuable of yours.”
“Yeah, right.”
He snapped his fingers and two of his minions came out from a room behind his throne. They resembled a hybrid creature of human and lizard, but the captive they had in electrical ropes was who you were more shocked to see.
“Peter…?”
He was still adorned in his suit except for his mask, which explained the duct tape on his mouth. A million thoughts raced through your mind as to how Triroth could have captured him so soon. Then again you did leave him immobilized in his own home. Shit. This was your fault.
Before Triroth could make any demands, you took off your mystical bracelet and it grew ten times bigger into a weaponized hula hoop. You flung it towards the two minions holding Peter captive, the impact causing the creatures to explode. The bracelet ricocheted back onto your wrist, immediately shrinking back to its original size.
“Run Peter!”
Unfortunately, Triroth’s clawed hand grabbed Peter by the throat before he could even blink, making the boy groan in anguish. You clenched your fists and got into your fighting stance.
“Make one move and I snap his neck.”
You scowled at the demon, wanting to rip the smirk off his face.
“This is the infamous Spider-Man, right?” Triroth mused. “I was unimpressed with how easy it was to capture him. He’s important to you, isn’t he?”
As if you’d ever admit that to your worst enemy. You crossed your arms.
“Honestly? He’s more of an acquaintance.”
“So you wouldn’t mind if I killed him now?”
You shrugged. “Well I gotta save his life out of professional courtesy.”
Triroth pressed his lips into a thin line. “You’re surprisingly more calm than I thought you’d be.”
“Because I’m holding myself back from killing him for being such an IDIOT,” you said, your voice crescendoing as you spoke. Peter’s eyes went wide and he glanced up at Triroth, as if begging to be eaten instead. “I told you not to go after him and what did you do? Go after him! I should leave your ass behind.”
Peter and Triroth shared the same baffled expression.
“You know what?” you said, throwing your hands up in the air. “That’s what I’m gonna do. Maybe that’ll teach you a lesson on following directions. Good god, Peter. You’re so stupid!”
“This wasn’t exactly how I expected her to react,” Triroth muttered. Peter nodded in agreement. You began to head for the exit, hoping your faux lack of concern would lower the demon’s guard enough for you to plan a surprise attack.
“Wait, are you actually leaving?” Triroth called. Peter asked the same question or well, muffle shouted it behind the duct tape. “I will kill him if you don’t hand the pearl over.”
That stopped you. “...Fine.”
You used your telekinesis to bring the pearl over to Triroth. He snatched it mid-air, cackling like a madman. Then he paused. As he inspected it closer, you fired a beam of light at Peter, creating a barrier shield that separated him from the demon.
“This is fake!” Triroth snarled, glaring at you with a pissed expression. Your smirk added fuel to his ire, triggering his transformation to his true state of three dragon heads. You did a backflip and dodged as the three heads slammed to the ground where you once stood.
Now with your spear in hand, you faced him head-on.
Fatigue eventually crept into your limbs, but you pushed through the pain. Peter was still in danger and your mind was at a cross-roads between reinforcing the barrier or fighting Triroth.
Suddenly, Triroth ceased all movement. The three heads inhaled deeply and you tilted your head, questioning its actions. Their nostrils flared and a mighty roar coursed through the cave. You covered your ears and immediately transformed to protect your eardrums.
*ZAP!*
What was that?!
A bolt of purple lightning was launched towards the ceiling and you jumped in surprise when a familiar red and blue figure fell from the ceiling with a loud thud. Small crackles of purple electricity visibly surged on the exterior of his body, causing him to jolt upwards every couple seconds.
“Ow… that really hurt.”
“Spider-Man?!” You lifted him up to stand on his two feet and he wobbled a bit, almost like he was tipsy from the electrocution. Your voice dropped to an angry whisper. “What are you doing here?!”
He rubbed his head. “I’m here to save you, but you were planning on leaving me behind. How could you?”
“You’re seriously choosing now to argue about that? Clearly that’s not the real you,” you said, extending your hand over to the imposter.
“You didn’t know that!” he exclaimed.
“Now I do!” you snapped back.
“Well yeah,” One hand rested on his hip while the other gestured the expanse of his torso. “I’m clearly more handsome.”
The imposter Peter’s eyes widened at the degrading comment and made a high-pitched whine to protest.
“You called me stupid too,” Real Peter/Spider-Man said. You swore you could see him pouting through the mask.
“Because you are! You’re here when I specifically told you to stay out of it!”
“Hey, I didn’t come back from the dead to be ignored,” Triroth said with his index finger raised. You and Spider-Man threw him matching dirty looks.
“Shut up,” you both chorused before resuming back to your argument.
“You ruined everything!” you told Spider-Man while jabbing a finger at his emblem.
“Me?” He pointed to himself, upping his pitch. “What if that was the real me? Nice to know how little you care.”
“I already told you I’d save myself over you.”
“I know… it still hurts though,” he said in a soft voice as if he was a hurt puppy. You groaned and sagged your shoulders.
“How did you find me?”
“The pearl,” he replied nonchalantly. You grabbed him by the throat and pulled him so close that you were right in front of his face. He audibly gulped.
“Please… please don’t tell me you brought it with you,” you said in a low voice.
"Oh, you mean this little shiny trinket?" he asked as he pulled out the glowing pearl from his suit. He held it up, almost teasingly, between his gloved fingers. Your eyes widened in alarm.
“Peter!”
“What? If it can amplify his powers, then it can amplify yours!”
“I told you how dangerous it was! What’s the matter with you?!”
“Enough!” Triroth roared, eyeing the pearl in Spider-Man’s hands. He flung himself in between the two of you, engaging in hand-to-hand combat right away. The two of you launched a series of attacks in a tag-team fashion, but the demon was too skilled, blocking each kick and punch with ease. Soon he centered his attacks on Peter.
You were quick to intervene and used your massive hoop to round the three heads into a lovely bouquet-like cluster. “Are you the real deal?”
Spider-Man fired a web at one of the heads, swinging around it in a tight arc to bind its snout before landing beside you. "What? Of course, I am."
Triroth thrashed around until the webs snapped, allowing two heads to break free—one headed for you, the other for Spider-Man.
Its jaws snapped shut inches from your face. You caught them and used all your might to slam its head to the ground and stomping it flat.
"Prove it," you challenged.
Peter had his dragon head in a chokehold as panic flared (less for him, more for you). "What do you want me to do?"
He drove his elbow down hard, slamming the head into the ground and stunning it.
"Say something only Peter would know. Something only I would know," you demanded, your heart pounding with anticipation.
The final dragon head tore through the last of the webbing and lurched toward both of you, but your eyes remained locked on Spider-Man. Together, you swiftly dispatched the head with a single synchronized punch.
“Okay, um, Mr. Stark is your father,” Spider-Man said.
“Not good enough.”
“You healed me with the pearl.”
“Still not enough.”
“Those orange chocolate cookies you make for lunch are very tasty.”
You gasped in shock. “I knew you liked them!”
“Yes, they’re the best, okay? Now can we please beat this dragon and get the hell out of here?!”
Spider-Man's eyes widened as a familiar dread tingled through his body. He sprung into action and embraced you while rotating his body. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as he held you close before Triroth’s tail ripped him from your grasp, the warmth of his body now replaced with bitter coldness.
“Peter!” That could have been you. It was supposed to be you.
Triroth squeezed him tightly and the hero let out sounds of pain as he struggled to break free but to no avail.
“Enough!” the demon’s voice boomed. He pointed his claws in the imposter Peter’s direction, who slowly dematerialized back to their true form.
“Kura?” you said in shock.
“He made me do it. I’m sorry,” She gave you a sad smile and that’s when the middle dragon head swallowed her whole. You and Spider-Man let out the same scream of anguish, a resounding “NO!!!”
“O-Oh my god…” you said. You swore your knees were about to give out.
“Mmm… delicious,” Triroth said, followed by maniacal laughter. “I’ve always wondered how spiders taste…”
“Let. Him. Go!” you demanded.
“Not until I get the pearl!” he snarled.
“I don’t even have it,” you said, defeated.
“I know… but he does.”
Triroth squeezed Spider-Man harder until he fessed up. “Okay, okay! That hurts! I’ll give you the pearl.”
Your helmet visor went up, revealing your distressed face. “Peter, no!”
“Just let her go,” Peter begged.
Triroth slithered his three heads on all sides, eyeing him with immense suspicion. “Sure… but give me the pearl first.”
The demon’s tail loosened just enough.
Peter didn’t hesitate. He reached into his suit and pulled out the pearl. It glistened in his hand as Triroth’s jaws stretched wide in anticipation.
“Peter! Peter, stop!” you yelled.
Peter looked down at your small figure so far below. He gave you a gentle nod, as if saying it’ll be okay.
He threw the pearl into the beast’s mouth and the world’s fate was sealed.
It’s over.
He won.
Or maybe not…
“Wait a minute… What's happening?!” Triroth shrieked. A white light ignited on its chest and gradually started to expand. You sensed the unstable mystical energy building inside him and realized what was to come.
“No…” you breathed.
He’s going to explode!
“Save yourself, [Y/N]!” Peter shouted.
Deja vu crashed over you.
Last time you didn’t listen.
Last time your parents ended up dead.
You took a step back. Should you save yourself? Did you learn your lesson?
But then your expression hardened and you launched yourself into the air. You snatched Spider-Man from the dragon’s clutches just as the light reached its peak and a deafening explosion sent you both spiraling upward.
Your bodies burst through the top of the cave, crashing onto a narrow cliff. The impact knocked the air out of your lungs and you rolled off him. Straight over the edge.
“[Y/N], no!”
*SPLASH!*
Freezing water from the lake swallowed you whole. Your transformation flickered out and when your eyes fluttered open, you desperately clawed for the surface.
Oxygen was depleting and your vision blurred as something red and blue fell into the water. With an outstretched hand, Peter grabbed your own before you sunk too far.
Seconds later, something else dove into the water and when you came to, you realized you were being carried by…
“Dad?” You look over your shoulder to see the moonlight illuminating his red and gold suit and you sighed in relief before panic struck you again. “Wait, where’s Peter?!”
“Right here,” a meek voice said. The sound of rocket jets grew louder and when you looked to your left, you saw another Iron Man suit carrying Spider-Man.
“Ah… thanks dad…”
Your father remained silent until he and his double carried the two of you to a nearby playground. You both were placed on top of the geometric climbing dome and Peter immediately took off his soaked mask, turning to you.
“Are you okay?” He cupped your face and inspected it closer, gently tilting it side to side. Your body stilled, unable to breathe from how close he was. “You’re bleeding.”
Were you? You didn’t feel a thing except for your heart thrumming in your chest. “I’m okay. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He gave you that soft, gentle smile of his that made your heart ache. You returned the smile and for a second, the world seemed quiet.
“Hello? I’m not okay,” your father cut in sharply. You and Peter both turn to him with a sheepish grin as his Iron Mask flipped up to reveal his scornful face. “What on earth were you both thinking?!”
At first you and Peter kept talking over each other, much to Tony’s dismay.
“Kid, you first—actually, never mind.” He winced as Peter’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. “Hang on.”
The suit hissed softly as he activated the internal heater.
“Okay. Kid’s defrosting. You—talk.”
So you did. You spoke in thorough detail of how things got to this point. A key point was your repetition of how none of this was Peter’s fault and it was because of his brilliant idea of disguising a fake pearl as a mystical bomb that Triroth was dead.
“Your mom helped me with the magic,” Peter chimed in. “I just handled the tech.”
“Wait, you met her mom?” Tony asked.
“It was a hologram,” you and Peter chorused. The two of you look at each other with awe before bursting out laughing at your father’s confused expression.
Peter then continued to sing praises about how you risked your life to save his.
“And he just—he just, like, swooped down and picked me up. I thought I was going to die!” His voice softened. “Thanks for not leaving me behind.”
“She should’ve,” your father muttered.
Your smile dropped. “Dad!”
“What? Am I supposed to be on board with a three-headed dragon munching on my daughter?”
“But you love Peter as if he were your son!”
Peter raised a finger. “I’m sorry, what?”
Tony made a strangled sound, like he was physically fighting the words trying to come out. “That’s not the point. You could’ve left him and you didn’t. Why?”
You shied away from your father’s gaze and ended up locking eyes with Peter. Those big, brown eyes that were so compelling that you almost spilled the beans.
Your father ruined the moment with an overly dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, you like—”
“I think your suit has performance issues!” you blurted.
Tony froze. “You wouldn’t—”
Iron Man’s suit launched off mid-sentence and you cracked up at Peter’s bewildered and horrified face.
“Where did he…?”
“It’s a trigger phrase,” you said, grinning. “Forces the suit to go home. He told me to only use it for emergencies so… this felt appropriate.”
Peter chuckled. “That’s funny.”
You swung your legs back and forth on the dome, staring up at the sky. Peter mimicked your actions and the two of you enjoyed a peaceful moment of silence.
“Why didn’t you though?” Peter asked. You closed your eyes and groaned, smacking him lightly on the arm.
“Wow, way to ruin the moment,” you teased.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, smiling. “But seriously…”
You turned to face him and he shifted closer. “Maybe it’s because after so long, I finally found someone I care about more than myself.”
Now it was your turn to cup his face. You traced the small cuts on his cheek with your thumb and he closed his eyes, melting at your touch.
“I don’t want to be an Avenger anymore,” he whispered.
“What?” Your hands faltered, but he grabs both your wrists to keep you close. His eyes fluttered open and he was endeared by your concerned expression.
“I’d rather just stay on the ground for a little while. Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Somebody’s got to look out for the little guy, right?”
“I guess?” you said, though your expression dimmed slightly.
A grin spread on his face.
“You, [Y/N]. I want to look out for you.”
You had no words, but Peter never seemed to run out of them. “I mean it. Besides, there’s so much I can learn from you. I swear, there’s nothing you can’t do. You’re amazing and—”
Your brain must have short-circuited because you decided to kiss him. But it was barely a peck and definitely awkward.
“And you kissed me…” he started to say. You released him from your hands.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I just… I really like you and I’m terrified because now you know I’m not perfect. I don’t know how to kiss I just—”
Now it was Peter’s turn to kiss you. That familiar warmth spreads across your cheeks as his lips brushed against yours. He placed a hand at the back of your neck, keeping you close and secure.
“Okay… maybe there is one thing you’re better at than me,” you said, a little breathless. Peter pecked you on the lips again.
“I need that recorded.”
“Already done,” a familiar voice said from behind. You whipped around to see your dad’s other Iron Man suit lurking behind the trees, having forgotten its existence.
“Dad!” you whined. “Were you watching this entire time?!”
“Maybe. Are you not going to tell her you like her back?”
Peter cleared his throat with a cough, straightening up right away. “O-Oh! Of course! I really like you too.”
You exchanged bashful smiles with him until he saw the Iron Man suit hold its palm out with the blaster ready to go.
“Now get away from my daughter,” Tony said. “or I’m telling May everything.”
“Understood,” Peter said quickly.
But behind his back, his hand found yours.
You laced your fingers together, both of you smiling like idiots.
A/N: And that concludes Inferior Flames! If you're still here, PLEASE reblog and comment and tag. I do check and read every single one! Thank you so much.
