Peter's POV:

"Mr. Stark?" I mutter, closing the door to the infirmary behind me. Just because Percy's advice was sound doesn't mean he has to know I think that.

"Yes Peter?" Mr. Stark sounds almost embarrassingly excited, as though the only thing he wants in the world is to speak to me. It's funny, because over the past months Mr. Stark has almost become like a father to me, looking out for me, yelling at me for doing dumb things, making sure I'm safe, but I never once thought of him as a father figure before Percy mentioned it. I don't know if he feels the same way, right now though, it wouldn't be hard to believe it.

"I, um, I just wanted to apologize for being a jerk in there. I'm just, you know, really worried about Aunt May and I shouldn't have yelled at you, but I, I'm worried about her and with everything else that's happened I'm just really stressed and it isn't your fault so I'm sorry for making it seem that way." I don't want to say it. Mr. Stark will probably take the mickey, tease me mercilessly, laugh at the very thought that I could have hurt him. Still, I messed up, so I needed to apologize. Before it was to late, as Percy put it.

"Oh. Um, well. That, that was totally unnecessary. I'm not some old lady who needs apologizing to every three seconds." Mr. Stark turns away, brushing it off. Not before I see his smile though. And that makes the potential ridicule almost worth it.

"Look, not to ruin the moment or anything," Dr. Banner buts in nervously, scratching behind his ear, "but did you and Percy come to some sort of agreement?"

"He doesn't want to come, so that decides it I guess."

"Hallelujah." Mr. Stark turns back around, practically going in circles at this point, and rolls his eyes.

"Yup, he's coming along." I smirk at fascinating range of emotions fleeing across everyone involved faces.

"Isn't that a little," Dr. Banner pauses, looking for the word, "Counter intuitive?"

"Gotta agree with the doctor on this one kid." Mr. Stark gives Dr. Banner an appreciative look, as though that was the first non-idiotic thing he'd ever said. Honestly I on't understand why Dr. Banner stays with the team. I guess the saying "We take the love we think we deserve" is true, except Dr. Banner could do so much better than us. "Anyway, if Jackson tagged along he'd have to know about you occupation as the friendly neighborhood Spiderman."

I wince, remembering my slip up earlier. Part of me thinks though that maybe it wasn't a mistake. Maybe I was ready not to have to hide. Except in this world I'll always have to hide. Everyone loves a hero, the only thing they love more is to see a hero fall. To see someone destroyed, completely and utterly. Then they lie, pretend they're sad to have seen you fall, talk about you fondly, as if they weren't the one who pushed you. Except I don't want to believe this, I want to see the good in people, I want to believe they're worth saving. 

Maybe if Percy were to accept this part of me, Spider-man, the part of me that isn't me at all despite it being all I am. Maybe if he could accept it then others could. Maybe he could prove to me that people aren't as bad as I've seen, that the worst of humanity isn't all of humanity. Of course, he could do the exact opposite. He could prove me right. He could prove that humanity is just as lost as I've seen, that people are cruel, greedy, selfish, heartless by nature. That humans are scared at being out of control, of not being the most powerful, of not being the best and greatest and simply most. He could prove everything I fear is true. Even if the answer I receive isn't the one that I want at least it's a answer, at least it's something other than this endless wondering. 

"We can trust Percy." It says itself, like every hard truth does. Because hard truths want to be spoken, whether we're ready or not. "He already knows, anyway." I throw it out there, causal as can be.

"Excuse me?" There is an air of unbelieving, not understanding.

"Percy already knows I'm Spiderman."

"Peter, are you sure that was a, wise decision?" Dr. Banner shoots Mr. Stark a look, forcing him to keep quiet. 

"Sometimes a decision doesn't have to be wise to be right."

"Well kid, it looks like all the stress has finally fried your brain. Don't worry about it, I'm sure I can throw something together to help Percy forget this unpleasant experience. Meanwhile I think you should get some sleep." Mr. Stark is surprisingly gentle as he speaks, convinced I've finally gone off the deep end.

"I know this seems crazy Mr. Stark, but I had to tell him. Just like you had to tell the world you were Iron Man. At least I didn't tell the entire world at a press conference."

"Except I was crazy when I told the world I was Iron Man."

"Yeah well you're always crazy so that really isn't any argument at all."

"Seriously, we're throwing my sanity into question right now?" Mr. Stark gives me an incredulous look. However, if Mr. Stark is talking about himself we could be here all day listening to him. In all day I might just figure out some logical reason for telling Percy that I'm Spiderman.

"Look I might not have made the best decisions up until now, and even that is debatable by the way! but anyway, even if that was true I'm Iron Man. Hero to thousands! Genius, creater of the Iron Man suit. Look, even if you want to question my sanity you can't question my genius, and genius excuses lack of sanity so your argument is invalid."

"Since when do you say your argument is invalid? Anyway, it isn't. Invalid I mean. My argument is valid!"

"Of for crying out loud Peter name one sane reason why Percy should know you're Spiderman." He rubs his brow, trying to stop a blooming headache. The headache is me. I feel guilty, of course, but I need to do this, I need to tell Percy the truth. There is no excuse though, no reason to trust Percy. Nothing except that gut feeling, that whisper in the back of my mind. Nothing except his mothers unwavering faith that he is good, the pain he felt at my friends deaths even though he'd only just met them. Something is just different about Percy, I don't know why, heck I don't even know why I know, but I do. Some people are born to trust. Others are born to distrust. A lucky few though, they're born to be trusted. And Percy is one of those people. 

So I have to lie. Make something up. Anything. Not to hurt anyone, just the opposite really. To keep someone alive. Because if Mr. Stark were to take Percy's memories it would destroy Percy. He's already lost his memories, his life, his everything once. Because even if the entire story of his life is supposedly false I don't believe it, not for a moment. Nobody deserves to lose there identity. Ever. To lose it twice, no, not lose. To have it torn away from you twice, that would be unbearable, unlivable. Everything that is weighing down on my, crushing me, pulling me under it's almost to much. Maybe it is to much and I just refuse to admit it. Either way, if I can do anything to lift any burden from someone else it is my duty to do so. I am Spider-Man, a hero. But I'm you Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, with me no problem is to small, no problem is to big, every problem just is. So I lie, to try help solve one little huge indescribable problem.

"I think Percy is an inhuman."

A lie. Maybe enough to keep Percy's memories intact.