Tony stepped up to the microphone, wearing a black suit and a solemn look on his face.  In front of him sat an audience filled with New Yorkers and camera men.  It had been less than a week since it had happened.  Peter's birthday would have been tomorrow.

MJ and Ned sat in the front row.  Tony and Steve had told them the day before.  They were both heartbroken.  They deserved to know before everyone else, having been close to Peter. 

MJ had felt guilty.  She had seen him the day before and had been rude to him.  Next things she hears about him is that he's dead.  Ned was just completely shocked and stayed quiet, comforting MJ.  He looked so distant. 

"Hello, New York," Tony finally said after taking a deep breath. "So, some of you might have heard about the loss of... the loss of me and Stevens son, Peter."

Whispers began spreading around the crowd along with a few gasps.

Steve sat on the back side of the stage, Wanda sitting beside him, comforting him.

When the whispering died down, Tony continued. "What you didn't know is that when we lost Peter, we lost... we lost Spider-Man, too."

Even more gasps followed. Reporters started trying to ask Tony questions.

"Peter Rogers-Stark was Spider-Man. None of us knew until after the Carnage fiasco a few years ago. He was with us against Ultron. Recently, unbeknownst to the rest of us Avengers, a group of men had been attacking him and wearing him down enough so that they could attack us.  And they succeeded.  He ran away and while he was gone, they overwhelmed us with basically an army.  They had taken him hostage before he found a way out and came to save us, without a suit."

"He-" Tony's voice broke.  "He was killed by the man in charge of all of the attacks.  He died in place of us.  He died a hero."

The audience was in shock.  He could hear some cries.  The most prominent being the cries from MJ.  Ned comforted her, tears of his own spilling. 

"I knew he was young, I never realized he was that young," a woman in the front said.

"I went to school with him.  He was my age.  I can't believe it."
-
"No!  My ship is sunk now."

"That's what you're upset about?"

"No...."
-
"Everything makes sense now."

Tony saw a kid in the back stand up.  He had a bandage on his swollen nose and had darker hair and skin. He looked saddened as he walked out of the room.

"To those of you who called him a menace, or a murderer, just remember that he was only a kid.  A kid who wanted to help.  Who cared about other people and beat himself up over things that he did wrong.  He tried to save everyone."

"Yeah, and look where that got him, huh?"  A kid in the back yelled.  Before Tony could retaliate, MJ stood up in the front row.  She walked to the back, grabbed the kid by the arm, and led him out there.  A chorus of 'ooohs' came from the audience.  Tony did not want to be that kid.

"Peter might have been close to you.  Or maybe you were one of the gossipers who thought that only because he punched a classmate, he was a villain. Though, at the time of the trip, he had already been attacked by these men.  So, when someone went and insulted him or his family, he did what anyone would do if they were driven over the edge.  He retaliated.  And he got publicly attacked for it."

"Thank you." Tony turned away and started his walk off.

Reporters started yelling questions in protests as he left.  He was joined right after by Steve, who rested a hand on his shoulder as the doors closed behind them.

They stood there in silence before hugging each other, finding a small bit of peace in each other's arms.

——————

"Sirs, there is a Wade Wilson downstairs and is insisting that he gets let into the house."

"FRIDAY, tell him to get lost," Tony spat, not looking up from the floor.  The conference had been hours ago. "Now is certainly not the time."

"Yes, s-"

Friday was cut off by static and then there was silence.  Tony quickly stood up and shared a look with Steve when they heard the ding of the elevator. 

Seconds later, the elevator opened, and there stood Wade Wilson.  He wore his suit except for his mask, showing the heartbroken look on his face.

"Tell me it isn't true," Wade demanded. 

"Wilson, get out.  This is not the time," Steve said, trying to keep his voice steady.  "Whatever it is, can't it just wait?"

"Tell me it is not true," Wade repeated.  Were those tears in his eyes?  "Tell me that Peter is not dead!"

"How the hell do you know our son?"  Tony asked, stepping forward.  "Why would you care?"

"Look, Iron Giant, tell me.  Is he gone?"

Steve looked down.  "Yes, Wilson.  He's gone.  He sacrificed himself."

Wade stumbles a bit in his spot.  He wore a look of pure disbelief.  "No.  No no no! He can't be..."

Tony and Steve shared a look, softening a little at how helpless the mercenary looked.

"Look... Wade.  Just sit down."  Steve said slowly.  "Talk to us.  We... we can all just talk about Peter."

"About how you knew him..." Tony muttered, causing Steve to elbow him.

Wade was staring at the floor, shaking.  "It's my fault," he muttered.  "It's all my fault. If I had only made sure he stayed..."

"Wilson, you need to sit down," Tony said, stepping slowly over to Wade.  He knew what Wade was going through. He had gone through it too many times. "We can talk about him.  We can talk about Pete if you'd like.."

Wade shook his head and stumbled back to the elevator, pulling his mask out.  "No.  No.  I should go."  He quickly went back into the elevator.

"Where is he?"  Wade asked them as he pressed the button.  Steve and Tony looked at him, confused.  "The man who killed him.  Where is he?"

"He's behind bars, Wilson.  Don't do anything stupid," Tony said quickly. 

"Goodbye," Wade said as the doors closed.  "I'm sorry."