{Hero}

"He's too young," Steve said decisively.

Peter sighed and looked at the hands in his lap. He felt like he was going to bash his head on the table.

"I agree," Clint nodded.

"Mr. Rogers, Mr. Barnes," he said, speaking up for the first time since this discussion about whether or not should he be allowed to go out patrolling ever since he revealed his age 30 minutes ago, "You both have enhanced senses, right?"

"We do," Bucky confirmed.

"You can hear maybe two floors down and meters ahead of you," Peter leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, cupping his face, "I can hear much further-,"

"This is not a matter of the extent of abilities, kid," Clint said.

"Will you let me speak?"

The Avengers nodded, looking surprised. Peter had never spoken to them this coldly. Tony smiled and settled back.

"As I was saying," he said cooly, "I can hear further. Much, much further. I can hear a woman crying because her father died. I can hear a kid tripping and scraping his knees. I can hear an intern right at the first-floor cursing at the coffee machine."

He looked all the heroes in the eye, "You guys sleep in sound-proof rooms, in a sound-proof tower. I live in an apartment, right in the middle of the city. According to you, I should ignore a woman screaming for help as she is about to be raped because I'm too young?"

Steve reeled back as if he had been hit.

"Son no-"

"That's exactly what you're saying," Peter cut him off.

He tilted his head and examined the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

"What do you think it means to be a hero?" Peter asked them, his brown eyes piercing, "What according to you is heroism?"

The Avengers shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Society has a very firm definition of a hero. Capes, weapons, powers, strength, agility, technology, badassness, cool clothes, pretty faces, perfect bodies," Peter ticked them off on his fingers, "To them that is heroism. To them you are heroes."

He looked Steve in the eye, "It's strange that when I go out, a woman being raped screams for my help, a person being mugged screams for me, someone being murdered, hurt, abused, they scream for me, not the Avengers. Why?"

.

.

.

"We only respond when there are global threats," Natasha said evenly, "We have never helped people personally."

Peter nodded at her, "It's simple. You guys save the world, I save the people in it," he said simply, "You guys do anything to stop aliens from invading this planet, I do everything within my power to help the people who will be caught up in the aftermath. When you all go to bed after a job well done, it is us vigilantes who clean up the city of all the debris, who help the wounded."

Peter looked at Steve, who was looking at him with a mixture of awe and pride, "You can take away my suit, you won't take away my powers. You cannot stop me. I'll swing around the city in a paper bag to save its people if that's what has to happen. I will not stop saving people because you have a textbook definition of what a hero is supposed to be."

He looked at the rest of them. All of them were looking at him with pride. Why are they looking proud? Aren't they supposed to convince him not to be Spider-Man? Peter didn't ponder on that. He was on a roll.

"Anyone can be a hero," he said softly, "One can share a meal with the homeless and be a hero. One can heal an animal and be a hero. One can make friends with a bullied and be a hero. One can stand up against a bully and be a hero. Being a hero doesn't mean being strong or having powers or having a particular age, it means having genuine compassion and love for others. A five-year-old can be a hero. You can't and won't be able to stop me. I won't allow you to."

There was a pause.

"I told you so," Tony said, chuckling.

"Wait, what?" Peter looked between them, confused,

"It was a prank, kiddo," Sam said, pointing at a camera hidden behind stacks of books, "That's live-streaming us right now."

"My identity," Peter shot to his feet, "How did I not notice the camera?"

"Because I made it," Tony promptly replied, "And don't worry, all your distinguishing features have been blurred. FRIDAY's monitoring the audio to censor any private information."

"What prank was this supposed to be?" Peter asked, ruffling his hair.

"It was supposed to make you defensive and angry, maybe make you cry," Scott said, "But that backfired and now all I feel is pride."

"Same," Steve laughed and patted Peter's shoulder, "We wouldn't stop your patrol, kid. You are the best out of all of us. And it would be hypocritical of me to say anything when I faked my age and joined the army at your age."

"I'm joining you for your patrols," Bucky announced, standing up and stretching.

"Hey, I want to too," Clint whined.

"Guys, the live stream is still going," Peter pointed out, "And we can figure out a schedule."

"Of course," Nat kissed his forehead, "You'll be the greatest hero of all of us, Peter Benjamin Parker," she murmured, too low for anyone but him to hear. Peter blushed.

**********

(Over the next few days, the live video went viral everywhere, everyone singing praises of Spider-Man. The Avengers started joining his patrols. Poor Peter could only blush and stutter every time anyone brought the video up. He really had become too passionate in his speech.)