Surviving on Secrets
by Booklivesmatter is a retelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting before the events of Captain America: Civil War. In this story, after Ben Parker dies protecting Peter Parker from a mugger at night, May Parker turns to drugs and alcohol (becoming more and more abusive towards Peter) and ends up confessing to Peter that she has known for years that Peter isn't really her nephew and that the people everyone thought were his parents (Richard and Mary Parker) were really his kidnappers. His real name is Oliver Stark and he was kidnapped because Obadiah Stane offered to pay for Mary's mother's medical bills if they did. The story, told mostly with Peter as the center of the action, deals with how events would have unfolded with Peter being abused by his aunt and Skip Westcott from before the events of Captain America: Civil War to after the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Surviving on Secrets contains examples of:
- Adaptational Nice Guy: The changes in Peter's behavior as well as the obvious signs of abuse get the normally bully Flash Thomson concerned about Peter's well being and calls Child Protective Services.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In canon, Tony didn't propose to Pepper until ending of Spider-Man: Homecoming. In this story, Tony and Pepper have been married since before Peter was born.
- Blatant Lies: Nobody buys Peter's explanations for the injuries he gets because of the abuse.
- Dark Secret: May has known for years that Richard and Mary had kidnapped Peter.
- Department of Child Disservices: The social worker assigned to Peter's case doesn't really investigate the abuse and buys all of May and Skip's explanations. After Skip nearly murders Peter, Tony demands a different social worker be assigned to Peter's case.
- Dramatic Irony: The press accuse Tony and Pepper of replacing their long lost son Oliver with Peter unaware that Peter is Oliver.
- Drugs Are Bad: The more and more May gets into drugs and alcohol, the more and more abusive she gets towards Peter.
- If You Won't, I Will: Upon learning Peter is Oliver Stark and that Peter hasn't told Tony that, Ned threatens to tell Tony himself if Peter doesn't in the next two months.
- Internal Reveal: In chapter 19, Peter finally tells Tony what May said about him really being Oliver Stark in chapter 1.
- Papa Wolf: Even before he learned Peter is Oliver, Tony was this when it came to Peter.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: During the court case Tony was able to restrain himself hearing of the abuse Peter suffered at the hands of May and Skip until Peter says Skip would regularly rape him at night. Upon hearing that Tony tried to kill Skip in the courtroom with people present not sure if they should stop him or help him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tony gives one to the social worker assigned to Peter's case after Peter is nearly murdered by Skip.
- Related in the Adaptation: Peter is the long lost son of Tony and Pepper.
- Replacement Goldfish: What Peter thinks Tony and Pepper view him as before he tells them the truth. The press also thinks Peter is this to Tony and Pepper.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Averted. Tony wants and tries to keep Peter at the Avenger Compound after Peter is shoved and locked out of May and Skip's apartment in his pajamas at night in winter. Peter tells Tony keeping him at the compound is kidnapping and insists on returning back to his abusive home.
- Spotting the Thread: How the adults and Flash come to the conclusion Peter is being abused. He starts flinching when touched, he has injuries that couldn't have been caused by what he said caused them, and he's loosing weight.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Peter felt he owed his abusive aunt and thus didn't tell anyone he was kidnapped until after she was in jail.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: May. In this story, she knowingly had a kidnapped child (Peter) in her care for years but at least treated him well. Then her husband Ben died and then she became more and more abusive towards Peter.
