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Chapter Text

A spider

A freaking spider.

A tiny…yet radioactive…spider ruined everything.

Peter Parker thinks this while he lies in his hospital bed, still exhausted after his last seizure. The medical staff are still buzzing around him. His aunt, well at least that’s what Peter calls her, May is pacing outside his room. Even though she is a nurse, the doctor
won’t allow her inside due to conflict of interest. Every time Peter begins seizing, May is ushered out.

One of the other nurses hands Peter a cup of water.

“Are you feeling any better?”

Peter nods and graciously accepts the drink. “Can May come back in?”

The nurse nods and waives for May who immediately runs back into the room.

“Are you okay?” May asks once she is at Peter’s bedside.

“I’m fine, this one wasn’t as strong. They’re getting easier.”

“I got an update from your mom” May tells him. “She should be here any second.”

“No!” Peter gasps, earning a confused look from the medical staff. He takes in a deep breath to calm down and asks the room “Can we have a bit of privacy?” He can’t discuss this in front of strangers.

The doctor continues to give May and Peter a questioning look. After a few moments he says “You come get us if the next seizure starts May. No intervening.”

“Understood Dr. Adams.”

The group exits the room, allowing May and Peter to be alone for the first time since the spider bite. While the tension from the curious nurses’ stares is gone, Peter isn’t able to relax. May brushes a few hairs out of his face, hoping to give the boy a small bit of comfort.

“You have to tell her to run” Peter implores. “It’s too late for me, but she can still be free.”

“Do you really think she is going to allow you to face him alone?” May’s expression is full of pity.

Peter blinks up at the ceiling, tears begin to cloud his vision. It’s over. His life as it is…and it’s all his fault. Peter knew he shouldn’t have gone to Oscorp. His mom had told him no, it was too risky. But he was so excited. The first time he would be able to see a professional lab. He decided to forge her signature on the permission form for the school to allow him on the fieldtrip.

“Please, you need to stop her” Peter begs his aunt. “Both of you need to go. He’s not going to allow me to see either of you again anyways. He might…I know mom doesn’t think he would kill her but you…”

“There is no way for you to know that.”

“May, please!”

“Peter!” a frazzled voice rings out in the hallway. Within seconds Mary Parker is rushing into the room, still wearing her work attire. She is out of breath, her face red from running. “Baby, are you okay?

“Momma” Peter squeaks out, feeling like toddler. He finally lets his tears flow free. His mother always made him feel safe enough to show her his pain. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Shhh” Mary pulls Peter into a hug. He cries into her shoulder, unable to make any more cohesive sentences. The mother turns to her best friend, the woman she trusts her life with. “When was the last seizure?”

“A couple minutes ago, he said they’re getting better. Dr. Adams thinks it’ll take a few more hours before the mutation is complete.”

“Baby” Mary whispers into her son’s hair before giving him a small kiss. “It’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.”

Peter is finally able to take a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He relishes the smell of his mom’s perfume, trying to cement it into his memory. He knows after today it’ll be a long time before he sees her again, if ever. He pulls away and begins pleading

“You both need to go. He’ll…I’ll be fine. I don’t want him to get you too.”

“I’m not going anywhere” Mary asserts. Her heart breaks looking into her son’s dark chocolate eyes. It took Mary years of determination and parenting before she was able to say no to those eyes. It is still hard for her, today especially. “I am not sending you off with him alone.”

“He won’t hurt me” Peter tells her. “You know he won’t. But we don’t know what he will do to you…”

“Tony isn’t going to kill me” Mary cuts him off. “He’ll be angry, but…he won’t do that.”

Peter’s eyes begin to well up “Because he’ll want to make you suffer.”

“Honey I…I’ll be fine. You don’t worry about me, okay.”

“Mom I…”

Mary redirects the conversation to May “You should go.”

“Mary…”

“We…I…we will be fine. Tony won’t…we have some protection, you don’t. Go home, grab as much as you can and flee. We won’t say anything about you, but hospital staff might if he starts asking questions.”

“You two are all I have left” May whispers. Tears are already falling from her face. The woman’s arms are wrapped around herself as if it’s the only thing holding her together.

Mary takes a step towards her and wraps her own arms around May who returns the hug. May lets out a sob into Mary’s hair. The two women stay like this for a minute before Mary pulls away. Wiping a tear off her friend’s face, Mary gently says “Thank you. You…you and Ben were the best family I ever had. Thank you for everything you did for me and Peter. Please, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he hurts you because of us.”

May takes in a shaky breath before nodding her head. She turns to Peter and wraps him tightly in her arms. “I love you Petey.” She places a kiss on the boy’s forehead. “Don’t let him twist that big heart of yours.”

“I larb you” Peter whispers to his aunt. She will always be that to him, whether they shared blood or not. She will always be the woman who saved his mom, who helped raise him, who put herself into danger to protect them both.

May lets out a small laugh, "I larb you so much more."

Mary reaches into her purse and pull out a wad of cash. She hands it to May “The ATM wouldn’t allow me to pull any more out. I wish I could do more.”

“I don’t want any of it, I want you two.”

“It’s too late” for the first time Mary allows herself to cry. “I’m so sorry May.”

“No” May places her hands on her friend, her sister’s shoulders. She stares Mary in the eyes and tells her “You stay strong. You didn’t allow him to break you last time, don’t let him now. You are the smartest, bravest, strongest person I’ve ever met. Don’t let him change you.”

“I won’t.”

The two exchange one last emotion filled hug before May leaves. She does take the money upon Mary’s insistence. Mary climbs into Peter’s bed and the two comfort each other as they watch May go. They sit in quiet as the understanding of what their lives would be from now on overtakes them.

After about fifteen minutes, Peter’s next seizure begins. Mary can only hold him as she hoarsely screams for the nurses. The medical staff pries the mother off her child and escorts her to the hall. Mary watches through the glass at the terrifying sight of her son shaking on the bed. Hours, hours she is going to have to endure this sight.

There is not much the staff can do to help Peter through it. The mutation has to run it’s course, medications will be of little help. While extremely uncommon, as in one in a billion, the world has been used to the existence of superhumans for years. It started off as an experiment in the forties. Steve Rogers became the first super-soldier, fighting the Nazis in World War II. He was the first person to survive the procedure. A project that Peter’s grandfather assisted in. It is a bit ironic that years later, Howard Stark’s grandson would be turning into one by accident.

Little did the world know of the true reason for Howard’s experiment. Power. Stark industries was famous for developing the world’s deadliest weapons. It was only a matter of time before they began turning humans into them. Of course, it didn’t stay within SI. Other companies…other family’s…met Howard’s invention with their own form of highly powered humans. The biggest corporations in the world while some highly successful on their own merit, hid the truth from the world of the underlying crime families. The world changed when Steve Rogers entered the picture, or more like left it. He disappeared. Got himself frozen at the bottom of the ocean floor.

Howard became ruthless after that. While he was known in the crime world as one of the scariest men alive, he became terrifying after losing his greatest accomplishment. He began going after smaller groups, overtaking them and forcing them to merge into SI.
His actions were met with similar reaction from the other highly powered gangs. Many couldn’t handle it. Some decided to go willingly, such as the Queen family going to the Wayne’s for protection. Some tried to fight it but were overtaken, such as when the Starks took control over the Osbornes. Most of the world was clueless to what was happening behind closed doors. Again, that all changed with Steve Rogers.

He was found. Thawed, the enhancements from Stark Industries serum kept him alive. Frozen in time, he didn’t age a day in the sixty years he missed. Mary remembers Tony’s shock when finding out the news. At the time she was still his secretary, forced to take the job by her father. That too, changed with the arrival of Steve Rogers.

Tony wasn’t as bad as Howard, not at first. But the return of SI’s greatest weapon gave Tony the confidence to shake up the world. Mold it into one more to his liking. He became drunk on power and began planning to overthrow the government. He wanted Stark Industries to rule, with him at the top.

His only obstacle was the Wayne family. While SI was able to overtake a large portion of the country, the Wayne’s were able to achieve the same. The two gangs were ruthless, especially with Captain America’s return. They started going international, then galactic.

Superman, born on another planet, made his debut the same week Steve’s return was announced. A man that was more powerful, could fly, is indestructible and he was under Bruce Wayne’s thumb. So was Wonder woman, an amazon nearly just as powerful.

Tony was furious. He began his own search for those out of this world enhanced. Some of his people tried, making adjustments to the serum used on Steve. That is how Bruce Banner turned himself into a raging green monster the media coined ‘The Hulk’. Finally, Tony found Thor. A literal god with the intelligence of a ten-year-old. He was more than happy to allow Tony, a certified genius, to lead him.

Mary remembers the day Tony took the super-soldier serum. A weaker dose than Steve’s, he didn’t want another Banner incident or risk of death. Mary was next to him through all the seizures, only being able to offer empty words of comfort. So similar to how she is now with her son at the moment. Tony made up the difference in serum with his newest invention, a suit made completely out of weapons. While he wasn’t as strong as Steve, he could fly, shoot lasers out of his arm and was always connected to his AI. He called himself Ironman.

Bruce Wayne, not one to let the spotlight remain on his rival, revealed himself as Batman. Similar to Tony, Bruce’s serum didn’t make himself as strong as his peers, the man was smart beyond belief. While Tony’s intelligence was rooted in science and mechanics, Bruce was cunning. He could manipulate and toy with people on a level some wondered if he could read minds.

The world began to see the change in both families. The blinds that held the truth from the world were slowly being lifted. The dark side of Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises was making it into the media.

Then the Chitauri attacked.

Both groups met the Chitauri with their full force. Working together during the battle. Tony and Bruce leading both packs. The aliens had no chance. Tony’s Avengers and Bruce’s Justice League demolished them.

They also demolished half the country. The government was inadequate at trying to pick up the broken cities. They fought on how to fund cleanup, didn’t know what to prioritize. The military was close to useless during the battle. The people lost faith in those they elected to power. They turned to the Justice League and Avengers, to the hero’s that saved them.

It was a quick take over.

The government barely fought back, knowing any attempts would be useless. Tony and Bruce cemented their territories. While not official, the government handed over their power to the two men. Citizens chose the city to live in by who they wanted protecting them, the Justice League or the Avengers. While Tony liked keeping his superpowered team close, having them in Stark Tower in New York, Bruce spread his out. He placed Superman in Metropolis, Green Arrow in Star City, Flash in Central City. Bruce Wayne himself kept Gotham, the city that accepted his family’s rule long ago.

Who could say if the world was better or worse under the new regime? For the average person, life didn’t change too much. The crime families always controlled the wealth and politicians. They were just honest about it now.

Life for those born into crime changed dramatically. No longer did they have to keep the darkness hidden from public eye. The public, while grateful, quickly grew to fear those who they put in power.

To Mary, the only good thing to come out of the Chitauri attack, was her and Peter’s escape. It was the first time Tony had left them alone. All the Avengers were needed to fight the Aliens. At the time, the small family was living in Malibu. Once Tony left, Mary packed a couple bags for her and Peter and left. Peter was only three. Young enough that Tony hadn’t ruined the boy yet, but old enough for Peter to remember his father’s darkness. Tony didn’t hide anything from his wife and child, often coming home with the blood of his victims still on his clothes.

She fled to Queens New York. A place big enough for them to hide with people who mind their own business. She hated being so close to Avengers Tower but didn’t dare hide in one of Wayne’s territories.

“What’s going to happen?” Peter whispers softly to his mother once they are alone again.

Mary cups the boy’s face in her hands. For ten years she was able to keep her son away from the life of criminals and psychopaths. After she fled, Tony put in a rule that all hospitals must keep children in custody until a DNA test is completed. There was no way Mary could sneak Peter out.

“He is going to come. I’m sure he will have a few Avengers with him. They will probably separate us.”

Peter grabs her hands, “I won’t let them do that.”

“Peter” Mary leans forward, placing her forehead on his. “Do not fight him. We are both going to do what he instructs. That is the only way to get through this. I…I’m sure he won’t allow us to see each other for a long time. Definitely not until he thinks we are compliant. If we just do what he wants, the sooner we will see each other again. Do you understand?”

The thirteen-year-old nods his head, again allowing tears to flow. “I love you mom.”

“I love you too.”

The sound of the door opening causes the duo to freeze. Mary’s blood feels like ice when she hears an all too familiar voice taunt “Daddy’s home.”

Looking up, she is overcome with dread as she meets the cold eyes of Tony Stark. Her husband, forcibly so. The menacing smirk on his face deepens at her fear. He turns his attention to Peter, who can’t bring himself to look at his father.

Tony stalks his way to the bed. Both mother and son are still as statues. The room remains quiet, the air thick with tension. With every step Tony makes, Mary finds it harder to breathe. Why, why did this have to be her life? Why did he pick her?

Once he makes it to the bed, Tony remarks “What, not going to greet your old man?”

Peter is shaking, his breathing erratic. He doesn’t say anything to his father and continues staring at his hands.

Suddenly Tony grabs Peter by the back of the neck and forces his face up. For the first time in a decade the boy is forced to look at the man who used to beat him for any sign of weakness.

“Frankly, I surprised they even bothered with the paternity test. Jesus Christ.” Peter does look a lot like his father. His bone structure, his hair and eyes. He also inherited Tony’s intelligence, something the man had tested the moment Peter turned three.

“You’re thirteen, enough with the crying” Tony adds before slapping the boy across the face.

“Stop” Mary gasps.

Tony turns his attention to his wife. The smirk returns. The one that he used on her every day for six years. The one that made her gut twist in fear. The one where she knew whatever was coming next would hurt.

“And how are you doing today, Pepper?”

Chapter Text

Peter can only watch as his mother trembles before the spiteful Avenger. A lump in his throat chokes back any chance he has on speaking up. He watches as Mary struggles to come up with anything to say.

Tony lets out a snide chuckle “What, cat got your tongue? It’s been almost a decade; you have nothing to say?”

“I…I…” Mary stammers. “Tony…I…”

Before she can continue, Tony grabs his wife’s face. He forcefully cups her jaw with one hand, neutralizing Mary in place. “You know, most women get plastic surgery to look beautiful, not to look plainer. Looks like a nose job and what else?” Mary’s mouth opens, but no words come out. Her expression radiates panic. With the lack of response Tony repeats himself with a sharper tone “I said what else!”

“Fillers” Mary tells him in a rush. “Just fillers.”

May used to bring home vials from work every few weeks. While she wasn’t technically trained on it, May was able to maintain Mary’s altered appearance throughout the years. Rounder jaw, bigger cheeks, higher eyebrows. With that, her dyed hair and nose job, the average person wouldn’t make the connection between Mary Parker and Virginia Stark. Mary Parker while not unattractive, purposely kept her appearance as low key as possible. She didn’t want to draw any attention.

“Nothing irreversible then” Tony comments, more to himself. He looks his wife over once more before adding “We’re changing your hair back to red, you look dumpy as a brunette.”

Tony releases his wife’s head so she can nod an affirmative.

“What about him?” Tony asks gesturing to Peter. “Anything I need reversed on him?”

“No. He just turned thirteen, I wouldn’t…”

“Oh, now you’re concerned about his health.”

“Tony…”

“Look where we are Potts” Tony sneers.

“It wasn’t her fault” Peter interrupts.

Again, Tony turns his attention to Peter. This time, Peter is able to meet his father’s gaze, though he holds his breath.

“The adults are talking Howie” Tony mocks.

“My name is Peter.”

Tony rolls his eyes and returns his focus to Mary. “You abandon my father’s name for that coward dead brother of yours?”

“He wasn’t a coward” Mary remarks, barely above a whisper.

“Pussy then.”

Peter sits up straight in the bed “Don’t talk to her that way!”

“Calm down before you trigger your next seizure” Tony waives off the boy. “How about you Virginia? Where the hell did Mary Parker come from?”

“It’s just a name Tony” the mother responds, hoping he takes her words at face value. She prays he doesn’t go digging into the name. Prays he doesn’t find out about Richard Parker, Ben Parker’s deceased brother. Prays Tony doesn’t figure out the cover she used as Richard’s fake widow in order to hide herself and Peter. Ben passed away a year ago, but Tony could still go after May for her role in all this.

“Good, cause that’s done” Tony moves on, but Pepper can tell he doesn’t believe her. He probably won’t trust a thing she says for a while. “I have a transport team ready to take him to the tower.”

Pepper’s eyes widen in shock, “He’s having seizures Tony. You can’t take him…”

“It’s not like the medical staff here are equip to do anything” Tony sneers. “Besides, the tower has the leading experts in genetic mutation. Where is he going to get better care?”

“When he’s stable…”

“Stable?” Tony raises an eyebrow. “The kid’s awake and talking.”

“But…”

“BANNER” Tony calls out. Seconds later Dr. Bruce Banner quickly makes his way into the room. “You talk with the boy’s team?”

Banner nods. “The seizures are about every 15-20 minutes and only last 1-2 minutes. He has a fever, which is normal during the mutation process. Nothing we can’t handle while in the shuttle, mostly just monitoring.”

“Perfect, wait until the next one passes then load him up” Tony instructs before turning back to Pepper. “In the meantime, you and I will have a little chat in private.” He grabs Peppers arm with a bit too much strength and begins to drag the woman towards the door.

“What! Mom!” Peter shouts.

“Tony, let me say goodbye. Please” Pepper begs, trying to ignore the intense pressure on her arm.

“I’m giving you the same curtesy you gave me Potts” the man seethes, before yanking her through the door.

“MOM!” Peter yells. The young teen begins pulling all the monitoring equipment off his body.

Banner approaches the boy and tells him “Stop that right now.”

Peter ignores the doctor and jumps out of the bed. He sprints out the door and spots his parents down the hall. Pepper is still pleading with Tony who ignores her. Peter is about to run after them but is pulled back by a pair of muscular arms.

“LET ME GO!” he yells. “MOM!”

Hearing her child’s scream, Pepper turns to see Steve Rodgers holding the boy back.

“PETER, DO NOT FIGHT THEM. REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU.” She calls out.

“MOM!” Peter yells again, his voice cracking.

“I LOVE YOU” is all Pepper can get out before Tony pushes her into an empty room. “Let me talk with him Tony, he’s scared” she cries, no longer able to hold back her stifled tears.

“He’ll get over it” Tony snaps. He closes the blinds, not before Pepper can see James ‘Bucky’ Barnes take station outside their door. Tony doesn’t need a lock; the winter soldier will keep her from escaping. “It’ll be good for him, give him some balls.”

“Tony…”

“You’ve made him weak.”

Pepper trembles under the man’s glare. He towers over her as she whimpers “He’s just a boy.”

“My boy” Tony growls. “In case you forgot.”

“I didn’t forge…”

“My boy that you hid for TEN YEARS” he shouts. “Hid and babied. Now look at him, how pathetic you've made him.”

Pepper’s chokes back a sob, her heart breaks at those words. Nobody has ever said such a horrid thing about her child, never to her face at least. “He is not…”

“STARK MEN DON’T CRY FOR THEIR MOTHER WHEN LIFE GETS A BIT DIFFICULT” Tony fumes. “Now I have to go and reverse all the damage you caused.”

‘Oh, how twisted your words truly are’ Pepper thinks to herself. Her heart feels as if it is about to burst out of her chest. Her sweet baby boy, the one who used to draw her pictures and sing nursery rhymes. The boy who would buy her flowers on Mother’s Day that turned into the teen who would volunteer to walk their neighbor’s dog. The child who brought her and others so much joy and love is now going to be tainted by the man in front of her. The man who once claimed to be her protector.

“Was it worth it Potts” the man asks, anger dripping from his mouth.

‘YES!’ she wants to scream.

Tony continues, “He could have grown into his role slowly. Taken small steps throughout his life, gotten accustomed to what will be expected of him. But now” the father lets out a disgusted laugh. “Now I’m having to speed up the process. I saw that look in his eye, that false sense of superior morality you instilled. How much have you fucked him up?”

Pepper remains quiet for a moment. How was she supposed to explain her son to this man? Every trait and quality she adores about the boy will only anger her husband. She took the child away from Tony so that Peter wouldn’t turn out like his father. Cruel, manipulative, evil.

“He is smart” she states in a soft tone. A safe subject.

“He’s my kid, of course he’s fucking smart” Tony sneers. “Tell me how much I’m going to have to fix him.”

“Peter doesn’t need fixing” Pepper seethes, anger starting to overtake her fear. “He is kind and has a giant heart. He isn’t the selfish, arrogant brat you were trying to turn him into.”

“By arrogant I’m assuming you mean confident. The world’s tough and that kid isn’t ready.”

“Don’t change him, Tony. Please. He’s such a good boy, so kind and charming. Don’t make him into something…”

“Yeah, well it’s time to start turning him into a man.”

Pepper can’t stop herself before saying “He’s twice the man at thirteen than you are at forty-five.”

Tony’s already angry glare somehow grows darker. “You’ve gotten quite the mouth on you since Malibu.”

When Peter was a couple weeks old, Pepper had made a small remark about Tony’s lab being a mess. As punishment Tony took the infant away from the new mother. It took three days of begging and crying before Pepper had her baby back in her arms. After that, Pepper never criticized the man again. Never said or did anything that she thought would anger her husband. She didn’t want to give him a reason to take her child away again.

For three years Pepper chose her words carefully and walked on eggshells around Tony. She did everything he asked of her, played the part of love-stricken wife perfectly. That fear followed her to Queens. It took four years before Pepper was able to divulge anything negative about Tony and she could only confide in May. Peter had begun asking questions about Tony. Questions that Pepper was struggling to answer. One night it became too much, and she had a complete breakdown to May. Her friend held Pepper as she sobbed about everything Tony had done to her and her son over the years. For the first time in her life, Pepper had someone tell her she didn’t deserve the abuse.

The thought of May brought another pang of grief. A sister in every way but blood. Pepper prays to god for May’s safety. As much as Pepper wishes she had her friend with her, she want’s May as far away from Tony as possible.

“What do you want from me Tony?” Pepper asks.

Tony doesn’t answer right away. Slowly his dark expression develops a menacing smirk. “Let’s start with some begging.”

“Please, let me…”

“On your knees.”

Pepper takes a shaky breath. She bites her pride and kneels down. She looks up at Tony who is still chuckling at her.

“Please Tony. Let me go see Peter. Don’t take him away from me.”

“Keep going.”

“Just tell me what I have to do Tony! Whatever you want. I’ll do anything. Don’t take away my baby…”

“Oh this is just pathetic” Tony laughs. “Enough Potts.”

Pepper stops her plea. She stays on the floor and waits for her next instruction. She continues to stare at Tony, hoping her distain for the man isn’t evident on her face. After a long moment the billionaire finally comments

“Since you’re down there anyway.”

Tony unzips his pants.

The trip to Stark Tower was faster than Peter thought it would be. Once Rogers had dragged him back into the hospital room, his next seizure came almost immediately. None of the Avengers really talked to him unless giving instructions. They took him to the hospital’s roof where a quinjet was waiting.

Dr. Banner began asking him questions during the trip. Medical ones. Peter’s mom never took him to a doctor, so they have no written medical history since he was three. May had enough experience from nursing that Mary…no Pepper. She’s Pepper now. Pepper felt comfortable having May take care of Peter’s health.

“Any allergies?”

“Strawberries.”

“Huh” Banner chuckles as he writes types that into a computer. “You can thank your mom for that one. That might go away with the mutation, we’ll test it in a week or two.”

“My throat closes up.”

“And your dad has some of the world’s best doctors on payroll. You’ll be fine.”

“Don’t call him that” Peter grumbles.

Bruce raises an eyebrow and turns to the kid “I suggest you not make comments like that around Tony.”

Peter bites his lip. He knows Banner is right. But just the thought of calling that man his ‘dad’ makes Peter want to throw up.

Peter only has a few memories of Tony from when he was three. Not all were bad. Tony used to bring the small child into his lab. He would let Peter sit on the table and fiddle with small projects while Tony worked on his weapons. Lab Tony was different than regular Tony. Peter loved being with Lab Tony. The jokes Tony would tell him, the lessons Tony was happy to teach, the pride Tony would have in his eyes whenever Peter completed the project he was given. Peter would spend hours watching in awe as the genius would work on new inventions, stopping every now and then to explain an engineering concept to Peter. Those memories Peter treasured. Lab Tony is the father Peter secretly cherished.

Regular Tony though. Regular Tony caused Peter’s stomach to twist in knots.

Peter remembers more than one of Tony’s beatings. The boy learned very quickly never to cry in front of his father. Tony’s punishment was light at the hospital today.

The worst memory of Tony that Peter has was about a week before his mom and him escaped. Tony had taken Peter to work with him. The day was going as it normally did. Tony had a couple meetings, did some paperwork in his office and held a press conference. Peter stayed in Tony’s office working on a Lego set his father had given him. Tony’s secretary would keep an eye on him when Tony wasn’t there. Peter actually had a lot of fun throughout the morning. Tony had ordered them a pizza for lunch that they ate together at a nearby park. Tony let him run around on the playground before pushing him a bit on the swings. Peter knew it was for publicity, having spotted multiple people taking photos. It looked good for Tony to come off as a loving father. Peter didn’t mind though, it felt great to have fun with his father. For Tony to act like normal parents are with their kids.

Then they returned to the office. Tony carried Peter into the building on his hip. They were met with Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye in the Lobby.

“Successful mission?” Tony asked. “I was expecting you to take a few more days.”

“He’s down in the basement” Steve said. “All ready for you.”

“Perfect” Tony started heading to the elevators, the trio followed.

Hawkeye offered, “I can drop the kid off in your office if you want.”

“Eh” Tony took a moment to think before looking to Peter “Want to see the fun part of daddy’s job?”

‘Fun Part?’ Peter had thought to himself. ‘More fun than the lab?’

“Yeah” Peter smiled.

He wishes now that he had said no. Tony brought Peter down the SI basement, a floor the boy had never been before. At first Peter thought it looked like the rest of SI’s headquarters. Then Tony brought him into a room that was different than the others.

Peter knew immediately he made the wrong decision when they entered that room. He remembers how cold and dark it was. Seeing all the weapons that look prehistoric in Stark Industries. They weren’t meant for killing, they were meant for pain. Then there was the man in the middle of the room. He was tied to a chair. A bag over his head that Tony quickly ripped off before interrogating.

Peter remembers the two men yelling at each other. He remembers watching his father nearly strangle the stranger to death. He remembers the man struggling against the binds, being completely helpless.

Peter remembers the sound of the man’s bones snapping when Tony brought a steel bar down on them.

Peter remembers the painfilled screams the man made. The pure agony in his voice while begging for Tony to stop. Blood was everywhere. His mom made Peter change clothes the second he got home that day. Some of it must have gotten on him. How could it have not? Every surface was covered in the chrisom liquid. Eventually, the man revealed the information Tony wanted.  The location of some senator in hiding. Tony stopped the beating after that. He walked over to a table and put the bar down. Peter remembers feeling relief. Finally, it was over. He could go back upstairs. Maybe Tony would even have mom come pick him up.

Then Tony turned back to the man, gun raised and fired.

The image Peter will never forget. The gunshot that haunted Peter’s nightmares for years after.

He didn’t cry during it, something Tony praised him for after. It was as if Peter’s body had shut down on him. He felt like a hollow shell. It wasn’t until he went to bed that night that he broke down. His mother was tucking him in, it was the first time that night they were alone. Tony had spent the entire afternoon telling Pepper about how well Peter did during the interrogation. On and on he bragged about how Peter didn’t cry or get upset, just a single yelp at the loud gunshot.

“If only your grandfather could have seen you Howie” Tony had said. “I had a panic attack the first time he had me watch and I was five. He’d be so proud.”

It was when he was alone with his mother that Peter finally let the raw emotions out. His mom cuddled him close whispering comforting words that Peter didn’t believe.

Stress from the memory might be what triggered Peter’s next seizure. Dr. Banner tells him after that it was ten minutes earlier than expected. Peter just nods at him, trying to control his breathing. By the time he has calmed down again, the quinjet has arrived at Stark Tower.

“When can I see my mom?” Peter asks as Dr. Banner escorts him to the medical wing.

“I’m not sure Tony will allow you to” Banner tells him honestly. “He’s rightfully pissed. I’m not even sure if they’ve left the hospital yet.”

“She was trying to protect me.”

Banner laughs at that. “Kid, what exactly do you need protection from? You’re the son of arguably the wealthiest man on the planet. Tony has an entire team of superpowered heroes and basically controls half the country.”

“I was two when he fractured my arm” Peter remarks.

Banner sighs and the two pause in the hallway. “Look, I get you aren’t used to this way of life yet, but you’ll understand one day. Tony is just trying to protect you.”

“Bullshit!” Peter screams.

“Language” Steve reprimands. He along with a few guards are following closely behind.

“Howard” Banner places his hands on Peter’s shoulders.

“MY NAME IS PETER.”

“Fine, Peter” Banner shrugs. “We aren’t your enemy. Do you know how much time and energy all of us, including your father, put into finding you? How about the million and millions of dollars Tony spent on the investigation. We all care about you. Your father loves you.”

“He doesn’t know what love is.”

Rogers steps forward “Young man…”

“Steve, back off. It’s been a long day for the kid” Bruce returns his attention to Peter. “Tony wants what is best for you.”

“What’s best for me is being as far away from that monster as humanly possible.”

Banner sighs and runs a hand along his face, “Pepper really messed you up.”

“DON’T TALK ABOUT MY MOM THAT WAY!”

“ENOUGH” Rogers yells. He takes Banners place in front of Peter. He isn’t as calm as the hulk when stating “Your father is a great man. Just because your mom raised you to believe some fairytale reality, doesn’t mean you can disrespect him.”

“YOU’RE ALL SICK IN THE HEAD!”

Peter’s heart is pounding. Do these people hear the words they are saying? Do they realize how gross and twisted their thought processes are? Peter’s chest feels completely restricted and then…

“Shit” Rogers curses. Ironic after he chastised Peter moments ago. The super-soldier catches the teen before he falls to the floor. This seizure feels the worst of them all. Peter struggles to catch a single breath as he shakes in Steve’s arms. The group runs him to the med bay.

“Only a few more hours kid, then it’ll be over” Banner tells him as Rogers lowers Peter into another hospital bed.

Chapter Text

Tony steps out of the hospital room feeling refreshed. No woman could get him off quite like Pepper could. Once he has her face back to normal…oh, he’ll have a lot of fun. His wife is currently still sitting on the floor, having just swallowed more than her pride. She’ll get back into her routine soon enough.

Barnes stepped out of the way as Tony exits the room. He was chatting with Happy, Tony’s head of security.

“The boy still here?” Tony asks the two.

“Rogers and Banner escorted him to the quinjet fifteen minutes ago” Happy replies. He looks down at his phone “Looks like they arrived five minutes ago. Bruce reported another seizure. Earlier than expected, Banner thinks it was stress induced. He’s currently trying to get a medical history out of the kid.”

“Have him go over that with Pepper once we get back to the tower.”

Happy nods, “What do you want me to do with her?”

“Basement.”

“Jeez” Bucky frowns. “I know you’re pissed but…”

“Not that part of the basement Creep-show. There’s a small apartment I had the builders make for when I found her. The boy will stay with me in the penthouse.”

Behind him, a feminine voice states “I want to see Peter.”

Tony turns to address his wife, “Be grateful I’m allowing you to live in the same building as my son after the stunt you pulled.”

“Please Tony” Pepper begs. Her blue eyes are glassy. Those were the first thing Tony noticed about Pepper years ago. One look and he knew he had to have her. A part of him is grateful she didn’t do anything to change those. He would move mountains to make Pepper happy, but he couldn’t give her this. She needs to learn her lesson after ripping his boy away for so long. All the damage she has caused. All the hurt Tony felt after returning to an empty home after the Chitauri attack. She would never understand the pain she brought onto him.

“Play your cards right and maybe I’ll upgrade you to a room with a window.”

“He’s thirteen. He needs…”

“Nah uh uh” Tony cuts her off. “You don’t get to tell me what my son needs. Not after all this. What he needed the last ten years was his father and you were the one who neglected him of that.”

“I’m his mother” she cries. Tears stream down her face. It aches Tony to see her like this, but he can’t let up. Not on this. “Please Tony…”

Tony turns back to Happy, “Get Strange on that plastic surgeon immediately, I want that nose fixed. After Peter’s cleared by the med bay he can have it for the surgery. I don't want those two crossing paths. Also have him look into dissolvers for that filler in her face.”

“On it, will you be riding back to the tower with us?”

“No, I’m going to take my suit. I want to see my kid immediately.” Tony returns his attention to his now sobbing wife. “Expect a visit form me in the next couple days. You really do make a shitty brunette.” He leaves after that. Heads straight to the roof. He ignores his wife’s pleas behind him. She doesn’t deserve his pity, not after all this time.

Ten years. Ten years she stole from him.

Howie’s formative years, the time Tony could have used to mold him. Tony was already a killer by thirteen, although that was an accident. He got a bit too carried away in an interrogation. It was one of the only times Howard showed Tony any sort of pride. They laughed about it over scotch that night.

His kid though…fuck his kid was nowhere near where he should be. Somewhere, Tony is sure Bruce Wayne must be laughing his ass off.

The boy looked ready to piss his pants when Tony entered the hospital room. He couldn’t even look at Tony without shaking. Pepper fucked him up. She coddled his boy into a cowardly mess. Tony’s head is already reeling with everything he is going to have to correct. The boy talked back to him a couple of times, so at least there is some potential.

The trip back to the Tower only takes a few minutes. Tony can move through the city easily when he uses his suit. He lands on his personal balcony heads directly to the med bay, itching to see his child again.

Banner is still going over the kid’s medical history with the boy. The kid freezes mid-sentence the second Tony enters the room.

“What, not excited to see me?”

No answer, just wide brown eyes and a look of dread. This kid…

“Any updates” Tony asks Banner.

“Last seizure was six minutes ago, again stress induced. Kid said no major injuries since the fractured arm when he was two. I’ll have to go over vaccinations with Pepper later. Oh, and he’s allergic to strawberries.”

“Ha” Tony chuckles. “You can thank your mom for that.”

His son bites his lip before quietly stating “That’s what Dr. Banner said.”

He talked, that’s good.

“What about the mutation, what triggered it?”

“Haven’t gotten there yet.”

“Haven’t gotten there yet? What the hell have you two been talking about?”

“I’ve just been going down the document Cho gave me. It’s detailed and it’s not like I do this on the regular.”

“Jesus Christ” Tony rolls his eyes. “So, what happened kid?”

Howie at some point had turned away from Tony and began focusing on picking at his fingers. “When can I see mom?”

“Depend on when I can trust you two together.”

“Where is she?”

“I answered your question, now you answer mine.”

“Please” the boy finally looks at Tony with a look of desperation. “Is she okay?”

Tony lets out a large sigh. He sits on bed, next to the boy’s legs. He looks Howie in the eye and earnestly says “Of course she is fine. I have a small apartment set up for her on another floor. It has a kitchen, bathroom, living area, everything she needs.”

“I want to see her.”

“No.”

“Please! Mr. Stark…”

“Oh, we are not starting off on that foot Howie.”

“My name is Peter!” the kid glares.

Another sigh leaves Tony’s lips. Why did Pepper have to chose that name? “Look, it took me ten years to find you. I don’t want to fight. You really want to keep the name Peter? Fine. But you’re taking up the name Stark again, that’s non-negotiable. Sound like a good deal.”

The boy looks genuinely surprised by this. He opens his mouth and closes it without saying a word. After the shock wears off, he nods. “Thanks” Peter mutters, returning his attention to picking at his fingers.

“Howard’s an old man’s name anyway” Tony shrugs. “Now, answer my question. What triggered the mutation.”

“Spider bite. The tour guide at Oscorp got lost and we somehow entered a restricted area...”

“Oh shit” Dr. Banner’s head whips away from the computer.

“What?” Tony frowns at Banner, concern evident.

“Oscorp is working on enhancing the super-soldier serum. They’re trying to mix it with spider venom. Last update I got on it, none of the test subjects have survived.”

Tony’s stomach rolls inside his body. No survivors. Peter could have died from that stupid little spider. Fucking Osborn. “How…how…”

“When was Peter conceived?” Banner asks.

“What?”

“Had you already taken the serum?”

“I…yeah. Years before.”

“Huh” Banner contemplates. “That might be why he survived. Half his DNA was already prepared for mutation.”

The boy is silent, sitting there picking at his fingers again. Tony catches him taking a quick glance at his father. An unreadable expression is on the kids face, as if he can’t decide what he is feeling.

“Why did you go there?” Tony asks the kid.

Peter again bites his lip before answering, “I just wanted to see a professional lab again.”

“Oscorp doesn’t even do engineering. Their focus is medical.”

The boy shrugs, avoiding Tony’s gaze. “It was something” he mutters.

Tony studies his son. The kid was brilliant when he was younger. It never ceased to amaze Tony on how quickly the three-year old would pick up new concepts, and how much the boy genuinely loved it. The boy soaked up every lesson Tony taught him. The father would lose track of time easily, going way past the child’s bedtime. Pepper would have to drag the boy out while he would beg for another few minutes.  Tony had to fight back his own disappointment whenever Pepper carried his boy up the stairs.

“Pepper didn’t let you around any?”

“She tried” Peter tells him. “She signed me up for classes. But those and school…they were just…easy. Especially compared…” the boy bites his lip again. His finger picking intensifies.

Tony places his hands on Peter’s, putting an end to the finicking. Peter’s body tenses at the touch. “The seizures will probably last for the rest of the day. But how about tomorrow I show you the lab setup I have here?”

That grabs Peter’s attention. The boy’s head whips up to Tony, his eyes wide. Even though he is trying to hide it, Tony can see the kid’s excitement.

“Really?”

“My suit could use an upgrade.”

A small smile forms on the teen’s lips. Tony can almost see the gears turning in the boy’s head, probably filling with new ideas and designs. He only has a few seconds to relish this before the boy frowns. “What am I going to do for school?”

“I’ll get you some tutors.”

“But…I like Midtown.”

“It might good school, but my kid gets the best.”

“But…but…”

Tony cuts him off, “I’m keeping you here Pete. Things…things are going to be different from now on. Especially with whatever new abilities the bite gives you, your education needs adjusting. You’re a Stark. What other kids learn at public school isn’t what you’ll be focusing on.”

Dr. Banner chimes in, “Midtown is actually a school for gifted kids with a focus on math and science. SI recruits a lot of teens from there for the internship program. Peter’s first in his class.” He hands Tony a tablet “Clint uploaded all the kid’s records if you want to go over them.”

Tony begins scanning the tablet. Robotics and Engineering electives along with a few similar clubs brings a bit of pride in Tony’s chest.  Straight As throughout the years. With only one exception of a B in seventh grade English. 

“What happened in English last year?”

Peter bites his lip, a sight Tony is getting used to. “Let’s just say I’m not a poet.”

“Never cared for that unit myself,” Tony comments before continuing to read. Banner was right, Peter is first in his class. His standardized tests were far beyond his peers. “You were testing lightyears ahead, why are you still in 8th grade?” Tony was applying for college at the age of 13.

“Mom held me back. My teachers kept insisting to push me ahead, but she didn’t want to bring any attention to us.”

Stark Industries for years have had scouts recruiting in high schools. If there was a genius kid skipping multiple grades, it was easier to offer them an internship young and get them invested in the company rather than chasing after the kid once they graduated and have multiple offers coming in. It makes sense why Pepper wouldn’t want Peter to draw too much focus.

“If she didn’t want to attract attention, why did she have you in Midtown in the first place?”

“Normal schools were just so…boring. I hated…” another lip bite. “Sitting around singing the abc’s just felt like a waste of time. Kindergarten and first grade were…painful at times. Having to go over and over simple addition and subtraction when…the other kids…” Peter trails off.

“You had multiplication tables memorized before your third birthday,” Tony says “You shouldn’t have been in those classes. Your mother should have known better.”

“She did her best.”

“Well obviously it wasn’t good enough.”

Peter’s frown deepens, “Don’t talk about her that way.” The boy yanks his hands away from Tony.

“Look, your mother” Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. How was he supposed to get through to the kid? “Pepper’s not perfect. I’m sure you believe she was looking out for you, but she was misguided…”

“Heh” Peter scoffs.

Tony grabs Peter’s chin, forcing the boy to look him in the eye. Even without the monitor beeping, Tony would have noticed the boy’s heart begin pounding. “Do not interrupt me when I am speaking to you.” The shaking, just like he did back at the hospital, starts again. Peter gulps down an unsteady breath as his eyes fill with fear. Tony let’s go Peter’s chin, which doesn’t do anything to calm the boy. “Pepper didn’t grow up in this lifestyle. Her father had the family join when she was a teenager. She doesn’t understand…she has her own way of viewing our world that is naive and wishful thinking. I am partly to blame for not correcting her on that. I was too soft…it was a part of her that I fell in love with and selfishly didn’t want it to go completely away. Now of course, I see the damage that it has caused.”

“Why are you so sure she’s the one who sees the world wrong?” Peter’s glare doesn’t lighten.

“Because I control its secrets. You think Pepper understands everything that is out there. What it really takes to run an empire. I guarded her, shielded her away from most of it. I have since the day I met her, why else would I hire an eighteen-year-old as an assistant? Keeping her close enough that I could control all she was exposed to. Maybe that’s where I went wrong? Obviously keeping a curtain up and only giving her glances is what led us to where we are now. You though” Tony points a finger at Peter. “You’re a Stark. My son and you don’t get that luxury. You can hate me; you can think I’m the worst person on the planet right now. But I’m not making the same mistake twice so I’m not going easy when it comes to you. You deserve more and SI deserves you at your best. It’s my responsibility to get you there. Your mother’s interference…heh…you had your time with her. But now you need to enter reality again. Just know” Tony makes sure Peter is looking him in the eye. This needs to stick in the boy’s brain, “I am doing what is best for you. This life isn’t easy, but it is yours. The power, the influence, the money…”

“I don’t want it” Peter manages to squeak out. He continues to tremble “Any of it, I don’t…”

“WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT INTERUPTING!” Tony snaps. The boy looks on the brink of tears, but he’s fighting them back. At least he remembers that lesson from childhood. “You just think you don’t want this because that is what your mother has taught you. You’ll see one day. Not today, probably not for a long time. But I will get you there, and you will be grateful that I did. As for Pepper…you two need some time apart. Time to regain some clarity. Understand?”

The boy doesn’t say a word but gives a petrified nod of his head.

Tony leans back, giving the teen some room to breathe. The only sound in the room is Peter’s heart monitor that is nonstop beeping.

“Hey Tony” Dr. Banner says from his workstation. “The kid’s next seizure should be starting any minute now.”

“Huh” Tony sighs, still watching the kid. Peter is still trying to regain control of his breathing. “I’m not trying to ruin your life, Pete. I let you keep your name. I’ll build you your own lab. Anything your heart desires, I’ll give you. I’m wanting to work with you, but I also need you not to fight me. I just want what is best for you and for you to be the best you can be. Everything that is going to happen…it may not feel like it at the time, but it is out of love. You and your mom…you are the most important things in the world to me. One day you’ll have your own wife and son, and you’ll understand. We’ll get you there, buddy.”

His words don’t do anything to soothe the boy. In fact, they almost have the opposite effect. Tony lets out another sigh. This isn’t going to be easy. Dammit Pepper. He should have found them sooner. Some of this mess could have been avoided.

Tony stands up from the bed, “I’m going to make sure everything is going well with clearing out that dump of an apartment they were staying in” he tells Banner. “Keep me updated on his progress. I think the kid will be able to rest better without my supervision.”

“I didn’t want to be the one to say it” Banner admits. He sends Tony a small smirk, a bit of pity in his eyes. “He’s in good hands, Cho should be here to assist in a few minutes.”

With one last glance, Tony tells Peter “It’s good to have you home son.” Peter doesn’t look up, still shaking on the bed. “Have a bucket ready, he looks like he’s going to be sick” Tony states before walking out of the med bay.

Chapter Text

“Rhodes” Tony hears his oldest friend pick up his phone. The billionaire had his AI call the second he got back to his penthouse.

“Hey Platypus, how’s the cleanup going?”

“Tones” Rhodey sighs. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re not here. You’d flip out.”

Dammit Pepper. “How bad is it?”

“It’s…it’s not terrible. Just knowing what you want for them…The actual apartment is…decent. Old and outdated, but clean. You could probably fit it in your bedroom twice and still have space. The furniture looks secondhand.”

“Toss it. Not like I’m putting that crap in the Tower. Clothes?” Tony can’t help but picture the cheap suit Pepper was wearing earlier.

“I sent Wanda out to pick the two of them up some basics. Their stuff here…isn’t up to your standards.”

“Thanks Rhode” Tony exhales, he knew his friend would be two steps ahead with this. At first Tony was planning on overseeing the apartment clean-up himself, but Rhodey insisted he keep some distance.

‘I’ll call you if there is something important’ his friend had insisted an hour ago. ‘We don’t know how they were doing financially, if they were in squalor…You don’t want to see them like that Tones. Just focus on bringing your family home.’

“How are you holding up?” Present Rhodey asks.

Tony lets out another sigh and allows himself to collapse onto his couch. He was already exhausted this morning from a three-day lab bender, now adding all the emotional baggage of the last hour and a half. “They’re home now, that’s what’s important. Well, Peter is. Pepper is probably still on route with Happy.”

“Peter?”

“He wants to keep the first name. I figured…if I give a bit on that, maybe he’ll…” Tony trails off in thought.

Peter Potts. The man has been dead for what, twenty years. Tony had never met him while alive; the idiot wasn’t important enough in the company to ever come across Tony's radar. The first time he heard about the man, was one of his men debriefing Tony on the man's interrogation. The dumbass had gotten himself captured by one of Bruce Wayne’s goons. Peter spilled his guts. Luckily, the loser didn’t know much. SI was able to get ahold of the man and drag him back. The body was already cleaned up before Tony was even notified of the incident. Peter’s father, Christopher Potts, came crawling to Tony, begging for forgiveness for the family. Honestly, Tony didn’t really care one way or another. Again, it’s not like the coward was of much value to him or Stark Industries.

Then Virginia Potts walked in. Eighteen years old and already gorgeous. Tony remembers how nervous she had been but was able to hold her own. Pepper's father dragged the teenager into Tony’s office, presenting her up as a replacement for the dead son. Tony knew from one glance that Pep was worth more to him than that. She stood tall, stiffly listening to her father offer her up like a piece of meat. Tony saw her mouth twitch at every dumb comment, biting her tongue as the man rambled on.

‘Stop’ Tony snapped at the elder Potts. Christopher ceased his begging immediately. The three sat in silence as Tony studied Pepper. Those eyes. Her giant blue orbs watched him carefully, never breaking contact. Shifting focus down her body, Tony took in her thin, soft pink lips. She was dressed in a conservative yet fitted gray top that allowed Tony to see the shape of her breasts. Tony usually prefers bigger, but Peppers were perfectly proportional to her figure. He could always have those changed later if he wanted. Her thin waist was aligned with a nice tight ass. Tony wondered to himself if she ever modelled. Imagining the woman naked bent over his desk caused a twitch in his dick. His eyes traveled back up to Pepper’s face. He noticed her cheeks had developed a blush that could almost match her light red hair. Still though, she meets his gaze when their eyes met.

‘You said your name is Virginia?’

‘Yes’, a voice lower than Tony was expecting left her mouth. Another aspect of the woman he couldn't help but find intriguing.

“You don’t come off as a Virgina.” Tony only received a small shrug as a response. ‘I can easily get as many soldiers as I want. What else can you offer me?’

‘Virginia will do any…” Christopher began his ramblings again.

‘Shut up, I want to hear it from her’ Tony sneered at the father. He then nodded to Pepper to answer.

‘I…whatever you would need of me Mr. Stark’ Pepper answered. She still hadn’t looked away. Her blue eyes hid the nervousness the rest of her face betrayed. Whatever he needs. There were a few things Tony could think of that he wanted her to do.

‘What do you do now for work?’

‘I graduate high school next month.’ Jesus Christ! He hadn’t realized she is that young. 'Is she still a minor?' he wondered.

‘What school?’

‘Thurgood Academy, Sir.’ Good school. Tony’s father had considered it for Tony at one point before deciding to keep him with the tutors. A lot of Tony’s associates strive to get their kids a spot. The school teaches its curriculum in a way that is more…appropriate for their way of life.

‘What’s your class rank?’

‘Second in my class, Sir.’

Christopher looked like he is about to chime in again but stopped dead in his tracks with one glare from Tony. 'If I decide to keep Virginia around' he thought to himself, 'I might have to arrange for an accident involving her dumbass father.' Tony’s patience with the man was already wearing extremely thin.

‘Why not first?’

‘They would never allow a girl to be first…Sir.’

Tony couldn’t help but smirk at that. He leaned back in his chair, placing his feet on his desk in front of him. ‘Jarvis’ he called out, ‘fact check that for me would you?’

The AI immediately responded, ‘While I cannot find any official rule, it does not appear the school has ever had a female valedictorian in sixty years it has been open.’

‘Pull up Virginia’s record for me’ Tony picked up a tablet that quickly display’s the girl’s school profile. Right at the top it showed her rank at 2^nd. Of course, straight As across the board. Tony raised an eyebrow when he noticed the business electives. Interesting. For activities, he saw a few years of tennis and student government.

‘How the hell did you manage to become Senior Class President?’

‘I was elected.’

‘You’re a woman.’

The corner of Virginia’s mouth twitched, as if she is holding back some remark. ‘The general class doesn’t vote in the election, only members of the student government. They all agreed I was the best fit.’

‘Were you?’

‘I had been running the group since I was fourteen. They just made it official.’

And with those words, Tony knew she was his. Christopher was overjoyed when Tony offered up the assistant position. Pepper wasn’t as thrilled, Tony could tell. She was about to protest, stating she was underqualified. Christopher quickly silenced her on that. Kept babbling about how Virgina wouldn’t let him down. The man irked Tony to a high degree. He had waited a couple years before arranging the fool’s death, avoiding suspicion from Pepper about his involvement

Pepper being Pepper was adamite on completing her schooling. She mentioned being accepted into Yale for next year, but Tony shut that down right away. He wanted her close. His plans for her didn’t require her having a college degree. He allowed her to finish high school under Happy’s supervision, he could at least give her that. Tony knew how annoyed Pepper was with the arrangement, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. Happy knew to keep Pepper in line until she was ready for Tony. After graduation, she unenthusiastically moved into one of Tony’s guest rooms. He didn’t usually keep staff in house, but there was no way he was letting Pepper out of his reach. Besides, this way she was there at his beck and call anytime day or night. The young woman was a natural at the job, best assistant Tony has ever had. She quickly proved her intelligence, diligence and confidence. After only a few months in the position, Pepper could practically read Tony's thoughts. She was always two steps ahead, having every need and desire of his taken care of before he had to ask.

Looking back now, Tony can’t believe he had the self-control around her that he did. How he kept his composure while visioning her gasping for breath underneath him as he fucks her. While he wanted Pepper close to him at the time, he didn’t want to be the creepy boss hitting on barely legal employees. That wasn't a good look publicly or privately within SI. Pepper deserved a bit of time to grow up. He had also wanted to give her time to get her accustomed to his world. She needed to learn her part and understand the seriousness of the life she entered into. Over the three years as Tony's assistant, Pepper grew into her role and knew what was expected of her. Tony had taught her exactly how she was to act in public, in Stark Industries and in private with him. She was perfect. Tony nearly dragged her down to the courthouse the second he slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Rhodey, Happy and Steve took turns over the following year reminding the billionaire that the public expected a wedding. The entire process took painstaking long, but was worth it. Pepper looked beautiful walking down the aisle. The public adored Virginia Stark and Pepper played the part of loving wife to perfection for them. In private, she was still the confident businesswoman who didn't hold back from sending a sarcastic yet witty remark Tony's way. He allowed her to do that during their first year of marriage, finding it amusing above all else. She knew not to pull anything in front of his team, never undermining or disrespecting him.

When she became pregnant with their son, things had to change. Tony had warned Pepper. He explained that she wasn't going to be allotted the same benefits and mistakes he had been letting slide. Their son needed to learn absolute respect when it came to his father, and Tony couldn't teach that with the boy's mother letting cheeky remarks slip through her lips. While his wife greatly reduced her sass, after years of organizing and running Tony's daily life, it didn't go completely away. A part of Pepper still saw Tony as the drunk playboy that she had to clean up after each morning. Once the baby arrived, Tony finally had the ammunition he needed to get her in line. It tore him apart watching her plead and beg for the infant's return for the three day punishment. But by the end, Pepper had learned her lesson. Once again, she was perfect. The following three years were bliss...until they weren't.

“Tones, you still there?” Rhodey asks.

Tony jerks back his consciousness to present day. “Yeah, yeah. What were we talking about?”

“Howie wants to be called Peter.”

“Yeah, I just figured…his life is about to change so much…”

“I think that’s a good call Tones.” Rhodey agrees. A silent moment passes before he adds “Peter though? Wasn’t that…”

“Pepper’s brother.”

“Didn't he…”

“Yup.”

“You okay with that?”

“I” Tony rubs a hand over his face. “I’m not surprised. She wanted to name the boy that while she was pregnant. I didn’t want to name my kid after that coward. It…it is what it is now.”

“How’s my favorite nephew doing by the way?”

“Favorite?” Tony chuckles. “He’s your only one.”

“Not my fault my sister only had girls. What’s the kid like? All I can tell from his bedroom is that he’s obsessed with Yoda.”

“I guess some things don’t change with time” Tony smiles. Star Wars had been an obsession of his son's at three also. The tyke used to beg to watch Empire Strikes Back every time he was allowed to watch television. “He’s…he’s…ugh Rhodes” Tony sighs. “There’s a bit of potential but Jesus Christ! I should have gotten him sooner.”

“It’s not like you weren’t trying” his friend reminds Tony. “Pep did a good job at covering her tracks. We all were looking for them.”

“Should have put a tracker in the kid the second he was born like you suggested.”

“Not the first great idea I’ve had that you didn’t listen to.” Tony doesn’t respond, too annoyed at the comment. Rhodey continues, “I’m joking. How would you have known Tony? None of us saw it coming. Pepper showed no signs…”

“She changed her face” Tony bites out, a clear edge to his voice. “Pepper she…a fucking nose job. She’s…she’s unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE!” Anger suddenly courses through Tony’s veins. “TEN YEARS! She hid for TEN YEARS!”

Rhodey’s voice cuts through the pounding blood in Tony’s ears, “When was the last time you slept?”

“Uh” Tony contemplates telling the truth. He genuinely is exhausted, but there’s so much that needs to be done. “Doesn’t matter.”

“JARVIS?” Rhodney asks.

The AI answers “Sir has been awake for 80 hours.”

“Traitor!”

“Get some rest Tony” Rodney instructs.

Rest, now? “I can’t…”

“We should be done here in an hour. I’ll wake you up when I arrive. I’m sure a short nap sounds nice right now?”

Actually, yes it does. Tony guesses a quick nap would do him some good. Bruce agreed Peter could use a break from him. He doesn’t even want to look at Pepper right now, not as she literally wears a face of betrayal. Tony trusts Happy to get her all-settled in downstairs. Maybe an hour of sleep would take a bit of the edge off his nerves.

“Fine” Tony tells his friend.

“Great,” Tony can hear the smile in Rhodey’s voice. “Talk to you soon.” He hangs up the phone.

Tony lays in silence and stares up at the ceiling. Should he go upstairs to bed? His body is too drained and there’s a reason he spent thousands of dollars on a comfortable couch. He closes his eyes and blocks out the noise of the tower.

For the first time in ten years, Tony feels at peace. Everything is falling back into place. His wife and son are back under his roof, away from any danger. Tony will admit that he is unnerved knowing what Peter is going through right now, but the boy couldn’t be in better hands. Between Banner and Cho, there is no duo that knows more about the mutation process than them.

Things will be fine. It’ll take time. But Tony has never backed down from a challenge.

An unexpected bang followed by hushed curses startles the billionaire awake. He can hear his bodyguard whisper “shit, shit, shit” down the hallway behind him.

Tony opens his eyes and sees nearly pitch black. Someone turned off the lights? And it’s dark outside the windows? What time is it? Getting up from the couch, Tony takes a moment to stretch his aching limbs. He can tell by the stiffness he’s been asleep for more than an hour. Next time he should just drag himself up to bed. Where the hell is everyone?

Tony looks at his phone which reads 2:13 a.m. Rodney told him he would wake him up after he arrived. Is he still not here?

Hushed whispers sound from the hallway Happy just walked down. Getting up from the couch, Tony follows the voices down towards his dining room. Upon entering he spots Happy, Rhodey and Steve going through piles of random shit from Tony’s guessing Peter and Pepper’s apartment. Natasha and Clint are on laptops and seem to be deep in conversation. The dining table that could host twenty people is littered with piles of documents and pictures. He spots a few boxes to the side of the room. They each have words such as ‘Bathroom’, ‘Living Room’, and ‘Kitchen’ written on them. On the other side of the room are boxes with either his son or wife’s name. One with Peter’s name has a lightsaber sticking out of it, must be from the kid’s bedroom.

“Tones” Rhodes states, finally noticing his friend. The others pause what they are doing to acknowledge their boss.

“You said you would wake me when you arrived” Tony responds, not hiding his anger.

“I did” Rhodes takes in a deep breath. “You needed sleep.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“You’ve had a long day. I just wanted to give you a chance to clear your head.”

“Bullshit.” Tony gestures around the room, “What the hell is this?”

“It’s…” Rhodey scratches the back of his head, Tony can see the man’s mind trying to come up with an explanation.

Steve steps in, “Tony, how about you take a seat.”

“You take a seat Rogers” he snaps. Ever the obedient soldier, Steve raises his hands in surrender and sits across from Clint. “Now, what the fuck is going on?”

“Tony” Clint says in a gentle tone, his expression is one of sympathy. What the hell? “Take a deep breath.”

“FUCK YOU ALL” Tony seethes. “This is my son and my wife. Now, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING? Are they…” His mind begins spinning with the worst, “Shit. Did something happen…”

“They are fine” Rhodey quickly assures him. “They are both fine. Happy has Pepper set up downstairs. Wanda got her some outfits, pajamas, toiletries, all the essentials…”

“I have two guards on the floor with her at all times” Happy adds. “She had dinner earlier. Strange already got in contact with a surgeon in LA that does really good work. He’s flying in tonight, you two can talk tomorrow about what you want done on her.”

“Peter’s seizures stopped about four hours ago” Rhodey continues. “Cho and Banner want to keep him under observation in the med bay overnight until his fever clears. But otherwise, he’s out of the woods. Happy just checked on him, he’s been asleep for the last couple hours.”

The ball of stress in Tony’s gut nearly dissolves completely. Still though, there’s something they aren’t telling him. They have never gone behind his back before on anything. Especially Rhodey. Sure, the team would take care of small issues and debrief Tony once they are already solved. But it was always things that would be a waist of his time. This...his family is the opposite of that. How they fucking dare to try to hide anything involving Peter and Pepper.

Tony continues to glare at each member before returning his attention to the mess on the table. On the end he is standing by, the pictures are in neater piles. It appears the group had organized photographs Pepper had taken over the past ten years. Each pile looks to represent a year in his boy’s life.

His throat goes dry looking over all the memory he missed out on. The first one Tony spots is of Peter only a few months after their disappearance. The young boy is sitting at a small diner table, smiling at the camera. In front of him is a tiny cake with the number 4 iced onto it. Next to that photo is one of the boy being not much older, proudly holding a backpack. Tony can only guess it must have been his first day of school. Next, Peter is about 10 and is sitting on what looks like his bedroom floor. Electronic parts and tools are spread around him as the child works on what Tony recognizes as a computer. For some reason that picture hits harder than the rest. All the time Tony spent with his son working on tech in his lab…

Each picture represents moment of time that was ripped away from the father. Pepper appears in a few of the photos, although she doesn’t look like herself. This doesn’t seem fair. Every smile she shares with their son represents one she stole from him.

Out of nowhere, a cup of coffee is placed in Tony’s hand. He looks up, breaking his trance of self-pity, and sees Happy giving him a concerned smile. Tony gives him a small nod; all the man needs to understand it’s a ‘thank you.’ He turns the other Avengers and sees Steve and Rodney with similar expressions of sorrow. Clint, the only other parent in the room, looks ten times worse than the others. Normally he has a poker face that could rival Natasha.

Tony takes a sip of the beverage before addressing the group. “Now, what is so bad that you decided to go against my orders?”

The room stays stiff, Steve and Rhodey exchange nervous glances before the colonial waives Tony over. “Come look at these” Rhodey says.

Making his way to the other end of the table, Tony notices the pictures aren’t of his child and wife, but of two adults Tony has never seen before. A woman around the same age as Pepper and a man a few years older. Upon getting closer, Tony notices Steve clutching a stack of photographs close to him, trying to keep them out of sight.

“Let me see those” Tony orders. The captain hesitates before slowly handing the pile over as Tony sets down his coffee.

The first picture causes Tony’s stomach to lurch. The unknown man from the table pictures is holding Peter who appears to be around six. The two are laughing as the man appears to be tickling Tony’s son.

Tony flips to the next picture. Peter is younger, around four. He is cuddling the stranger as the two have clearly fallen asleep on a couch. Hatred pools in Tony as he stares down at the image. How dare he, how dare this jackass. Next photo. Peter is older, this looks to be from last year. The two are at some convention. They each have an arm around each other and are posing in front of an R2D2 replica.

The next image is the one that sends Tony over the edge. Peter is maybe five. They are in some park. The unknown man is carrying Peter on his hip with one hand and carrying an ice cream cone in the other. The small boy has ice cream smeared all over his face, Tony can barely tell because the boy is giving the stranger a kiss on the cheek.

Tony’s blood is boiling. White hot anger fuels him to rip up the photos in his hands, he can’t look at the others remaining in the stack. “Who the FUCK is HE!”

“Officer Benjamin Parker, NYPD” Natasha answers. Her face remains stoic, unlike the men around her.

“NYPD” Tony growls. “You’re telling me that an officer in my own city not only hid my wife and child but he…” Tony rips the pictures again. How would he describe the photos? What that man did with his son. Acting as some replacement for Tony. A thought crosses Tony’s mind that forms another bout of rage in his chest. “Did you say Parker? Him and Pepper?” This is too far. He had always been able to picture Pepper and his son hiding together in some apartment, but with another man? Pepper wouldn’t dare.

“We don’t think so” Natasha states, sliding a picture of the unknown woman towards Tony. “May Parker, wife of Benjamin.”

Tony runs a hand through his hair and takes in a deep breath. Relief. A small bit of relief pours over the ball of fury filling his chest. But just this man, Tony doesn’t know if there were others. He debates storming down into the basement right now and forcing a confession out of his wife.

“There’s no evidence of another man Tones” Rhodes states, as if reading his thoughts. “We’ve gone through every photo in the apartment. We talked with the neighbors, the landlord, people at Pepper’s job. Nobody mentioned anything about her dating. It seemed to them that outside May and Ben, she kept to herself. They all believed her to be a grieving widow.”

“Grieving” Tony huffs. “As if she…” he stops short at seeing Clint’s expression. Hesitancy. There’s more? There’s still fucking more? “What else?” he snaps.

The archer takes in a deep breath before typing something into his laptop. A television monitor on the wall turns on. A picture of a man in his mid-twenties, laughing and throwing a football, appears on the screen. “Richard Parker. Died eleven years ago in a car accident. Left behind his brother Benjamin Parker and according to the staff at the hospital, his wife and child. Mary and Peter Parker.”

Tony sees red. He grabs his coffee cup and throws it at the monitor, not caring about both smashing apart on impact. He doesn’t want to look at the laughing face Pepper tried to substitute him with. Doesn’t want to look at the man the people of queens believed sired his son. His brilliant boy. As if some common average male could make a child with a quarter of Peter’s intelligence.

“I’ll go make you another cup” Happy says.

“Make it a scotch” Tony demands before turning his attention to the photographs on the table. He picks up a picture of May and Benjamin together. “I want them dead.”

“Unfortunately, somebody beat you to Ben” Rhodey tells him. “Died last year in a mugging. Three bullet wounds to the chest.”

“Of fucking course” Tony growls to himself. “He deserved worse. How about her?”

“We’re working on it” Natasha states. “She was last seen at the hospital. Left twenty-six minutes before you got there. By the time we figured out her connection with Peter and Pepper, she had hauled ass out of her apartment. Bucky and Sam are leading a manhunt as we speak. We were hoping to have her by the time you woke up. So far it seems Pepper has taught her a trick or two about disappearing.”

“That bitch” Tony downs the glass of scotch Happy has returned with. He hands the glass back and the bodyguard instinctively goes to fetch another. “What do we know about her?”

“She’s a nurse. She was on duty at the hospital when Peter was admitted. When we went through her apartment, we found these” Clint holds up a couple of folders. “It’s how Pepper and Peter avoided medical care for so long. May was doing everything from home. She faked a DNA test so Peter could go to school. We also found lists of vaccinations, medications, illnesses, the type and amount of facial filler used on Pepper.”

“She did that?” Tony snarls. “She did that to my wife’s face.” The audacity of this woman. Where does she think she gets the right?

“Good news out of it” Happy has returned with another glass of scotch. “The surgeon Strange found thinks he can dissolve most of it. There’s some stuff in her cheeks that will have to go naturally. It’ll take six to eight months.”

“Oh, fucking fantastic” Tony takes a gulp of the brown liquid. “Just great.” He takes a seat next to Steve and glares down at the remaining pictures of the Parkers. He picks one up that has the two of them and Pepper in it. The three are at a bar having what looks like mimosas, laughing at the camera. Laughing up at him it feels. He crumples up the photo and tosses it to the side. Another sip of alcohol, “Anything else?”

Rhodes sits down next to him. “No, go get some more rest Tones.”

“Not until that bitch is found and I have her screaming bloody murder next to Pepper’s room.”

“We are working on finding her” Rodney says. He places a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “Like I said earlier, we have also been trying to find Peter and Pepper for the last ten years. We’re your team. We’ve been preparing for this day for a decade so that when the time came, you could focus on your wife and child. Everything else, don’t worry about it.”

“You do realize you work for me” Tony growls. “I give the orders.”

“Yeah well, I’m your friend first and your employee second. And frankly, Peter’s godfather third. So, my biggest concern is that my best friend is well and able enough to take care of his kid who in a few hours is going to wake up in a strange environment with new powers he will have no idea how to control.”

Tony sighs and leans back in his chair. He knows Rhodey is right and his body could do for some more sleep. Still though, he can’t get the thought of that woman running free out of his head. After what she did to Pepper’s face, after what she enabled over the years…

“Peter asked about you when I visited” Rhodes interrupts his thoughts. Tony turns to his friend, an eyebrow raised. A flutter of hope fills his chest. “He asked where you were. I told him you had spent three days in the lab and finally crashed. Kid looked at me and asked, ‘He can still do that at his age?’”

A laugh escapes Tony’s mouth before he can stop it, “That little shit.” The others in the group also let out small snickers. The comment reminds Tony of something he would have said to Howard at Peter’s age. His own father wouldn’t have taken too kindly to it, but for Tony it felt so right for it to come from his kid. Maybe there’s more of himself in Peter than he originally thought.

Rhodes is right. He needs to be there for his son in the morning and Peter’s going to need him functioning. “You wake me up if there is any update on Parker. No using best judgement, you wake me up.”

“Heard.”

“What do you want us to do with their stuff?” Happy asks.

Tony peers at the boxes and thinks. “Go set up Peter’s stuff in his room. The kid can redecorate if he’d like later, but I want it to feel comfortable when he sees it for the first time. The kitchen and living room shit, I’d rather not have in my home. But have it ready for him to dig through in case he wants anything. Pepper’s going to have to earn her things back, put it in storage.”

“The pictures?”

“Burn them.”

“He will want those Tony” Clint says. “And I know you’re pissed at her right now, I’d be fuming. But Pepper would be heartbroken to lose all those pictures of Peter growing up.”

“Too fucking bad” Tony seethes. At least she has the memories, unlike Tony. He finishes off his scotch and stares down at the glass. A few deep breathes and he regains a bit of clarity. “Fine. Download them into an electronic file, only I have access to. I don’t want anyone to see them until I give permission. Any with those two” he gestures to the Parkers. “Burn them or feel free to use them as target practice.”

“Will do” Happy tells him.

“I’m going to the med bay” he stands from his chair. “I want to be there when Peter wakes up.”

“Tony you should go to bed” Rodney asserts.

“I’ll sleep on one of the ones there. That way Banner or Cho can wake me if my kid starts stirring.”

Rodney accepts that answer and smiles up at his friend, this time with no pity. “Hey” he whispers, “They’re back.”

Tony returns the smile with a small grin, “They’re back.”

Chapter Text

The lights seem so much brighter than yesterday. It takes Peter multiple attempts to open his eyes without being fully blinded. Once his eyes finally adjust, Peter needs a moment to take in his surroundings. Everything appears so much sharper than he remembers from yesterday. Colors are more vibrant. He can make out finer details in furniture.

A sense of relief passes through Peter as he notices he’s alone. He relaxes into the bed and tries to process what he is seeing. The mutation must have affected his eyes. Peter wracks his brain on if he remembers his father or any Avenger talking about eyesight when it came to the serum. Banner is the only one that wears glasses, but he doesn’t need them as the Hulk. Is the world this enhanced all the time or is this normal? ‘Shit’ Peter thinks. ‘Did I need glasses before?’

Suddenly the back of Peter’s neck tenses up for seemingly no reason. ‘Danger’ his mind thinks. What the hell? A tingling sensation covers the back of his neck. Peter looks around, what could be causing this? He catches a glimpse of his arm. Upon further study, every hair on it is standing straight up. What the hell?

A voice from far away grabs Peter’s attention. At first, he can barely hear it, not being able to tell who it is or what they are saying. With a tiny bit of focus, the voice becomes clearer.

“Steve, just reroute the shipment through Horizon Labs. It’s not that hard.”

Shit. It’s Tony. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Peter’s not ready to face him again. He doesn’t want to be anywhere near that man. Not like this. Not when the world feels so extreme already. Peter was so relieved last night when Colonial Rhodes told him Tony had fallen asleep. The man’s voice grows louder the closer he gets.

Suddenly the monitor next to Peter’s bed starts to beep loudly. Peter didn’t realize his heart had begun racing. His breathing becomes shallower as the lights in the room begin to shine brighter. It’s painful. It’s blinding. The world is deafening. Peter shields his eyes with his hands.

“Peter, what’s going on?” Somebody asks. Why are they yelling?

“Ah” he tries to answer, but everything is too much. It’s too overwhelming. The machine next to him is chiming so loud in his ear, it might burst an eardrum. His chest begins to tighten.

“…SAID HE WAS FINE” Peter catches the last half of Tony scream. Someone tries to talk to Peter as a pair of hands attempt to pry his hands away from his face. They succeed and it’s like Peter is staring directly into the sun.

“AHH” he screams in pain. The lights, the tingling in his neck, but the worst is the fire alarm of a heart monitor in his ear along with all the boisterous voices screeching around him. This is torture. He wants to stop. He needs it to stop. Peter yanks his arms out of the person’s grasp and slams his hands over his ears trying to block at least some of the noise. He pushes his face into his pillow to shield his eyes.

Peter tries to get his breathing under control, but the tightness in his chest is so constricting. That combined with the tingling in his neck causes him to only be able to take in desperate gasps of air. His lungs begin to burn.

All of a sudden the voices stop. Then the monitor. The soothing of that sense is such a relief. Peter can almost feel the synapses in his brain unwind. Finally, he can take in a full breath of air. His lungs graciously accept as his breathing becomes more labored instead of panicked. Slowly he is able to regain his composure.

When his body is finally calm, Peter lies on the bed relishing the stability. Still, the prickling feeling on his neck is there trying to agitate him. The tingling he can handle on its own. Still, it causes what feels like a red alert warning in his head.

A hand places itself on Peter’s back. His neck practically screams ‘DANGER’ in Peter’s head.

“Pete?” he hears Tony say in a gentle voice. Peter’s body tenses on instinct and the tingling intensifies. “Hey” Tony continues, “You’re okay.” The man’s hand moves to Peter’s arm and begins gently pulling it up, trying to get him to turn around.

“No!” Peter gasps, he doesn’t want the blazing light in his eyes again. “NO!” he pushes his face further into the pillow, the only thing helping his eyelids protect his vision. “STOP! NO, NO, NO!” he screams as Tony forcefully pulls Peter up by the shoulders into a sitting position. Tony maneuvers himself to sitting on the bed where Peter’s head once was lying. “NO!” An arm circles around Peter’s back, pulling him towards his father. Peter’s face buries into Tony’s chest, only as a defense from the light. The tingling on his neck increases to stinging. That mixed with the revulsion from being in this position, this intimate position with this man makes Peter’s stomach churn.

“Shh” Tony whispers. “You’re safe.” Peter disagrees with that sentiment.

Peter forces his breathing to remain consistent. Heavy, but stable. He’s not going to let Tony send him into another fritz. If he can keep his breathing under control, hopefully his heart which is currently pounding, will follow suit.

Some time passes, each second making Peter feel more disgusted with himself. He hates himself for allowing Tony to give him comfort. Because as much as he hates to admit it, it’s helping. Being so close to Tony’s heartbeat brings an ease that Peter loathes for appreciating. Even the tingling in his neck subsides to a point it’s not painful anymore.

After a few minutes of listening to the soft rhythm of his father’s heartbeat, a realization occurs to Peter. During the couple of seconds his eyes weren’t shielded, there was no light. It was still dark when his head left the pillow. He builds up a bit of courage and peaks to the side. Nearly complete darkness fills the room except for a few blinking lights on some electronics.

At the movement Tony tells him, “Pete, we are going to take this slow. JARVIS, lights up to ten percent.” Instantly, the rooms lighting goes up a smidge. “That okay?” Peter nods. “JARVIS twenty.” Again, the lights brighten. Now Peter is able to make out the shapes of the furniture around him.

“You can do more” he whispers, not moving from his place on Tony’s torso.

“JARVIS, forty percent, turn the monitors back on. No sound”

The room Peter spent hours staring at yesterday begins to reveal itself. The heart monitor next to him lights up. The sudden bright glare from the computer Banner and Cho used yesterday causes Peter to unconsciously flinch back into Tony’s chest. Have screens always been so bright?

“Breathe Peter” Tony instructs. Peter lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “That’s it” he urges as Peter turns back to the room.

“What’s going on?” Peter asks.

“I don’t know” his father admits. “We’ll figure it out when Banner and Cho come back in. Could you handle some more light?”

“Ye…yeah.”

“JARVIS, sixty percent.” The lights turn brighter again. Peter bites his lip and tries to focus on Tony’s heartbeat again. Everything around him looks so crisp. It almost feels like an entire new world.

A hand runs through Peter’s hair as Tony asks, “Everything okay Pete?”

Another round of shame envelops Peter at the caring gesture. Avoiding answering, he continues to focus on the heartbeat. He wants to forget whose arms are around him. He wants to ignore the fact that he is laying on the chest of a cold-blooded murderer. His chest…wait a second. Tony’s chest. Peter is laying on the center of Tony’s chest…

Peter shoots a hand up and starts patting down the front of his father’s shirt. Where is it? The hard circle he remembers tracing with a finger every time Tony held him as a child. For the first time since waking up, Peter notices Tony isn’t in a suit but a simple ACDC tee-shirt. Tony never wore thin layers in public. Only in the privacy of his own home or around the Avengers did the man feel comfortable showing off the blue light coming from the arc reactor. Today though…no light. Peter’s hand doesn’t make any contact with any metal. A normal human chest, not even an indent, replaces the device that kept Tony alive for so many years.

“I had it removed five years ago” Tony explains, placing a hand on top of Peter’s. The teen stops his frantic search. Removed? Peter had never even considered that would be possible. Over the years watching Tony on TV, he had always pictured the blue light hiding underneath whatever suit his father was wearing.

A flashback of the original mini arc reactor sitting in a display case crosses Peter’s mind. ‘Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.’ His mom had that engrained on the display, a joke that stuck around from her assistant days. Tony kept it in a solitary corner of his lab along with pictures of Peter, Pepper and Tony’s parents. Only those who spent an extended period of time in the lab knew about it. Peter is sure none of the Avengers are aware of its existence, with the exception of Rhodey.

Proof.

It feels symbolic. While having not taken the subject in school yet, Peter knows enough about Biology to understand the heart isn’t actually where love comes from. Technically it has to do with chemicals in your brain. But the absence of the bulky device in Tony’s chest seems fitting. After tearing Peter and his mom away from a life of freedom and happiness, it wouldn’t shock the teen to learn that there isn’t anything beating inside the man’s chest. Peter can imagine a cold, empty cavern where the organ should be. Gone is the device that reminded Peter that Tony is human, not the heartless cyborg that is so easy to associate Ironman as.

But Peter can hear Tony’s heartbeat. The only thing anchoring him from another panic attack, or whatever that was. The thud proves that a person’s heart really is only for pumping blood.

“Pete?” Tony says his name again. Still not responding, Peter chooses to look up at his father’s face. He is met with inquisitive brown eyes, so similar to his own, studying him. The tingling in Peter’s neck flashes back with a vengeance.

He needs to get away. Out of Tony’s grasp at least.

With all his might, Peter pushes himself out of the billionaire’s grip. Before Tony can react, Peter retreats to the other side of the room. Almost immediately, the noise of the world returns to his ears. Without the heartbeat directly in his ear, Peter can’t help but notice every tiny click, tap, buzz, whisper, snap and clack around him. Was the world always this busy? It’s coming from everywhere.

Grabbing the back of his neck, Peter tries to focus on calming that first. The lights are turned down still and he can deal with a bit of extra sound. But the tension setting off alarm bells in his head is getting to be too much. What is this? Why is it bothering him? Danger? Peter knows he is in danger. He realizes he is not safe here. He understands that he is surrounded by people who wouldn’t blink an eye at him getting hurt. But there isn’t anything he can do about it, not right now. Especially not with this tingling sensation driving him insane.

With that thought, the tingling dies down. It’s still there. Faint, but still making its presence known. It buries itself at the back of Peter’s mind. Almost like it’s following his orders. He notices the hair on his arms slacks back to its natural state against his skin.

Relief. Relief fills Peter’s brain where the annoying sensation retreated from.

With a deep breath he takes a moment before focusing on controlling his next sense. Hearing. He closes his eyes and tries to focus on one sound. Something to drown out all the miscellaneous noise. It takes a moment, but then he finds it.

“We could try a sedative” Dr. Banner comments. When did he return? “We could wean him off it as he grows more accustomed to the heightened senses.”

“That won’t be necessary” Peter tells him.

Dr. Cho ignores the teen, “That would keep him calm. But what if its not so much he has to grow accustomed and more he must learn to control it. If it’s the latter, the sedative would only hinder progress.”

“I said I’m fine” Peter insists. “Just give me a minute.”

 “He’s young, this is overwhelming. If the sedative could comfort him, I say we try it.”

“I don’t need a sedative.”

“We don’t want him to be afraid of his powers. Numbing them now will just make him fear when they are at full capacity.”

“I SAID I’M FINE” Peter shouts. Why aren’t they listening to him?

“PETER!” Tony yells over him. Peter feels two hands cup his face. His eyes flicker open to meet the confused gaze of his father. The tingle in his head twitches but doesn’t grow. Tony asks in a lower voice “Who are you talking to?”

Now it’s Peter’s turn to be confused. “Dr…Dr. Banner and…” Looking around Peter realizes it is still only him and Tony in the room. “Where…where is…Dr. Banner and…Dr. Cho…they…I heard...where…”

“JARVIS” Tony calls out. “Tell Banner and Cho to get back in here.”

“Absolutely Sir” the AI says.

Tony’s gaze doesn’t leave Peter. Intrigue and what Peter can make out a tiny bit of concern, is written across the billionaire’s face. He analyzes Peter, as if trying to read what he is thinking. The tingle twitches again, not liking the intrusive stare.

Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho enter the room. The tingle in Peter’s neck once again increases for a few seconds before settling back into the spot it’s made a home in. It seems Peter is going to have to get used to the sensation as it doesn’t seem to want to go away.

“How are you feeling” Dr. Cho asks.

“Better” Peter tells them. “Is this…is this normal? Like…when the others…”

“No” Banner answers. “At least not to this degree. It must be the mix of spider venom in the serum.”

Tony tells them, "He could hear your conversation in the other room."

“Really?” Banner studies Peter, a twinkle of curiosity in his eye. “And you could understand what we were saying?”

Peter doesn’t like the looks the two doctors are giving him. “Only…” he bites his lip. How much does he want to tell them? “Only when I focused. Otherwise, you blurred in with everything else.”

“Fascinating” Cho stares at the teen with a similar expression as Banner. Peter can tell she has theories spinning around in her head. “What about right now? How is your hearing?”

“Fine” Peter mumbles, growing more uncomfortable with the weird excitement spilling from the two.

“What do you mean by fine?”

“I don’t know.” Peter instinctively begins picking at his finger, anything to take his mind off the two doctors in front of him.

“Are you fine because it’s quiet or because you’re feeling in control?” Cho continues with her questions.

“I…both maybe? I…control. I feel more in control.”

“Bruce and I were two rooms over. A coffee pot in there is going, can you hear that right now?”

“Um” Peter focuses. It takes a moment but eventually he hears a familiar dripping sound of brewing coffee. “I have to focus, but yeah.” His mind doesn’t stop there. The dripping leads to the mechanical sound of a printer which is interrupted by an elevator ding. Next a couple of voices murmuring mixes in. Just like before, all the sounds begin piling on each other.

“WHAT IS THE FARTHEST NOISE YOU CAN HEAR?” Dr. Banner asks. Peter’s sure he was at the same volume as before, but it sounds so much louder.

“It’s…” he scrunches his face and tries to focus. The tingling in his neck has slowly increased as the questions continued. Digging his way through all the noise already in his ear, Peter struggles to decipher one from another. He strains his ear, trying to figure out which one is the farthest distance away, just wanting to get through this interrogation. “I think…I think I hear someone frying something on a stove.”

“RHODEY WAS GOING TO HAVE BREAKFAST READY FOR WHEN WE DISCHARGED THE KID TO THE PENTHOUSE. THAT’S WHAT? THREE FLOORS UP?”

Peter’s neck flares before it happens. Dr. Cho says “AMAZING”, and a bright light is suddenly in Peter’s eyes.

“AH!” He screams in pain. He pushes the woman away and stumbles back.

“ENOUGH” Peter knows Tony yells that. Two strong hands direct the boy to sit on the bed again. One pushes Peter’s head down, so he is staring between his legs. Unconsciously, Peter’s hands go to rest around his neck which is now shrieking at him and closes his eyes. The room goes quiet but that doesn’t stop the avalanche of the tower’s minute sounds from filling Peter’s ear canal.

“Deep breathes Peter” Tony tells him in a whisper, standing between Peter and the two doctors. Peter searches for the one noise he knows will calm him down. The heartbeat. The steady rhythm from Tony’s chest. He picks it up automatically, the familiar pulse drowns everything else out.

Again, Peter loathes it. He loathes that he must rely on Tony for this comfort. But he’ll do anything, anything, to make this better. He does as he is told. One big breath. A second one. A third.

Eventually the throbbing in his neck subdues itself back to the tiny itch. It’s annoying. Just a moment of peace, that’s all Peter wants right now. That ache, even in its current small state, keeps the teen on edge. It’s like he can’t fully relax, not that he would without it. Not around these people.

Looking up at his father, Peter tells him “I want mom.”

A frown develops on Tony’s face. “I told you yesterday, you two need a break from each other.”

“Please, let me see her.”

“What do you think she could do Peter” Tony snaps. “What could she possibly do right now to help.”

‘She would make this sting in my neck disappear’ Peter wants to yell. Danger. It keeps telling Peter he’s in danger. Mom would keep him safe, give him some relief from the irritation picking at his mind. He can’t tell Tony that, not until Peter knows exactly what this is. If he ever tells Tony. He definitely isn’t telling the two doctors who keep eyeing him like a lab rat. Peter hears them whispering to each other

“Did you see how fast his pupil reacted?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s more enhanced than Steve.”

“He should be able to grow out of the sensory overloading with time. That push he gave me…”

“I saw…”

“I can’t wait until Natasha and Clint get their hands on him.”

Peter hates this. He hates the new powers. He hates that spider for biting him. He hates himself for going to Oscorp in the first place. He hates Banner and Cho for being more excited than concerned over his current state. But most of all he despises Tony for dragging him back into this world.

Said man is still giving Peter a disapproving stare. Peter knows it’s a bad idea, but he can’t help but ask one more time, “I want to see her…”

As he expected, the comment earns him a slap across the face. It doesn’t hurt as much as yesterday; Peter can only guess that’s due to the serum. “No more crying for your mother, son” Tony sneers.

Fuck this man. Peter hadn’t even let any tears fall. He takes another deep breath, trying to remain composed. Banner and Cho are still enthusiastically whispering to each other all the tests they have planned for him later.

Looking Tony in the eye, Peter implores “At least make them leave…please.” He can’t take any more of those two.

Understanding fills Tony’s eyes. He turns to the doctors, “Banner. Cho. I’m taking Peter up to the penthouse.”

Banner frowns, “Are you sure? We don’t yet know the…”

“You can run your tests some other time. His senses obviously are affected by stress. The kid needs to relax, and this place isn’t helping.”

Realization at Tony’s true meaning flashes between the two. Banner tells Tony, “Alright. I would suggest we check on him this afternoon and every morning for the next week at least.”

“Only one of you. I agree with the kid, the two of you together is exhausting.”

“Noted” both Banner and Cho appear embarrassed. Good. The two doctors take their cue from Tony and head back out of the room. Before disappearing out of sight, Dr. Cho looks back and says, “Welcome home Peter.”

Home.

This isn’t home. Home is the little apartment in Queens. Home is with his mom, Aunt May and Uncle Ben when he was alive. It is where he feels safe and loved, not fearful and probed.

“There are some clothes for you on the desk” Tony tells him. “I’ll be waiting in the hall.” With that, he also leaves.

Peter takes a moment to settle his nerves. He sits on the hospital bed and focuses on his breathing. Once he is satisfied, he calls out, “JARVIS, can you turn the lights up to 100%?”

“Yes, young sir.” The lights go up. This time, they don’t seem so blinding. It feels normal. Maybe Tony was right earlier, it has to do with stress. Without the threat of one of the Avengers walking in, Peter can finally calm down. No immediate danger.

The tingling in his neck is barely there. It still gives him hints of its presence due to Tony’s continued close proximity. But the knowledge that Peter has at least a few minutes of peace before having to face his father again, dwindles the tingle’s power.

Wandering over to the desk, Peter sees the clothes Tony was talking about. They are defiantly not his own, way too expensive. A pair of jeans, a plain tee-shirt, a pair of boxers, socks, sneakers and a red hoodie sit in a nice pile. Peter takes note of the designer brands. The jeans alone probably cost almost a thousand dollars; he can only imagine what the entire ensemble adds up to.

He takes his time changing into the new outfit. Everything is the right size and fits perfectly. Peter hasn’t worn anything this nice since he was a toddler. After he and his mom escaped, they mostly shopped at thrift stores. It’s only been the past couple of years that they have been able to shop at stores for new clothes. It honestly just never felt like a priority.

His mom had worked hard for every financial milestone over the past 10 years. They were excited when she could chip in for rent with Ben and May, meaning they could move into a two-bedroom apartment and stopped sleeping on the couch. Or when Pepper could afford daycare and the trio of adults didn’t have to coordinate their schedule around someone always being home to look after Peter. They were able to take their first vacation when he was in second grade. When Peter was in fourth grade, Pepper was promoted to a managerial position, and they were able to move out of May and Ben’s altogether. While Peter had been sad at not seeing his aunt and uncle every day, he saw how happy his mom was at gaining her independence.

All that has gone to waste now.

He can’t think that. His mom wouldn’t want him to think that. Everything she did, everything she labored to provide Peter was out of love. At any time over the past ten years, Pepper could have gone back to Tony. Here, neither of them ever had to worry about money. That part, which controls so much of the average person’s life, is an afterthought in the Stark family. His mom kept him away to provide him with a better childhood. The struggle she went through meant Peter had gotten ten years of freedom, warmth and happiness.

Peter zips up the hoodie that could have paid their water bill for a year and preps himself to face Tony again. He can still faintly hear the man’s heartbeat outside the door, waiting for him. As much as Peter wants to stay away from Tony, he also badly wants to get out of this room. Get away before Banner and Cho hook him up to some brain scanner or something.

Tony is texting someone when Peter opens the door. Peter receives a quick glance of acknowledgment before Tony continues with his phone. “That looks a lot better” Tony comments about the clothes. “Although you could do for a shower.” He finishes the text and slips his phone into a pocket. “You hungry?”

“Yeah” Peter admits. The only thing he could keep down last night was some chicken broth. His stomach has made it no secret this morning how empty it feels.

“C’mon” Tony nods towards the exit. Peter follows him down the hall and to the elevators. Tony presses the button which does a quick scan of his thumb. If his memory serves him correctly, Peter recalls the elevators at Stark Industries being programmed to cater to Tony’s print. Sure enough, only about ten seconds pass before the doors open. He follows Tony inside and sees Tony hit the button for the top floor.

The strength in the jerk of the car as it starts moving surprises Peter. He feels hyperaware of the speed it’s going as it ascends.

“Only Happy and Rhodes have complete access to the penthouse” Tony tells him. “The others must request entry. So, you won’t have any surprise visits outside those two. Although sometimes they bring other guests with them.” That gives Peter some comfort. At least with Rhodes and Happy, Peter recalls a few good memories of playing with them as a kid. Those two don’t make him as nervous as everyone else. Tony continues, “I’ve only given you permission to grant entry to the Avengers and Dr. Cho so far. As for moving around the tower, you only have access to the penthouse, training floors, med bay and the team’s communal floors. You can also access my lab but you’ll have to request my permission first before every entry, same goes for my office.”

“What about fresh air?” Peter inquires.

Tony rolls his eyes, “We have balconies and there is plenty of space on the landing pad for you to stretch your legs. Behave yourself this next week and maybe I’ll give you permission for the pool.”

Peter feels the elevator stop moving before it dings, and the doors open. Tony swiftly exits the car. Peter bites his lip and takes a step into what is not home, but what will have to do going forward.

Chapter Text

The smell of bacon hits Peter the second he enters the penthouse. His mouth waters and stomach growls. Pepper was only able to afford bacon occasionally while he was growing up. By the time she was making more money, Peter had grown accustomed to a daily bagel or toast for breakfast. They only bought bacon for special occasions such as birthdays or first day of school.

He follows Tony through the penthouse. He never got to tour the tower after construction was completed. The interior reminds Peter a lot of the mansion in Malibu. Tony always had a thing for round rooms and floor to ceiling windows. Unlike Malibu which was a mostly white, light grey or tan color scheme, the tower penthouse has dark furniture and incorporates a lot more different types of tiles, stone and metal. It feels more industrial. More impressive.

A pang of sadness surprises Peter when thinking of the Malibu mansion. While he has a lot of bad memories from that place, there is no denying he feels an attachment to it. He had watched live on television the day the Mandarin sent an army of missiles to blow up the first place he called home. As much as the boy at the time hated to admit it, a part of him missed the long nights in Tony’s lab, playing on the beach and dinner with both his parents.

They make their way into the kitchen. It is shockingly huge, especially considering Peter never remembers Tony doing any cooking outside of heating up leftover Chinese. Rhodey is at one of the two stoves, frying up the bacon Peter smelled earlier.

“Hey” Rhodey smiles as the father-son duo enter. “Coffee’s already brewed Tones. Peter, you still like your eggs scrambled with cheese?”

“Yeah” Peter answers as he takes a seat at the island. When he was a kid, it wasn’t uncommon for Rhodey to spend the weekend at the mansion. He always helped Pepper with breakfast when visiting.

A plate of eggs, bacon, toast and fruit slides towards Peter. “I’m making more. Tony’s stomach was a bottomless pit after the mutation, I’m assuming you’ll be similar.”

“Thanks” Peter mumbles as Tony calls out “I resent that statement.”

“You could have cleared a Trader Joes” Rhodes jokes. “Want anything to drink Peter? Water? Milk? Tony has practically any type of juice you could think of.”

“Milk would be great. I can get it” Peter stands from his chair.

“Sit down and eat” Rhodey tells him as he grabs a glass out of a nearby cabinet. “I can hear your stomach from here.”

Peter doesn’t need to be told twice. “Thank you” he says before sitting and grabbing a piece of bacon. The salty meat is fried to a perfect crisp. The eggs look exactly like he remembers from when he was little. Rhodey had a magical ability to fluff them up while getting as much cheese as possible incorporated. One of the small things Peter missed about his time in Malibu.

At least he will eat well living here.

“A thanks and a thank you all in under a minute, how polite” Rhodes directs his statement to Tony. “He’s definitely Pepper’s.”

Tony snorts and takes a seat next to Peter, fresh cup of coffee in hand. “Didn’t realize your ten million dollar a month salary was so rude.”

“For putting up with your bullshit? Yeah, I’m highly underpaid.”

Peter nearly chokes on the eggs he is swallowing, not being able to hold back a laugh. Tony turns to him, “What you think that’s funny?”

“No” Peter says quickly, his blood runs cold. He doesn’t want to piss off Tony. A flashback of punch that left Peter with a black eye, surfaces in his mind.

A hint of disappointment glimmers in Tony’s expression. The billionaire exchanges a look with Rhodey who slides a plate of food in front of Tony and glass of milk to Peter. The atmosphere in the kitchen becomes uncomfortable. Silence fills the air. Peter focuses on the plate in front of him, distracting himself with finishing the eggs before moving onto the pile of berries, pineapple and banana.

“I talked with your secretary Tony” Rhodey says, trying to break up the tension. “Everything is set up for the press conference. You wanted to do it at two, right?”

“Yup” Tony answers.

“Are you going to bring the kid on with you?”

‘Me?’ Peter thinks to himself. Why would Tony bring Peter into a press conference? It’s not like he has any idea what Stark Industries has been up to lately. Also, the public still thinks he’s a missing kid. After his mom and him fled, SI spun a story of them being kidnapped by some rogue agency. The sob story helped Tony and Bruce Wayne manipulate the public opinion of the already crumbling government at the time. Instead of looking like a power-hungry businessman, Tony got to play the heartbroken father and husband just trying to find his stolen family that the corrupt CIA/FBI abducted.

It was complete bullshit.

“No” Tony tells Rhodes. “Officially, Peter and Pepper are with therapists trying to recover from the trauma Hydra put them through. No public appearances for at least three months.”

“Wait” Peter asks, confused. “What?”

“You and your mom have been under the control of Hydra for the past ten years” Tony explains, not making any sense to Peter. “At first it was just to get information out of Pepper. Then once they realized your intelligence level, they changed plans. Hydra let you live a seemingly normal life with the intention of building you into a leader to fight in an eventual revolution against Wayne and I. Publicly, you would be a kid who grew up in Queens that would inspire the everyday person to join his cause. Privately, they were threatening you and your mother while grooming you into a soldier similar to what they did to Barnes. You and Pepper wished to return home to me but couldn’t in fear for your life.”

“None of that’s true” Peter says.

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes” Tony stares Peter down, seriousness filling his voice. “It is. Luckily you, being the brilliant boy you are, tricked your way into a field trip at Oscorp with the hopes to grab the attention of a worker. The accident was pure luck as Hydra had no choice but to let you go to the hospital and allow your only parent to join you. So good job son, you saved both you and your mother.”

“You seriously think people are going to believe that?” The explanation sounds ridiculous.

Tony eyes him down as he pops a blueberry into his mouth. Rhodey had taken Peter’s break from his breakfast to refill the plate with more eggs and bacon. Tony tells Peter, “Hard to believe. But once we show all the evidence it’ll make sense.”

“What evidence?” What proof could they falsify that would make this make any sense?

“Hidden cameras and microphones in your apartment, the scars all over your bodies, not to mention everything you two told me in our emotional reunion. Your mother spent hours crying into my shoulder last night, telling me how they tortured you two, starved you, had you under constant surveillance. She was so happy to be safe in my arms again.”

“We…” Peter is flabbergasted. “We had lives. I was in school; mom had a job. People know us…”

“They know the façade Hydra made you two pretend to be. That is why they only allowed you to make a couple of friends in school. Edward and Michelle, correct?”

Peter’s heart skips a beat. They know about Ned and MJ. How the hell do they know about Ned and MJ? Shit. What is Tony going to do to them?

A hand pats Peter on the back. The tingling feeling in his neck that was previously a tiny prick flares at the touch. Tony continues, “The poor kids had no idea what was happening to their friend behind closed doors. Both sets of their parents have already put out statements expressing how if they had known, they would have reported it. They are so glad that you and your mom are home again where you belong. As a thank you for looking after you when I couldn’t, both Edward and Michelle will have full ride scholarships to any university of their choosing.”

Thank God. Tony’s not going to hurt them. Peter’s nerves settle a bit.

“As for the two Hydra agents who were in charge of you two…” What? Hydra agents? What is Tony talking about? “It’s a shame Benjamin Parker will never have to face justice for the crimes he has committed. May however will be public enemy number one after the conference today.”

Peter whips his head towards Tony, his heart begins pounding in his chest. The tingle is screaming at him. May? Public enemy number one? “You…?” Not May. How did he find out about May already? “Don’t hurt her…Please! Don’t hurt her.”

Tony’s eyes darken at the plea. “That woman not only kept you from me for ten years but look what she did to your mother. We found everything Peter. All the medical documents she falsified, the medication she stole for you two, the amount of fucking filler she injected into Pepper’s face. That on its own is enough to put her in jail. But how about when the public finds out about all the beatings she allowed Ben to do. All the mental exploitation she imposed on you and your mother. How they not only kidnapped you and your mother, but then made you live in squalor. How she made you two live in fear every single day while you were captured.”

“THEY DIDN’T DO ANY OF THAT!” Peter yells, not caring about the consequences.

How dare he! How dare Tony say that about May and Ben. Spreading rumors that the two people who have shown Peter and his mom nothing but love for the past ten years are abusive criminals. The thought of the public thinking Ben is a child beater…the man who would wrap Peter in a big hug at every greeting and tell Peter how smart and special he was. The man who put himself between Peter and the mugger with the gun that lead to Ben’s death. Ben doesn’t deserve that defamatory legacy.

And May. Sweet May who kissed Peter’s scraped knees when he’d fall. Who couldn’t cook pasta without burning it but always made Peter a homemade cake for his birthday. The woman who picked up Pepper’s broken shell of a being and put her back together after Tony left her in shambles.

The two people who dedicated their lives to keeping Peter and his mom safe are going to be dragged through the mud just so Tony can have some good press. It’s not fair. It’s not right.

A punch, much harder than the slap from before, connects to Peter’s cheek. It nearly knocks him off the stool he is sitting on. It would have if Tony hadn’t immediately grabbed the back of Peter’s neck, which is now searing in pain from the tingle, and forces him to look his father in the eye.

“You do not raise your voice at me” Tony growls, fury in his eye. “Unless you want those two friends of yours to receive similar punishments. I was generous because they clearly had no idea of your identity, but I can easily change my mind. As for that fucking bitch May…she better pray I never get my hands on her.”

He doesn’t have her. Relief fills Peter’s chest. Tony hasn’t found May. Peter has never been religious, but he sends a thank you to God and a prayer for May’s future.

Peter remains silent and meets Tony’s stare. He can’t help but feel a bit amused. Billions of dollars and a team of super soldiers, yet this maniac can’t even find an ER nurse on the run. He couldn’t even find his wife and son for an entire decade. Guess genius doesn’t get you everything.

Peter’s cheek is still throbbing in pain from the punch. He can feel it start to swell. He knows he should get used to this. Tony has never been one for talking things out.

“Is there anything else I should know?” Peter asks.

Tony darkly smirks, knowing he won. “You can watch the press conference later.”

“You said Ned and MJ’s parents put out statements. How…how much do they know?” Peter had kept up the ruse of being the son of Richard Parker around his friends. He had expressed that his father was abusive, something he felt guilty over knowing they would blame the wrong man. But Peter needed to talk about it, and he trusted Ned and MJ. He wanted to open up and give them some bit of truth about his life before them. Peter was seven the first time he told Ned who immediately wrapped him in a big hug. MJ he told only a few months ago. She tried to drag him to a support group meeting for teen survivors of abuse. He can only imagine what they are thinking right now.

“Not much” Tony tells him. “Natasha and Clint handled them last night. They know the Hydra story. Not sure if your friends bought it, but their parents know to play along.”

Peter understands what Tony means by ‘handled’. He hopes the threats weren’t too bad. Both the Leeds and Joneses have been extremely kind to Peter over the years. He practically lived at Ned’s half the time during summer breaks. “Can…Can I talk to them?”

“You seriously think they want to talk with you?”

Peter blinks in shock. Don’t they? Ned has been his best friends since kindergarten. He is practically a brother. MJ transferred to their school two years ago. She was a bit standoffish at first, but eventually accepted their friendship almost out of necessity since they were in the same activities. Once she warmed up, the trio quickly became inseparable. Then one day, not too long ago, Peter found himself watching nearly every move MJ made. He hung onto every word she spoke, laughed hard at every joke, was blushing at every smile she gave him. It wasn’t until his mom gave him a small tease that Peter realized his crush.

After his revelation, Pepper had assured him ‘I see the way you two look at each other. She feels the same way Petey, I promise.’

It wasn’t until this last weekend that Peter found the courage to take a chance. He, Ned and MJ were planning on going to a movie. Ned had to cancel last minute due to illness, so Peter and MJ decided to go just the two of them. Peter could barely explain the plot if someone asked, he had been too focused on the girl next to him in the theater. His heart raced every time she sparred him a glance. They walked back to Peter’s apartment after to have dinner with Pepper. Around nine, MJ’s parents came to pick her up. The two of them waited in the apartment complex’s lobby. Eventually, the silver Honda parked itself outside. Instead of a hug goodbye like usual, Peter gave MJ a quick kiss.

It took the girl by shock. Her beautiful brown eyes went wide. The longest three seconds of Peter’s life ticked by as he watched MJ process what just happened. Then his heart leapt for joy when a smile formed on MJ’s face. Before either could say anything, her dad started honking outside.

‘We’ll…we’ll…I’ll see you at school on Monday’ MJ told him, heading to the door. She flashes him a bashful grin before exiting the building.

They didn’t have a chance to talk about it. Ned was feeling well enough to go to school, so they didn’t have any privacy there. Peter wanted to talk with her in person, so he avoided calling or texting. They spent three days in awkward heated tension. Then they went on the fieldtrip to Oscorp.

“What?” Peter asks Tony.

“It was quite a secret you hid from them Pete” Tony tells him. “A life changing one. Both families made it clear they don’t want anything to do with our world.”

Peter figured his friends parents would feel that way. Mr. and Mrs. Leeds never said much about the Avengers, but they clearly feared them. Mr. Jones had gone on many rants about how disgusting and corrupt he thinks the group is. But MJ and Ned were different. MJ shared her father’s viewpoint but argued it with logic and fact. She also acknowledged some of the good that came from Tony’s takeover. Ned while being a bit fearful of the team, was also like many people their age, a fan. He has always been fascinated by the ‘heroes’, especially Ironman. Peter spent years biting his tongue as Ned would fanboy over every new suit Tony presented to the world. He couldn’t blame Ned for his excitement; a love of engineering is what bonded the two of them so closely.

“Please” Peter hesitantly begs his father. “At least let me try.”

Tony raises an eyebrow at the request. He shrugs, “Your new phone is up in your room. It allows you to make texts and calls to me, Happy and the team. No social media and restricted internet usage. I programed it, so don’t try slipping into any chat forums. I’ll grant you permission to call your friends today but know that both JARVIS and Happy will be monitoring the call and any usage going forward. Any slip ups and they will cut you off. Got it?”

Peter nods his head, a bit surprised how quickly Tony agreed. That can’t be a good sign. How badly did Natasha and Clint treat the families?

“Finish your breakfast first” Tony instructs before taking a bite of his own eggs.

Glancing down at the newly refilled plate, Peter knows he is still hungry but has lost his appetite. His mind is reeling thinking of all the different scenarios that could play out during the calls. Will Ned and MJ hate him? Will they even pick up? He forces himself to eat, not wanting to disobey Tony. The food doesn’t taste nearly as good as it did minutes ago. It doesn’t help that his stomach continues to twist with nerves. After Peter has made it through half the plate, Tony seems satisfied enough.

“I’ll show you to your bedroom.” They both exit the kitchen, leaving Rhodey to clean up. Peter feels a bit bad, but again doesn’t want to make Tony angry. He follows his father through the large living room and up the stairs. Tony wasn’t lying about the large balconies. Peter can’t help but gaze in awe at the view of Manhattan’s skyline. He’s never been so high in the air before.

Tony leads him to a nearby door. “The master is down the hall. This room isn’t as grand but I’m sure you’ll take a liking to it.”

They enter the bedroom. Peter pauses in the doorway, stunned at the size of the room. It’s bigger than the Queens apartment for sure. Maybe a bit under double the size. Floor to ceiling windows stretch the entire length of one side of the room and as well as part of the roof. It presents a wonderful view of the Empire State Building as well as half of Manhattan. He spots a glass door that gives him access to a balcony. It’s not as big as the one downstairs, but larger than Peter would ever need for personal use.

In the center of the room is a giant bed. It faces the window. The bedspread is a plain grey with black and white pillows. Unlike the rest of the penthouse, whose flooring consists of mostly dark tile, the bedroom is black wood. Lighter colored rugs decorate different areas, giving it a softer, more comfortable feel. The walls consist of a mix of dark paint and stylized stonework.

To the right side of the room is a glass wall, holding a big bathroom on the other side. Peter takes note of the shower which looks like it could hold eight people at once. The bathtub too, which is situated next to another tall window. Next to the bathroom is a pair of double doors, Peter guesses that must be a closet.

The left is more of a living space. An L-shaped couch sits in front of an entertainment unit. A large TV hooked up with multiple gaming systems is visible. A desk with multiple computer screens is in the corner of the room. Next to that is a refrigerator and cabinet.

“Let JARVIS know of any snacks or drinks you want” Tony says, noticing Peter examine the area. “Also, if you want to change any of the décor or furniture, find something you like online, and we can order it. Same goes for clothing. Nothing cheap.”

That is when Peter notices it. Sitting on a side table next to the bed, a figurine of a Star Wars AT-AT. The one he had in his bedroom back home. Upon closer inspection, Peter checks the side of it. Sure enough, a large scratch he made while dropping the thing off his top bunk four years ago is present. It’s his. Looking around the room, Peter notices other nick-knacks and decorations from his old bedroom. It’s strange seeing remnants of his time in Queens in this much more luxurious space. They feel out of place, like they don’t belong there. Much like how Peter feels right now.

“There are a few boxes in your closet containing other things Rhodey thought you might want. Go through those and leave anything you don’t care for out in the hall.” Tony tells him. Peter nods his head, not looking away from the AT-AT. He didn’t expect Tony to let him keep anything from the apartment.

“You don’t like it” Tony states with a hint of confusion.

“No! I do…” Peter bites his lip and scans the room again. It’s so big. One person doesn’t need all this. It’s overwhelming. “It’s just…it’s a lot.”

Tony studies him with an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he says “Like I said yesterday. My kid gets the best.”

“Is um…” Shoot, does Peter even dare ask. “Is mom’s room like this?”

“Not as nice but leagues better than where you two were the past ten years. And no, you can’t go see it” Tony answers a question Peter knows better than to ask.

Peter returns his attention to the replica in his hands. A small amount of comfort does come from the familiar toy. He doesn’t dare tell Tony, but Ben had bought him it for his birthday one year. It’ll be nice to fall asleep next to a token from the gentle man who raised him.

“Thanks” Peter says quietly to Tony.

Tony doesn’t respond. Instead, he heads over to the computer and grabs something off the desk. He hands Peter a new smartphone. Peter doesn’t recognize the model, probably unreleased or something Tony made specifically for him.

“Again, JARVIS is hooked up to this” Tony reminds him. “Any funny business and it shuts off automatically and I get notified. Don't even think about trying to hack it. Understood?”

“Yeah.”

“I have to get a few things done before the press conference. After that we can have dinner and I’ll give you a proper tour of the tower. You still want to see the lab?”

“Um…sounds good” Peter has a mix of emotions. The excitement about seeing Tony’s lab doesn’t out-way his aversion to spending time with its owner.

Tony gives Peter a clap on the back before walking out of the room. The friendly gesture feels wrong. Sure, when Peter was little, Tony wasn’t against showing the boy affection. Hugs and kisses on the forehead weren’t uncommon. It’s the hot and cold that came with Tony’s love that is unnerving. Even today, Tony went from holding Peter in an embrace for comfort to slapping him for wanting to see his mom. Then from joking around with Rhodey to connecting a fist to Peter’s face.

‘Learn his triggers’ Peter thinks to himself. ‘It’ll be better once you learn what sets him off.’

His mom is one. Something that pains Peter to think about. Not being able to ask about her will be tough. Going from seeing her everyday to not knowing what floor she is sleeping on…gosh he already misses her. She was so scared last time he saw her. Listening to her beg Tony for a chance to say goodbye…

Goodbye.

Peter looks down at the phone in his hand. Is that what calling Ned and MJ will be? He knows more than likely Tony was telling the truth about their families wanting nothing to do with the Avengers. But what about Peter? Does that extend to him?

Deep down he knows the answer.

He takes a deep breath and sits down on the bed. It’s almost comical how small he feels resting on the giant mattress.

There are no contacts outside of the list Tony gave him. Only people within SI are listed.

“Jarvis? Can you call Ned for me?” Ned first. He’s known Ned for most of his life. Surely his friend won’t turn his back on Peter completely. Hopefully he can gage how well the call will go with MJ off this. “Or Edward Leeds if you need his full name.”

“Certainly, Young Sir” the AI responds. Sir. As if Peter has any authority in this place.

The phone begins ringing. Peter bites his lip and holds his breath listening to it ring over and over. Will Ned really not pick up? Maybe because it’s a new number.

“He…hello” a shaky voice answers.

Thank God. “Ned?” Peter says.

“Peter? I mean…I mean Howard…Howard.”

“No...No, I’m still…I’m still Peter.” He can barely hold it together. His best friend of so many years sounds panicked to speak to him. As if he would be angry at Ned for messing up a name. “How um…how are you? Still have a bit of the cold?”

“How am I…” This catches Ned off guard. “What? Peter…I…are you okay?”

Happy and JARVIS are listening. “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine. The spider bite…” Peter bites his lip. How much can he tell Ned without getting cut off? He guesses if he stays within the story Tony is putting out later, he’ll be fine. “The spider was mixed or something with the super soldier serum.”

“That’s what Hawkeye said.”

So, Clint talked to the Leeds. That means Natasha…shit the poor Joneses. “I’m…” Peter struggles to find the right words. “The mutation’s over. I’m fine now.”

“I’m asking about more than the spider bite” Ned says. “I mean…shit Peter. What the fuck?” Ned rarely swears.

“Barton he…he told you right?” Stay within the story Peter. He can’t mess this up. “He told you about Hydra?”

A moment of silence passes. Peter waits for Ned’s response. Maybe Clint didn’t get into specifics with the Leeds.

“Everything you told me about your…your dad. How…” Ned is choosing his words carefully. He must suspect that it isn’t just Peter on the call. “How excited he was to marry your mom.” Peter had told him Mary was forced into the marriage. “How eccentric he was.” Another word for erratic. “He used to push you on the swings.” Or he used to swing a fist at Peter. “Are those stories all true?”

Ned doesn’t believe Tony’s story.

“Yeah” Peter swallows the lump in his throat. He knows what his friend is really asking. He fights back tears and adds “They just weren’t about Richard Parker.” At least Peter can clear that man’s name, relieve some of that guilt.

A sob breaks out from Ned, “Holy fucking shit! Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“Ned…Ned…calm down. I’m fine…I’m…” God this is so hard. “I’m sitting in a penthouse looking over Manhattan. I’m…you should see my bed. It’s ridiculously, ridiculously big. You…when you visit…um…”

Here it comes. Peter put out the offer. Moment of truth. A long pause hangs in the air. The two boys sit on the phone, neither knowing what to say next.

“Ned?” he asks after a while. “Ned?” Still no answer. He looks down at the phone, the call is still active. “Ned, you still there?”

“Peter…I have a family.”

It hurts. It rips at Peter’s heart. The rejection. “I…I know.”

“We don’t…we’re just people who live in Queens. And that is all we want to be.”

“I…I know that. But…” Peter doesn’t stop the tears from leaving his eyes. He can tell Ned is holding together just as poorly. “I’m still me Ned. I’m still…I’m still me.”

“I can’t put them in that situation Peter. I’m sorry…I’m so, so sorry. But I can’t do that to them.”

“I…” FUCK. Why did he ever go to Oscorp! “I understand.” He does. Peter truly understands because he feels the same way. He doesn’t want anything to do with Stark Industries, the Avengers or Tony.

“I’m sorry…” Ned repeats. “Really Peter…”

“I know Ned.” Peter cuts him off. “I know. I um…I should go.”

“Are you…”

“I get it. I should go. I’ll…I’ll miss you.”

Peter hangs up, not waiting to hear if Ned has a response. The stinging in his eyes is nothing compared to the ache in his chest. Eight years, the friend he has had a majority of his life…is gone. By a choice Peter would probably have made himself if roles were reversed.

How the hell is he going to talk with MJ? Can he go through that again? If Ned’s reaction was that…what will hers be? Only a few days ago they shared that kiss…

He doesn’t call her right away. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and chugs it down. Then he goes to the bathroom to wash his face. After that, Peter wanders around the bedroom in hopes to dwindle down his nerves. Maybe some fresh air would help.

It does. At least Peter no longer feels like he is suffocating. How a room can be so big, yet so claustrophobic is a complete mystery that science will never explain. The balcony is furnished with a couple of couches that surround a mechanical fire pit. A hot tub that Peter didn’t notice inside is built into the building, off to the side. A perfect place to host people, not that after this call there will be anyone he could invite.

The view really is beautiful. From where he is standing, Peter can see Queens. He wonders when the next time he will be able to visit. If he will ever be able to see his school. If he will ever have a sub from Mr. Delmar’s again.

If he will ever see Ned or MJ again.

It’s time.

“JARVIS, can you please call Michelle Jones?”

Unlike Ned, MJ picks up after only a couple of rings.

“Hello?”

“MJ…its…its Peter.”

A second of silence…then “WHAT THE FUCK!”

He’s never heard MJ yell. She rarely raises her voice to the normal level of most people.

“MJ…”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!”

“I…just…just listen okay…” There is a bit of commotion on the other side of the line. “MJ?”

“Peter” a man’s voice says. It’s MJ’s father.

“Mr. Jones…”

“Why are you calling?”

“I…” Why is he calling? “I want to talk with MJ.”

“We agreed to your father’s demands. We won’t step out of line and we don’t know where May Parker is. We promise.”

“Mr. Jones, that’s not…please.” Peter begs. “Please put MJ back on the line.”

“I don’t want you calling us anymore.”

God the stinging. “Mr. Jones…” his voice cracks. “I won’t. I promise, this will be the last time. Please, put MJ back on the phone.”

Peter can’t make out what Mr. Jones says to his daughter. But he distinctly hears her scream back at him “HE’S A FUCKING LIAR!” The pain is worse than the punch Tony gave him earlier. The two go back and forth a bit before MJ finally takes the phone back,

“What do you want?” Fear infused with anger is dripping from her voice. Her and Ned…how could they suddenly be so terrified of him? Do they think Peter would hurt them or go after them? After everything they have been through. What did Barton and Romanoff do to his friends?

“I just want to talk.”

“About what? What could we possibly talk about? Why should I listen to a word you say?”

Liar. She really thinks he is a liar.

Well…he is. Isn’t he?

“MJ, I couldn’t tell you anything. My…my mom…” Fuck, he has to stick with the story. “The Hydra agents…”

Liar.

A scoff cuts him off. Tony was right, neither of his friends buy the story. A part of him is happy they see through the ruse…But oh…this hurts so bad. Having to pretend Ben and May were…it’s not fair. Why is this his life? Why was he chosen to endure this?

“You do realize” MJ says, sorrow filling her words. “That if the story Black Widow told us…if that’s true…that means you knowingly put Ned and I in direct harm of Hydra. That you put us and our families in danger for years. Is that the story you want me to believe?”

No, it’s not.

“MJ” Peter’s crying again. “I’m…I’m sorry…”

A sob leaves MJ. “Never call me again! Please, never call me again.”

The click of the call ending echoes in Peter’s ear.

Alone.

Ben is dead. May’s gone, thankfully in hiding. Tony has made it crystal clear that Peter isn’t allowed to see his mom. Ned fears to be around him and MJ despises him.

Alone.

Peter stands on the balcony, staring over the city that homes millions of people. Yet to him it feels so empty.

Maybe…maybe this is better. Thinking over everything Tony told him last night…maybe it’s better he is going through this on his own. ‘This life isn’t easy, but it’s yours.’ He shouldn’t drag anyone else into this mess. For their sake and his own. If it is just Peter, there isn’t anyone Tony can use against him. Nobody he needs to worry about except for himself.

‘Now you need to enter reality again.’ Was the last ten years truly just a wishful dream? Why does nearly everyone else on the planet get to live that life, but not Peter? How come it couldn’t be his reality?

 ‘Anything your heart desires, I’ll give you.’ Everything Peter wants, Tony has already stripped away. His family, his friends, his life. Peter had meant it when he said he doesn’t care about the money, the fame or power. It comes at too high of a cost.

‘You just think you don’t want this because that is what your mother has taught you.’ It wasn’t just Pepper that taught him. It was Ben. It was May. It was being able to enjoy each day not being afraid of everyone around him. It was not having to live in fear that another atrocity or massacre was around every corner.

‘I will get you there, and you will be grateful that I did.’ A shiver runs down Peter’s spine. The tingle in his head perks up at the thought. What is Tony going to do to him? The over-the-top bedroom, the way Tony speaks to him when calm, the moments of seemingly genuine care. Peter knows his father loves him. But love in the Stark household is sick and backwards. It’s all about control, pride and ownership. The deformed thought process behind what Tony believes is good intentions…

‘One day you’ll have your own wife and son, and you’ll understand.’ Would he? Peter can’t imagine understanding Tony. He can’t imagine replicating the things Tony has done to Peter and his mother to a woman and child he claims to love.

‘We’ll get you there, buddy.’

That thought makes Peter nauseous. Because, logically thinking, he knows Tony is right. It’s the only way Peter will survive this. To allow his father to change him into the dark, heartless, sociopath Tony wants him to be. There is no getting out of this. Tony is never going to allow him to escape again, and Peter can’t imagine leaving his mom behind. He’s stuck. There is either playing Tony’s game…and no other option.

Well, there is one.

Peter imagines for just a second, about flinging himself off the balcony. Even with the enhancements, there is no way he would survive the fall.

No.

He doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want to live this life, but he also doesn’t want to die.

Chapter Text

“The bruising should go away after a couple weeks, but her nose won’t be stable until after six. No exercising, no blowing her nose and she should keep her head elevated at night.” The surgeon tells Tony and Dr. Stephen Strange. He has barely acknowledged Pepper, even when examining her face. She already knows all this from the last time.

“What about the filler?” Tony asks.

“The dissolvers work immediately upon injection, with continued results for up to seventy-two hours. It may take up to two weeks for it to completely leave her system. She will also have some swelling. Nothing I can do about the cheeks. The filler used has calcium in it. According to the notes, she last got it four months ago, it takes over a year to dissolve.”

Tony’s already irritated frown deepens. He continues to glare at Pepper as she quietly sits on exam table. None of the three men are directing the conversation to her. Dr. Strange and Dr. Carter are here to do their job, which is to do whatever Tony wants.

“My recommendation” her surgeon continues. “I can take care of most of the filler today. Wait a couple weeks for her face to settle. Then I’ll fly back in and take care of the nose.”

“Why can’t you do both now?”

“I want to see what I’m working with before cutting her open. There’s a reason why I have great results, it’s because I don’t rush anything. Especially when the patient is as important as your wife, Mr. Stark.”

“You did want her hair changed back to red, right?” Strange offers up to Tony, who doesn’t look pleased with Carter’s answer. “We can have that taken care of while we wait for the rhinoplasty. He’s right, better to take our time if it gets the best results.”

Tony lets out an annoyed huff before telling them “Fine.”

“Did you want anything else done on her?” Carter inquires. “Liposuction? Face lift? We could even do her boobs or ass if you want.”

This is humiliating. Pepper feels like nothing more than a used car the men are planning to remodel. No care on what her opinion is on the matter of her own appearance. As the conversation goes on, it becomes harder and harder to bite her tongue.

Tony redirects his glare to Carter, “What are you insinuating?”

Strange places a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “He’s just asking Tony, it’s not an insult. If you did want something else done, it’s more efficient to do it while she is already under anesthesia for the nose job.”

Tony crosses his arms and gives Pepper another once over. She tries to keep her expression neutral when their eyes meet. Damn, he is pissed. Not that she is surprised. Still, it is so unsettling. The last time he studied her with this much scrutiny was the day they met. At least back then it was out of interest, not resentment. He used to care about what she had to say, hung onto every word.

“No” Tony answers. “Just put her back to how she looked before.”

“Okay” Carter begins removing his gloves. “I’ll go grab the hyaluronidase. I’ll be right back.” The surgeon gets up and walks out of the room.

Pepper hesitantly turns to Dr. Strange, “Is Peter okay?” She isn’t sure who is in involved with her son’s care. Banner is the only one who was at the hospital, and he hasn’t visited.

Strange’s lips squeeze into a thin line, he looks to Tony for direction. The billionaire answers in a sharp tone, “He’s fine.”

“The…the seizures.”

“I’ve got everything handled.”

“Please Tony, I just want to know…”

Tony lets out a large scoff, “Oh, I know that feeling.” He sends Strange a quick nod towards the door. The doctor takes the hint and exits the room, closing the door behind him.

The air is thick with friction. It is the first time Tony and Pepper have been alone since the hospital. The two of them sit in an intense silence. Pepper doesn’t dare be the first to speak. She decided last night to follow Tony’s lead on everything. The sooner he trusts her to do as he pleases, the sooner she gets to see her son.

Her husband’s scowl has remained steady. Pepper doesn’t know how much time has passed before he finally says, “You happy with yourself?”

Pepper’s insides grow cold. What is he getting at? “I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

“We went through that apartment Pep” He snarls. “Yours and Parker’s.”

Her heart skips a beat. They know about May. She knew they would eventually, but she was hoping her friend would have a bit more time to get out of the city. Pepper wonders if they have found her already. Luckily, she doesn’t have to wait long for an answer.

“Where is she?”

Pepper lets out a breath. May got away. For now, she is safe. “I don’t know Tony.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

Tony takes a step towards her. He narrows his eyes, anger dripping from his voice as he leans in, “If I find out you have any clue where she could be, you will never see our son again.”

“I…” her voice trembles. “I just gave her some money Tony. That is all I can tell you. She doesn’t have any family and doesn’t know anyone outside of New York.”

“How about Ben” Tony doesn’t hide his disgust at the name. “Any family of his she could hide with?”

“No” If they know about Ben, surely, they know everything else. Especially if they went through both apartments. “Richard was the last of it.”

“Richard” Tony growls, fury prevalent in his voice and demeanor. “How dare you, Pepper. How fucking dare, you.” Pepper holds back a response, there is nothing she can say right now that would diffuse this conversation. She knew the risks of what would happen if caught when making up the story with May and Ben all those years ago. Tony continues, “Was it fun? Accepting pity while playing some poor broken single mother recently widowed. Telling everyone that Peter’s father was some idiot construction worker. Did you enjoy it? Taking other’s charity when they didn’t know the life you brought onto the two of you. They didn’t know you left a life of privilege and luxury to live in squalor. Pretending you and Peter were one of them. When in reality, you two belonged so far above them all. How about how you held my son behind from his true potential for the sake of your demented fantasy. What the FUCK were you thinking?”

Pepper can feel herself shaking. “I…I was doing what was best for Peter.”

“WHAT WAS BEST FOR PETER!” Tony screams in her face. “POVERTY, A MEDIOCRE EDUCATION AND BACKDOOR HEALTHCARE. THAT IS WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR OUR SON!”

“He was three Tony” Pepper breaks into tears. “He was three and terrified and so innocent. After what you made him sit through during that interrogation…did you seriously not see how scared he was?”

“Please” Tony rolls his eyes and takes a step back in exasperation. “He was fine.”

“HE WAS TRAUMATIZED!”

“IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME!” Tony shouts back. “It was one time and he handled it so well Pepper. No shit he hated it. You don’t think I fucking know how challenging it was for him. That’s why I started him young, so he had time to grow used to it. He was great, he was brave, he had so much potential. Then you just gave up on him! Think about what our son could be today if you hadn’t gotten in the way.”

Pepper feels sick. Every word out of her husband’s mouth is so deranged. “I did Tony. I thought about it all the time…”

“Jesus Christ Pepper. Are you really this naïve? Or do you choose to be ignorant?”

“Tony!” Pepper pleads. “He was just a little boy, and he deserved a childhood.”

“He was having one. Kid had a million toys, vacations, tutors, how about two parents living under the same roof? You took him away from all of that, and for what? To live some mundane existence in a tiny apartment dressed in rags.” Tony leans in again. “How about that fake, ridiculous family you made up. I’m sure Benjamin Parker did so much for him. Or” Tony is only an inch from her face, his tone threatening, “was he doing you?”

Pepper’s breath hitches. Never in the past ten years did she once think of Ben that way. “He was just a friend Tony. He was married…May is my best friend…Ben and I never…”

Suddenly, Tony a hand wrapped around her neck. “What did I say about lying to me?” he growls barely above a whisper. “It’s been a decade. You expect me to believe there was no other man.”

Pepper gasps, fear surging through her. “None, Tony.” She sobs “There wasn’t anybody.” His grip tightens. “I swear Tony, I swear. You’re the only person I’ve been with. Please stop!” She never dated for this exact reason. The threat of Tony finding them was always in the back of Pepper’s mind. If Tony found out she was with someone else, Pepper knew it would be a terrible punishment for her and death for the man.

Tony releases her neck, allowing Pepper to suck in a gulp of air. Her eyes close as she continues to take in panicked gasps. The next thing she knows, two hands grab her waist and slide her to the edge of the table. Her body crashes into Tony’s, on instinct her head tucks into his neck. Before Pepper can process what is happening her hospital gown is yanked up and underwear pulled to the side.

He enters her swiftly, no preparation. Hard and unforgiving. Tony isn’t holding back. He ignores her pained pants and whimpers. He uses no restraint. His muscular arm snakes around Pepper’s back and pulls her closer when she tries to push away.

There is no kissing, no caressing, no words of desire. This fuck isn’t about passion or love. This is Tony laying claim, reminding Pepper that she belongs to him. Showing her that he owns her entirely. Her mind. Her body. All his. A twisted and vile claim that Pepper could never shake throughout her adulthood. Even after ten years away from her husband, she still dodges every flirt or sign of interest any other man sends her way. Just a few days ago, a customer gave her a suggestive grin that sent her internally panicking. As unrealistic as it would have been at the time. Pepper couldn’t stop herself from surveying the room, praying Tony didn’t see.

She tries to relax in Tony’s hold. This isn’t the first instance he’s been rough with her; it’s just been a long time. Pepper tries to control her breathing, taking in Tony’s familiar scent. Allowing her mind to wander back to better times, she imagines how they were during their first couple years of marriage. She buries her head further into the crook of his neck, fantasizing when she was felt happy being with Tony. As a sign of surrender, Pepper timidly wraps her arms around her husband’s back.

Tony chuckles in her ear, “That’s a good girl.”

Curled up on the couch in his new bedroom, Peter watches the press conference on the huge television. He listens to Tony go on his long explanation about Hydra’s ‘kidnapping’ of him and his mother. It seems like the press is buying the story, especially when the evidence he knows the Avengers faked, is presented. Pictures of planted microphones and cameras throughout their apartment are shown as well as some pictures of bruising on him and his mom. Yesterday, Antman had taken some pictures of Peter between seizures to photoshop. Tony uses those as a prompt to go into all the abuse Pepper supposedly told him about. He acts as if it is hard for him to recount, taking moments of pause for dramatic effect. Then, a video is presented. Peter doesn’t recognize the man being filmed, must be some prisoner or lackey of Tony’s. The impression of the video is that the man is being questioned by Steve about his connection Hydra and the kidnapping. The stranger confirms all of Tony’s claims…and then brings up May Parker.

The crowd eats up Tony’s words as he spins his tale about May and Ben. He spews lie after lie, accusing them of committing horrendous crimes on Peter and Pepper. There is murmuring in the audience when it is revealed that May Parker is still on the loose and’ very dangerous.’ It makes Peter sick. He debates turning the television off, but he knows this is too important. He wonders if his mom is also watching, feeling just as guilty and disgusted. After slandering both the Parkers, Peter’s ‘escape’ plan is brought up.

Tony first gives a small speech about Peter, his thirteen-year-old genius son who bravely and cleverly slipped out of Hydra’s grip, saving both him and his mother. The false explanation of Peter sneaking his way onto the Oscorp fieldtrip with the sole intention of revealing his identity to an employee intrigues the reporters. When Tony tells them about how the plan went sideways when Peter came into contact with a radioactive spider the company was testing on, there are gasps from the crowd. The father calms the reporters, assuring them that Peter is alright. "In fact" he says, "Peter is the only survivor of Oscorp’s spider soldier serum. We have only been able to study his unique mutation for a few hours, but so far, we have reason to believe that it is the strongest and most powerful there has been so far. That includes Steve Rogers." With that, the reporters break into a flurry of noise.

A break is announced before the reporters are allowed to ask questions. Peter can’t help but think this is strategic. Allow all the networks to speculate on everything just revealed, maybe forming wild claims of their own.

The network Peter is watching does. The two hosts excitedly discuss the spider bite before moving onto the kidnapping. They talk about how emotional and impactful it was for the country. How overjoyed they are on the Stark family reuniting after many had lost hope. They can only imagine what it was like for the mother and son to go through such a horrific ordeal for ten years.

If only they knew the truth.

Statements from the Leeds family and Joneses are read. It is the first time Peter is hearing either. Both are about a page long and similar in content. The families state they had no idea about Pepper or Peter’s relation to Tony, which is correct. They are shocked and outraged to discover Hydra’s involvement. If either family had known, they would have contacted the Avengers immediately upon discovery. Peter hopes that part isn’t true. The final sentence of each statement is nearly identical. Both the Leed and Jones families are elated and relived for Peter and his mom’s return. ‘They are back exactly where they belong.’ The news hosts gush over how both statements say that, agreeing with the sentiment.

Peter ponders how much actual input the Ned and MJ’s families had in the statements, if any.

Next the hosts discuss the Parkers. The teen nearly does turn off the television after only a couple minutes of listening. The revulsion and anger the hosts speak with…about two of the best people Peter has ever met. His chest begins to feel restricted. For the thousandth time today, Peter thinks about the unfairness of the world. Why does evil always seem to prevail over good?

Tony returns to the podium. The reporters are chomping at the bit to be picked for a question. Most are simple, asking for more details about the kidnapping and alleged abuse. The billionaire answers all easily, adding in intricate details that make his lie seem more believable. Then there are a few that make Peter’s blood boil.

“Mr. Stark, do you believe the Parker’s will ever be brought to justice?”

“It is unfortunate that Benjamin Parker will never have to answer for his crimes. But just as I never lost hope in finding my wife and child, I refuse to lose hope in locating May Parker.”

A pang of shame runs through Peter. How is May going to survive this?

“Mr. Stark, I noticed you refer to your wife as Virginia or Pepper, but still call your son by the name Hydra gave him. Why is that?”

“My son has been manipulated and controlled for ten years. The majority of his life he has been called Peter and he feels uncomfortable going by another name. After everything he has been through, don’t you think he deserves to decide his own identity?”

Peter lets out an amused snort at that unlike the reporters who seem enamored with Tony’s affectionate response. They don’t realize that the irony in the statement.

“Mr. Stark, do you still plan on Peter being the heir to Stark Industries?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course, Peter will inherit my company. If anything, the bravery he showed yesterday at the age of thirteen, proves he is worthy of it.”

It doesn’t matter that Peter doesn’t want Tony’s company.

“Mr. Stark, how was the reunion with your wife and son after ten years.”

“Obviously, it was extremely emotional. With the added stress of Peter going through the mutation, Virgina was distraught. Luckily, I was able to calm her down enough for her to explain the events over the past decade. Peter has had a difficult twenty-four hours but has handed it like a champ. He’s a Stark. He was strong throughout the mutation and is currently settling into his new bedroom at home. I know he was planning on watching today’s conference. Son, there are no words that can adequately express how proud I am of you.”

Peter rolls his eyes at the awes the reports make. Whatever you say, Tony.

“Mr. Stark, there are still rumors going around that your wife fled your home with your son to escape abuse, instead of being kidnapped. What do you make of these claims?”

Tony pretends to be shocked. “I think the people who make those allegations should be disgusted with themselves. I have done nothing but shower my family with love and provide them with a happy and healthy home. The people who make those claims didn’t have to watch their child have seizure after seizure in a hospital bed. I hope they never have to hold their spouse while she cries into their shoulder for hours, recounting all the torture she and their child have experienced. They didn’t have to see the horrendous living conditions my family was forced to live in when they deserve the absolute best. The people who make those speculations are trying to invalidate the pain and suffering Peter and Pepper have gone through for ten years. Shame on them.”

‘What a load of crap’ Peter thinks to himself. Tony didn’t watch Peter go through all the seizures and there is no chance Pepper spent hours seeking Tony’s comfort. Ten years of pain and suffering? Yeah right. The only smidge of truth is the living conditions, and even that is only partially true. For a few months after their escape, Peter and his mom lived out of a car. Once Pepper met May, the Parkers opened their home to them, which is when Pepper was able to start building them a life.

“It has been a long day” Tony tells the crowd. “I knew this would be a long conference, but I didn’t expect it to go two and a half hours. As I promised my son, I would be home for dinner, we will have to conclude for the day.”

“Mr. Stark!” a voice calls out from the crowd. “Jennifer Rose, New York Times. I just wanted to express on behalf of the Times and our readers, how overjoyed we are for your wife and son’s return.”

Tony gives her a small smile, “Thank you,” then heads offstage.

Peter runs a hand through his hair and lets out a large sigh. The two hosts from before pop back onscreen. He turns the TV off, not wanting to listen to them gush over Tony’s lies again. That went about how Peter had expected it to go. His father has really nailed down his theatrics over the years.

JARVIS’s voice breaks Peter out of his thoughts. “Young Sir, your father is wondering what you would like for dinner. He can pick something up on the way home.”

“I don’t care JARVIS” Peter sighs. “Whatever he wants.” Just like everything else in Peter’s life.

After a moment JARVIS returns, “He asked what your preferred Chinese order is.”

“Um…Fried Rice and I’m good with any chicken.”

“Your father is asking what else you would like.”

Peter frowns at the ceiling, “That…that’s it.”

Another quiet moment passes before Tony’s voice sounds through the room. Peter jumps at the surprise. “Kid, that is not enough food. What else do you want?”

“I…that’s what I usually split with mom.” He and Pepper always stuck to only two to four dishes.

“You are enhanced now. Your appetite will be double what it was before. What else would you like?”

“Potstickers?”

“And?”

“I don’t know” Peter bites his lip. “I’ve never had Beef and Broccoli, is that any good?”

Tony sighs on the other end of the line. “I’ll get a spread and you can try stuff out. How does that sound?”

“Are…are you sure?” Peter knows how expensive a bill at restaurants can wrack up.

“Yes, I’m sure. I need to go over a few things with team, then I’ll head home. I’ll see you in about an hour.”

“Okay” Peter says before hesitantly adding “Thanks.”

There is no response, just the click of the call ending. Peter only now realizes that he is picking at his fingers, a habit he thought he had stopped years ago. It’s made a resurgence over the past day.

An hour. He has an hour before Tony gets back to the tower. Peter’s anxiety picks up a bit at the thought. He knows Tony is going to ask about Ned and MJ, and Peter isn’t ready to face the smug reaction of his father saying, ‘I told you so.’ The pain of those calls is still too fresh. MJ’s yelling is still ringing in Peter’s ears as well as Ned’s shaky apology.

He knows one thing that could distract him for a while.

The boxes are sitting in the middle of his walk-in closet. There is only a few, did they really have that little stuff? Before opening the boxes, Peter takes a minute to observe the rest of the closet. None of the clothes look familiar. Just like he is wearing now, all of them look expensive yet simple in design. Tony had told Peter earlier he could order whatever he wanted online, they probably just wanted to give him a baseline for now.

Peter bites his lip and begins going through the first box. It consists of items from the living room in Queens. Most of it is small décor his mom had bought over the years. None of it would really fit in with the tower. He wonders if Pepper will have a chance to go through these, Tony is really mad at her. Just to be safe, Peter grabs a few items he knows his mom would like. A vase May gave her, a few books, a seashell she got in Florida on their first vacation after the escape. Next Peter picks up a clay sculpture. A dilapidated little structure that spells ‘MOM’ painted different colors. He had made it in first grade art class. No matter how many times he told Pepper he was embarrassed by the wonky craft, his mom proudly displayed it on her bookshelf. He puts that with the keep pile.

He goes through the other boxes with the same care. Occasionally, he finds something for himself, but most of the stuff is for his mom. The Avengers didn’t grab any pictures, blankets or pillows, which is what Peter had been hoping for. Something of comfort and familiarity that he would be able to hold onto.

Once he is finished, Peter empties one of the boxes into the others so he can use it to load up his mother’s belongings. He stashes that away into the corner of the closet inside one of the cabinets. The other boxes he begins bringing to the hallway as Tony instructed.

When he is carrying the last two out of his bedroom, the tingle in his neck flares up. Sure enough, Tony appears walking up the stairs less than a minute later. “All done?” his father asks. Peter only nods in response. “C’mon, food’s downstairs.”

The dinner table is cluttered with about thirty take-out containers. Peter knew Tony was going to buy some options, but this is overboard. “Is your team joining us?” Peter asks.

Tony frowns in confusion. “No. Why? Did you want them to?”

“No” Peter says, probably a bit too quickly. The last thing he wants right now is to be stuck having a meal with the Avengers, especially Barton and Romanoff. He still wonders what exactly the two spies said to his friends that scared them so badly. “You ordered all this for just us?”

“I sent some downstairs for Pepper, but otherwise yes. It’s always nice to have leftovers. Anything you don’t like; I’m sure Barnes and Wilson will be happy to take off our hands. What do you want to drink?”

Pepper. Peter barely registered anything Tony said after bringing up his mom. He bought her some takeout? Well…of course Tony isn’t going to let his wife starve. But Peter thought she’d be making her own meals since she has a private kitchen. He never expected Tony to go out of his way to get her something special. Especially not this soon. “You…you got mom some?”

“Yeah, why are you so surprised?”

All Peter can do is stare. He doesn’t know how to formulate an appropriate response. A slight pain in his lip cues to Peter that he unconsciously bit it. Tony sighs and heads into the kitchen. Peter again surveys the containers on the table. It appears that Tony really did try to get an array of food. There are three to four boxes of each of the meat, noodle, rice and vegetable options as well as a couple containers of soup. There are also a few appetizers Peter recognizes. One container is quite larger than the others, the word ‘Potstickers’ is written on the top. After a minute, Tony returns with two glasses of milk. He sets them down at two spots on the table that already have plates and silverware.

“Sit” he instructs. Peter does, taking a seat across from his father. He follows Tony’s lead and begins piling different dishes onto his plate. After each of them have a sizeable amount, they dig in. They eat in silence. The chicken lo mein Peter chose as well as some sweet and sour pork, two dishes Peter has never tried before, disappear very quickly. Peter is debating whether to refill with those or try some other dishes when Tony speaks up again. “I don’t want you two to be miserable here.”

This catches Peter off guard. He glances up and sees Tony is watching him. “I know” Peter says quietly, a sense of guilt begins to fester in his chest. He knows his father’s intentions aren’t bad in Tony’s mind. It’s just all he knows.

“I meant it when I said I am not trying to ruin your life. I do want you and your mother to be happy living here.” Peter continues to stare. After a moment of not getting a reaction, Tony moves on “How did it go with Edward and Michelle?”

There it is. Even though Peter has been preparing himself for the question, it still hits him like a rock. He bites his lip and stares down at his plate, demanding his eyes not to water. Not in front of Tony. “You were right” is all he says. Under no impression does Peter believe Tony doesn’t already know how those calls went. Happy probably gave a detailed account if Tony didn’t listen to the calls himself. Peter grabs a container of pad thai, another new dish. He begins unloading it onto his plate, waiting for his father’s smug remark.

“Some of the Avengers have protégés around your age. Once you’re fully settled in, I’ll introduce you to them.”

What?

Peter chews his food slowly, waiting for Tony to rub some salt in the fresh wound. But it doesn’t come. His father simply returns his attention to reloading some noodles onto his plate. After a few seconds of silence, he sends Peter a look indicating he is waiting for a response.

The tension Peter didn’t realize he was carrying in his shoulders releases. Tony’s not going to comment on the calls.

Proteges. Not kids. Peter knows Barton has at least one child, a daughter a year or two older than him. He vaguely remembers the mention of a pregnancy, so there may be a second kid. Scott Lang too, has a daughter, Peter’s not sure how old since the first time he met the man was yesterday. Natasha was sterilized by Hydra when she was young, and Banner chose never to have kids in fear of passing down the hulk genes. Rhodes, Strange and Rogers are bachelors still. So, he guesses it would make sense for them to go the protégé route if they were interested. Peter has no clue about Scarlett Witch, the Winter Soldier or Falcon. They all came around during his disappearance. Vision is a robot and who knows what Thor is up to on Asgard.

“Who’s proteges?”

“Clint has chosen to keep his children away, going more of the spy route since that is their mother’s specialty. He recruited a girl, Kate Bishop, last year. She helped him bring down a gang her mother was a part of. He’s training her to pick up the Hawkeye mantle. Then there’s Harley. Scott is his stepfather, but he's been mainly studying under Rhodes for the past five years. Cassie, Scott’s daughter also stops by on occasion. You’ll be the youngest of the group, but I know they are excited to meet you.”

Does Peter want to meet them? It would be nice to be around people his own age, but what would they be like? Will they be as dark and immoral as the people training them? Would Peter be able to have a normal conversation with any of them. They didn’t grow up like him. Even Kate, who sounds like the newest, still was raised in a gang.

None of them could replace Ned or MJ.

“They will be your future team Pete” Tony says, a hint of warning in his tone. “With the exception of Cassie, Scott is trying to set her up with Clint’s son. Although, if you take a liking to her, I’m sure he’d make a switch.” Peter pauses midbite at that statement. He’s thirteen, he’s not thinking about marriage. After MJ’s reaction…he’s not ready to even think about another girl. “It’ll be important that you develop bonds now, so they will have your back when you inherit the company.”

When he takes over SI. A part of Peter imagines burning it to the ground. It will be years, decades until Tony retires. By then who knows how powerful the machine of a company will be. A slight moment of panic is spurred at the thought of Peter taking over SI. Running half the country, if not more by the time it’s his turn, is a daunting task. The millions of people who will rely on him to lead…a pit of anxiety forms in his stomach. Maybe he should try to befriend the other proteges. It could only make it easier for him when the time comes.

“Are you happy with how the press conference went?” Peter asks, wanting to change the subject to anything else.

“The immediate response has been good” Tony answers. “Rhodey is supposed to text me if something goes amiss, so far nothing.”

“How about the stuff you had this morning before the conference?”

“Eh” Tony doesn’t look pleased as he takes a bite of an eggroll. “Not as well as I hoped. Your mother’s surgeon wants to wait a couple weeks before fixing her nose.”

“Surgeon?” Peter blinks in shock. “She’s having surgery?”

“I’m not leaving her face looking like that.”

“When…can I be there…” he stops his question when Tony shoots him a pointed look. Retreating his gaze away, Peter puts a piece of meat he grabbed earlier into his mouth. At the undesirable taste, Peter can’t help but scrunch up his face.

He hears a snot of amusement from across the table. “What dish was that?”

Grabbing the container Peter had opened earlier, he reads “Moo shu pork.”

“JARVIS make note to leave that off the next order.”

“Will do, Sir.”

“Anything you like so far?” Tony asks, his mood lighter than a moment ago.

“Um, besides that, everything has been good. I’ve never had pad thai before, it’s my favorite so far.”

“JARVIS.”

“I am already compiling a list of the dishes young sir seems to enjoy.”

“That a boy” Tony says to the AI before addressing Peter again. “I was addicted to pad thai in college. Had it once a week at least. Pepper took a liking to it when she was my assistant. She learned to make it homemade when we were engaged. I’m surprised you haven’t had it before.”

Peter bites his lip, looking the dish over. “It looks like a lot of ingredients.”

Tony’s fork pauses for a moment. A slightly pained look flashes across his face before disappearing. “She never ordered it?”

“Um…” Peter feels uncomfortable. “We didn’t order out much. It was…expensive.”

His comment receives a nostril flare from Tony. His father takes a sip of milk, clearly thinking something over. “Well, that’s not an issue anymore. Glad I sent an order of it downstairs since she hasn’t had it in so long.”

“What…what else did you get her?”

“You said you two usually ordered rice and chicken, so I got her vegetable fried rice and sesame chicken.”

Peter bites his lip again. The conversation during the meal has been surprisingly better than he thought it would be. Tony seems to be at least trying to reach out. He could try too. “She uh…she actually prefers Kung Pao or lemon chicken.” Tony glances up from his plate, clearly interested. “I mean…she likes sesame, but it’s not her favorite. And…she likes shrimp fried rice the most. She never ordered it because I don’t care for shrimp. But I figured…for next time…”

“JARVIS” Tony calls out.

“I have already made a note Sir.”

Tony gives Peter a small smirk. “I’ve always hated shrimp too.”

“The texture?”

“Disgusting. If you like the taste, you should try scallops. Much better.”

“We…we would also order cream cheese wantons for special occasions.”

JARVIS speaks up before Tony can, “I will add to the next order.”

“Eat up so we can get to the lab” Tony grins at him. “I want to see what you got.”

Peter returns his father’s smile, the tingle in his neck is barely noticeable. The two of them continue their meal in a comfortable ease, just commenting on the food. For the first time since Tony mentioned it yesterday, Peter is truly looking forward to the lab.

The relaxed atmosphere comes to a screeching halt with one sentence from JARVIS.”

“Sir, Mr. Bruce Wayne is calling.”

Chapter Text

Without meaning to, Tony snaps his fork in half. Across the table, Peter’s eyes widen in shock before his expression becomes nervous. Tossing the broken cutlery to the side, Tony tells his AI “I’ll take it in my office.”

Peter picks at some chicken on his plate. His eyes go back and forth between the food and Tony. “He’s calling about me, isn’t he” the boy asks quietly.

“One can only presume. I’ll be right back” he answers, getting up from his seat. Tony begins his trek to his office.

What the fuck does Wayne want? Sure, Bruce had feigned sympathy a decade ago when Pepper and Howie disappeared. It was during the time he and Tony put aside their feud in order to defeat the Chitauri and overthrow the government. Their truce has held a ceasefire ever since as they both have to begrudgingly work together for public image.

They never fight for territory. Something both men agree on is that they can’t overstep their reach too soon. Together they basically made a new country. Going through a war against each other after only a few years would cause them both to lose the trust and respect of its citizens. To the public, the Wayne and Stark families have a pleasant friendship.

It isn’t a complete façade. Tony and Bruce have at many points in their youth, considered each other a friend. Their fathers respected each other when alive and enjoyed the company of someone they considered an equal. Frequently the two groups would get together for parties and events. Bruce and Tony formed a mutual friendship to help each other endure the boring affairs.

Then Thomas and Martha Wayne died. Bruce was only ten and witnessed the murders. A measly mugger brought down the King of Gotham and his wife in some dirty alley behind a movie theater. It was a tragedy in the media and an embarrassment in the crime world. Lucius Fox took over running Wayne Enterprises and Alfred Pennyworth took custody of Bruce. The former English spy was determined to make Bruce into the crime lord that would restore the family’s reputation.

As kids do, Tony and Bruce lost touch. Howard, Tony’s father, saw an opportunity to try to take some of Wayne’s territory. Unfortunately for him, Thomas had left the company in excellent condition. Lucius barely had to lift a finger before the forces of Gotham chased the Starks out. The small battle did sour the relationship between the two groups for the years to follow.

At the age of sixteen, Bruce Wayne announced he would be attending Harvard University for his undergraduate. The same year, fourteen-year-old Tony announced his acceptance into MIT. Two schools a half hour walk from each other. Howard had spent weeks threatening Tony to not step foot on Harvard’s campus and to never communicate with anyone associated with the Waynes unless absolutely necessary. Tony for once, had listened and followed directions. He spent four years trying to stay away from Bruce.

That doesn’t mean Wayne left him alone. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Bruce would constantly pick the same bars and parties Tony chose to attend. At first, Tony just tried to ignore his former acquaintance, but Wayne knew exactly how to push his buttons. Bruce could charm any girl Tony talked to, make all of Tony’s friends laugh within seconds of meeting, and effortlessly captivated any high-powered individual at galas.

Knowing the consequences he’d face from his father, Tony rarely engaged. Luckily, he had Rhodey there to hold him back when the urge to punch Wayne in the face crossed his drunk mind. That doesn’t mean Tony sat by and let Bruce’s slights go unpunished. He had his own games he knew to play. As much as Bruce tried, the media was never as intrigued by him as they were Tony. A major reason was Tony had his impressive inventions to dazzle in front of cameras. The world watched in awe as Tony pumped out designs that were unimaginable to the normal person. Bruce was brilliant, but there isn’t as much to brag about with a business degree. Between the two, Tony was definitely the media darling.

Both boys competed against each other for four years. Each receiving multiple degrees with honors as well as plenty of awards. Looking back now, the clash was truly childish, especially considering what each of their futures had in store. But at the time, it seemed as if the two young men couldn’t help but pick at each other. Tony wanted to pull his hair out when hearing both he and Wayne were continuing their master’s degrees as the same schools.

Right before the last semester of their graduate programs, something happened that brought Tony and Bruce back together. Tony was at his parent’s home for Christmas when he received news of Howard and Maria’s deaths. A car accident, at least that’s what everyone thought at the time.

Obadiah Stane was the one to break the news to Tony. He sat the newly twenty-year-old down and assured him that Stark Industries would be taken care of until Tony was ready to lead. Having been Howard’s right-hand man for over a two decade, Tony had trusted that Stane could handle everything until he was finished with school. Once he was done at MIT, everything would be transitioned back to Tony. Rhodey was the next person to visit. Having been taught from young ages not to show weakness, the two of them chose to sit in silence while watching the ocean from the mansion’s roof.

Around nine pm that night, the doorbell at the gate rang. JARVIS was still a fun project Tony was working on in his free time, but the mansion did have a video security system.  Leaning against his car outside the gate, was Bruce Wayne, staring up at the camera all other visitors could never spot.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ Tony asked over speaker.

Bruce rolled his eyes, ‘Look, you can either wallow in the shame of your father’s defeat from almost fifteen years ago, or you can let me in, and we can squash this stupid beef that neither of us started. I’m sure you’ve made the realization that much sooner than you were expecting, you’re about to take up you father’s mantle. And trust me when I say that it is much bigger than you think it is. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one of his biggest enemies be an ally instead?’

Tony and Rhodey shared skeptical looks. After almost six years of hating the man’s guts, Tony did have to admit that Wayne had a point. The two got along naturally before the battle over Gotham. Howard’s humiliation is what drove the wedge between them.

‘My father died less than twenty-four hours ago’ Tony growled. ‘You really expect me to disrespect his memory by fraternizing with you?’

‘Well frankly you are already talking with me’ Wayne shrugged. ‘I’m not here to disrespect or insult your family, Tony. Why,’ he held up a familiar looking bottle with brown liquid, ‘Macallan, Howard’s favorite if I remember correctly. My father was holding onto this for their next poker night, before he died. Figured we could crack it open in honor of the both of them.’

Bruce was right about the scotch. Howard always had a bottle of it around for special occasions. Tony had looked for one around the mansion earlier in the day, only to find an almost empty bottle in his father’s office.

‘I more than anybody know what you’re going through right now Tony’ Bruce added. ‘We’re both about to inherit two of the country's largest gangs before we are in our mid-twenties. Maybe I just want to talk with someone who understands what that’s like.’

After deliberating it in his head, and much to Rhodey’s displeasure, Tony let Bruce in. They drank, smoked and ordered every unhealthy food service that was still open that time of night. The two reminisced about the past and complained about the future. While both were grateful and eager to pick up the reins of their groups, it would be a lie to say they weren’t disappointed to have to do it so soon in life. Both of their fathers had been in their forties when they took over. They had years to not only prove themselves within the groups, but also were able to gain understanding and enough experience that they had complete confidence going in. Both Tony and Bruce were going to have to rely on natural instinct and intelligence. Rhodey had stayed sober to keep an eye on Wayne. But Bruce didn’t try to pull anything or show any malice. He and Tony drank themselves to sleep, then in the morning Wayne left with only a cup of coffee, a bagel and a couple of Tylenol.

When they returned to school in the spring, everyone was shocked by the change in the former rival’s relationship. It was the most enjoyable semester either of them had. While Tony already knew he was going to get his PhD, Bruce was finished after graduation in May. Without the need to compete against Tony, the Wayne heir decided he was going to live up his last few months before the responsibility of his name kicked in. Tony was right beside him the entire way. Rhodey also joined in, it being his last semester before he joined the military. The three along with anyone able to keep up, tore through the town every weekend and sometimes weekdays. Nights of freedom and mischief created memories that still cannot be tainted by the ill feelings of the present.

Lucius Fox, who was already preparing Wayne Enterprises for the transition back to its namesake, was pleased with the return of the groups former ally. On the flip side, Obadiah Stane was furious. He spent hours on the phone with Tony, chewing him out about the bad blood between the two groups. Tony blew him off, a decision Tony to this day doesn’t know if it was right. Looking back now, maybe that is the moment his godfather began seeing Tony in a different, more negative light.

Graduation eventually came. Bruce moved back to Gotham and at age twenty-two, quickly adjusted into his new role as CEO and head of Wayne enterprises. He and Tony stayed friendly throughout the three years Tony received his PhD. Once Tony graduated and returned to the world of crime, the feud came back. This time though, both were older, wiser and knew each other’s tricks of the trade. Tony had matured into the charming playboy he became famous for and Bruce was finally able to maintain a strong grip on the public’s attention.

It started off slow. Bruce would get one of his people elected to the Senate, Tony would get two of his in. The Starks would take over a small territory, Wayne would get a bigger one. SI got contracts with the military, WE worked with the CIA/FBI. They were always neck and neck, racing to see who could top the other. All the while, they maintained a strained, pleasant facing relationship. Tension in the crime world increased, putting pressure on other families to pick a side. Stark or Wayne.

Everything came to a blow after Tony came back from Afghanistan. Tired, paranoid and so fucking angry the genius returned from the hole. He was done with pretending to like Bruce and refused to put up with his bullshit anymore. Ironman was a necessity to figure out Obadiah's traitorous plot. He thought it would be enough to knock Wayne down a few pegs too, but Tony was wrong.

Batman. A hero of Gotham that arrived on the scene a few years before Tony disappeared into the Afghan desert. The mysterious figure started off taking care of small, petty crime before moving onto bigger projects. While the Waynes ruled Gotham, that didn’t stop smaller groups from trying to start their own practices. The Bat was a master of tracking those groups down, rounding up all the members then allowing Gotham PD escort them to jail and out of WE’s way. The people of Gotham were quick to praise the shadow that kept the average citizen safe, and the world’s interest was grabbed by the enigma.

Interest switched after Tony’s famous ‘I am Ironman’ speech. The glory of which was short lived once Bruce Wayne announced his alter ego, the Batman who had already earned the public’s affection. It set Tony off. He got to work on improving his armor with the thought of pummeling Wayne with it on his mind. Then his father’s greatest achievement thawed himself back to life.

Upon gaining consciousness, Steve Rogers walked right out of the SHIELD’s headquarters and went back to the group who made him. His loyalties were with Howard which he happily transitioned to Tony. The captain explained SHIELD’s plan to create a team of enhanced individuals to fight against the growing threat of Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises. An idea Tony latched onto for himself.

Just like always, Wayne was never a step behind. Clark Kent, Bruce’s best friend, revealed himself as Superman after Steve’s return. Bruce Banner stepped up to try to become a new type of super soldier, after a few rounds of training he was eventually able to control the green monster that overtook his body when angry. After the Hulk made his debut, Wayne brought out Wonder Woman. The trios lead the world in a scientific and galactic exploration. SI and WE were leaders in revolutionizing biology and expanding the knowledge of the universe we all live in. The world cheered the two groups on, waiting for the next miracle.

Over the next eight years, both groups built up their teams. Bruce was the leader of the original seven Justice League members and Tony had his other five Avengers. Once again, Tony and Bruce had to put their differences aside to defeat the Chitauri. By no means are they friends again, but they have since been able to coexist and work together in a competitive peace.

None of that means the thought of that man doesn’t make Tony’s blood boil. They never talk, only when one needs something out of the other or wants a chance to gloat.

“Hello Bruce,” Tony picks up his office phone with a polite tone that doesn’t hide his disdain. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Tony” Wayne greets back with the same fake respect. “I was just beside myself after hearing the big news. That was quite the press conference you put on today.”

“Well, it’s been quite a couple days I’ve just had.”

“It is just unbelievable what your wife and son went through. How are they by the way? Pepper didn’t look so good from what I saw.”

Holding back a sneer, SI hasn’t released any pictures of Pepper’s current appearance, Tony replies “Pepper is fine. Both she and Peter are having dinner which I am eager to get back to. Is there anything in particular you were calling about that needs my immediate attention?”

“Just my congrats. I hope I’ll meet your boy sometime soon. He’s thirteen, right? Yeah, because he disappeared when he was three and we just had the tenth anniversary of the Chitauri attack a couple months ago. Too bad you were too grief stricken to attend. Your team had fun.”

Asshole.

Wayne continues, “My son Jason is the same age as Peter. Well, he just turned fourteen a month ago, but still. We should introduce them. I like the name change by the way, so much better than Howard. No offense of course. It’s just my opinion.”

“Glad you like it” Tony grinds through his teeth.

“Peter…that does ring a bell…where have I heard it…” Bruce taunts. Tony can feel the grip on his phone tighten. “Peter…Peter…Peter P…Peter Po…that’s right. Pepper had a brother.”

Oh, how much Tony would like to strangle this man. “It was quite the coincidence. Hydra had no idea.”

“I’m sure they didn’t. Man, Peter Potts. I’m pretty sure Arthur only got a few hits in before the guy crumbled into a sobbing mess. But hey, at least your son got to keep a family name. Is he anything like his poor dear dead uncle?”

A plastic bag, that’s what Tony would use. Then he could see the light go out in Wayne’s eyes. “Never met the man. Oh, I heard your oldest Richard was pulled over recently. Almost got a ticket for DUI if I my source is correct. How old is he? Seventeen?”

“Oh, you know teenagers” Bruce states, his tone not as smug as before. “Compared to what we were up to at his age, he’s handling himself fine.”

“I can’t recall ever being pulled over at that age. Although it’s a lot easier get a ride while drunk in college rather than high school. Is he a junior or is he graduating Gotham Academy this year?”

“Top of the junior class.”

“So, he’s on track.”

“Richard doesn’t see the need to rush his education. It comes effortlessly to him but why skip the fun years of his life?”

“Not everyone needs to achieve greatness at a young age.”

Bruce lets out a tiny huff before stating “Peter’s on track too from what I hear. He wasn’t capable of more? You used to brag all the time about how smart he was as a tyke, something change?”

“Hydra didn’t want any attention on the two” Tony lies…partially. “His test scores show him years ahead of his classmates. Now that he’s home, I’ll get him to the level he belongs at.”

“Well, if he takes after you, that means he’ll be off to MIT in only a year. He’s really ready for that?”

“I don’t see why you are so concerned Bruce” Tony quips.

“Why would I not be interested in one of my oldest pal’s kid? Especially one that has such a…future ahead.”

Pal. The word Wayne taunted Tony with throughout undergrad. “My son has been through a lot, Bruce. Like you said with Richard, no need to rush anything. Peter will bounce back soon enough, and I’ll be here to make sure he gets to where he needs to be. Unlike you, I only have one kid to worry about instead of six. I heard through the grapevine that that eldest daughter of yours is quite the handful.”

Bruce is still an expert at keeping his voice level. But after years of dealing with him, Tony can hear the irritation under the surface, “She does take after her mother and you know…well, I guess you don’t know eleven-year-olds. Helena’s just going through her pre-teen phase of dramatics.”

“Takes after her mother, huh. Didn’t it take you years of chasing after Selena on rooftops before you got her to settle down? From what I heard; she was still causing you problems for the first few years after the wedding.”

“You really want to swap rumors about our wives Stark? That was quite the impassioned speech you gave that one reporter today. I’m sure it was so difficult to hold Pepper as she sobbed for hours” Wayne ends with sarcasm dripping in his voice.

“It was” Tony shoots back. “In fact, I think I’ll go now to check on her. Also, Peter’s been itching to get his hands on some of my tech. Just like when he was younger, always eager to learn. He’s brilliant, just like his old man.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is exactly like you” The smirk returns in Bruce’s voice. “You had already killed someone at thirteen. What is Peter’s body count?”

“None of your business. Good night, Bruce.”

“We should talk again soon Tony. I was serious when I said we should get the kids together. I’m sure Peter needs some friends.” Bruce laughs out, “I’ll keep an eye out for May Parker by the way. Can’t have dangerous Hydra agents running around, can we?”

“No, no we can’t. Keep your boys safe.” Tony hangs up. He resists the urge to chuck the phone across the room, Wayne doesn’t deserve to bring out that reaction from him. God, how he ever used to enjoy Bruce’s company. Howard would beat the shit out of Tony right now for letting Wayne get under his skin like this.

After giving himself a moment to cool off, Tony makes his way back downstairs to the dining room only to find it empty of any occupants and half the table cleared of take-out boxes. He hears a bit of noise coming from the kitchen and follows it.

Peter is shuffling items in the fridge around, trying to make room for the leftover Chinese. He must have heard Tony enter as he whips around to greet his father. “Hey” the boy says, his voice quiet. “How did it go?”

“As usual, I’d like to take a sledgehammer to the man’s head” Tony remarks, earning a shocked blink from his son. ‘What is Peter’s body count?’ Wayne had asked. Tony doubts he’d need a second hand to count the number of flies his kid has killed. “What are you doing?” he gestures to the take-out.

“Um…you were taking a while and I figured I would get a head start on cleaning up. I left some boxes on the table in case you were still hungry.”

“I have people to take care of cleaning up Pete. That’s not your concern.”

“It’s not a big deal” Peter tells him. “It was my chore back in Queens. Mom would cook and I would clean.”

Dammit Pepper. “Well, you’re not with your mother anymore!” Tony snaps. His son has bigger, more important responsibilities than having to worry about than soaking a dish in water.

Looking away, Peter bites his lip for the billionth time today and gently closes the fridge. “I know” the kid says softly.

“Look” Tony sighs. He’s frustrated at Bruce, not the boy. Peter was just trying to be helpful. “I didn’t mean it that way. You don’t have to worry about stupid things like dishes from now on. I have an entire staff for mundane problems like that. Now, you get enough to eat?”

Peter nods, “I don’t think I’ve ever ate so much in my life.”

This earns a chuckle from Tony, “Get used to it.” He grabs one of the containers still on the countertop that reads ‘Beef Fried Rice’ and a clean fork from the drawer. “Let’s head down to the lab, I’ll show you the nanotech I’ve been working on.”

“Nanotech? Like what they use for medicine?”

“No” Tony smiles. “More like little bots called Nanites.”

Peter’s eyes widen, this time with excitement, “The physics teacher at school said those would be impossible in our lifetime.”

“Your physics teacher isn’t a Stark” Tony wraps an arm around his son, ignoring the initial flinch Peter has at his touch. He begins guiding the boy towards the elevator, “When it comes to engineering, we never say impossible.”

He shouldn’t have stayed up so late in the lab. Or at least he should have asked Tony to reschedule today’s physical. Peter was about ready to collapse upon entering the gym. Tony had hoped a cup of coffee would have given him some pep, but the boy took one sip before making a face and putting the mug down.

“Is he even trying?” Natasha asks through gritted teeth to Tony. They are on the other side of the gym, a good distance away. She has been waiting for Peter to finish up his strength test with Steve for over an hour. It hasn’t been going well.

Peter tries to pretend he doesn’t hear their conversation. Steve is setting up the next test for him, obviously in no hurry. The super soldier is getting just as frustrated as his cohort. It’s not that Peter isn’t trying, it’s just that this is all new and he is exhausted and nervous. Asking him to pick up a thousand pounds when three days ago he struggled to get thirty push-ups in gym class is a lot to ask. It doesn’t help that his neck starts buzzing each time an Avenger gets close. He finally has been able to settle the tingle around Tony and is close to overcoming it around Steve. But with the memory of how MJ reacted yesterday after talking with Black Widow, there is no stopping Peter’s neck from going haywire every time that woman approaches.

“We were up until four last night, he’s tired” Tony tells Natasha.

“Why would you do that? You knew we were doing this today?”

“Lost track of time.”

“Tony” Natasha says pointedly. “If you insist on keeping Peter and Pepper apart, you are going to have to be the responsible parent.”

“Watch your tone Romanoff.”

After a moment of silence, Natasha asks, “Did you two at least have fun?”

Another pause, Peter can feel his father’s eyes watching him. He tries his hardest to act normal, not give off the impression he is listening. Luckily, he is facing the other direction pretending to drink some water and watch Steve.

“He’s not where he should be, but farther than I expected all things considered” Tony explains. “Kid has read every science textbook, article and paper he could get his hands on. More than basic knowledge is there, he just hasn’t had a chance to apply it. Damn…Natasha you should have seen him last night. I thought he was a sponge when he was three. Now, when he can understand complex theories and I can trust him with more than a screwdriver…it was remarkable.”

A smile Peter can’t stop, forms on his lips. The lab was better than he ever remembered as a kid. When he was small, Tony always had to come up with simplistic designs for him to practice or he could observe from the sidelines as his father worked. Last night Tony let Peter go hands on with the projects he was working on. It became clear pretty quickly that Peter was nowhere near ready to comprehend the complexity of the nanites. Instead of being disappointed, Tony simply moved onto some of his other inventions made for SI. They went over the designs for unreleased tablets and phones along with the new code that comes along with them. Programing was the one thing Peter wasn't restricted on back in Queens. After he made his computer, he would spend hours at a time learning new algorithms and different coding languages. At one point last night, he pointed out a flaw in one of the scripts for a phone which received him a clap on the back and a proud grin from Tony. The best part of the night was when Tony brought out the newest arc reactor. Peter fiddled around with the device as his father explained how he made the first mini one while imprisoned in Afghanistan. Overall, Peter learned more in eight hours than he had the past two months in school.

It was amazing.

“Well at least that’s one thing you won’t have to worry about” Natasha says. “I heard Wayne called last night.”

“That asshole” Tony growls. “I swear if I ever get the chance to clock him upside the head…”

“You will do nothing. Don’t let him get to you Tony. He only knows rumors, nothing more.”

“Yeah, well we know a lot of truth about him that started as rumors.”

Natasha lets out a tsk, “We always knew the other groups figured out what really happened to Pepper and Howard the day of the Chitauri attack. While they hold it over you now as a joke, they will also never admit that it is damn impressive how long Pepper was able to keep hidden. Not only were we looking for the two, so was Wayne and everyone you’ve rubbed the wrong way. She wasn’t only successful in evading you, she also smart enough to avoid getting caught by them.”

Peter sucks in a breath. He never really thought about it that way. Sure, he knew it would have been bad news to come across another gang’s radar, but he didn’t think they were seriously hunting him and his mother down. It was always Tony that seemed to be the biggest threat. He always wondered why they stayed in New York, but had just assumed it was to stay close to the Parkers. The tingle in Peter’s neck increases to an uncomfortable level. He begins rubbing it, hoping to calm that sense down a bit.

“Why does he keep doing that?” Natasha asks.

“What?”

“Rubbing his neck, he’s been doing it all morning.”

Instinctively, yet idiotically, Peter pulls his hand away from his neck and pretends to take another sip out of his water bottle.

“Kid” Tony calls out, clearly annoyed. “Were you eavesdropping?”

Shit. Peter bites his lip. He hears both his father and Black Widow approach. “His hearing really is enhanced” Natasha comments.

The tingle flares as the woman gets closer. Peter can’t stand to be around her. The possibilities of what she could have said to MJ swirl around in his mind. Her screaming rings in his ears as he remembers the terror and betrayal in her voice.

Tony is in front of him, “If I want you apart of a conversation, I’ll tell you to join. You don’t just listen in.”

“Yes, sir” Peter mumbles. The gym lights begin shining a bit brighter. Peter’s eyes begin to burn.

“Now, since you did hear Natasha’s question, why don’t you answer it. What’s with the neck.”

“Nothing” Peter lies, ignoring the urge to grab at his neck now. “It’s just a reflex.”

“Is it?” Tony doesn’t seem to believe him.

“I swear.” His senses are going into overdrive again. Peter shuts his eyes and tries to focus. The familiar thud of Tony’s heartbeat is easy to latch onto. After yesterday, it is a bit easier to forget the monster his father is and to just accept the soothing beat.

Natasha is right next to him, “The kid is lying.” She places a hand on his shoulder that sends the tingle into a full-on throb.

Peter whacks the Widow’s hand off him and takes a few steps away. His senses are going nuts, just like yesterday. The lights are glowing so bright and every word anyone says sounds like they are talking into a megaphone.

One breath Peter, c’mon. One deep breath.

It doesn’t do anything.

A second deep breath.

That helps until he hears footsteps growing close. He doesn’t know who it is. His neck is still screaming at him.

Then a high pitch ring, nothing like Peter has ever heard before pitches in his ear. His body goes numb. His neck stops tingling and his hearing can only focus on the one sound.

Two arms catch him before he falls to the floor. Having lost all control in his limbs, Peter has no choice but to lay in the person’s arms. The ring stops after only a couple of seconds, but his body is still immobile after it is done. With the tingling in his neck gone and his hearing back to normal, Peter can calm his eyesight very quickly.

His breathing also returns to normal. Quickly, Peter realizes it is Tony who caught his fall. His father takes out what appears to be earplugs from his head. Peter lets out a groan.

“I know buddy” Tony whispers. “The effect should only last a minute or so.”

With those words Peter does notice feeling start to return to his limbs. They feel heavy but can eventually move on their own. Pushing himself into a seated position next to his father, Peter graciously accepts the water bottle out of Tony’s hand. After taking a sip, he asks “What was that?”

Tony holds up a small device in his hand. It is a black cylinder with a few red buttons. “Hate to say it, a little inspiration from Obadiah. A rejected army prototype from before you were born. Causes short term paralysis to all who hear it.” That explains the earplugs. “I made a few modifications to it last night after you went to bed, thought it would help if you had another episode.” Peter stares at his father, having mixed emotions of the device. He is grateful for the sudden relief. However, the thought Tony could just knock him out instantly is unnerving. Tony seems to sense this, “It’s just for emergencies Pete. I will be the only one to have it unless you’re training with someone from the team without me present. In that case they will have it only temporarily.”

Peter’s eyes flash towards Natasha. He doesn’t want her to have that power over him. Following Peter’s gaze, Tony frowns in confusion when spotting the widow who is watching them with curiosity along with Steve. Turning back to his son Tony asks

“What set off your senses this time?”

Flickering his eyes between his father and the spy, Peter remains quiet. He lets his face show his distrust, no point in hiding it now.

“Peter” Natasha says. “I have been a part of your father’s team since your parents were engaged. You have nothing to fear.”

Not letting his scowl lighten, Peter collects himself together to ask, “What did you do to MJ?”

Natasha raises and eyebrow as Steve’s scrunch in confusion. “Who?” he asks.

“Michelle Jones” Peter sends his glare to Tony whose face is guarded. “What did Barton and Romanoff do to my friends?”

“We gave them the option to join Pete” Tony tells him, not letting any emotion show. “Both families said no. They aren’t your friends if they can’t accept who you truly are.”

“Who I truly…” Peter takes in a deep breath before he loses it. “I’ve known Ned since we were five. MJ is the most put together person I know and after one conversation with those two…”

Tony cuts him off, “Nial Jones and his wife both belong to citizen protest groups that want to take Stark Industries and the Avengers down. Our group Peter, your future. Natasha made it clear, that they don’t have to join us, but they certainly are not allowed to be against us.”

“What happened to free will? People have voices and the right to choose…”

“They have choices. They don’t like it here, go to Wayne’s territory.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“See that’s the thing Pete” Tony leans in. “It is.” Standing up, Tony tells the room, “Steve and I have a meeting with Rhodey scheduled in a half hour. Let’s break early. Pete, go get some lunch and take a nap. We will try this again this afternoon when you aren’t so distracted. Natasha, escort him up to the penthouse.”

“Yes boss” the widow says.

Tony leaves Peter on the floor and heads out of the gym, Steve following close behind. Peter stays seated, staring at his shoes. He can feel the Widow’s eyes on him.

“I’m sure I’m not the first one to say this, but we are all here to protect you” she tells him.

Gnawing on his lip, Peter ignores the tingle in his neck and asks, “What did you threaten them with?”

Natasha doesn’t hesitate to answer, she’s never been one to hold back. “Legal charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, assistance to a kidnapping, and so on. Marie Jones is a teacher, so she would have also had failure to report abuse. I made it clear that the charges would stick no matter how hard they fought, and both Mr. and Mrs. Jones would be sent to live the rest of their lives in a low security prison upstate until Tony decides to let them out. For Michelle, she would be put into early recruitment for the army under Colonial Rhodes special forces, never to be discharged. Clint was given similar instructions but didn’t have to use any of it. The Leeds are willing to do whatever asked in order to stay out of trouble. Like your father said, both families were first offered places within the organization. Comfy ones too. Out of the spotlight, not in the way of danger, where they would have received double the salary they are making now. Tony did try to keep them in your life Peter. Clint and I tried to convince them. They chose to leave. Even so, he is going to pay for your friend’s colleges since they do mean that much to you.”

“Two college tuitions are nothing for him” Peter grumbles. It isn’t as bad as he expected, which is somehow worse. In Peter’s mind, he had pictured Natasha busting down the Jones’s front door holding a gun to MJ’s head while forcing her parents to agree to Tony’s terms. Clint didn’t even have to threaten the Leeds and they were ready to abandon Peter.

He barely notices Natasha crouch down next to him. “They aren’t strong like us Peter” she tells him. “Those families aren’t built to stand pressure or face risk. Which is fine, they were never meant to. It is why they can’t imagine entering a powerful organization they know nothing about. The Leeds aren’t able to face the unknown and the Jones family is a lot of bark and very little bite. And as much as you hate him for it as well as everything he has done; Tony gave you a thick skin at an early age. He doesn’t enjoy that part of raising you, but it’s a necessity. He’d be doing you a disservice by allowing you to grow up normal.”

“What if that’s what I want?” Peter looks up at Natasha, ignoring the tingling in his neck. “Why doesn’t he care what I or my mom wants?”

Natasha lets out a small sigh, “There is no leaving, Peter. It’s a hard truth I had to learn a long time ago. You can run but you will always be found. I know you were listening earlier. What do you think would have happened if Wayne found you first? Or another group? May Parker wasn’t going to be a nurse forever, what would happen after she retired and you still needed medical care? How about if you had kids? They’d be in danger. Wayne wouldn’t hesitate to take you or your family out.”

“It’s not fair...”

“Life isn’t fair. You can either wallow in self-pity until someone kills you, or you can buck up and appreciate the empire Tony is preparing you for. Just listen to your father and remember…”

“He is doing what is best for me” Peter finishes her sentence, not believing the words. “Not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“C’mon” Natasha urges him up. “You and Tony get the same scowl when you need a nap. Next time you have lab night, make sure JARVIS has an alarm set.”

Peter gets up and follows Natasha out of the gym. He brings the water bottle with him, only because for some reason it is stuck to his hand.

Chapter Text

Somehow the phone call with Wayne is more infuriating the day after than it was in the moment. Steve and Rhodey had listened to it before the meeting, but after a bit of discussion the two thought it would be good to go over it with Tony. They are all sitting around Rhodes’s office while JARVIS plays the recording.

‘I’ll keep an eye out for May Parker by the way. Can’t have dangerous Hydra agents running around, can we?’ Wayne snickers.

Listening to his lame last retort, Tony pinches his nose trying to calm his frustration. Whether he is more irritated with Wayne or his own behavior last night, he doesn’t know. He does know that both Rhodey and Steve are trying to hide their disapproval. Neither are surprised, they both have dealt with Tony and Bruce’s duels before.

Rhodey is the first to speak, “Well, other than him knowing about Pepper’s plastic surgery, most of what he brought up is already public knowledge from the press conference.”

“But how did he find out about Pepper?” Steve asks. “Wayne has never been one to let much slip. If he knows about that, he probably knows more and just isn’t’ telling.”

“Frankly, I don’t think there is much to be concerned about. He’s always known the truth about Pepper leaving and has never said anything. After everything we put out yesterday, he’d look like an ass to start spreading rumors. If he does, we’ll just put Pepper or Peter in front of some cameras. That'll garner a lot of public sympathy.”

“They aren’t ready for that” Tony says. “Pepper’s voice trembles every time she says my name and Peter…I can’t put him in front of the public like this. He looks like a scared puppy trying to hide the fact it pissed on the floor. I present him like this, nobody in our world will ever take him seriously.”

“He was pretty bold today with Natasha” Steve offers up.

A moment of bravery. Only when bringing up his two useless friends did the boy show any confidence. Even then, it wasn’t intentional. Tony didn’t need his genius to see the hate and fury in his son’s eyes when accusing him of doing who knows what to the two teens. Unearned in Tony’s opinion. All those families needed to do was agree to shut up, take the luxurious jobs being offered and allow their kids to adapt to a better life of wealth and influence. The Leeds folded immediately. No matter how much Clint had talked up Tony’s offer, they wouldn’t take the deal. Natasha spent almost an hour trying to reason with the Jones family before finally dishing out the threats.

Weak. Both the kids and their parents.

At least Tony was able to see there is some fire in his son left. As disheartening as the first day of their reunion had been, Tony has since been able to see the potential still left in the boy. Mostly in Peter’s anger, but that is a starting point Tony can work with.

After letting his friend sit in thought for a bit, Rhodey says “He’s still in shock Tony. The fact Peter can even look any of us in the eye shows how tough he is. Banner was telling me the kid even argued back a few times on the trip from the hospital.”

“He did” Steve says, not sounding pleased. “It was disrespectful and annoying.”

Rhodey barely tries to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “It shows that he is still able to fight when scared, even against a superjuiced soldier and a guy who turns into a giant green goblin of rage.”

“It shows that the boy has no self-preservation or regard for authority.”

“Well,” Rhodey smiles before making a joke. “That’s just genetics, you can’t blame him for that.”

Tony can’t help but share a smirk with his friend. The weight of Rhodey’s words sink into his mind. Steve had disappeared into the ice long before Tony was born. Howard didn’t have any soldiers even close the caliber of Tony’s current team. He can’t imagine how daunting it would have been growing up if Howard did. It does take more than the average person’s will and courage to face an Avenger the way Peter has over the past couple days. However, the boy is an open book. At times Tony wonders if Peter is even trying to hide what is going on inside his head. “The kid won’t be able to lie to the cameras. Even a reporter from a college newspaper would be able to see right through him. I need time to toughen him up and…ugh. Fuck.” Tony runs a hand through his hair.

“It won’t take as long as you think Tony” Steve is surprisingly the one to say. “Remember how he was after the interrogation ten years ago? He could barely hold himself together at first, but eventually you got him to choke down his fear.”

“God, don’t remind me.”

That day was one of his proudest yet hardest days as a father. Howie had done spectacular, better than Tony had ever dreamed the tyke could have performed. But it had come at a cost. He knew to expect it, Howard had told him as a teen how difficult the early days of training were to get through as a parent. Howie had kept his composure throughout the entire ordeal, which had gone on longer than Tony had expected. Usually, secretaries and personal assistants broke quickly. That one though, Tony doesn’t even remember what Senator he belonged to, that one just wouldn’t budge. It took so much longer, so much more force, and so much more torture to get the guy to dish out the information he wanted. Tony had debated letting Howie leave early, but that would have set a bad precedent going forward.

The week following, the boy would wake up screaming from a nightmare multiple times throughout the night. JARVIS would alert Tony and Pepper each time. It was agonizing to lay there and allow his son to cry himself back to sleep, but the boy needed to learn to control the panic on his own. A couple times, Tony gave in to his wife’s pleas and allowed her to go comfort the child. The night wasn’t as bad as the day though.

During the day, he had to face the small child. Having always been a strict father, Howie had always been a bit nervous around Tony. Nevertheless, the boy didn’t hesitate to accept any affection or attention from his father. In fact, Howie ate it up. Any praise or sign of approval Tony gave, the boy would beam out a giant smile that Tony loved to return. After the interrogation, Howie could barely look Tony in the eye. He trembled when Tony held him. Could barely get out complete sentences if Tony was in the room. Even spending time in the lab, the one surefire way to open the kid up, couldn’t stop fear from filling Howie’s big brown eyes. Eyes that match his own. Tony never understood Howard so much until then. It was one of the first times he was able to relate to his own father, wondering if Howard shared similar anguish when looking into Tony’s eyes when he was going through his first days of training.

Then the argument with Pepper…she had never looked at Tony that way before…

“When do you want to start Peter’s training up again?” Rhodey asks.

Tony lets out an exhausted huff, “I guess as soon as we can. Let’s start off small, I don’t want another marathon introduction. Either of you got any candidates?”

“Nothing small” Rhodes answers. Not unexpected, he and Natasha have been focusing on Hydra bases outside the US recently. He usually delegates the domestic projects to Steve, Clint or Scott.

Turning to Steve, Tony sees the soldier is scrolling through a Starkpad. “I don’t have anyone at the moment, but I know Sam has been looking into some small-time arms dealer selling Chitauri tech. I’ll see if he can round a snitch up.”

“Selling Chitauri tech, why am I just hearing about this now?”

“It just came on our radar. Sam interrupted a shipment by accident when looking for May Parker. We don’t know much about it yet.”

“Okay, both you knock it off with the secrets” Tony snaps. “This isn’t the first time I’ve ran this company while having a family. I swear to fucking god, you say the kid is disrespectful Steve. What is this?”

“It’s not that Tony” Steve assures. “We’ve only just started looking into it. There’s still a good chance its some doofus kid and his friends that broke into the wrong warehouse and are trying to make a quick buck. It’s nothing too serious as far as we can tell. Even if everything with Peter and Pepper wasn’t going on, we still wouldn’t have notified you at this stage.”

“Fine” Tony grumbles. “Round one of them up and have them ready for tomorrow. Make sure they’re at least a bit tough. I don’t want it to be too hard, but I also don’t want them crying before I raise a fist.”

Typing into the pad, Steve tells him “Sending Sam off now.”

“Since you brought it up” Rhodey asks. “Any news on May Parker?”

Steve frowns, a sneer on his lips. “No. It’s like the bitch disappeared into thin air. We’ve talked to everyone at the hospital, her apartment complex, even restaurant employees from the takeout menus we found in her apartment. I had FRIDAY scan through every traffic and street cam in New York state and there is nothing after she left the hospital.”

“Do you think someone is hiding her?” Rhodey inquires. “Pepper was smart when she disappeared but was also lucky with timing. We didn't have the surveillance systems installed in cities the way it is now. This seems almost professional.”

“Wayne” Tony growls.

Both Steve and Rhodes turn to him. “You seriously think he has something to do with this?” Rhodey asks.

“He brought her up at the end of the call. You heard how cocky he was. ‘I’ll keep an eye out.’ She’s probably spilling her guts to him as we speak.”

“Bruce is just trying to get under your skin Tony. That’s what he wants you to think. There is no possible way he could have been looking for May Parker before we were. And it’s not like she would go running to him if the option was presented. The woman is scared for her life, the last thing she wants right now is to be on any mob’s radar.”

“What other options could there be Rhodey? She’s a nurse, not a special agent.”

“What if she is?” Steve ponders. When Tony sends him an incredulous look, he goes on “I know it’s a story we made up for the press, but what if it’s not that far off? There are still a lot of questions we don’t have answers to. How were they able to fake so much legal documents for Peter and Pepper?”

Rhodey shoots down that thought, “Benjamin Parker was a cop and May was a nurse. It’s a perfect combo. They just stole everything from work.”

“Okay, but where did Pepper find a surgeon willing to change her nose? She was the number one missing woman for the past ten years. You’re telling me it was easy to find someone willing to work on her and not tell? Patient confidentiality my ass, every hospital employee in the country was on lookout for those two. Peter and Pepper moved into that apartment four years ago, where were they before that? How did they make it to New York from Malibu unnoticed when the entire country was in a war? Also, New York City itself was basically a crumbled mess after the battle, why did they come here? Peter was too young at the time, so he might not know the answers. But there are a lot of things Pepper is hiding. What if one of them is May Parker’s true identity?”

Steve has a point. Tony hasn’t pushed Pepper nearly as hard as he should be. Whenever he is in the same room as her, his anger about the past ten years takes over. They still don’t know the true timeline of events between the Pepper carrying their son out of the Malibu mansion to the spider bite. But May Parker being a secret agent? Neither the Parkers nor Tony’s family were living in particularly nice apartments, both just meeting their needs. If May and Benjamin were working with an agency, they could have afforded a place with at least appliances from this decade. But that still leaves May’s disappearance a mystery. If even FRIDAY can't track her, she must have help.

Both Peter and Pepper showed signs of relief when they realized the woman had escaped. Pepper had also alleged to have given her money. ‘May is my best friend’ she had claimed. ‘She doesn’t have any family and doesn’t know anyone outside of New York.’ Those words were truthful when Pepper confessed to him. While his wife has always been able to hold back her feelings when needed, she has never been able to lie to him. Especially when Peter is on the line. Tony knows using the boy against her will always get him the truth. But that doesn’t mean May was always honest with Pepper.

“I’ll talk with Pepper, but I doubt she knows anything. If May Parker was working for someone, Pepper was unaware.”

“Are you sure?” Steve asks.

Sending the soldier a glare for daring to question him, Tony replies “Yes. Pepper’s not stupid. She stayed in New York because it would have been dangerous for the two of them to leave my territory. She wouldn’t have dared to contact another gang and like you said a couple days ago Rhodes, outside of the Parkers she kept to herself. Yesterday, she told me wanted to give Peter a normal childhood. If she knew the Parkers were involved with something, she would have run.” Brushing a hand through his hair, he contemplates how truly foolish his wife has been the past ten years. He should have exposed her to the darker side of SI more when she was working for him. Pepper had learned to control businessmen and press easily, but spies and crime lords? The more he thinks about it, the more plausible it becomes that Pepper could have fallen for some manipulative agent working for a rouge fraction from the ashes of the previous government. For the billionth time in his life, Tony curses himself for not putting trackers in his wife and son. “You’re right about Wayne too. If he had any connection to Parker, Pepper and Peter would have been dead or worse a long time ago.” Bruce’s taunts from the call ring in his mind again, “God. That fucking bastard. Did you hear how he talked about Peter?”

“To be fair, you did go after not only one, but two of his kids.” Rhodey states.

“He started it” Tony argues, knowing how childish he sounds.

“No, he just brought up Pepper’s brother. You took it below the belt bringing up Richard getting pulled over. Then, implied that the kid is either not smart or a slacker.”

“Well, if the shoe fits” Steve mutters, taking a sip of his drink after to avoid Rhodey’s scowl.

“It doesn’t matter what we think of the boy, we can’t go around personally attacking teenagers. Especially Wayne’s.”

Tony interjects, “He has the gall to suggest that my kid isn’t up to snuff when he has those oldest two making embarrassments out of themselves and that girl who acts as if she is god’s gift to the earth…”

“Again, with insulting kids. Get a grip Tony!” Rhodey implores. “Bruce knows his family’s reputation isn’t spectacular in our world. Finally, he’s able to rub yours in your face without appearing tacky and you are falling right into his game…”

“Fuck off Rhodes!” Tony finally snaps. “You don’t know what this is like. To have someone mock your kid right to your…”

“You don’t think I want deck someone when they insult Harley? Heck, I almost lost it on Steve the other day for calling the kid lazy during training.”

“Scott agrees with me that the boy relies too much on the suit when fighting” Steve mutters, earning another warning glare from his coworker. “Just saying, it’s also coming from the stepfather.”

“Well, Scott’s one to talk about relying on tech. Anyways,” he returns his attention to Tony. “You don’t need to defend Peter. Your son is intelligent, nobody can argue against that. Wayne knows that’s a sore spot for you, stop proving him right. All that bullshit about sending Peter to MIT next year…when you two were friends, you and Bruce talked all the time about how you wished you weren’t pushed to go to college so young. Maybe it’s true Bruce doesn’t want the same for his son. Richard is first in his class at an elite school, he must be bright. Judging by how you two did on your own as teens, it’s smart to keep an eye on the boy for now. Richard has at least triple the pressure on him that you and Bruce did at his age. I’m sure you don’t want people judging Peter for how he handles things going forward. If in ten years Richard is still the underachieving slug we think he is, we can shit on him all we want because he’ll be an adult and well into his career. For now, leave him out of all this. And also” Rhodey emphasizes his last point. “Stop going after Bruce’s thirteen and eleven-year-olds. They, especially Helena, are still children.”

Steve snickers, “I think those two are funny.”

“What happened to not liking kids being disrespectful and annoying” Tony grumbles.

Shrugging, Steve explains “You didn’t see them at the Chitauri anniversary gala. Jason ran that age bracket into complete chaos by the end of the night, bringing our team’s kids along for the ride. Then he and Harley got into some fight that took four adults to break up.”

“It was fun to watch them squabble,” Rhodes agrees. “Harley actually likes Helena for the most part.”

“She’s the only reason all those kids are still alive…including Harley. At the gala I saw her just verbally annihilate one of Oliver Queen’s son for trying to strip in the hotel fountain. She told him ‘Your father already has to lie about your small IQ, don’t make him also have to defend the size of that nub you’re hiding under those pants.’ Sam and I nearly lost it when we heard that.”

“Pff” Tony huffs. “Wayne needs to get a handle on that one. Talking like that is unbecoming of a girl.”

“He will, she’s still young.” Rhodes tells him before adding, “Eleven Tony. You are criticizing an eleven-year-old.”

“Whatever” he is ready to move on from talking about Wayne. “JARVIS, how’s Peter doing? Is he sleeping like I told him to?”

“No Sir,” the AI answers. “Young sir is currently climbing the walls.”

Steve frowns in annoyance. “Where was that energy an hour ago?”

“He probably just got a second wind.”

“Maybe he does take after you Tones, a cup of caffeine always gets you moving for another few hours” Rhodey offers.

“I apologize gentlemen” JARVIS says. “I may have confused you with my wording being similar to a popular euphemism. Young Mr. Stark is not overly energized. He has been testing a new ability he discovered from the mutation. Young Sir has been climbing the walls of his bedroom for the last five minutes and recently moved onto the ceiling.”

Tony, Steve and Rhodey exchange expressions of shock and confusion. They sit in a moment of silence, processing what the AI just said.

“What?”

“Drop it” Peter says to his hand, feeling like an idiot. “I said drop it.”

Currently his arm is stretched in front of him, hand facing down. The water bottle from the gym is still stuck to his palm. At first Peter thought there was glue or some other adhesive on the bottle. After close examination, he realized it is his own skin that is sticky.

“C’mon, off” he growls at the bottle while trying to relax his hand. This has to be part of the mutation. There is no other explanation. Peter shakes his hand, hoping the added push will force the bottle to dislodge. “C’MON!”

“Young Sir” JARVIS says. “You seem in distress, should I contact your father?”

“No!” Peter says quickly. “No, I'm fine. Do not call Tony.”

“I could also send a member of the medical staff if you prefer.”

“Seriously JARVIS, I’m okay.” Peter makes his way to the bathroom.

Running his hand under water doesn’t help get the bottle off. Neither does smacking it against the countertop. Peter lets out a loud frustrated sigh.

“Young Sir, are you sure you do not require any assistance? This seems to be a side-effect of your mutation.”

“I’ve gathered that JARVIS and no, don’t call anyone.”

“You really are your father’s son” JARVIS comments, sending a flash of anger through Peter. He is nothing like Tony. “Dr. Banner’s notes state that your powers become less manageable with stress. I suggest trying meditation to remove the bottle.”

Not the worst idea. Peter dries his hand and wanders back into the bedroom. He sits on an ottoman in front of his bed and closes his eyes. Soft music begins playing, JARVIS’s doing no doubt. The AI says softly, “Try thinking of a happy memory.”

A happy memory.

All of Peter’s memories now come with a sad sense of loss. Thinking of his friends brings up the hurt of yesterday’s calls. Memories of Ben resurface the devastation of his death. Peter worries about May, wishing she didn’t have to go on the run because of him. Then his mom…mom…mom is okay. Tony said she is fine and until proven otherwise, Peter chooses to believe that. It is not like Tony has ever really lied to Peter. He’s been so truthful to the point it hurts at times. Pepper is in an apartment downstairs, probably eating leftovers from last night. There are plenty of happy memories with his mother. The sorrow of their separation isn’t as bad as the others knowing she is being taken care of and to a certain extent, safe. Maybe he doesn't need a happy memory, but one that could make his situation feel better. Peter rifles through his mind before randomly picking one.

It was the first week he and his mom lived in their apartment without May and Ben. The Parkers had spent the day helping Pepper and him move a bunch of goodwill furniture in. As gratitude, Pepper had bought them all pizza and shared a bottle of cheap wine with May and Ben. Later after the Parkers left, it was just him and his mom cuddled on the couch watching a small TV Ned’s parents were getting rid of.

His mom was so proud of herself. It had confused Peter at first until Ben had explained to him ‘This is her first time standing on her own two feet Pete. No help, just your mom being able to support both herself and you.’ She cherished that apartment, which made Peter love it too. Pepper spent so much time fixing it up and redecorating over the years to make it their own. To everyone else it was a cramped little space, but to Peter and Pepper that apartment was the happiest place on earth.

The bottle falls to the floor. Peter hardly notices, except for his hearing picking up the soft tap it made on impact. He looks down at his hand and wiggles his fingers which finally have full range of motion again. Testing a finger out on the ottoman, he confirms the stickiness is gone.

Taking a big sigh of relief, Peter lets himself fall backward so he is halfway on the bed. He stares up at the ceiling he spent hours watching last night. Even after being exhausted from the lab with Tony, he still felt too uneasy to fall asleep for the few hours before he was expected for breakfast. The monstrous room doesn’t feel comfortable. Even with the trinkets from his room back in Queens, Peter doesn’t feel as if he belongs in the unfamiliar space. It feels like he is at a hotel or a sleepover where the host isn’t home. It's nothing like the apartment he lived in with his mom.

Raising his hands, Peter begins examining them. They look normal, the mutation did not change their appearance. The stickiness though…

Stress. Both Tony and Banner said his powers are affected by stress. When he woke up yesterday, when Banner and Cho were examining him, being around Steve and Natasha…is it that? Waking up was different, but not necessarily stressful. It wasn’t until he heard Tony that his neck started acting up.

His neck. The tingling always flares up before he loses control of his sight and hearing. The stickiness too. That only started after he was left alone with the widow and nothing else happened regarding his senses. Keeping the tingling under control will be the key going forward. The only problem is, how do you get something to stop screaming ‘Danger’ when you are in the midst of murderers.

It isn’t too bad right now. Only a slight prick in the back of Peter’s neck, a constant reminder of his current living situation. Otherwise, Peter is fully in control. Besides JARVIS, Peter is alone and free of the scrutinizing eyes of his father and the Avengers.

Sitting up, Peter searches the floor for the bottle. He spots it near the windows where it rolled up to. He stands and goes to pick it up. Unlike before, the bottle is easy to transfer from hand to hand. Closing his eyes, Peter focuses on the surface of the plastic. What did it feel like before when his hands where sticking to it? The sensation wasn’t so much from touch, but almost mental. As if there is some connection between him and the bottle.

It takes a few rounds of trial and error. Just when he thought his skin would cement itself to the plastic, the hold would release. Over and over again, Peter tries to get the bottle to stick to his hand like it did before. “C’mon Peter” he says to himself, closing his eyes to concentrate. He shuts everything else out of his head, only giving focus to the object in his hold. Suddenly he feels it, almost like a click in his mind. His skin suctions itself to the smooth surface of the plastic.

Smiling down at the bottle, Peter whispers “Cool.” This is unique to him. As far as he’s heard, no other supersoldier has this ability. Nobody on the Avengers or Justice League has anything close to this. ‘We have only been able to study his unique mutation for a few hours, but so far, we have reason to believe that it is the strongest and most powerful there has been so far.’ Tony had said that during the press conference. Maybe it is because he is second generation with the serum, or the spider venom really enhanced the formula that much. According to Banner, nobody else has survived the spider mutation. It has to be a combo of both.

That means there will only be a handful of people on the planet that could attain this much power during his lifetime. Both Tony and Bruce Wayne have kept their number of super soldiers in low supply, only having their most trusted team members mutated. The last thing either of them needs is a world full of enhanced individuals that could try to overthrow them. There are some internet conspiracy theories of human testing going on in Oscorp and Star Industries. A dark theory Peter now believes after what Banner said yesterday. That thought makes his gut clench in disgust. Nobody knows what happens to the ‘test subjects’ if the serum doesn’t kill them.

Most of Wayne’s team doesn’t need the mutation, such as Superman, Wonder Woman or Aquaman. Bruce for the longest time was the only one on the team who had taken the serum. Barry Allen, a CSI at the time, had accidentally exposed himself to an electrified test of it when investigating Wayne Enterprises. The Justice League was swift to indoctrinate the new speedster into their group. After that, it took years before Wayne entrusted the serum with another individual. Oliver Queen, who had taken up identity of Green Arrow seven years ago, is the only person on the Justice League who has publicly taken Wayne’s serum. A smaller dose than Bruce’s of course.

As far as Peter is aware, the only members of the Avengers who have taken Stark’s formula, have been Banner, Rhodes, Rogers…and now Peter. He’s the first ever second generation supersoldier. ‘Spidersoldier’ Peter muses in his head. Wayne has hinted that his oldest son, Richard, will take the serum when he graduates college. However, after what has happened with Peter, he can’t help but think Wayne might speed up that timeline. He remembers how competitive Tony was with Bruce back when Peter was three. Judging by his father’s reaction to the call last night, not much has changed. Peter hadn’t dared to ask what they talked about, instead choosing to enjoy the time he and Tony shared in the lab. His curiosity does prickle his mind, wondering what could have been said. Surely, it must have been Bruce trying to compare Peter to Richard.

God, he’ll have to compete against Richard Wayne. The teen who is a few years older than him, has been paraded in front of the media since Tony and Bruce’s overthrow of the government. With Peter missing, the public spent most of the year giving the future Wayne heir their attention. The month of Peter and Pepper’s disappearance, as well as the anniversary of the Chitauri attacks, was always dedicated to the search for the missing pair. The other eleven months, Bruce had no problem flaunting his eldest’s mind and talents. When turning thirteen, Richard began doing public interviews and appearances. He quickly garnered a charming reputation that adults admired in a boy so young. For kids and teens…Richard, or Dick, is just cool. He has a natural charisma and athletic ability that the boys at Peter school all wanted to replicate along with a handsome face that girls and some boys swoon over. Growing up, Peter constantly saw Richard plastered over teen media and his classmate’s lockers.

Tony is going to expect the same out of Peter. Shit…shit…shit. Not only does acquiring that type of media influence seem daunting, it’s a hurtle Peter doesn’t even want to jump. He’s never liked attention on himself. Even when teachers would praise him during class, it always made him feel awkward. Peter only needed Ned as a friend growing up and then eventually MJ. Sure, he was sociable with classmates and other kids during school and extra circulars. But never did he seek to be popular or star of the show. How is the public going to compare nerdy, quiet, shy him to Richard?

There is one thing he has on the older boy. Peter glances back down to the bottle stuck to his hand. He’s sure that even if Wayne gives Richard the serum earlier than expected, it will still be a few years. The one thing Peter has always admired about the Avengers and Justice League, is the actual crime fighting. While he is aware of the shady dealings and atrocities that both groups commit, there is also the side of each team that brings good to the world. Constantly there are stories about Avengers and Leaguers bringing down horrendous criminals. Everything from purse snatchers to human traffickers, both groups have greatly reduced the overall level of crime across the country and internationally.

‘The thing about being a hero Howie’ Tony used to tell him, ‘Is that you have to be better at the villain’s game than they are.’ His father is no hero, but Peter must admit that results do speak for themselves. Even the portion of the public that is vocal about the corruption of both Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises, acknowledge the safety that comes with the Tony and Bruce’s reign. Even the smartest of crooks can’t compete against either overlord.

An idea flickers in Peter’s mind. If it is this easy to hold onto a bottle, what else could he use the stickiness for. His eyes wander over to a wall empty of decoration. Peter releases the water bottle and makes his way over to the blank area. Placing one hand on the wall, he makes his hand suction to it as it did the bottle. With a small tug, Peter confirms the hand is stuck. With the other one, he places it farther up the wall and does the same suction.

Just three days ago, Peter could barely do a complete pull-up in gym class. With his now spider-enhanced muscles, he can easily pull himself off the ground. However, he nearly falls again when releasing his lower hand from its hold. Quickly, to help brace himself, he places his feet against the wall. Much to his surprise, the suctioning feeling that is in his hands, replicates itself through his feet. Looking down at his toes, Peter tests their connection to the wall’s surface. Just like his hands, the stickiness holds firm.

“Holy shit” he smiles. This is awesome.

Slowly he makes his way higher up on the wall. It is a long and clumsy process, having to focus on one foot or hand at a time. After what might have been ten minutes, Peter reaches the ceiling. He takes a moment to survey the room, enjoying the view from the high wall. Okay now to get down. He just needs to release…

“Ahh” Peter gasps as every connection he has to the wall evaporates. His heart skips a beat as he falls to the floor. About halfway, he instinctively reaches back for the solid surface he was just climbing. Upon impact, his right hand sticks itself back to the wall, making the rest of Peter’s body slightly crash into it. The hit barely affects him. The shock of what just happened, is what reels in his mind. So…the stickiness isn’t as automatic as he had hoped yet. For now, Peter will have to concentrate until the new ability is muscle memory.

Over the next hour, Peter plays around and practices his climbing. The tiredness he felt earlier is gone, replaced by adrenalin. For the first time since waking up in the medbay, Peter enjoys his new powers. No eyesight blinding him, no hearing blasting in his head, he almost completely forgets about the tingle in his neck. It’s just him and the excitement of his new discovery.

Every so often he gives himself a break. Even with his new strength, it is apparent that his muscles do not have great endurance yet. Peter’s knows that will come with training, Tony will make sure of it.

Tony…shit, he’s going to have to tell Tony. Does he? What if he doesn’t? He can keep this a secret, just like the tingle in his neck. The new power is so fun and so exciting. Peter doesn’t want it ruined by the examination of his father or the other Avengers. The image of Banner and Cho animatedly chatting about Peter’s heightened senses in the medbay surfaces in his mind. How they made him feel like a new toy or experiment. If that intrigued the two scientists, this would send them into overdrive. Then Steve and Natasha…they weren’t as bad which isn’t saying much. Surely, they will find ways to test the new ability and see how far they can stretch it. Okay…maybe that would be helpful. However, their motivation wouldn’t be for Peter, it would be to see how useful it could be for Tony. And the last thing Peter wants right now is to be of use to Tony.

A few minutes into Peter’s first attempts on the ceiling is when the tingle in his neck flares. Dammit…someone’s coming.

Panicking, Peter looks around for a way to get down. The ceiling in his room is pretty high. If he falls to the floor, it will hurt but not injure him. But Peter has never deemed himself graceful, and considering he is currently upside down, now wouldn’t be a good time to chance anything.

The bed. Only a few feet and Peter would be directly over the soft mattress. As quickly as he can manage, Peter crawls his way forward. When the tingle in his neck sends another big wave, Peter takes a chance and lurches towards the bed. Unfortunately, without the true understanding of his strength, he overcompensates and goes farther than expected. Peter’s head hits the metal headboard right before the bedroom door opens. It takes all his will not to cry out in pain.

A pair of legs appear next to the bed, crowding Peter’s vision. Trailing his eyes up, he is met with the controlled stare of his father. Tony’s stoic expression brings a chill down Peter’s spine. The tingling in his neck continues to warn him of close danger.

“What have you been up to?” Tony asks, his voice just as unemotional.

“You said to take a nap” Peter answers.

“Did you?”

“Um…” God, he wishes he could read Tony’s mind right now. “I tried.”

“You haven’t been up to anything else?”

Holding his father’s stare in hopes of coming across as genuine, Peter says “No.”

Didn’t work. Tony moves so fast; Peter can feel the back of his head get yanked before noticing Tony’s arm move. He is pulled up into a sitting position, face directed at his parent. With the sudden movement and the pain from the impact a minute ago, Peter’s head is screaming. He can’t stop the gasp that escapes his lips.

With the unemotional stare replaced with a furious scowl, Tony snarls “Wanna try answering that again?”

The man towers over Peter. He can feel his heartrate pick up; it pounds in his ear. The fear coursing through his body immobilizes Peter. Frozen in place, there is no answer ready to leave his mouth. This only angers Tony more. With the hand holding Peter’s neck, Tony forces him to turn towards the wall behind him. At first, Peter doesn’t understand why until he spots it. Shit…a handprint clear as day sitting much higher up on the wall than it should be. Other similar but smaller marks litter the rest of the wall. Peter’s own sweat has betrayed him.

His head is wrenched back to face Tony. The man’s glare is sharp, “Explain. Now.”

Still, Peter can’t find the words he needs. His mind is running a mile per minute but not processing anything useful. He knows the punch is coming before he feels it. White hot pain explodes on his cheek as his head goes crashing back down onto his pillow.

That’s it. Before he realizes what he is doing, Peter’s body leaps up. With all his might, he sends a kick forward to push Tony away from him. This catches his father by surprise, but only for a second. Peter is barely off the bed before Tony is on him again. A fist to the gut spurs Peter into a flurry of his own punches. Some land, but Tony blocks most while getting many powerful jabs in.

There will definitely be multiple bruises across Peter’s back and stomach tomorrow. The fight goes on for a couple minutes. Tony is winning, there is no doubt. But that doesn’t matter to Peter. He puts everything into each punch. The grief of all he has lost in the past couple days, the resentment he has for everything the Avengers have done to those he loves, the loathing he has towards the monster he has as a father. This isn’t what being a parent should be, no matter what Black Widow said.

A chuckle from his father brings Peter out of his rage-fueled haze. He pauses and looks up at Tony again. An amused smirk cover’s his father’s face. Realization overcomes Peter. Tony isn’t even trying. The few hits Peter got in; Tony was testing him. He wants to see what Peter is capable of. Of course, his father has had an entire lifetime of combat training. Even if Peter might be stronger with the mutation, he never stood a chance. “FUCK YOU” Peter cries out, pushing his father away. He stumbles back a couple steps. The anger that was coursing through him is overcome by waves of embarrassment. The man in front of him doesn’t even have to say anything yet Peter can feel the mocking.

“That’s enough” Tony says, still entertained. Unlike Peter, who’s as tense as he has ever been. The Ironman is in complete control, relaxed even. He takes a step towards Peter, “Come here.”

“No.” Jerking away, Peter tries to stay away from the man. Without missing a beat, Tony quickly grabs ahold of Peter’s arm.

The world spins around him. One second Peter is standing, next he is face down with his right arm uncomfortably pulled behind him and Tony’s knee keeping him pinned to the floor. Something metal is clasped around his wrist. The device, whatever it is, has what feels like needles that stick into Peter’s skin. A warm sensation starting from the cuff, spreads throughout his entire body. It doesn’t make him limp, but its as if half of his strength seeps out of every muscle. The pain in his head from the multiple hits intensifies, causing a groan to leave him.

The knee holding Peter down, disappears. An arm pulls him to a kneeling position before forcing him to stand. “C’mon Pete” Tony says before steering the boy to the door.

Peter allows himself to be pushed along by Tony through the penthouse. The two are silent the entire way. Still processing his pain, anger and fucking humiliation, Peter has no will to fight against his father. Tony still has Peter’s arm in the awkward hold behind his back, making it immovable. They reach the elevator.

“Where are we going?” Peter finally asks.

Stepping into the lift, Tony drags Peter with and says, “Basement JARVIS.”

If someone told Peter time had stopped, he would have believed it. It’s as if his body shuts off, going completely numb. The last time he felt this way was ten years ago after watching his father put a bullet through a stranger’s skull. The air stiffens around him. Is the elevator shrinking?

The unknown man’s screaming worms it’s way out from behind the locked door Peter's brain keeps those memories in. Next the bones breaking. The metallic smell Peter had never experienced before pairs with visual flashes of the shiny red liquid pooling around the dead body. Moments Peter completely forgot about make their debut.

Tony had what Peter now recognizes as a taser. The unknown man’s eyes looked like they were going to explode each time Tony zapped him. The man would plead for relief only to be met by Tony’s taunts and another shock to stomach or groin.

Every so often, Tony would put a cloth or rag on one of the man’s wounds to stop the bleeding. He would leave it there. Peter forgot about them as so much time would pass. Then suddenly, at the refusal of answering one of his questions, Tony would rip off the makeshift bandage. All over again, blood would pour out of the healing wound, spreading all over the floor.

One of the man’s hands was released. The arm was already broken, so there was no way he could fight with it. Tony brought out a little device that Peter didn’t care to get a good look of. Whatever it was, it sliced off the man’s pinky finger. One by one, Tony dismembered the man’s hand. Peter doesn’t remember what number Tony was on before the man finally gave in and confessed all the information Tony wanted.

Turning his head to face his father, Peter tries to hide his fear with the fury he felt moments ago. Tony is impassive, meeting his glare. With shaky breath, Peter asks, “Why?”

“I can’t help you unless I know everything going on with your mutation Pete. Since you have chosen not to be honest with me on any of this, I have other methods of getting the truth out of you.”

Why?

Why, why, why, why, why?

Why did the universe choose him for this? Tears prickle at Peter’s vision. He internally curses God, or Allah, or the big bang, whoever is responsible for putting him into this life. Whatever fucked up force of nature or deity that thought it would be funny to give him Tony as a father.

“I hate you” Peter can barely get out a whisper.

Tony doesn’t react the way he expected. Instead of being angry, his father just sighs and gives him a small smile of pity. “I know.” With the arm not holding Peter compliant, Tony pulls him in for a hug. A small kiss is placed on the top of his head before Tony continues saying “The next few months are going to be tough, but we’ll get through it. I love you, Buddy.”

Those words snap something inside Peter. Dread pours through his veins. Thinking back over his life, every problem or worry he has ever had seems like joke. Why does homework, or chores or getting to robotics club on time, or remembering to pick up milk on the way home from school, or picking out what shirt to wear based on what MJ would like…why did any of that ever matter? It’s all ridiculous nonsense compared to this.

Jesus Christ, what is Tony going to do to him?

Any hope Peter had of making it out of this situation unharmed or unchanged falls faster than the elevator bringing them down to the basement.

Chapter Text

His boy is trembling in his arms. Tony chooses to ignore it, knowing there is enough punishment coming Peter’s way soon. No need to deepen the upcoming wound. This is going to hurt him as much as his son. “The next few months are going to be tough, but we’ll get through it. I love you, Buddy” Tony tells the boy after placing a soft kiss in his brown curls. Like they have the past few days, his words fall onto misunderstanding ears. He feels Peter let out a silent sob.

Tony stops himself from chastising the boy. This is the first time Peter has slipped up on crying in front of him and it is understandable in this situation that the boy would break a bit. Even at the hospital, the tears were from before he had walked into the room. God…Tony had tried so hard when his son was little to give him the building blocks he would later need. A foundation that Howie could rely on whenever things became too much. The small boy was so strong, so capable even at the age of three. Some of the groundwork Tony laid is still there after all these years. Broken and unkept, but the bones of his teachings are still preserved in the boy.

It didn’t have to be like this. Tony should have found him earlier. There must have been something he missed, something that could have brought his boy home sooner. As much as he’d like to put all the blame on Pepper, Tony knows he is responsible for a part of this. He was too soft, too lenient back then. If he had just held firm like Howard had taught him, things could have gone differently. The reason he had started Howie’s training so young was so the initial shock would be long forgotten by the time the harder, hands-on portion came along. It was supposed to be easier in the long run. But now…

The elevator doors open, revealing the sterile hallway of the Tower’s basement. Tony unwraps his arm from around Peter and gives a small push to usher them forward. The boy doesn’t budge. Instead, he stands firm, refusing to move a muscle. The bite on his lip is so strong it might puncture skin.

“Pete, don’t make this harder than it needs to be” Tony tells his son, giving another push forward. His words wash over the boy who in return sends him a spiteful glare. Dammit kid. “FRIDAY, shock level two.”

A small beep comes from the cuff around Peter’s wrist. The boy’s body spasms, his eyes go wide, and he lets out a pained yelp. Pete’s expression morphs into one of betrayal, “WHAT THE FUCK!”

“C’mon” Tony ignores the cry and pushes his son forward with a bit more force than before. This time Peter goes willingly. He allows Tony to lead him through the hallways. Tony picks up the pace when they pass Pepper’s quarters. He doesn’t want to deal with a fretting wife on top of everything else going on. Besides, he’s the one cleaning up her mess right now.

They finally make their way to the testing gym. It was initially made to assist in training Banner when he was still learning to control the Hulk. It hasn’t been used as much since now that the man has learned to manage the green bean. Rhodey and Natasha are waiting for them outside the gym.

“I got Peter something to eat while we wait for the suppressor to wear off” Rhodey tells him. Great, the kid didn’t even follow that direction.

“Let’s get this over with” Tony says. Natasha goes to open the door for them when Peter tries to bolt. With his hold on his son’s arm still firm and the boy’s powers currently diminished, Tony easily stops Peter’s attempt. However, the kid isn’t going down without a fight.

“LET GO OF ME” the boy screams, trying desperately to pull his arm away. Kicks and punches go flying in Tony’s direction.

“Knock it off” Tony lets his tone show his annoyance. This is getting ridiculous. Where does the kid even think he can run to? He nods to Rhodes who grab’s Peter’s other arm and the two drag the boy into the gym. Inside, he spots Steve still checking all the equipment. Banner is in on the observation deck, updating Peter’s files and getting ready for the upcoming data.

Peter is still trying to pull away and shouting to be released. Once they make it to the middle of the gym, Tony and Rhodes toss the boy into a metal chair. Having seen the commotion, Steve stopped his duties to help restrain the kid. The second Peter falls into the chair, Steve holds him down and wraps a bar around Peter’s torso to keep the boy seated. Tony and Rhodes get to work restraining Peter’s ankles to the chair legs. The seat is designed not to move, as it is bolted to the floor. No matter how much the boy struggles, it’ll stay in place. This is only temporary as they wait for the mutation suppressor to wear off.

Grabbing Peter’s arm, Tony unlocks the cuff with his thumbprint. Now they just have to wait about half an hour before getting started with the tests. They boy’s breathing is heavy, panic prevalent in his demeanor. Natasha rolls over a small table with a couple of sandwiches on a plate. Peter doesn’t notice, being too preoccupied with trying to pry his bonds off.

“It’s made of vibranium Pete” Tony tells him. “Even once your strength is back you won’t be able to break it.”

His son whips his head back to face Tony, the ferocity from before being overtaken by terror. “FUCK YOU!” Peter yells, his attempt to hold back tears has failed. A red, desperate face continues to shout, “I HATE YOU! LET ME GO!”

The words hit Tony harder than bullets. Holding an expressionless stance is harder than most of the battles he has fought. He can’t break. Not in front of his team and more importantly not in front of his son. Tony says nothing, letting Peter cry insults and words of animosity at him.

“I hate you. Just let me go, I don’t want any of this. God, Fuck you! LET ME GO! I hate you. I hate you. I hate you…” on and on the boy goes with no signs of stopping.

Natasha and Steve stand still to the side, also not allowing Peter’s words to affect them. Rhodes catches Tony’s eye. After years together, Tony can see the hidden look of sympathy his friend is sending his way. Out of the observation area, Banner walks towards the group.

“Want me to give him a sedative?” Bruce asks. “It will burn off with the suppressor.”

Peter isn’t calming down. In fact, the longer the kid sits there, the more panicked he becomes. Tony gives the doctor a nod before approaching his son. Steve holds down one of Peter’s arms as Tony grabs the other.

While trying to jerk his limbs out of their hold, Peter spots Banner approaching with the needle. “LET ME GO” he screams. They all ignore his pleas and Tony begins rolling up the sleeve of Peter’s sweatshirt. “STOP! GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY!”

Bruce is quick with the injection. Next, he pulls out a cuff like the one Peter was wearing earlier. This one is programed for the gym. It takes them a bit more effort to get that onto the kid’s wrist. After a couple of minutes, the cuff is secured and blinks to life. All three men let go of Peter.

The sedative was quick, as Peter is already much more relaxed than a few minutes ago. His breathing is still labored, but he has stopped the tears and endless yelling. Eyes glossed over, Peter stares ahead, avoiding all eye contact.

Taking a deep breath, Tony grabs the table with food and brings it in front of his son. When he lets go; Peter pushes the table away. God dammit kid! This is silly.

Grabbing ahold of Peter’s face, Tony forces the boy to look him in the eye. “Stop acting like a child” he warns. “Either eat what Rhodes prepared for you or get a feeding tube shoved down your throat. Which one sounds better to you?” Sliding the table back in place, Tony takes a step back. Peter’s glare from before has returned, his eyes never leaving Tony. Not wanting the punishment threatened to him, the boy shakily takes a bite of one of the subs. “Good choice” Tony says, concealing his own relief. He didn’t exactly wake up planning on force feeding his teenager. “The cuff from before had a formula Bruce made that temporarily suppresses mutations from the super soldier serum. The effects should be gone in the next twenty/twenty-five minutes. You have until then to eat.”

Tony turns and begins heading towards the observation room. Thank goodness the kid listened to him at last. This was supposed to be a good day. After the lab last night, Tony thought he had made some progress with the boy. He thought he had earned some trust. Peter was mesmerized by all of Tony’s gadgets. The boy couldn’t get enough, wanting to examine and study every aspect of each piece of tech. He clung to every word as he listened to Tony explain the mechanics behind each device and had a million questions. Tony had even caught the kid trying to hide a smile and blush when he had given Peter a compliment about coding bug.

All of that is down the drain.

“Uncle Rhodey” Tony hears Peter plead. The nickname sends a cold flash through his system. “Stop him, please. Don’t let him do anything.” Peter has avoided calling Tony by any name to his face. The only time he has was back in the medbay where Peter called him ‘Mr. Stark.’ Tony would have rather taken a punch to the gut. The fact his son can call his best friend that nickname from childhood, even if it is an attempt at manipulation, hurts.

“This is for your own good Peter” Rhodes tells the boy. Tony continues his walk, pretending not to listen. “Eat up, you’ll need the strength.” A pair of footsteps begin following Tony.

Right before he slides into the observation room, he hears Natasha tell Peter “Remember what we discussed earlier? This is one of those times. None of us enjoy this.”

Rhodes catches up to Tony before he can close the door behind him. There is a trash can at the edge of a desk that Tony doesn’t hesitate to kick across the room. It’s only him and Rhodey, he can throw a bit of a temper tantrum. Next, he grabs a cup of pens off the desk to hurl at the farthest wall. His friend doesn’t say anything, just goes to clean up the mess while Tony collapses into a chair.

Running a hand through his hair, Tony admits out loud “This is hell.”

Taking a seat across from him, Rhodey sighs and offers up a supportive “It’ll get better, Tones. Just keep reminding yourself of that. We knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk. You gotta give the kid this. Your boy’s a fighter.”

That is true. Especially when it comes to him. Tony wishes he could be happy about the spunk he got out of the kid, but Peter’s words ringing in his brain damper any celebration. Still, the boy shows more promise by the hour. That brings a bit of comfort, hope for the future.

“Harley has been asking about Peter” Rhodey tells him. “He’s dying to meet him. Keeps begging me to fly him out.”

“Pete’s not ready.” Tony knows Harley has been anxiously waiting for the day they found Howie. He and the other proteges have been itching to start forming the next generation of the Avengers. The Justice League’s kids have all sorts of factions that frankly seem like a complete mess from the outside. Harley and Kate have spent months scouting potential teens for their group. They haven’t made any moves forward yet, waiting for the eventual return of Tony’s son. Once they get a good understanding of Peter and his desires for a future team, Tony is sure they will be full steam ahead. First though, he needs to get Peter set straight.

“That’s what I keep telling him. He knows Peter won’t be…at optimal performance for a while. In the meantime, Harley still wants to get to know him. Maybe help out? Offer up some advice. You know…just be there for the kid. Har went through a similar transition after you moved him out of Tennessee. He remembers what it was like.”

As always, Rhodes has a point. “Not now Rhodey” Tony lets out a heavy breath. “Maybe in a month or two. But right now…it has to be me and him for a while. Once we get over this…God…this initial slump then we can bring the other kids in. Now…I just need to get Pete to…I don’t even know what.”

Trust him? Respect him? Not flinch at his touch? There are a thousand things that goes through Tony’s mind that he wishes he could change automatically. If only kids were as easy to fix as his tech. But there is no line of code that Tony can implant into his son’s brain. Only time and training is going to repair the relationship he has lost with the boy.

Banner enters the room. “Cuff is running just fine, it’ll let us know when the sedative and suppresser are out of Peter’s system. Steve and Natasha are doing one last inspection of all the equipment.”

“Great” Tony says. He turns back around to look out the now one-way window into the gym. Peter has finished one sandwich and is slowly picking at the other. No doubt the kid doesn’t have much of an appetite, merely eating to appease the adults around him. A look of trepidation is written across his face. They will need to work on getting the kid to hide his emotions better. Maybe Tony should move that up on the list of priorities in case he needs Peter to do any press.

“I had the caf send down some extra subs, either of you want one?” Rhodey asks.

“Yes, and a cup of coffee” Tony answers, eyes not leaving his son.

“No thank you” Bruce says. “I already ate.”

From beyond the glass, Peter continues to nibble on his own food. His eyes roam the gym, trying to get any hint of what is to come. They land on the one-way mirror and pause for a bit. Tony knows the boy can’t see though to glass, but wonders what Peter is looking for. The boy is lost in thought for a moment before snapping back and taking a bigger bite of the sandwich. Dread never leaves his face.

It’s rare moments like this when Tony wishes he could have been given a normal life. Few and far between, but every once in a great while he allows his mind to wonder what it would be like to have a simple presence where he could have an ordinary job and live in a small home with his wife and child. The image of him chasing a young Howie around a green lawn with a pregnant Pepper watching from a porch crosses his mind.

As quick as the daydream comes, it evaporates into nothing. Silly fantasies like that are laughable to Tony. Just thinking about how boring and unfulfilling an existence like that would be makes him want to blow his brains out. Peter doesn’t understand right now, but he will. One day he will see the thrill that comes with the challenge of their world. Eventually he will learn to appreciate the perks of being a Stark. All the privileges that come with the name are shared with few others. There is so much untouched power that he and Peter can obtain together.

A few months. Tony knows their journey will be much longer than that, but it will be better in a few months. He just has to keep at the boy.

Banner takes a seat on the other side of Tony, leaving Rhodey’s seat open. “Cho and Strange are preparing the medbay for surgery. You know…just in case.”

“It shouldn’t get that far” Tony responds.

Bruce shrugs, “I can’t tell if he inherited his stubbornness from you or his mother. Either way, I think we are in for a long day.”

That lip bite makes a return on his son. The boy’s nerves are getting more rattled as time goes on. It doesn’t help as Natasha and Steve exit, leaving the boy alone. Neither the soldier nor spy say anything when they enter the observation area. Tony debates asking Natasha what she and Peter had talked about earlier, remembering her comment.

‘None of us enjoy this.’

Peter looks like he wants to throw up the last bit of sandwich he shoves into his mouth. Tony hopes that whatever Natasha told the boy, that it sunk in. He doesn’t like having to do this, hates it in fact. But this is his son, and he must do what is best for Peter. No matter how Tony feels.

‘I really do love you buddy’ Tony thinks. ‘One day you’ll see.’

Time doesn’t feel like it is moving slow, fast or anywhere in-between. It is just nothing. Sitting in this giant open space alone is like being in a void. No clock to tell him how long he has been there. Tony had told him a little over twenty minutes and then…he doesn’t know what will happen. A slight sting in the lip he has already bitten raw only reminds him that sooner and sooner his fate is coming.

A small beep chimes from the metal cuff on his wrist. Looking down, Peter only catches a glimpse of a green light going out. What could that mean?

The door that his father and the other Avengers disappeared behind opens. Out of it walks Tony, Black Widow and Captain America. The two Avengers go behind Peter as Tony stands in front of him. Without alerting the others, Peter tries to mentally calm the tingling in the back of his neck. It is searing with both Steve and Natasha hovering out of sight.

“Okay Peter” Tony begins. Peter takes note of a tablet in Tony’s hand. “I’m going to give you one last chance to tell me the truth about everything. If I catch you in a lie, it’s not going to be pleasant. Got it?”

Peter only stares up at his father, not hiding his hatred anymore. There’s no point, he screamed it enough only a little while ago. Tony doesn’t appreciate the silence.

A hard slap across the face is paired with “When I ask a question, you answer. Now, how were you climbing the walls?”

Rubbing his stinging cheek, Peter readjusts himself back into a proper sitting position. “My hands and feet they…I don’t know really. I figured out they can suction or stick to surfaces.”

“When did you discover that?”

“Today.”

“Peter…” Tony warns.

“I couldn’t let go of a water bottle when Natasha brought me back to my room” he explains. “It was stuck to my palm. That was the first time it happened.”

“And you didn’t think to tell her?” Again, Peter hesitates to answer. Tony clicks his tongue, “Dammit kid.” Tony presses something on his tablet, causing a shock like before to run through his arm from the cuff.

“SHIT!” Peter curses. He looks down at the cuff and imagines smashing it onto the chair’s arm. Earlier he had tried to find a screw or something to get it off, only to be disappointed. It’s definitely one of Tony’s designs. He turns back to his father “You’re insane.”

“That’s not very nice” Tony jokes before pressing the button again, sending another shock through Peter. Tony then looks over Peter’s shoulder and asks, “Did you know about this?”

“Of course not” Natasha answers. “I’ll admit he was acting weird when I offered to get him something for lunch. The kid said you two had a bunch of leftovers from last night. I just figured he was trying to get me out of the apartment. He’s not exactly my biggest fan.”

Accepting her answer, Tony returns his attention back to Peter. “As I said before. We can’t help you unless we know what is going on with your mutation. Banner has been studying Oscorp’s notes on the spider venom serum.” He leans down, looking Peter in the eye “You aren’t in this alone Peter. We can help you get control, even master your powers. The team has years of experience, we could unlock things you would never figure out on your own.”

“I don’t want your help” Peter states.

“Well, as your father, I have to put your needs before your desires” Tony stands up straight again. “Is there anything else you are hiding from us?”

The hairs on the back of Peter’s neck flare with the question. The tingle. Peter knows they have suspicions. He can sense Natasha’s eyes studying him from behind. “No” he tells his father.

“Really?” Tony studies him with neutral expression before saying “I just don’t believe you.” He goes to hit the shock button again.

Peter braces his wrist, waiting for the shock. Before it comes, the side of his neck screams at him. Immediate danger. Behind him to the right. Pure survival instinct kicks in. His hands shoots towards the threat as he quickly turns to face it. Just in time, Peter grabs Natasha’s wrist when it is centimeters away from his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a knife held in the Widow’s grip.

“What the hell?” Peter says in disbelief. She was really going cut him.

“That was a bit close for comfort Nat” Tony remarks, sounding annoyed rather than concerned. Did he put her up to this?

“Maybe I just have more confidence in your kid that you do.” Natasha says. “I know what I saw this morning, and Banner is rarely wrong. Can you make him let me go now?”

“Release her hand Pete” Tony instructs. Peter doesn’t move an inch. His eyes are glued to the blade nearly touching his skin. Banner? What does he know about the tingle? “Kid, did you hear me?” He continues to remain still until the cuff shocks his system again. Releasing his grip on Natasha, Peter grabs at the cuff to try to rip it off. He hears Tony comment, “Just wanted to make sure you’re listening.”

“She could have killed me” Peter huffs.

Tony rolls his eyes, “If you had just been honest with us, Nat would have never had to pull out the knife in the first place. So, care to explain?”

“Explain what?”

“Don’t get cheeky. You sensed Natasha’s attack before it happened. How?”

“Ask Banner” Peter grumbles. “Sounds like he knows.” That earned Peter another shock, this time twice as powerful. “JESUS! FUCK!” he screams. Aftershocks of pain radiate after the initial.

Tony is clearly losing patience. “Try answering my question again.”

“You’re sick.”

Another shock just as bad as the last. Peter slumps his head back, taking in deep breaths of air in hopes it’ll help. The pain wracks through his entire body. The wrist with the cuff around it feels like it’s burning. Tony gives him a minute before starting another round.

“STOP!”

“I’d love to Peter” Tony says. “You can end this at any time. This is all up to you.”

Peter lets out a hoarse laugh, “Yeah right.” As expected, another shock. The pain becomes worse and worse with each one. Peter feels this one all the way down to his toes. “YOU SON OF A BITCH” he yells, unable to control what comes out of his mouth while in distress.

“Don’t call your grandmother names” Tony chides before ramping up the next shock. “She’d be beside herself.”

Who could have guessed your teeth could feel on fire. Every inch of Peter’s body is searing in agony. Tears prickle his eyes, not from fear but as a natural reaction. His breathing is labored which only makes the soreness in his lungs worse.

Tony gives him a break. For what feels like forever but not long enough for his liking, Peter is allowed to recollect himself. He lies limp in the chair, cradling his left wrist. The area under the cuff is the worst off. A few more shocks and Peter is convinced his nerves will die.

“The next one will be double the strength of the last” Tony tells him. Holy shit. Peter knows he must tell them everything. It’s inevitable. There is no need to prolong this torture just for the sake of his own pride. Just before Tony hits the button again, Peter says with a scratchy voice,

“It’s a tingle.”

Pausing his hand, Tony raises an eyebrow and turns to Peter. “A tingle?”

Giving a gentle nod, Peter explains “In the back of my neck. It…it’s like a warning system. For…it tells me if there is danger close by.”

“How often does it go off?”

“It hasn’t stopped since I woke up in the medbay yesterday.”

“The medbay…” Tony says, irritation clear in his voice. “So, you’ve known about this from the start.” Peter just stares. “God dammit kid! Is it tingling right now?”

“Like I said…it hasn’t stopped. I…I’ve been able to settle it down around certain people, but it’s always there.”

“Certain people? Who?”

“Rhodes, Rogers…you” Peter says the last part more quietly.

“Me” Tony says, disappointment hinted in his voice. He pinches his nose and takes in a deep breath before crouching down to Peter’s eyeline. “Peter, I am not a threat to you. You don’t need to fear me.”

He can’t be serious. “Say that with a straight face after sending another shock through my arm.”

“Okay” Tony says before tapping the tablet. The cuff on Peter’s wrist shoots another round of electricity through his body. Peter lets out a loud yelp and hears Tony state again “You don’t need to fear me.”

“WHAT THE FUCK! I ANSWERED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS!”

“Keep shouting at me like that and you get another round.”

“No!” Peter panics. “Just…just stop. I’ve told you everything. Please, just stop.”

“Everything?”

“Yeah…yeah, I promise.”

The group sits in silence for a moment before Tony speaks up, “This isn’t how I wanted things to go down Pete. This isn’t fun for me either.”

“Yeah, okay” Peter knows he doesn’t sound believable. He doesn’t care. Fuck Tony and the nonsense that comes out of his mouth.

“What did I tell you two days ago? I want to work with you.”

Avoiding Tony's gaze, Peter asks "Are we done yet? Can I go back upstairs?" He already knows the answer. Tony wouldn't have bothered dragging him all the way done here just to answer a few questions. He also wouldn't have bothered getting the other Avengers involved.

"No" Tony explains. "Banner has been going over all of Oscorp's data about the serum. Most of their findings so far match up with expected abilities such as increased strength, reflexes, durability. We already have some tests for those as well as a couple for your hearing and sight. The tingling we'll have to wait a couple days for Banner to..." he trails off and looks over to the widow. Peter can't see her but Natasha must have signaled for his attention.

"I have an idea I think could get some results" she says.

"Really?"

"Is Barnes available? He would be helpful."

Steve answers, "He's currently spearheading the hunt for May Parker while Wilson is completing the errand you asked for earlier."

The mention of May causes Peter to suck in a breath. They still haven't found her? She is still free? He thought the press conference would cause issues but it's been two days since May escaped. She could be on the other side of the world right now. 'Good job May' Peter thinks to himself. 'And good luck.' His mental celebration is short lived when Tony redirects his attention back to Peter upon hearing the sharp inhale.

"Anything you can contribute to the investigation Pete?" Tony asks warningly. Peter shakes his head which earns him a glare. Tony's hand is halfway to the tablet before Peter stops him,

"Mom gave her money at the hospital and told her to run. I don't know where she went after that."

"Anywhere she could go? Any family?"

"We were her family" Peter states. He can't help his voice from shaking a bit when adding "We were all she had. That's what she told us at least."

Tony's face becomes hard, unreadable. The lack of emotion sends a chill down Peter's spine and a spike from the tingle. Maybe he should have worded that differently? A long moment of heated silence passes before Natasha offers,

"Clint has been keeping an extremely close eye on the Parker manhunt. He can take over while Wilson is busy and Barnes can join us."

"Sounds good" Tony agrees through a clenched jaw. Yup, Peter screwed up discussing May.

After that, the restraints keeping Peter tied to the chair release him. The first few assessments aren't very difficult. First is a sight exam that reminds Peter of one he took in elementary school to see if he needed glasses. A monitor on the wall would show different pictures or words of varying sizes. Peter had to identify them all before taking a step back and starting a new round. Eventually they stop once Peter is on the complete other side of the gym and his back hits the opposite wall. Next, a hearing test that is again, simple. Peter stands in the middle of the room and has to identify different noises and what direction they are coming from. Dr. Banner also tests his sensitivity to pitch and frequency, only stopping when they are approaching levels that could make Peter pass out. Third, the group has Peter demonstrate the wall climbing. Everyone seemed excited about this unique ability, especially Tony and Dr. Banner. All of it is easy, nothing like Peter was expecting going in. This calms his nerves. Maybe this won't be so bad?

He is wrong. Of course, he is wrong.

Barnes eventually shows up as Bruce is examining Peter's hand. As Peter had been hours ago, the scientist is fascinated with the stickiness. After some discussion in the observation room, the two former agents let the group know they are ready. For this, Peter is blindfolded. The tingle in Peter's neck is on edge. He knows this is to test that ability, whatever it is. A flare to his left. Peter jumps out of the way before a body flies into him. He is quick to move again when the person comes back. He doesn't react fast enough to a spike in his neck before a punch lands on his stomach. Shit, that hurt.

The person moves away. Not too much later a warning sting causes Peter to duck his head. Some object flies by, grazing his ear. Holy shit, they're really willing to hurt him. A weird prickling he hasn't felt before urges him to keep moving left and then suddenly right. This time he hears a bunch of tiny whizzes go by. Then something small lands on his arm that wasn't quick enough. Upon impact, the small device explodes. Peter doesn't attempt to hold back a small yelp. Jesus Christ!

This goes on for so long. The Winter Soldier and Black Widow never give Peter a break. One or both of them is always either attacking him physically or shooting a weapon at him. Both being professional spies, he can't hear them move around. Without his sight he pretty much has to rely on the tingle. He can dodge most of it, but isn't quick enough yet to avoid all danger. Multiple punches land as well as electrical zaps and cuts from weapons. By the end, Peter is exhausted and so sore. The Avengers seem satisfied enough with the results. Natasha helps take the blindfold off and tells Peter, "It's a good start, an advantage nobody else has. Just watch, once we get you training, you'll be unstoppable."

A short break is Peter's reward. Or, more of a necessity since the next test is for strength.

After forcing Peter to have a quick snack, Steve demonstrates the exam. A large platform lowers down from the ceiling. Steve stands underneath and pushes it up a bit. "It'll get heavier. Dr. Banner and I will be in control of the amount of weight and how it is distributed. It is designed to shift around, so you'll need to adjust to keep it level." Peter takes his position underneath. At first the platform isn't too heavy. Upstairs, Steve had gotten Peter to almost a thousand pounds before his nerves set in. He can feel when more pounds are added to the platform. It starts off slow, and then suddenly one side of the platform is much heavier than the other. Peter is able to quickly modify his positioning to accommodate. He is good for a while doing the same thing over and over. He adjusts, weight is added to another corner. He adjusts, weight is added to a different corner.

After what feels like fifteen minutes, a loud boom echoes from above the platform. Of course Peter can't see what happened, but can feel a massive amount of weight fall onto him. It feels like double what it was before which was already the same as what it was in the gym upstairs. It has to be close to two thousand pounds above him. The surprise causes Peter to falter a bit, allowing the platform to fall to his shoulders. Shit. What's going on?

"Peter!" Rhodes runs out of the observation area and over to the strength test. He stands a bit away and worriedly says "It's malfunctioning. Your father and Dr. Banner are trying to fix it but you have to keep the machine up."

"What!" Peter yells. Weren't they checking the equipment when they entered the gym? How the hell did it break? Another huge amount of weight crashes onto the platform. "SHIT!"

"C'mon Pete, keep it up. You're doing great" Rhodes encourages. Peter can hear the concern growing in the man's voice.

"Help me out" Peter begs before there is another crash.

"We're working on it." Peter can barely concentrate enough to hear the man panic, "Look, I'm going to go help your dad. We'll figure this out. Just keep going."

Crashes and shouting sound around him. At one point he can hear Tony screaming at someone to get Peter out. What is happening? How did this go so bad so fast? Again and again, hundreds of pounds keep falling onto him. Eventually it becomes so much that Peter falls to a knee. In school they learned about the Greek myths. Peter remembers a titan who was forced to hold up the heavens on his shoulders. Yeah...Peter can suddenly relate.

The yelling around him grows more frenzied as time passes. Fuck...how much time has passed? Why are they taking so long? "AHHH!" Peter groans as yet another load is added."

He's going to die. This thing is going to crush him.

It must be true that your life flashes before you in your final moments. Images of his past go through Peter's mind. He and his mom at the park. Ben taking him to the movies. May burning cookies in the kitchen. Peter and Ned playing with Legos. His...his first kiss with MJ. All happy memories. Even a moment of him and Tony in the Malibu lab goes through Peter's head. As wrong as it is considering Tony is the reason he is in this spot.

Another what has to be thousand pounds is the last straw. Peter collapses onto the ground, waiting for the platform to come crushing down. His eyes scrunch together, not wanting to watch.

...

...

...

Nothing.

...

...

...

Silence.

...

...

...

Peter lets out a desperate gasp. What the hell? He should be dead.

Slowly opening his eyes, Peter sees the platform hovering a few inches above him. Stuck in place. Did they fix it? Did they actually fix it in time?

Holy shit, he's alive. He can't believe it. Running a hand over his face, Peter feels like is is about to hyperventilate. He's alive. This is real. He's alive and breathing.

The platform begins to rise. Peter watches, glad to see it go. He's so exhausted. All his body wants is to lie on the floor for the rest of his life. His heart is pounding, not settled yet from the panic of the last few minutes. The sweat that formed during the entire ordeal feels cool on his hot skin as a draft goes by. Peter closes, allowing himself to relish the calm.

A small tingle in his neck alerts him before Peter hears a door open. Ugh, just let him rest. They probably just want to make sure he is okay. But...why wouldn't they be rushing over then?

A slow clapping makes Peter's insides grow cold. Opening his eyes, Peter turns to see his father approaching him. The biggest smile Peter has ever seen Tony make is plastered all over his face. Absolute pride is exuding off of the man.

"That's my boy" Tony grins. "That. Is. My. Boy!"

What the hell? Where is the concern? One of the bastard's machines nearly killed Peter a minute ago, how could Tony be so happy right now? Only now, does Peter notice the other Avengers approaching, each with a similar look of accomplishment. Tony continues talking,

"You never cease to amaze me kid. God" he claps his hands together in excitement. "You were spectacular. Don't get me wrong we knew you'd be strong. But damn! I mean...Bruce back me up..."

Banner chuckles at his boss's enthusiasm, "I'm flabbergasted. I...never in my wildest dreams..."

"17,911 pounds" Tony brags. He kneels down next to Peter who is still too tired to get off the floor. Tony takes Peter's head into his hands and repeats, "17,911 pounds. Holy shit Pete. You're...god you're amazing. 17,911 pounds. That's my boy. THAT'S MY BOY! Steve's record is what...eight-hundred something? Hear that Capsicle? My kid put you to shame."

"Yeah, okay" Steve rolls his eyes.

Peter can hardly breathe. How do they know that? The machine was broken. It...the machine was broken. Rhodes said the machine was broken.

"And you're only thirteen. That means you're not done...God. I can't believe it. You did so good, so good Pete. Imagine when you're older..."

Tony stops when Peter places a hand on his wrist. "What the fuck?" is all Peter can muster. His mind too clouded with a single thought to rationalize anything. The machine was broken. The machine was broken. The machine was fucking broken.

A laugh leaves his father's lips, "Oh, Peter. I told you earlier. You have nothing to fear. We were in control the entire time."

Did someone just throw a bucket of water over Peter? Because that's what it feels like hearing those words.

The Avengers wait around and watch as Peter tries to process everything. They were in control. They were in control, which means the machine wasn't broken. Which...Rhodes lied to him. Rhodes. Who only a few hours ago Peter called Uncle Rhodey. Of course they used Rhodes. They knew Peter would believe him. The shouting, all an act. The clanging and crashing sounds...holy shit these sick assholes. They were all in on it. They all...

"I thought I was going to die" Peter shakes. Adrenalin kicks in enough that Peter is able to sit up and push Tony away. "I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE YOU BASTARD!"

Quick to recuperate, Tony is back up and pulls Peter into an embrace. Having used the last of his energy, Peter doesn't have enough in him to push his father away again. He just rests his head onto the man's chest, a position he hates to repeat from yesterday. "I know" Tony whispers into Peter's sweat-drenched curls. "I know Peter. We needed your full effort. Earlier today you were so timid. We knew if you thought your life was on the line, you'd give it everything you got. And you've got so much buddy. You did so good. So, so good. I'm so proud. You can't imagine how proud. 17,911 pounds. You would have never done that without your fear. It was amazing Pete. If only you could have seen us behind the monitors."

"I hate you" Peter whines. "I hate you. I hate you." He wants Tony to hurt. He wants Tony to hurt at least a quarter as much as Peter does now. Not only is his body exhausted, but he's so emotionally drained. How could they put him through that? Why? So he could lift a few extra pounds? The fucking bastards. "I hate all of you."

"Shh" Tony hushes. "It's okay. I love you enough for the both of us. This is almost over Peter. We're almost done down here."

Almost? They are almost done. Don't they see how fatigued he is? Peter doesn't know if he could stand right now, let alone do another assessment. "What...I can't...just let me go upstairs."

"Right after, we will take you up to the med bay and you can sleep and eat as much as you want" Tony tells him. "There's something Banner came across in his reading. We think you might have enhanced healing."

"Wh..what?"

"The serum has shown to speed up healing for everyone. But with what Oscorp's data has shown as well as from what we've seen today, yours could possibly be the fastest. So when you get to the med bay, they're going to examine and note each of your wounds. Then, they will keep track of your progress until they are fully healed. We need a baseline to know what to expect for normal healing from you."

Peter takes in a deep breath. That doesn't sound too bad. "O...okay. Let's go then."

He feels a small kiss on the forehead. "One last thing Peter" Tony whispers, then pauses. Peter waits in a nervous quiet for the man to continue.

"Let me do it Tony" he hears Steve say in a gentle voice. "You'll need to hold him still anyway. He's right-handed, right?"

What? Hold him still for what? And why is Tony agreeing? He can feel his father give the soldier a nod. What's going on?

Peter's neck starts screaming at him. Panic sets in, but his body is still too tired to fight. Every instinct in Peter is yelling at him to flee. But how? A small pull on Peter's left arm doesn't help his nerves.

"NO" He rasps. "No, what are you doing?"

Tony's hold becomes firmer, securing Peter in place. "We need a baseline for all injuries Pete. You have bruises, cuts, scrapes, burns and Natasha is pretty sure a fractured rib. There is one last thing." Steve grabs his arm again, this time with more force.

"NO" Peter tries to yank it away. With everything left in him, he tries to struggle.

"Bucky, a little help" Rogers asks.

Barnes steps forward and helps straighten out Peter's arm while Tony holds him still. Steve is able to get the cuff off Peter's wrist.

"Shh" Tony whispers as Peter continues to yell. He then addresses the others, "Let the medbay know to be ready and make sure Pepper is out of earshot of the hall."

"NO!" Peter wails. He realizes what is about to happen.

Steve lifts an arm. Pausing at the top, he tells Peter "Just know this isn't personal."

With all his might, the super soldier slams his fist onto Peter's arm. The worst part is, it doesn't work the first time. It takes Steve six tries to break the arm all the while Peter screams in pain. Nobody stops the man. Nobody steps in. Tony just holds his screaming son and watches his employee do this.

White, hot, searing pain envelops Peter's entire arm. Anguish like Peter has never experienced before overtakes him. He is barely aware as Tony lifts him up and carries him to the elevator. All Peter cares about is the lava that has become his arm. How could they? How could Tony? Peter want's his mom. He want's May. Hell, he'd even settle for Ben's urn right now. Anyone who actually cares about him. Not these sadistic evil monsters.

"I'm so proud Pete" Tony tells him once they are in the elevator. Oh, how Peter almost wishes it was back to when they were going down not up. At least then his arm didn't hurt. At least then he hadn't seen his life flash before his eyes. "You are truly remarkable."

Chapter Text

“.8 hex” Tony instructs. Within seconds, the screwdriver is placed on the table next to him. The kid is getting quicker.

The silence of the room is a bleak contrast to three days ago. Peter had been nervous then too, but not like this. It took Tony a single demonstration of his current nanite prototypes to get the boy mesmerized. After that, the entire night was a nice flow of questions and instruction. They moved from topic to topic easily, Tony maintaining Peter’s complete attention the entire time. Hours flew by without either of them noticing.

Now, the kid won’t even look at him.

After the gym, Peter spent the night in the medbay. He didn’t want anyone with him. Strange had to take over treating the boy’s wounds and Cho documented all the injuries for Bruce’s data because the boy kept freaking out when Banner got nearby. Tony stayed by the kid’s bedside, much to Peter’s chagrin. Rhodes had tried to keep Tony company but was eventually kicked out by Strange when Peter wouldn’t cooperate with some stiches. Nobody has the authority to make Tony leave. But after hearing the thousandth ‘I hate you’ out of his son, Tony had had enough and went to his lab.

The boy needed space.

Tony had checked on him the next morning. After a good night’s sleep and adequate meals, all of Peter’s superficial injuries were healed as well as some of the medium cuts and bruises. Natasha was right about the fractured rib, which was already on its way to a speedy recovery. The broken arm too, although that will take the longest to get back to normal. After doing a thorough examination, Dr. Cho felt confident enough to release Peter from the medbay with a few bandages and a cast for his arm.

As a peace offering, Tony had allowed his son to spend the day hidden away in his bedroom alone. Tony only checked on the boy during lunch to make sure Peter ate and forced him to join Tony for dinner. They sat in silence, much like right now, with the boy picking away at his food; too nervous to eat. Every time Tony tried to start a conversation, Peter would respond with a single-worded answer or shrug with an expression that was both fear and hatred. Eventually the kid got through a couple slices of lasagna and Tony excused him from the meal. Peter all but sprinted back upstairs. Nobody saw him again until Tony forced Peter to allow Dr. Cho to do another exam before bed.

This morning Tony walked into the kitchen to find Rhodes already there. The pseudo-uncle had also tried to make amends by fixing up another breakfast, which Peter completely rejected. Instead, the boy grabbed a big bowl of cereal and returned to his bedroom. For lunch he did the same with the leftover Chinese. It wasn’t until after another forced dinner that Tony lost his shit.

He can deal with Peter being moody and sulking all day, but him making it impossible for Tony’s staff to give the boy proper medical care is ridiculous. It was another fight to allow Dr. Cho to check on Peter’s injuries. At least Rhodey dealt with the kid in the morning. During the evening, Tony was done after Peter kept refusing to answer the physician’s questions. It took a few strikes upside the head before Peter finally complied. At the end, the boy sneered at Cho ‘Aren’t doctors supposed to be mandated reporters or something?’ Tony told Helen that after she was done inputting the new data, she could have the weekend off and a nice dinner paid for by Tony. A reward for her patience with his son. Much to Peter’s dismay, Banner would be taking over the checkups for the next few days.

Tony understands, he truly does, why Peter is acting this way. There were many points of his own childhood that he behaved similarly towards Howard. The terror, the hurt, the betrayal. All feeling Tony experienced constantly after lessons. The difference is he was younger. Howard had made sure by the time Tony was hitting double digits that he realized what the purpose of Howard’s teaching were. It took years, but finally Tony understood that his father was trying to prepare him for greatness. The Stark name is a lot to live up to and the expectation of each heir is so high. Not only was Tony expected to be intelligent beyond belief, but his company needed him to be strong, efficient, and tougher than nails. Tony sets the standard of what is expected out of his people. If he goes soft, it is only a matter of time before someone like Wayne steps in or worse, one of his own.

Sure, Tony has built a solid foundation of support with the Avengers, but the betrayal of his own godfather Obediah Stane is still a blunder he cannot have repeated. He can blame a bit of it on Howard and his own youth at the time. However, Starks are not allowed to make the same mistake twice. That is a lesson Howard succeeded to engrain into Tony that was reinforced after bringing down the Ironmonger.

He is trying to prepare Peter. Unlike what the boy believes, the gym wasn’t Tony being cruel for the sake of it. As if Tony wanted to electrocute the truth out of his son. As if he enjoyed holding Peter still as Rogers did what he did to the arm.

Eyeing the cast, Tony tries once again to break the ice “Dr. Cho is happy about the progress in your arm. She said you might be able to get the cast off sometime next week.”

“Uh huh” Peter mumbles, his face still blankly staring at the table in front of him.

‘C’mon Buddy’ Tony thinks. ‘I’m trying here.’

Ever since his son was born, Tony strived to make his lab a place the two of them could bond. A major difference between Tony and Howard. His father didn’t have much tolerance for teaching. Howard hated having to slow down his work in order to explain it to Tony. Rarely was Tony allowed in his father’s lab as a child. Only as a reward, was he graced with the opportunity to watch quietly from the side as Howard tinkered with new inventions. Tony didn’t want that for his own child. Within days of being born, Howie had his own setup in Tony’s lab where the father could go back and forth between his projects and son. Sure, the baby had no idea where he was at the time or it’s significance. But Tony wanted it instilled early on that his son belonged there. He wanted Howie to always know he had a place in Tony's lab.

Nobody was more surprised than the billionaire himself on how much Tony enjoyed having the boy with him. Even as a baby, Howie brought a warmth and joy to the workshop that had been missing. No longer was Tony spending hours surrounded by only machines, having only his college bots to talk to. He never got annoyed once by being pulled from deep concentration by a coo or squeak from the baby. Tony didn’t even mind the infant crying. He never hesitated to abandon whatever project he was working on to pick his child up and attend to his needs.

It became a bit more difficult as Howie’s motor skills began improving. The risk of the child getting hurt increased by the day. He had definitely inherited Tony’s sense of curiosity and mischief. Constantly was Tony improving the play area in the lab to keep his son both safe and entertained. Just as quickly as Tony would update the baby gate, Howie would figure out a new way to escape. Being pulled from thought by a tug on his pants leg from his roaming toddler became a new norm. It hindered his work, but Tony didn’t mind. His son wanted to be close, and Tony was happy to have him there.

Howie was the one to show interest in wanting to tinker with Tony’s tools. After coercing his father to allow him to sit on the table for a better view, Howie grabbed one of the screwdrivers and demanded to assist in tightening a few bolts. One and a half years old and already Tony could see his son had the hands of a mechanic. His heart swelled at the sight. After that is when Tony began coming up with tasks and projects for the boy to complete during their shared lab time. Small simple things, but Tony was proud none the less.

The older Howie got; the more fun Tony had with him in the lab. The boy was so eager to participate in Tony’s inventions. The rule was that Howie had to first complete his assignment that Tony would give him. The lab was a learning opportunity for Howie first and bonding time second. The father and son would work side by side, Tony keeping an eye on the kid’s progress. After Howie did a satisfactory job, he could join in Tony’s project. Tony would save the easy portions of his inventions for the boy, leaving the more extensive and difficult portions for after Howie went to bed.

For safety, Howie knew he wasn’t allowed to misbehave. No running around, no grabbing things without permission and no whining if Tony told him no. Breaking any of those rules would receive a smack and an early bedtime. Most of the time there were no problems. But occasionally, the three-year-old got too excited to resist touching the tools or tech. A time Tony turned his back for five seconds and returned to see Howie holding one of Clint’s taser arrows Tony hadn’t calibrated yet, still haunts his memory.

Today, Peter is barely paying the tech around him any mind. As a way to try to get some positive interaction with his kid, Tony had dragged Peter down to his lab after the check-up with Cho. He had hoped to replicate their time together a few nights ago. It had been spectacular. The quickness Peter picked up new concepts was astonishing. He was a natural with tools, being able to easily take apart and put back together all the gadgets Tony handed him. The questions Peter asked were complex, all needing extensive answers that inevitably lead into more and more. It was so much fun. Even in college Tony rarely had a lab partner that could challenge him like Peter did. The kid doesn’t even realize how smart he is.

It was the happiest Tony had been in years. Except for a short stint of Harley joining him, Tony had worked in his lifeless lab alone. He…never mind.

The memory of his and Howie’s last good night in the lab ten years ago resurfaces. A night that Tony has played mentally on repeat throughout the years.

 Tony was working on improving the thrusters on his new suit. He demonstrated some soldering techniques to Howie that couldn’t wait on for the tyke to go to bed. The little boy’s eyes were so big as he watched the wires fuse together.

‘Can I try?’ Howie asked.

‘Sorry buddy’ Tony told him. ‘Hot tools are for people who don’t need a booster seat in the car.’

The boy’s lips pouted but he knew better than to argue. Instead, he gloomily stared up at Tony with his brown doe eyes. Tony couldn’t help but smirk at his son’s silent plea. ‘I’m on a time crunch Howie. I need to get this done before Friday. Besides, your mom wouldn’t be too happy if she found out I let you melt metal.’

‘Why do you need to finish before Friday?’

‘I’m flying out to New York. Gotta few things to finish on the tower.’

‘But…’ Howie’s pout turned from fake sad to real disappointment. ‘But you and mommy just got back from New York yesterday.’

‘I know. I know. It’ll only be for a couple weeks Buddy.’

‘Can I come with?’

‘Next time, I promise’ Tony told the boy who seemed unfazed by the assurance. ‘I need to make sure Jarvis is properly installed before you can visit. Gotta keep you safe.’

Howie began woefully looking down at his hands. At that point in life the little boy only had a minor understanding of the dangers that waited out in the world for him. Children’s programming of the time had given the boy a basic explanation of superheroes and villains, inspired by the very people in Howie’s life. He knew daddy and his employees fought bad guys to keep people safe. He also knew that those bad guys would hurt him as a chance to get back at Tony.

‘I don’t like it when you and mommy are gone.’

‘Hey’ Tony put down his tools and scooted his chair over, so he is in front of his son. He brushed a hand though Howie’s hair and said ‘Like I said, it’ll only be for a couple of weeks and it’s just me this time. Mommy is staying home with you. Besides, didn’t you enjoy spending time with Uncle Rhodey?’

At the mention of his mother’s continued presence, Howie perked up. ‘Yeah. We went swimming in the ocean and Uncle Rhodey put chocolate chips in my pancakes and…and we watched Star Wars.’

Tony never got sick of hearing his son’s chatter. Rhodes had been giving both him and Pepper updates throughout the week they were gone. Tony's best friend never missed an opportunity to spoil his godson. Howie was supposed to meet with his tutor the day they went swimming, but Rhodey cancelled in the name of godfather prerogative. Apparently, the boy was so tired after that he fell asleep twenty minutes into their movie night.

‘Really, which one?’

‘The teddy bear one.’

‘Oh, the teddy bear one’ Tony chuckled. ‘I forgot. Don’t the teddy bears lose? I remember a big explosion in that movie. Wasn’t that their base?’

‘You know it wasn’t Daddy’ Howie smiled up at him, knowing when his father was teasing him.

‘I don’t know, I recall those chicken robots winning in the end.’

‘No Daddy! The teddy bears stole the chicken robot.’

‘Ahhh, well I guess I have to believe the expert. Huh.”

‘Yeah.’

‘You know, Uncle Rhodey told me you skipped out on Miss Darla in order to go swimming.’

The smile disappeared from Howie’s face, being replaced by worry. “I…Uncle Rhodey said it was fine.’

‘Well Uncle Rhodey should know better.’ He and Rhodes had many conversations back in the day about Howie’s education. Tony saw the potential in his kid and wanted to give Howie a jump start. Rhodes thought Tony was going overboard with the daily tutoring sessions. Pepper spoke up on Rhodey’s side and Tony relented by reducing the sessions to four times a week. Besides, it gave him more time with Howie in the lab.

‘I’m sorry’ Howie said quietly.

‘For what, did you call Miss Darla and cancel the session?’

‘No.’

‘Then you don’t apologize for something you didn’t do.’

Howie nodded his head. His big eyes still displayed the nervous energy he is trying to hide.

Tony ran another hand through his son’s hair. ‘Well, since you skipped a tutoring session, I should check to make sure you haven’t fallen behind.’

The boy’s nerves died quickly as excitement took over. Oral pop quizzes were a regular in their household, and Howie was always eager to prove his knowledge. The chance to impress Tony was always of the upmost importance.

‘What is…’ Tony thought over the current curriculum the tutor was working with. Howie had just started long division, ‘156 divided by 12?’

A hint of panic with the new material, but the boy’s brain immediately began to work. The sight was one to behold. Howie’s eyes looked up to the ceiling and slightly shifted back and forth, like he was looking at a chalkboard. ‘Um…’ his voice unsure, ’13?’

’10 points for Howie.’

The boy beamed, ‘Next one.’

‘Okay…how do you spell radish?’

‘Easy’ Howie gloated. ‘R. A. D. I. S. H.’

‘Right again. Next one is harder. What are the names of the seven oceans?’

They went on like that for a good few minutes. Some questions Howie answered instantly, some he had to ponder around his mind for. With each correct answer, Tony couldn’t help but feel proud. This was his son, his little genius.

‘Volume’ is Howie’s answer to the ninth question.

‘Good job. Now, are you ready for the final one?’ Howie excitedly nodded; his smile as big as could be. Tony returned the grin, ‘Okay, drumroll.’ Both father and son began quickly patting on the table. ‘This is it. This is for all the marbles. You sure you’re ready?’ Another nod from the little boy. ‘You can stop now if you’re scared.’ Howie’s tapping gets louder, urging Tony on. ‘One last chance to back out.’

‘Ask the question!’ Howie implored. The last question Tony asked was always the same.

‘Fine, fine, fine. Who is…my favorite…little guy?’ They both stopped tapping.

“Huh’ Howie pretended to contemplate. He stared at the ceiling, biting his lip. ‘Um…huh…ummmmm.’ The kid’s sass grew by the day.

‘Clock’s ticking’ Tony teased as his son continued his antics. ‘We need an answer. 5…4…3…2…’

‘Me’ the little boy giggled confidently. ‘It’s me.’

‘That’s right. You are my favorite little guy, and nothing will ever change that’ Tony told his son, who blushed. ‘I love you so much buddy.’

‘Love you too.’

‘Perfect score this time. You’re getting good.’

Bashfully, Howie shrugged. ‘Easy.’

‘Oh, it’s too easy now? I can fix that. What is 5000…’

‘No! No, I already got a hundred points.’

‘Okay, okay. You did get a hundred. Are you cheating?’

Howie’s mouth dropped open in offense, ‘Daddy, how would I cheat?’

‘You tell me. You got an answer key hidden somewhere?’ Tony teased, tickling his son’s sides while pretending to look for a sheet of paper.

‘No!’ the boy shrieked. ‘You come up with the questions in your head.’

‘Oh, so you’re a mind reader.’

‘Not a mind reader.’

‘Well,’ Tony stopped his taunting. ‘If you don’t have an answer key and you can’t read minds…you must just know the answers. So, what do you want for a prize?’

Thinking for a moment, the boy suddenly got a mischievous grin. ‘Um…I hold the solder tools and you can control my hands for the wires…’

The little shit.

‘That’s being tricky’ Tony eyed his boy. ‘You are looking for loopholes.’

Another shrug, ‘Did I find one?’

‘Why…’ Tony couldn’t help but chuckle. He picked Howie off the table to set in his lap. ‘Yes, yes you did. Don’t tell mommy.’

‘Don’t tell mommy what?’ a voice sounded behind him.

‘Dammit. JARVIS, a little warning next time’ Tony scolded at the ceiling.

‘I apologize Sir’ his AI didn’t sound very sorry.

‘It’s time for bed’ Pepper told Howie, who tried to protest

‘But mommy…’

‘It’s 7:00, I’ve given you extra time already.’

‘But…but…’ the boy looked up to Tony. ‘I got a hundred, I get a prize.’

Tony sighed, ‘In the morning buddy.’

The pout returned, ‘But…but…’

‘How about’ Tony offered. ‘Because you got a hundred points today and because Daddy is going to be gone next week, you come to work with me tomorrow? There’s a Lego set I’ve been hiding in my office that is just dying for someone to complete it.’

Tony ignored Pepper’s concerned look at the offer. He knew she didn’t like Howie around his business, but the boy needs to learn about his future company. Howie on the other hand was more than intrigued with the notion of new Legos.

‘What type of Lego set?’

‘Bonus question of the night, what type of set do you think it is?’

‘Star…’ Howie began, trying to read Tony’s facial expression, which changed with each suggestion. ‘Dinosa….um…sponge…uhhhh…Harry Potter.’

“You are just on fire tonight. But, if you don’t cooperate with mom for bedtime, I think I might have to offer it up to Clint.’

‘No!’ Howie shook his head. His arms reached out to Pepper who gladly picked him up.

Pepper hesitated before leaving the lab, ‘Are you sure about tomorrow? I thought your schedule was pretty full?’

‘I’ll have Silvia move everything to my morning’ Tony shrugged. ‘Knock it all out before lunch then spend some time with him in R&D.’

‘Okay’ Pepper agreed, her nerves not leaving her eyes. She hated letting Howie into Stark Industries headquarters but knew not to disagree with Tony about it. ‘See you in bed later.’

‘I’ll be a few more hours’ Tony told her before getting a kiss goodnight. His wife and son disappeared up the stairs soon after. Once he knew they were out of earshot, he called out to his AI ‘Hey JARVIS, what Lego options do I have for tomorrow?’

‘There is a nightbus and also Hagrid’s hut that could be ready in your office by the morning.’

‘What did I get him last time it was Harry Potter?’

‘Gryffindor common room Sir.’

‘Do the nightbus then. He has more fun with wheels anyways.’

What a divergence to their time together only forty-eight hours later. Monday had been a long day for Howie after watching his first interrogation. It pained Tony to watch his son panic every time he approached the boy. Howie would shake and struggle to breathe. Tony kept his physical distance but continually told boy about how proud he was. His son, his three-year-old son was able to handle such a gory scene for almost two hours. A prodigy the boy was.

Pepper didn’t understand, that is clear now. At the time, Tony thought he had prepared her enough for motherhood. Pepper had held her tongue in front of Howie, but Tony could see the horror she was keeping underneath the surface. He was fine if she didn’t agree with everything he did, but he expected her to still show support. To do her role.  Tony allowed Pepper to comfort Howie as he cried himself to sleep. The boy was never punished for his time with his mother. It was her job to be the one to offer their son a chance to recollect himself, just like Maria had done for Tony.

Every time Howard’s lessons became overwhelming to the point Tony’s doubts and hatred started to brew, Maria was the one to talk him down. She was the one who would assure Tony that it was all for the best and Howard’s actions were out of care not malice. It was a balance between the two. Howard was teaching Tony to be a man and Maria allowed him to act his own age. It’s why men in Tony’s world have such a strong connection to their mothers. Maria was the one to give Tony a childhood.

The night after Howie’s first interrogation was disastrous. Tony had spent the day at SI, only to come home to more work. The boy avoided Tony like the plague, hiding behind furniture and clutching onto his mother. Pepper wasn’t much assistance. It took arguments and threats to make her get her to do her part in assuring Howie of his safety with Tony. After a much-failed attempt to bring Howie down to the lab, Tony settled for trying to coax the boy with a movie night. The family sat on the couch, Howie burying himself into Pepper’s side to get as far away from Tony as possible.

Wednesday was a bit better. With a lot of dread, Howie at least let Tony carry him down to the lab. The boy shook and avoided eye contact, but he was able to be alone with Tony. Not much was accomplished that lab session. Each time Tony tried to talk with Howie, the boy would choke on his own words. At one point Tony accidentally zapped himself on some electrical wires and cursed loudly. That spurred something in the boy to go into a panic attack.

As a safety protocol, Pepper was always alerted when Tony or Howie was in distress in the lab. She must have been waiting for an opportunity, because she was down the stairs only moments into Howie’s meltdown.

‘He’s fine Pep’ Tony was annoyed.

Their son launched himself at Pepper who began rocking him. ‘Shhh, I’ve got you’ she whispered to the boy. Howie hid his surely crying face into Pepper’s shoulder as she began heading towards the stairs, Tony growled

‘We aren’t done yet.’

‘Tony’ Pepper turned back to him. Her blue eyes were pleading ‘Look at him. He’s had enough.’

‘It’s only 5:30.’

‘Let me take him upstairs Tony, please.’

‘Put. Him. Down.’

As if it was the hardest thing she had ever done, Pepper timidly began lowering her son to the floor. Howie clung to her, screaming

‘NO! MOMMY NO!’

‘Howie’ she whispered. ‘Your dad said…’

‘UPSTAIRS! I WANT UPSTAIRS!”

‘I’m sorry baby…’

“MOMMY!’

‘Fine!’ Tony couldn’t take it. He wanted to be angry but there was nobody he could blame. Pepper was following his instructions and it’s not like he can expect his three-year-old to miraculously be better. Howard had warned Tony this would be difficult, but fuck! H had never imagined it would hurt so much. ‘Bring him upstairs. But I expect a full session tomorrow young man.’

Tony didn’t get a reaction from his son whose head was still tucked into Pepper’s chest. His wife gave him a grateful nod and swiftly carried the boy out of the lab. Later, he forced Pepper out of Howie’s room to retire for the night in their own bed. The next morning, Tony changed JARVIS’s protocol so Pepper couldn’t get into the lab before 6:30 unless it was an emergency.

He tried to reconnect with Howie in the lab again Thursday afternoon. It was his last chance before heading off to New York. Tony was hoping the trip away would give Howie some time to heal. Little did he know at the time, that it would be the last night Tony would spend with his son for years.

‘Howie’ Tony had told the boy after almost an entire night of silence. ‘You are fine. It’s just lab time buddy. You love lab time.’

‘I…I…’ the little boy was picking at his fingers; a new tick he had developed that night.

‘Look at me’ Tony instructed. Slowly and with much hesitation, his son’s eyes met his own. ‘There is no need to be scared, it’s just you and me.’

‘Da…dad…’ Howie bit his lip, an attempt to stop himself from crying. Again, Tony couldn’t even be upset. The boy was trying so hard to please him. Tony kept having to remind himself of Howie’s age. Considering he was only three, Howie was technically doing well. It didn’t feel like it to Tony, but they had made a ton of progress since Monday night.

‘C’mon buddy. Besides breakfast tomorrow, it’s the last time I’ll see you for a couple weeks. What are you afraid of?’

The boy didn’t respond, he tried but his lip began trembling. His eyes shifted away from Tony. The bite on his lip returned with more strength.

‘Howie, remember what I said about lab time. It’s a time for you to ask questions. Take a deep breath and tell me what’s bothering you.’ Tony knows what’s going on in his son’s head. However, he needed Howie to start the dialogue.

‘Why…’ Howie quivered. He took a few deep breathes like Tony told him to. ‘Daddy why…why did you do that?’

‘Do what Howie?’

A pained look crossed the three-year-old’s face. Tony knew this was difficult for the boy. Howie needed to process it. There couldn’t be any sugar-coating or hand holding. That would have slowed down the boy's progress. So, Tony waited until his son could articulate the events he witnessed, ‘You hurt that man. Why?’

‘I had to Howie. He was keeping information I needed a secret. It was the only way to get the answers I needed.’

‘But…but…superheroes aren’t supposed to hurt people.’

This is where those stupid cartoons had come to bite Tony in the ass. Maybe he shouldn’t have relied on them so much to explain the world to Howie. However, they had given Tony a vocabulary that the boy could understand at his young age. ‘That’s not true Howie, we hurt bad guys like those villains in your TV shows. We do that to keep people safe.’

‘You…you do that a lot?’

‘When I have to, yes. It’s part of my job.’

‘And…Uncle Rhodey and Captain Steve…and…and Dr. Banner and…’

‘All the Avengers, buddy. You will too when you’re older.’

A chocking noise came out his son. Tony could see the little boy think through what Tony had just told him. Absolute horror fills Howie’s voice as he stuttered, ‘I…I don’t…I don’t want…I don’t want to…to do that.’

‘It’s not so bad’ Tony combed his hand though the boy’s hair, hoping to give some comfort. ‘Trust me, next time you watch won’t be as scary.’

‘No…No daddy…don’t…no…’ Tears began falling from the boy’s eyes. Dammit, that meant Tony had to address them.

‘Hey, no crying’ Tony chastised, his voice getting hard. He hears the door to the lab open. Shit.

Pepper was speed walking to the pair. ‘It’s 6:30, time for bed.’

‘Stop’ he snapped at his wife. Howie could go once he’s learned his lesson. ‘Howie, no crying.’

Wiping his face with his sleeve, the boy tried to stop his tears from falling. Tony can see he was trying. But trying isn’t good enough. Howie had to stop crying. Grabbing the boy’s face, Tony made Howie look him in the eye. ‘Stark men do not cry, now stop it.’

‘Tony…’ Pepper whimpered.

‘Shh’ Tony hissed at her. She had been of so little help the past couple of days. Turning back to his son, Tony growled, “Howie, listen to me.’ The boy was fighting so hard, but a tear escaped his left eye and trailed down his face. That earned a hard slap from Tony. ‘HOWARD JAMES STARK. STOP WITH THE TEARS!’

‘DON’T HURT ME!’ Howie screamed in fear. ‘PLEASE, DON’T…I’M SORRY! DON’T…’

God dammit!

‘Howie’ Tony tries to make his voice gentler. ‘Howie, calm down.’

‘I’M SORRY DADDY! PLEASE DON’T…’

‘Howard James!” Tony tried again to get the kid to hear him.

‘Tony!’ Pepper pleaded, her own tears coming to the surface. ‘Give him here. Please.’

Ignoring her, Tony continued trying to get his son’s attention. ‘That was just a punishment for the crying. Stop right now. Howard!’

Something made the boy pause, but it wasn’t Tony. The boy’s screaming stopped as his body began to tremble. A smell hit’s Tony’s nose causing him to look down. A big wet spot had formed on Howie’s pants. The boy had been potty-trained for months at that point.

‘Fuck’ Tony sighed, more out of disappointment than disgust.

‘I’m sorry’ Howie shook. ‘I’m sorry daddy. Don’t grab the bar. Please, don’t grab the bar. I’m sorry.’

Shit. The boy thought that would be his punishment.

‘Howie’ Tony leaned down to eye level of his son. ‘I would never do that to you. I would never hurt you like I did to that man. That’s just for bad guys.’

He couldn’t tell if Howie heard or believed Tony. All the boy did was tremble under his father’s gaze. Howie bit his lip again, this time holding back the tears with more success. Maybe the embarrassment was assisting with that.

‘Tony’ Pepper’s voice was barely above a whisper. ‘He needs a bath.’

Holding his son’s stare for a moment longer, Tony hoped his words sunk in. Although, he doubted it. He placed a kiss on his son’s head before stepping back. ‘Take him.’

For the last time ever, Tony watched his wife race up the stairs with their son. His biggest regret in life is not chasing after them.

Finishing tuning the circuit he’s been working on, Tony glances over at Peter. The teen is picking at some loose fuzz on his cast. The color of the cast is red. Tony wonders if Peter had chosen that color or if Strange did for him. Even though other Avengers incorporate the color into their outfits, the team seems to mostly associate red with Tony’s suits.

“I’ve been looking into some tutors for you” Tony tells the boy.

“Hmm,” is all Peter gives as an acknowledgement.

“I’ve been debating if you should have only a couple or one for each subject, Rhodey thinks that’s a bit overboard.”

“Hmm.”

“I saw you took Spanish back at Midtown, did you want to keep that up? There are a few good tutors that know three to four languages if there are any others you’d like to learn.”

“Sure.”

C’mon kid. “I had taught you a bit of Italian when you were young. Do you remember any of it?”

“No.”

“Well, how about we start that up again. Get you some knowledge of your ancestor’s roots.”

“Fine.”

“Your other elective was robotics. Trust me you’ll be getting plenty of that in the lab. Anything else you want to take.”

“Don’t care.”

“Peter’ Tony snaps. The kid looks up. ‘You should care, it’s your education.”

“You’re just going to make me do whatever you want anyway. So why are you even asking?” Peter states, the familiar glare of the past few days returning.

“I am giving you choices. But if you insist I pick for you, I’m fine with that.”

“Whatever” Peter’s attention returns to the cast.

Tony sighs. He places his tools down and runs a hand though his hair. Fuck, this is going to hurt. “Thirty seconds” he tells the boy.

“What?” Peter asks, his eyebrows knitting together.

“You have thirty seconds to let it all out” Tony explains. Peter peers up, still a bit confused. “No punishment. You can say, scream or yell anything you want.”

“No punishment?” Peter asks, clearly not believing Tony.

“None.” He lets Peter think for minute. After the boy gives him a short nod, Tony looks down at his watch. “Okay…go.”

“I hate you” Peter starts, passion already behind his words.

“You’ve said that already, move on.”

“I hate you, I hate your team, I hate being here.” Peter is staring at him with a heated intensity. “I want to go home. Back to Queens with mom and May. I want my friends. I hate you for taking all of that away. I don’t love you. Mom doesn’t love you and frankly you don’t love us. Why couldn’t you just move on? You’re a monster! I wish I never went to Oscorp and you never found us. Fuck you for what you’ve done to May. We were so happy being away…”

“Time” Tony stops him. The boy bites his tongue but clearly wants to say more. It would be a lie to say the words didn’t sting. Tony will never admit it, especially not to his son. “Better?”

Peter nods and takes in a shaky breath. His emotions are still running rampant in his head.

“3/16 wrench” Tony demands. The tool is soon placed next to him. He grabs it and continues his work. “I do love you by the way.”

“No, you don’t” Peter says, disgust written across his face.

“Yes, I do.”

“No…”

“Peter…”

“LOOK AT MY ARM” the teen yells. “You electrocuted me, had Russian assassins throw knives and explosives at me then you held me down and let a super soldier nearly snap my arm in half. THAT’S NOT LOVE.”

“WE HAVE GONE OVER THIS ALREADY” Tony yells back. Jesus fuck, he’s already explained this to the kid. “It’s for your medical data in case you get hurt. Do you really think I enjoyed that? Why the hell do you think Steve offered?”

“YOU’RE PSYCHOTIC!”

“What would happen if you got hurt with some underlying issue and we didn’t know your healing was behind? Huh? What if you got hit with something that had a chemical or poison that slowed things down and we had no idea? That could be deadly Peter.”

“That’s a load of bullshit and you know it.”

“IT HAPPENED TO STEVE!” Tony yells. Peter takes a step back and blinks in surprise. Taking in a breath, Tony tries to explain more calmly, “Back in DC when he, Wilson and Romanov brought down SHIELD. Barnes was still under Hydra control and nearly killed Rogers. What we didn’t know at the time was Fury had given him something to diminish the serum’s effects. It took days to figure out something was wrong and weeks to fix it. So, forgive me for not wanting the same to happen TO YOU!”

Peter appears conflicted. He definitely wasn’t expecting Tony to have an answer or reason for his actions days ago. God! The kid just won’t listen!

“I haven’t lied to you Pete. Everything I do is for a reason. I don’t play around when it comes to what is important, especially when it involves you and your mother. Those abilities that spider gave you, are a gift. One that is not to be taken lightly. Nothing about you is normal and it is time for you to realize that.”

“That’s not for you to decide” Peter argues. “I’m a human being, not some pet or puppet you can manipulate and push around to do pleasing.”

“You’re right. You’re my son. A Stark.”

“THAT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING!”

“IT MEANS EVERYTHING” Tony cuts the boy off. He slams the wrench in his hand down and give his son his full attention. “Stark is more than just a name Peter. It is status, an indicator of greatness. It defines me and like it or not, it defines you.”

Shaking his head, Peter says “No.”

“Deny it all you want” Tony begins making his way towards Peter who slowly backs into the wall. “But you know I’m not wrong. Your intelligence, your strength, your determination. All Stark. Even those spider powers, wouldn’t be yours if it weren’t for the serum your bloodline created. You look at all of this as a burden instead of a blessing. One day you will see it for what it is, for what you are. Power. And you Peter” Tony places his hands on his son’s shoulders. They lock eyes as Tony continues, “have great power. And with great power comes great responsibility. Responsibility you owe the world. Those who have come before you have built you an empire. It is the job of each generation to expand. I’ve done more than my part. I’ve gotten half a country so far and I’m not yet finished. By the time it’s your turn…Peter you could be unstoppable. The world could be yours. You have so much potential, and I am not going to let you squander it. Now” Tony turns and makes his way back to his worktable, “cut me off eight inches of .5 copper wire.”

Silence.

The boy is frozen in place.

“Peter…”

His son cuts Tony off, “I wish Ben Parker was alive instead of you.”

The words cut deep. Tony can feel his heart leap into his throat. Years of practice in keeping his composure and Tony thinks he might break for the first time since childhood. “I took up three seconds of your thirty, so I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“It’s true…I wish he was here instead of you.” The boy knows what he is doing. He’s trying to hit Tony where he knows it will hurt the most.

“What did Ben Parker do for you Peter? Give you ice cream? Bring you to movies? I’ve seen his files, not the brightest bulb, was he?”

“Ben Parker was a thousand times the man you will ever be.”

“He didn’t even know how to do his job, he wasn’t offering up much to the world.”

“He took care of mom and me. He and May gave us a place to live. He never hurt us, unlike you. Ben Parker was a great person.”

“Ben Parker was a lazy swine that was stupid enough to get himself shot.”

“BEN PARKER PUT HIMSELF BETWEEN ME AND A GUNMAN!”

…

…

…

“What?” Tony growls.

“Yeah” Peter gives him a triumphant grin. “He saved me. He always protected mom and me. Ben couldn’t imagine seeing us get hurt. That’s what love is. Not this. The man you hate and drag through the mud on TV is the reason I’m alive today.”

“The reason you’re…” Tony can’t believe the nonsense spilling out of the boy’s mouth. “BEN PARKER IS THE REASON SOMEONE HAD A GUN POINTED AT YOU!”

Peter’s face faulters, “What?”

“He was a police officer Peter. I don’t give a shit that he took a bullet for you. I’ve put myself in front of a nuclear missile for fuck’s sake. That was his job. That pathetic goon you like to harbor as a hero is nothing but trash in my eyes.”

“He…he saved me.”

“You should have never been in that position!” Tony fumes. “You want me to praise that man for what he did? If it weren’t for him and that May, you and your mother would have been home safe years ago. They are the ones who assisted in your mother’s delusion. If Benjamin Parker was any good at his job, he would have reported your finding so I could come get you. Instead, he not only neglected that duty, but assisted in the cover-up. I had so many protocols in place to find you two. All thwarted because of the Parkers. And now you stand there and tell me that I should be grateful to that buffoon for putting himself between you and that gun when YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

“I…” the boy is in disbelief. “Don’t talk about him that way. He raised me. He was a good man.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want to believe, fine. But then how about this. If it weren’t for you and your mother, Ben Parker might still be alive today. So good job son. Your first kill.”

Tony can tell her hit a nerve. Peter looks like he is on the verge of a breakdown. His eyes begin to water,

“Do. Not. Shed” Tony sneers, pointing a finger at his son. “A. Fucking. Tear. For that man.” The kid does as he’s told. It takes maybe the hardest lip bite Tony has seen so far, but Peter chokes down his tears. “Go to your room. Tomorrow, I want a different attitude.”

Peter doesn’t need to be told twice. His spider powers must have been involved for how quick the teen gets out of the lab.

After many unplanned explosions and misfires, Tony has avoided mixing engineering and alcohol. However, he does keep a bottle of whisky on hand for the particularly frustrating days. Today is one of those occasions. After downing three pours, he stops bothering with the glass.

For hours he stews. The million ways he thought the reunion of him and Howie would go, he never thought he’d have to compete for the boy’s affection against such a fool of a man. Tony read up on Parker out of curiosity of the man who raised his boy. While Benjamin Parker wasn’t a bad cop, he wasn’t anything special. Normal intelligence and average work ethic. He wasn’t going anywhere career wise. Just known as a nice guy who showed up.

May at least seemed more than competent at her job. The staff she worked with seemed to hide their admiration for her after discovering her crimes. Paperwork wise, she was a good employee. Good reviews, liked by managers, never missed a shift. None the less, Pepper and Peter deserved more.

Those two fucking idiots.  The Parkers will never have any idea the damage they have done to not only Tony’s family, but the world. They messed with the upbringing of the Stark heir. Ben allowed a gun to be pointed at Tony’s son.

‘The only reason I’m alive is because he ran out of bullets. It was like the universe was taunting me. My biggest failure will always be not getting justice for the two people who meant the most.’

Bruce Wayne told Tony that once. It was during a night of their semester of friendship. The two of them had hotboxed Bruce’s car and were beyond blazed. Yet their conversation had felt so sober. One of the few nights their antics involved confiding about inner demons instead of partying to forget them.

Those murders did more to shape Bruce than anything Thomas or Alfred had taught him. A darkness Tony doesn’t even recognize is so woven into Wayne’s being it has sent shivers down Tony’s spine at times. While being one of the most charming and charismatic men alive to the public face, Bruce can quickly change into the intimidating figure that make the world’s criminals cower in fear.

Tony wonders how Parker’s murder will impact his own son. Peter was twelve when it happened, two years older than Bruce was. Maybe Tony can use it to his advantage. Alfred did. Bruce talked all the time about how Alfred used Bruce’s anger and fear from the murders to train him. It won’t be the same with Peter, especially after their conversation today. But the opportunity will always be there to tap into.

A gun was pointed at his twelve-year-old.

Without Tony there to protect him.

Taking another swig of whisky, Tony again curses the Parkers. They allowed that. They and Pepper. Fuck. How could Pepper keep that from him? What else is she hiding from him? Steve's concerns from a few days ago replay in Tony’s head. They don’t know how Pepper got to New York. They don’t know how she met the Parkers. They don’t know how she had hidden for so long. Not that doubts his wife’s intelligence, but for fuck’s sake. She isn’t a miracle worker.

Getting up from his seat, Tony pours himself one last glass of whisky that he takes with him. He heads towards the elevator.

It’s time he has a chat with his wife.

Chapter Text

“You can do it Pep, he’s almost here” Tony whispers in her ear. She grips his hand is tighter and pushes through her latest contraction. After it is over, she falls back onto Tony’s chest. Never has she been so grateful that her husband is enhanced than now. She can squeeze, pinch, elbow and collapse onto him without worry. He doesn’t even flinch. In fact, he encourages her to take her pain out on him. Anything to help her get through this.

The OBGYN tells her, “A couple more contractions Mrs. Stark and I think he’ll be out. You’re doing a good job.”

“Oh, gee, thanks” Pepper sarcastically remarks, earning a chuckle from Tony. He places a kiss in her hair and says,

“Be nice.”

She doesn’t mean to be rude to the doctor. The pain is just so unbearable that she can’t think straight. God, hopefully this is over soon.

The monitor starts beeping. Dammit, she wanted a few more seconds of rest.

“Okay, get ready” the doctor says. “Three, two, one, push.”

Pepper squeezes down as hard as she can. She barely notices Tony urging her on. “Ahhhh” she screams. This is agony. Something feels different this time when she lands back onto Tony.

“Pep” Tony says, brushing her hair back. “His head is out.”

She looks up to the mirror the medical staff set up. While she has avoided glancing at it, finding staring at her exposed genitals extremely awkward, Pepper desperately wants to see her son’s first moments of life. Between her folds, sure enough is a little head making its way out. It’s a beautiful and disgusting sight. A bit of anxiety comes over her, but she remembers from her birthing classes that this can happen. She just has one more round of pushing and her little boy will be in her arms.

“Last round Mrs. Stark” the doctor assures her with her own excitement. Pepper braces against Tony, preparing. “A couple more pushes and you’re done. Okay, three, two, one, go!”

White hot searing pain envelops the lower half of her body. It’s excruciating. But she knows it’s almost over. Pepper takes in the biggest breath of her life and pushes the hardest she has so far. Then suddenly…the pain is gone. Crashing back down on her husband’s torso, she is exhausted. Faintly, she feels little taps hit her inner thighs and a distant wail.

“You did it” Tony whispers into her ear, Pepper can hear the smile in his voice. His arms wrap around her, and he places another big kiss on the side of her head. “Holy shit, Pep. He’s here.”

Before Pepper realizes what is happening, a little bundle of skin, limbs and goo is placed on her chest. It’s her baby. Her tiny baby boy.

Tears begin to cloud her vision as she places a hand gently on the infant’s back. Emotion like Pepper has never felt before swells in her chest below the little miracle. Her heart beats heavy underneath the boy’s fragile body. Pepper knows in that instant that it belongs to him. Only a few seconds old and her son is the absolute love of her life. In that moment she knows she would do anything for her child.

“He’s perfect” Pepper hears her husband gasp. She smiles, agreeing with him. The tiny baby is flawless.

The newborn’s face scrunches up. Pepper watches in amazement as he lets out the most beautiful whine. A voice so wonderful, it steals another part of her soul.

A larger, calloused hand of her husband’s blankets over hers. His embrace around her tightens, which she gladly relaxes into. She basks in the warmth of his hold wrapped around her and their child. “You were amazing Pep” Tony tells her, setting her heart a flutter. “So fucking amazing. I love you both so much.”

Stealing a glance away from the infant, Pepper turns her head to see Tony watching them both. His eyes are mesmerized by them, complete adoration shining bright. He leans down and shares a deep kiss on the lips with her.

This moment is the best of her life. Holding her beautiful son while wrapped in the arms of the man she loves. Pepper takes a second to revel in it. She wants to remember this for the rest of her life. Every sound, smell and touch she cements into her memory. She can’t imagine ever feeling so happy again in her life.

At least one positive about isolation is that Pepper gets time to catch up on some reading. Between working over fifty hours a week and taking care of Peter, she rarely has gotten to do that over the past few years. When Happy had shown her the living quarters Tony had arranged for her, Pepper was pleasantly surprised to find a bookshelf filled with both classic and modern novels. She had also been given a tablet with limited internet access where she could order more if she wanted. While Pepper is married to the biggest tech genius of their time, she much prefers having a hard copy to read off of than a screen.

The apartment itself is quite nice. While nowhere as extravagant as what Pepper knows is upstairs, the small space is well furnished and filled with things to help Pepper pass the time. Like Tony had promised, there is no window for her to look outside. The only time Pepper has seen sunlight has been her daily sessions to the gym. That will surely stop for the weeks after her nose surgery. She wonders if she’ll be able to convince Happy to let her relax for a few hours a day on one of the tower’s balconies or at least a window. It technically isn’t good for people’s heath to be deprived of natural light for so long.

Besides the visit with the plastic surgeon, Happy is really the only person Pepper has talked to regularly since arriving at the tower. Rhodes had stopped by a couple times to check on her. Both he and Happy have been pleasant enough, but Pepper can tell their opinions of her have changed. She doesn’t know how they feel about her now. From their behavior, she doesn’t think they know either.

Before her marriage, Pepper had thought the three of them were a team. The trio that kept the brilliant yet at times out-of-control Tony Stark grounded and alive. Pepper maintained balance in Tony’s personal and work life, Rhodes upkept his business relationship with the military and Happy made sure Tony didn’t kill himself during any of his antics. They had all thought Obadiah was a part of their team. Oh, how wrong they were.

It wasn’t until her engagement that she truly understood how Rhodes, Happy and even Tony viewed her. Yes, they all admired her intelligence and business instincts. However, her position as Tony’s assistant was always just a time holder. A way to keep a watchful eye on her until Tony finally decided to settle down. Happy and Rhodes were her friends to a point, but they were also her babysitters. Pepper doesn’t think she will ever know the extent they went to keep her under control, especially when Tony was missing in Afghanistan. They impeded her work opportunities, relationships and really controlled all aspects of her life. Pepper was rarely allowed to leave Tony’s Malibu mansion during his absence, not even able to go to Stark Industries headquarters to work.

It sickens her a bit to think about everything she saw Tony do during her assistantship knowing his true intentions all along. The high number of one night stands she escorted out of Tony’s bedroom after an evening of loud and untethered sex is gross enough. Then adding on the snarky comments and mocking insults she’d receive while handing over their dry-cleaning in the morning makes her want to jump in the shower and never get out. For a short while during her engagement, Pepper looked back on those years thinking she had won against those women. Now she understands that she was always a pawn in Tony’s game, just like them. Only, they got to leave the board once their turn was over.

Tony always spoke of that time as him waiting for her. She was barely eighteen when they met, and he was over eight years her senior. He trained her to think it was for her best interest to wait on the imprisoned sidelines as he indulged in his loose and carefree lifestyle that she had to clean up. At the time she believed her work was an asset to SI and she was able to get through all the sliminess for the pride of helping run a multi-billion-dollar company. It just goes to show how impressionable she was at the time and how he was masterful at grooming her into his liking. She thought it was flattery when he’d talk about how he wanted her from the moment they met. How he’d pretend it was her he was fucking instead of the random women he’d find at parties.

The night they kissed on the rooftop after the Stark Expo changed everything. Tony brought her back to his mansion, slipped a ring on her finger and barely made it to his bed before taking her virginity. Having found out only a few hours before that Tony had been slowly dying from palatium poisoning and having almost been blown up herself that night, Pepper was in too much shock to realize the gravity of his actions.

She hates herself for how naive she was. May spent years trying to convince Pepper that she was too young and didn’t have enough maturity or life experience at the time to see what was happening to her. She insisted that Tony knew what he was doing, and Pepper was not at fault. But no matter how much her friend tried to reason with her and no matter how much she cried her heart out in May’s arms…Pepper could never shake her feelings. And that is what she hates most about herself.

No matter how scared she was of him, no matter how much she knew he manipulated her, no matter how petrified she was for her son’s safety…Pepper could never end her affection for Tony. She doesn’t know if she can call it love, but there doesn’t seem to be another word she can think to describe it. She despises it, but that connection Tony instilled between them has yet to brake. She once heard that love and hate are closely related. It must be possible that both can exist at once.

For every gut-wrenching horrible memory she has of Tony, there is one that makes her heart flutter. The reality of some is sick and twisted, but none the less they hold a special place in her heart. Her brother and father’s funerals, their first dance, his return from Afghanistan.

The first time Pepper realized she was falling for Tony was her father’s death. A heart attack in the middle of the night. Pepper was the one to find his body. She had left him a couple messages that he wasn’t returning. After a week, she decided to visit only to find a cold corpse. She called Tony who immediately drove over with Happy. Tony held her as she sobbed while Happy took care of the coroner and legal authorities. Pepper barely lifted a finger for planning the funeral, Tony had everything taken care of. He gave her as much time as she wanted off, but she needed work to distract her. On more than one occasion she found herself confiding in Tony about her sorrows. He offered words of comfort and gentle embraces. Pepper’s entire family was gone yet she didn’t feel alone.

Not until Tony disappeared into the desert. Only two months after losing her father, the man Pepper sought solace in was gone.

The absolute relief she felt seeing Tony walk out of the plane with Rhodey was overpowering. She couldn’t help but smile when he shooed away the gurney that had been ready for him. Only Tony could survive months in captivity and still be too stubborn for his own good. They locked eyes when he was halfway to her. He held her gaze and she prayed he couldn’t tell she was blushing.

‘Your eyes are red, few tears for your long-lost boss?’

Her pulse quickened as she remarked back ‘Tears of joy. I hate job hunting.’

‘Yeah, vacation’s over.’

It was back to business as usual, or so she had thought. Tony came back changed, in many ways good. The world thought he had lost his mind. But Pepper saw him differently. Tony had a fire in him after his return. He wanted his work to be different, better than before. More meaningful. She didn’t know about Obadiah's betrayal at the time or Tony’s knowledge of the company’s underhanded dealings. He was determined to regain control and sniff out those who tried to undermine him. For the betterment of himself and the world.

She also didn’t realize how alone he felt during all of it. Or how much he truly admired her.

‘You know, I…I…I don’t think I’m qualified to do this’ she had panicked, her hand retreating from the cavern in Tony’s chest.

‘No, you’re fine’ he assured her. ‘You are the most capable, qualified, trustworthy person I’ve ever met. You’ll do great.’

His confidence in her made Pepper’s heart race. He only trusted her to hold his life in her hands. Carefully, she reached a hand into his chest and began digging around for the wire he was talking about. Tony encouraged her along the way, even when she messed up. Too late he had warned her about pulling the magnet at the end out. Pepper had nearly had a heart attack herself when he told her he was in cardiac arrest. Quickly yet carefully, she maneuvered the new arc reactor into his chest. After all was said and done, he found her worry humorous.

‘You okay?’ Tony laughed.

‘Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that ever again.’

In a moment of complete transparency, Tony humbly admitted to her ‘I don’t have anyone but you.’ A tender moment that she still treasures. A brief silence followed while they both let those words sink in. Tony tried to play it off, but Pepper couldn’t help but relish their meaning. That statement made her feel seen. Made her feel important. Made her feel special.

She couldn’t destroy the old reactor like Tony had instructed. That little device signified such a change in Tony, Pepper couldn’t bear to see it go up in flames. She had made a little display for it with a cheeky phrase inspired by the device’s significance. Tony never said anything about it, but he always kept it visible amongst his personal photographs and mementos. The most meaningful gift Pepper had ever given him before their son.

The door behind Pepper opens. Guessing the visitor is Happy, she decides to finish the last couple sentences of the paragraph she is on before addressing him. That is until she hears

“That isn’t the right shade of red.”

Her blood runs cold. She hasn’t seen Tony since the plastic surgeon. He was so pissed, he just abandoned her on the table after sex and left the room. Pepper closes her book and slowly turns to face her husband.

He doesn’t look good. A familiar coat of grime indicates to Pepper he must have come from his lab. The half full glass of brown liquid in his hand tells her he’s either drunk or getting there. Tony takes a sip before reiterating, “Your hair. It’s not the right shade of red.”

“I’ve been using box dye for years. It’s going to take a few sessions before they can get it to lighten up to my natural color.”

“Of course, it is” Tony snarls, taking a step into the apartment. The door slams behind him. “Nothing is going to be easy getting back to normal, is it?”

“Tony…”

“At least the face looks better” he slurs. Yup, this is not his first glass. “Until it’s time to fix the nose, then that’ll be another few weeks of bandages and bruises…God, I’m so sick of doctors. Between you and Peter, I feel like they’re all I talk to now a day.”

“Peter” Pepper begins to panic. “Why…why does he need a doctor? You said he was fine.”

“He is.”

“But why…”

“His DNA genetically mutated four days ago Potts. With an experimental serum. You think I’d just let our son go through that and not try to figure out everything I can about it? Unlike you I care about his health.”

“Tony, I care about Peter’s health.”

Her husband glares at her, “Do you?”

“Of course, I do” Pepper can’t believe the accusation.

“Really?”

“How can you even ask that?”

“How could you let our son nearly get shot by some street mugger?”

A cold wash passes through Pepper’s body. She remembers Peter rushing home, covered in blood. Ben had told him to go before the police showed up. If they found Peter at the crime scene, they would have finger-printed him. Sobbing and dirty, her son ran nine blocks back to their apartment. When Pepper saw him in the doorway, she had a flashback to the day of the interrogation. She didn’t care about getting her own clothes filthy as she and Peter broke down over the loss of Ben.

“I didn’t know that would happen” Pepper says quietly.

“But you knew it was a possibility” Tony growls back.

“I didn’t think…”

“HA” Tony lets out a loud laugh. “That we can agree on. You don’t think. Haven’t for ten years. What the fuck happened to you Pepper? When we met you were smart, you were decisive, you thought for yourself. What hold did May and Ben Parker have on you that you believed any of this to be okay? How far were willing to believe this delusion that you were just so…neglectful?”

It’s like the air has been sucked out of the room. How dare he. After years of manipulation and control, Tony really thinks that had no effect on her? That punishing her for every wrong action in his eyes wouldn’t shake the pillars of her morals and being. Pepper did have a strong mind before meeting Tony, he was the one to break her down. But he will never see it that way. It is easier for him to blame May and Ben Parker for giving her a way out. For allowing her and her son to have a different life.

“I was not neglectful.”

“A gun was held up to our twelve-year-old Pepper. A gun! Peter could have almost died! He was defenseless, had nothing to protect him…”

“Ben protected him.”

“Oh, I am not having that argument again tonight” Tony downs the last of his drink. “That man deserved every bullet in the chest for putting my kid in danger. What else are you hiding Pepper? Explosions? Car crash? I’d say kidnapping, but you were already taking care of that.”

“Nothing Tony. Nothing like that happened. Just Ben…”

“Just Ben” Tony reels. “God! It shouldn’t even be ‘just Ben!’ Peter should have never been in a situation like that once!”

Pepper can’t take this. “You think I feel good about that? You don’t think I was terrified that my baby almost died?”

“You obviously weren’t.”

“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!”

“BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM HOME!” Tony shouts, the glass in his hand breaks. The shattering surprises both Pepper and Tony who looks down at his hand. “Shit” he cusses, seeing a few drops of blood.

He stumbles over to the trash and throws the shards in his grasp away before heading to the sink. Pepper gets up from her seat to examine the damage. She grabs a broom from a nearby closet and quickly has the broken glass cleaned up off the floor. As she disposes of it into the same trash Tony used, she notices her husband trying to pick pieces out of his hand.

Her anger doesn’t stop her from helping him. It’s not the first time she’s had to clean up Tony’s mess while being beyond fuming at him. It was an almost weekly occurrence in her late teens.

“Sit down at the table, I’ll grab the first aid kit and some tweezers.”

“Fuck off Potts” he growls, picking at a particularly deep cut.

“You’re drunk, let me take a look.”

“I’ve got this.”

“You’re making it worse.”

“As if you’d know.”

“ANTHONY EDWARD STARK” Pepper snaps, using a tone she hasn’t needed since her assistant days. “I spent years looking after you. This isn’t the first time you’ve broken a glass, trust me on that…”

“HOW CAN I TRUST YOU WITH ANYTHING!” Tony looks at her. Not since the day he had her hack Obadiah's files has she seen him this broken. Then and now he held a hard exterior. A shell others would not be able to see inside of. Yet Pepper is able find in his eyes and hear in his voice the desperation.

‘You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction’ Tony had chastised her after she had refused to do one of his demands for the first time ever. He continued, “and now that I’m trying to protect the people I put in harm’s way, you’re going to say no?’

‘You’re going to kill yourself Tony’ Pepper told him. She had already lost him once. She didn’t want to risk that again. ‘And I’m not going to be a part of it.’

‘I shouldn’t be alive…unless it is for a reason.’ A slight fracture in his hard exterior is all Pepper needed. As Tony sat there and revealed his inner thoughts, Pepper couldn’t help but admire the man he had changed into. Or what she thought he had changed into. Looking into his sad and vulnerable eyes, Pepper believed she was finally seeing the true Tony Stark. ‘I’m not crazy Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart’ his voice cracked, ‘that it’s right.’

Picking up the flash drive she had tossed away moments before, Pepper admitted to Tony “You’re all I have too, you know.’

To this day Pepper wonders if what she felt in that moment was real. Did Tony actually open up to her or was he just playing an act? Was he just testing her true loyalty to him? Tony put everyone through the ringer after Obadiah, even Rhodey and Happy. That day Pepper had more than proved herself.

“Just go sit at the table, I’ll be back in a minute” Pepper begs. She makes her way to the bathroom where she had spotted a first aid kit while exploring her new home. Before she exits, she gets a glance of herself in the mirror.

Tony was right about the hair. It is stuck a medium-dark red and will be for a while. The dissolvers did their job as most of her face is back to what it looked like in her early twenties, with the exception of the nose. Pepper didn’t particularly care for her appearance while she was Mary Parker, but she liked herself more than when she was Pepper Potts. Mary was the smart, brave, independent woman that Pepper believed herself to be. Mary actually protected her child unlike Pepper who stood back and watched her husband beat him. Mary did anything she could for her son. Pepper now stands in this bathroom, unable to even communicate with him.

Her current appearance somehow perfectly describes how she feels. No longer is she the wide-eyed young woman Tony knocked up. However, she also isn’t the single mother trying her hardest to provide a stable life for her child. She’s somewhere in the middle. Lost between two identities that each had their flaws.

Leaving the bathroom with her supplies, Pepper is relieved to see that Tony had conceded to sitting down at the table. His injured hand laying palm up, waiting for her. Silently, Pepper takes a seat next to him and begins examining the cuts.

After a few minutes of the only noise being Pepper tweezing the glass out of Tony’s hand, he speaks up “How did you do it?”

Knitting her eyebrows together, she asks “What?”

“Rhodes had put the mansion on lockdown before leaving you two alone. How did you sneak away from JARVIS?”

Pepper hesitates before answering. She knows this line of questioning will only get Tony angry again. But so will not telling the truth. “When the Chitauri began hitting LA I told JARVIS that you had a safe house. Off-grid so nobody could hack your systems to find it. JARVIS believed me which is why he didn’t question when I started to pack up things. But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

Tony doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. Instead, he asks another question, “How did you get to New York?”

“I wasn’t aiming for it at first” Pepper says, picking another shard out of Tony’s palm. “Focused on trading in the car for something less conspicuous. Then I found a gas station that the employees abandoned because of the attacks. Grabbed a bunch of food and hair dye. I drove Howie and I through more rural areas, avoiding all the major cities. People were so scattered and panicked, it was easy to blend in. Nobody gave us a second glance until the aliens were defeated, and you held that press conference.”

“How weren’t you recognized?” Pepper and Howie’s pictures had been everywhere.

“We were. I was just quick. We never stayed in the same place for long. I…I could get away with going into public because of my hair, but Howie couldn’t. He…I only allowed him out when I knew nobody was around.”

“And then?”

Pepper takes in a deep breath. He’s not going to like her answer. “And then Sharon Carter found us.”

Tony blinks, “Sharon Carter? Peggy’s niece?”

Nodding, Pepper tells him “She’s the one who helped me get my nose surgery.”

“She…” Tony’s expression morphs into anger. “2012, she was working for SHIELD back then.” Pepper can’t look him in the eye, instead focusing on one of his cuts. Suddenly, his uninjured hand grabs her wrist. Tony growls, “What did you tell them?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. They wouldn’t just give you a nose job and not expect anything in return, what did you tell them?”

“I told you nothing” Pepper looks him in the eye. “I’m not an idiot Tony. I knew they were just using me, trying to take advantage of my desperation. But instead, I used them. They brought us to DC. They thought that if I had to sit in the hospital and witness up close you and Bruce Wayne destroy the government, that I would join them. After my surgery, I was supposed to stay at the hospital for a couple of days. I snuck Howie and I out the first chance I could. It wasn’t that hard. You and Wayne were giving SHIELD a run for their money.”

Tony watches her for a minute, clearly going over the story in his head. Pepper can’t tell if he believes her. “What next?”

“They had left our suitcases with us in the hospital room. I had hidden a bunch of jewelry in mine, so I brought it with us. I pawned it, got another car and we hid out in this motel in Pennsylvania until my nose healed. By then, you and Wayne were deciding territories.”

“We had fought over Pennsylvania.”

“But you had solidified New York” Pepper explains. “I…I knew we would never be safe in Wayne’s territory. When you established the tower as the Avenger’s headquarters, I decided to stay close. So that if in case we were ever discovered by Wayne or some other group, you’d only be a few minutes away.”

That seems to settle something in Tony. He releases her wrist and sits back in his chair. While he contemplates, Pepper grabs his hand and begins cleaning the wounds again. Once she is satisfied that all the glass is out, she begins sanitizing. While she is preparing the bandage, Tony asks

“How did you meet the Parkers?”

This is the question she had been dreading. “Um…” Pepper takes another deep breath. “At May’s hospital.”

“One of you was hurt?” Tony asks, Pepper can hear a hint of alarm.

“No…no. Not hurt…”

“Then why were you there?”

“Howie…Howie had gotten a fever. It wouldn’t go away.”

“He was sick?” Tony’s anxiety grows in his tone.

“He…I was trying to get him medicine.”

“Pepper I…ugh...just...go on.”

While finishing wrapping Tony’s hand, Pepper tells him the story of that night. She and Howie had been in Queens for a few weeks. Money was getting tight, and Pepper decided they should only stay in motels a couple times a week to shower and rest up. She had been trying to look for work but didn’t trust anyone with Howie. Especially with the Avengers looking for them. When her son got sick, she hoped it would go away with the drug store medication she could afford. Her prayers weren’t answered, which is how she ended up in the ER pretending to have an infection.

May didn’t believe Pepper but gave her the antibiotics. The mother, too preoccupied with getting back to her sick child, didn’t notice when the nurse followed her to her car. Upon seeing a passed out four-year-old in the back seat, May got angry. She threatened to call the police until she realized what child she was looking at. It only took the nurse a minute to put two and two together. She ran inside, grabbed an IV and some supplies, and began trying to diagnose the little boy in the parking structure. While May was treating Howie, Ben Parker drove in.

Pepper had panicked seeing the police car. She grabbed her son and was about to make a run for it. Both the Parkers talked her down, promising that they weren’t going to turn her or her son in. After May was finished treating Howie, Ben drove the mother and son back to the Parker’s apartment where they stayed for the following few years. They came up with the backstory involving Ben’s deceased brother Richard. May learned how to inject filler to change Pepper’s appearance. Pepper found a job. For the next ten years, she and Howie were Mary and Peter Parker.

Tony is quiet while she explains all this. His hard gaze travels back and forth between Pepper and his injured hand. A few times throughout the tale, Pepper noticed his mouth twitch. Other than that, he’s been unreadable. After she is finished, they sit again in silence.

“Seven minutes” Tony finally says.

“What?”

“It took me seven minutes to fly from that hospital back to the tower with my suit. It took the quinjet ten.” Tony’s hard façade falters for Pepper. She can now see clear as day his heartbreak. “With one phone call, Howie could have been in the hands of the world’s best doctors in twenty minutes. Instead, you let our son, our four-year-old son, be treated in a parking garage by a woman who for all you knew barley passed nursing school.”

Pepper can feel her eyes begin to prickle. She has thought many times throughout the years about how lucky she was that night. For the first time in years, the universe let everything fall into place for her. What would have happened if she had gotten a different nurse? How would the hospital have reacted if they had found Howie alone in the garage? Most of all, what if she had brought Howie in for help too late? Pepper doesn’t look back on her actions that night fondly. It was by complete chance that things turned out the way they did.

“I was desperate Tony.”

“Desperate” her husband echoes. “For fuck’s sake Pep. What were you thinking? How bad were you going to let things get? What, were you okay if the next time I saw my son it would be at his funeral?”

“Don’t talk that way” Pepper knows tears are about to fall. “I was doing everything I could to help Howie. You had left me with few options.”

“Because the best option was for you two to come home.”

“I couldn’t do that Tony.”

“Why not?”

Pepper’s mouth drops open. Did he really just ask that? “Why not?”

“Yes, why not?” Tony asks again. She can tell he is trying to hold back his own emotion. “Look, I know you were freaked out after Howie’s first interrogation, but c’mon Pep. I had warned you. We had discussed all that before he was even conceived…”

“I couldn’t do it anymore Tony!” Pepper cries. “The beatings, the punishments, the lessons, he was three and you wouldn’t even let him cry. You think I’m a bad mother for taking him away but what was I when I sat back and watched you do all that?”

“Pepper…you weren’t a bad mother.”

“Yes, I was.” Her chest feels like it is going to explode. All the pent-up grief and hatred for her past self is pouring out into her words. “For not intervening, for not standing up to you. I let my little boy suffer for so long.”

“God Pep” Tony takes her face into his hands. He wipes some of her tears away and guiltily asks “Did I ill-prepare you that bad? I thought you understood. I thought you were ready. Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling so much?”

“I was struggling? Did you not see Howie?”

“Yes, I saw Howie. We went over this already. It was a part of his training…”

“No little boy should have to go through that...”

“Do you really think I enjoyed that?” Tony cuts her off, leaning away from her again. “I am so fucking tired of having to defend myself on this. I’m trying to make him stronger, tougher. He was never going to grow up normal Pep. No kid of mine can.”

“How can you be so cruel to him Tony?”

“I am not being cruel. I am doing what is necessary.”

“Hurting him isn’t necessary. Don’t you love him enough to…”

“DON’T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE” Tony demands. His voice breaks as he asks her “Do you really think I don’t love Peter? You really think I’m that heartless that I don’t love my own child? I nearly tore this country apart trying to find him. How dare you.”

Pepper takes a deep breath. She knows Tony loves both her and Peter deep down. But even so, she will never understand how he can treat them this way. “Then why Tony? Why are you trying so hard to turn him into something he isn’t?”

“I’m making him into something great.”

“He’s already wonderful.”

“I know that, Pepper. I see how smart he is. God, he’s a wiz in the lab. He’s also so tough. He’s been so strong this past week. And those spider powers…Jesus Christ. Those spider powers are nothing like the world has ever seen. But it’s not enough. The way he is now, this world is going to chew him up and spit him out.”

“That’s why I took him out of it…”

“And look where that got you. There is no escaping this world Pepper. You and Peter were living on borrowed time for the past ten years. Fucking fate even knew that. It wasn’t me who sent that spider in Peter’s direction. It was our son who sought it out. He’s the one who couldn’t stay away.”

Tony’s words ring a hard truth in Pepper’s ears. She tried so hard to keep Peter hidden from SI, only for her son's curiosity to be their downfall. She saw how unfulfilled Peter felt when it came to school. How he was always itching for a challenge. Just like his father, Peter would lose himself reading up on new tech and practicing coding on his computer. It was only a matter of time before her sweet boy couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

“Let me see him Tony, please.”

“No” Tony shakes his head. “We were supposed to be a team, Pepper. We…now I have to do this alone. For Peter’s sake.”

“Is it for Peter’s sake or your own?”

“All of this is for Peter. Our boy is meant for greatness, and I need to prepare him for it. Look at what I’ve built. It’s an empire, a machine of power that he is no where near ready to lead. He needs to be ruthless and have the confidence to go up against literal gods. It didn’t have to be this hard Pep. Why didn’t you just come to me?”

Pepper lets out a sorrowful admission, “I didn’t want you to take him away again.”

Realization dawns over her husband’s features. He runs a hand through his hair, “God…fuck Pep I…Jesus, that was one time! One time for you to learn your lesson then I never threatened it again.”

“He was nine days old…and you took him away because I didn’t want you bringing him into a grease covered lab. What would you have done if I went against you on anything else? And now you’ve…you’ve done it again.”

“God I…I…fuck” Tony leans forward and pulls Pepper into an embrace. She doesn’t want his comfort. It’s wrong, especially since so much of her pain is because of him. “It’s not forever” he whispers to her.

Pepper doesn’t hold back her sobs, burying her head into Tony’s shoulder, just like when he comforted her about her father’s death. This feels so similar. She doesn’t know when the next time she will see her son will be or how much Peter will have changed by then. The little boy she raised will be do different the next time they meet. Tony will make sure of that.

“It’s not forever” Tony repeats, placing a kiss on her temple and patting her back. There it is again. That sick link they have that Pepper despises so greatly. As much as she hates her husband, it feels so good to receive his gentle caresses and moments of care. She used to yearn for this and had missed it for so many years. How was he able to engrain this connection so deep into her being? It’s not fair. He doesn’t deserve her affection.

“C’mon” Tony picks Pepper up into his arms. She doesn’t protest. He carries her into the bedroom and lays beside her as she cries in his arms. They stay like that until she slowly falls to sleep.

Chapter Text

The clock seems to be moving slowly. Peter watches each second tick by at an excruciating pace. His mommy has been gone only thirty-seven minutes, but it has felt like forever. He want’s her back. He doesn’t want to be here alone with this man she told him to call Uncle Ben. She never leaves him with other people. Sometimes he has to wait in the car alone, but that’s always only for a short while. Today she said she would be gone for at least two hours.

The strange man, this Uncle Ben, sits next to Peter on the couch he and mommy sleep on. They are watching TV. Uncle Ben keeps asking what Peter wants to watch. The channels here aren’t like the ones back home. So, Ben keeps flipping through them, waiting for Peter to stop him. Peter watches the screen as different images flash by. He doesn’t recognize most. Then suddenly, he does.

Daddy is on TV. Only for a second before Uncle Ben changes the channel, faster than he did the other ones.

“Can you go back?” Peter asks quietly. Uncle Ben doesn’t seem to want to at first, but then he changes the channel back to Daddy.

Peter’s father is standing at a podium with Mr. Wayne. Weird. Peter thought Daddy didn’t like Mr. Wayne. Why are they on stage together?

“We at the League headquarters are confident that both Chicago and Philadelphia will be completely rebuilt within the next three years.” Mr. Wayne says into the microphone. “We are very happy with the progress in DC and expect our country’s capital to be fully functioning by the end of this year. Only two more questions. Birk.”

“This is for both you and Mr. Stark. How do you respond to the rumors of both Russia and North Korea’s armies being ready to invade the US?”

Both Daddy and Mr. Wayne laugh at the reporter’s question. Daddy says into his microphone “What do you say Bruce? You want to take the Koreans or the Russians?”

“Please, I could have both taken care of before lunch” Mr. Wayne says.

Uncle Ben shifts next to Peter. The four-year-old freezes, is Uncle Ben getting mad? At him? Does he not want to watch this channel?

“You there” Daddy points to someone in the crowd.

A woman stands up and asks “Mr. Stark, are there any updates on your missing wife and child?”

The man next to Peter sucks in a quick breath. Peter suddenly feels warm as he listens to Daddy answer, “No updates ready for the press. It is still an open investigation and there is only so much information we are willing to disclose. But trust me when I say this…I will never stop looking for Virginia and Howard.”

The channel changes to a cartoon. It’s the cartoon inspired by Daddy. The animation version of Peter’s father is flying through the air. Uncle Ben quickly changes the channel again, this time to a video of some elephants.

“Do you like animals?” Uncle Ben asks. Peter shrugs. The channel changes again. Uncle Ben goes through a few stations before landing on one they watched a few days ago. “Here you like science.”

Peter barely pays the television any mind. The science the show talks about is stuff he already knows. Daddy had taught it to him a long time ago. It’s easy. Instead, he thinks about what Daddy just said on TV. He’s never going to stop looking for Peter and Mommy.

“Is he going to find us?”

Uncle Ben is quiet for a while before answering. He’s so different from Daddy. Daddy always answered questions right away. “We’re going to do our best so that he doesn’t.”

Mommy ran away from Daddy so he couldn’t hurt Peter anymore. That is what she told Peter anyways. Well…he was Howie back then. A few days ago, Mommy told him they needed to change both of their names. So that Daddy couldn’t find them. So, now he’s Peter.

“Daddy looked sad on TV.”

“I’m sure he misses you and your mom” Uncle Ben gives Peter a small smile. “Do you miss him?”

“Sometimes” Peter admits honestly. He does miss Daddy. A lot. He misses the Daddy he knew before…before…a shiver runs down Peter’s spine thinking about that day. The day in the basement. “I don’t want to go back.” Daddy will make him watch that again if they go back.

“Hey” Peter hears Uncle Ben say gently. A hand is placed on Peter’s shoulder which he instantly flinches back from. “Sorry” Uncle Ben says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I’m…I’m not” Don’t cry Peter. You can’t cry. You’ll make Uncle Ben mad. “I’m not scared.”

Getting off the couch, Uncle Ben kneels in front of Peter. He stares down with a look that Peter has only ever seen from Mommy. It’s the way she looked at Peter after Daddy had done something to hurt Peter. It’s a sad look. Why is Uncle Ben sad?

“It’s okay if you are. I know this is all confusing and we don’t really know each other. It’s okay to be afraid.”

“I’m…I’m not” Peter states. Uncle Ben is trying to trick him, but Peter won’t let him. “I’m not afraid.”

“Well, then you are a very brave little guy.”

Peter gives the man a nod before looking down at his hands. He begins picking at one of his fingernails. It helps distract him, stops him from crying.

Uncle Ben continues, “You know…when I was your age, I was afraid of a lot of things. Spiders, ghosts, the dark. Is there anything you’re afraid of?”

This must be a part of his trick. “No.”

“Oh…why is that?”

“I’m not afraid of anything. I’m a Stark.”

“Is that what your father told you?”

“Daddy…Daddy said Starks are brave. So…so I’m brave. Just like him.”

“You don’t have to be brave like him.”

Why is Uncle Ben pushing this? Peter has told him the answers he’s supposed to. “I’m…” No. No. No. Stop the tears. He can’t cry. Only in front of Mommy can he cry. “I’m…”

“Hey, it’s okay” Uncle Ben says gently. His hand reaches up towards Peter’s face. Oh no! Peter must have let a tear fall.

“I’m sorry” Peter says quickly, wiping his arm across his face. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Do what?” Uncle Ben seems confused. “Cry?”

“I’m sorry, I…”

“Peter, it is okay to cry.”

“No…No, I’m not crying.”

The sad look Uncle Ben is giving him gets sadder. Before Peter knows it, he’s pulled into a hug. Just like Mommy does, Uncle Ben runs a hand up and down Peter’s back. It feels nice. Nobody has ever hugged Peter like this beside Mommy. It’s comforting. It’s cozy. It’s soft.

After a while, Peter feels better. He isn’t crying anymore. Once he stops sniffling, Uncle Ben lets go and places Peter back on the couch. He runs a hand through Peter’s hair, just like Daddy used to do. But it feels different somehow.

“Were you not allowed to cry before?” Uncle Ben asks.

“Stark men don’t cry” Peter mumbles, not able to look the man in the eye.

“Well, you are a four-year-old little boy. You have all the permission in the world to cry when you want to.”

“Daddy said I can’t.”

“Your…Mr. Stark is a flawed man.” Peter can’t believe Uncle Ben just said that. Nobody insults Daddy. “Peter, do you understand why your mother took you away from him?”

Slowly nodding, Peter tells him “So that Daddy doesn’t hit me anymore.”

Uncle Ben pauses, “He hit you?”

“Only when I was bad or did something I shouldn’t” Peter nods. “Like cry.”

“Did he hit your mommy?”

“No, Mommy doesn’t need to be strong. She just gets to be Mommy.”

Nodding, Uncle Ben is quiet again. Until he says, “Mr. Stark should not have hit you.”

Scrunching his eyebrows, Peter says “That’s what Mommy keeps saying. That’s why we left. Because it’s wrong that he hurt me.”

“Your mommy is right. She was very brave trying to protect you. She loves you a lot.”

“Daddy said he loves me.”

“He…” Uncle Ben struggles to say something. “I’m sure he believes that.”

“So, if he loves me. Why did he…why did he hurt me? Mommy doesn’t hurt me.”

“Like I said Peter. Mr. Stark is a very flawed man.”

“Do…do you have flaws?”

Uncle Ben gives Peter another sad smile. “Nobody is perfect. But I promise you, I will never ever hurt you the way Mr. Stark did.” Peter doesn’t respond, just picks at his nails. He believes Uncle Ben. Mommy seems to like both him and Aunt May. They both have been really nice. “So, is there anything you want to watch?”

“Can…can we watch Star Wars?”

A big happy grin comes across Uncle Ben’s face. “Why, I do believe I have those on some old VHS tapes. How about I go dig those out of the closet.”

“VHS tapes? What are those?”

“Oh, just some dinosaur tech. You wait here and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Peter nods before Uncle Ben stands and disappears into the living room closet. Looking up at the clock, Peter sees that Mommy has been gone for fifty-two minutes. Still so long until she’s home. Although…maybe it’s not so bad being here with Uncle Ben. He’s kind of like Mommy.

Nice.

Warm.

Safe.

‘If it weren’t for you and your mother, Ben Parker might still be alive today.’

Those words replay over and over in Peter’s head. Nothing he does can distract himself enough to get them to stop. He’s tried watching TV, listening to the radio, taking a shower. Nothing will drown out Tony’s voice.

That statement broke him. For the past year Peter has held onto that guilt. Both his mom and May had told Peter numerous times that it wasn’t his fault. That the mugger is the one to blame, not Peter. But nothing could shake the feeling buried deep down in Peter’s chest, that he is at least partially responsible. Ben had put himself in front of that gun to protect Peter. So how isn’t he to blame.

‘So good job son. Your first kill.’

Peter wasn’t the one to hold the gun, but he is the reason they were in that alley. Ben had taken him out for ice cream. A celebratory treat for an A on a Spanish test. Peter had insisted that it was easy, but Ben declared it was worthy of a Cold Stone. Well, Peter just had to ask if they could go to a different shop instead. One that was farther away but had pinball machines he could play. Ben was more than happy to accommodate his ‘nephew.’

It was only Peter who witnessed the death. May was working at the hospital that night. His mom had just gotten off a long shift herself and bowed out to give herself a chance to put her feet up. They didn’t see it happen. They didn’t understand.

‘If it weren’t for you and your mother, Ben Parker might still be alive today.’

Tony’s right.

If Peter and Pepper had never met the Parkers, neither of them would have their lives ruined. Ben wouldn’t be dead, and May wouldn’t be on the run. It’s all Peter and his mom’s fault. His mom was the one to accept the Parker’s help, but Peter could have made the decision to leave at anytime. Maybe if he willingly went to Tony first, his father would have shown mercy. Like he did for Ned and MJ.

‘YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!’

Or not. No. Tony would have still been pissed at the Parkers. It was wrong of Peter and Pepper to accept the Parker’s generosity. They should have never brought other people into this. It was selfish and it was greedy. Ben and May didn’t understand the extent of Tony’s anger or power. They didn’t know what they were getting into by taking in Peter and Pepper. They certainly don’t deserve the fate that has now been bestowed on them, thanks to Peter.

On Peter’s bedside table stands the AT-AT Ben had gifted him stands. A relic of the man who should have never had to sacrifice himself. A show of love that wasn’t Peter’s to take. It stands there mocking him. A reminder of the kind soul the world lost due to his inaction.

‘But trust me when I say this…I will never stop looking for Virginia and Howard.’

God, Peter was such a fool.

Even from the start, Tony had always made it known to the world that he would one day find them. Under the assurance of May, Ben and his mom, Peter had stupidly believed he could avoid Tony the rest of his life. They were all wrong. There was never a longevity to their situation. It would always destined to end up in flames.

‘You can run but you will always be found’ Natasha had told him.

How did Peter ever believe in the fantasy of freedom from this life? How many times over the years did he see Tony and the Avengers do the unimaginable? How many times has Tony come back from the dead? Afghanistan, palladium poisoning, the wormhole, the Mandarin’s attack on the Malibu home. The man is indestructible. Did Peter really think two working class people from Queens could keep him and his mom hidden away forever? Hidden from the man who brought down an entire alien army.

They couldn’t because Peter was the one to walk into Oscorp. He’s the one who ended ten years of sanctuary. It’s all his fault. If he didn’t go on that fucking field trip.

‘And you Peter have great power. And with great power comes great responsibility.’

This is on him. All of it.

Ben and May can’t be blamed for their ignorance. Just like the Leeds and Jones families, they weren’t built for this. They didn’t understand the cost. At the hospital, May said Peter and Pepper were all she had left. It’s true because they took everything from May. Her home, her job, her husband. Even if Tony hasn’t found her yet, May’s life is over. She will never be safe and will never have a normal life again.

Mom was scared. She was trying to protect Peter, but that was always going to be an impossibility. Whether he likes it or not, Peter was chosen for this life. Nobody else was born into this position and it was ridiculous to think he could outrun it.

'Deny it all you want, but you know I'm not wrong.'

The worst part of all this is how right Tony has been. Peter hates how around every turn Tony’s words always seem to ring true. Just when Peter thinks he’s outsmarted the monster of a man he shares blood with, Tony always turns it around on Peter. Ned, MJ, his mom, the Parkers. Tony has told Peter the unpleasant and harsh reality on everything.

Peter lied to his friends.

Peter fed into his mom’s delusion of safety.

He should have never been with the Parker’s in the first place.

Looking back, he was so selfish. All the innocent people who were dragged into this because of Peter…he will never forgive himself. Those who he thought of as family are the ones he put in harm’s way.

Grabbing the AT-AT Peter dashes to his closet. The selfish part of him knows he can’t get rid of the gift. Whether he deserves it or not, Peter can’t let go of his last connection to Ben. He puts it in the same cabinet as his mother’s box. Out of sight where it’s presence can haunt his consciousness but not grab his attention every time he enters his bedroom.

‘Stark is more than just a name Peter. It is status, an indicator of greatness. It defines me and like it or not, it defines you.’

Tony was right about Peter too.

As the Stark heir, Peter has been blessed with so much intellect and was born into so much privilege. It’s another reason why he was so foolish. Tony had trained Peter since he was learning to walk to be strong and smart. Yet Peter has allowed everyone around him to make his decisions and take the hit for him. At some point, he should have stepped up. Put an end to allowing others to be on the frontlines of his welfare. He should have taken his mother and they should have run again years ago. Out of Queens and away from those they cared about. Once he was old enough to think for himself, he should have tried to reason with his mother instead of blindly following her.

He should have known better.

All this fallout is on him. The threats made to Ned and MJ’s families, his mother’s current imprisonment, May becoming a fugitive and Ben’s death, all Peter’s fault.

He never should have been in Queens, and he should have left it before it was all too late.

‘You look at all of this as a burden instead of a blessing.’

This is hell.

Hell on earth.

But it’s his to endure and one day conquer.

Tony is a sadistic bastard. It only takes one glance down at Peter’s cast to remember that. But the man has been right on so many things, maybe he is right about the blessing.

‘By the time it’s your turn…Peter you could be unstoppable. The world could be yours.’

Leaving the closet, Peter wanders out onto his balcony. Looking over Manhattan, he is reminded that the people down below are looking up to him for their future.

One day Tony will step down and it will be Peter’s turn to run Stark Industries. He can form a world to his liking. One that is better than the one he grew up in.

One that would make Ben proud.

That is the one way Peter can make up for his mistakes. The way he can right the wrong his bloodline has brought onto the world. He can put an end to the terror and pain the Stark Legacy has instilled upon the people it controls.

As much joy as it would bring him, Peter can’t burn SI down in flames. People like the Waynes would eagerly come in and take over the wreckage. Its up to Peter to either prevent that or put an end to all his competitors.

Peter has the capabilities. He was bred for this. Now with the spider powers and the strength of SI behind him, he could truly make an impact on this world.

It’s time he stops running from his responsibilities. He’s thirteen, almost fourteen. He must face the reality he was chosen for. No hiding behind others in cowardly fear. Peter spent ten years running only to walk himself right back into his destiny. It’s time he accepts it and moves forward.

Tony makes sure Pepper is sound asleep before unraveling himself from her form. He sneaks out of the bed and heads back into the living room/kitchen. God, it really is dark down here without windows. He turns on a lamp, needing just a bit of light to go through his thoughts.

He failed his family.

Tony had abandoned his wife and son when they needed him the most. Although, he doesn’t know what else he could have done. If he wasn’t in New York when he was, who knows how the Chitauri attack would have gone. It was him who made the final blow that brought down the invading army. He also wouldn’t have half of what he does today if it weren’t for that battle. He doesn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if he had brought Howie and Pepper with him on that trip. The one good thing out of all this is that they were far away from those attacks. They weren’t one of the thousands who lost their lives.

God! This is such a mess. A bigger one than Tony imagined it would be. It’s going to take so much patience and effort to rebuild his relationships with both Peter and Pepper. At least tonight he feels like he got some clarity but Jesus Christ it was brutal.

While all the deep problems with his wife and son will take time, there is one thing he can solve relatively quickly.

Picking up his phone, he calls Natasha.

“Tony” the spy answers.

“I need you to do something.”

“Um, it’ll have to wait a few weeks. Clint and I are about to fly over Morocco.”

Shit! He forgot they had left for the Wakanda surveillance mission. They were supposed to leave Tuesday, but everything was put on hold with the discovery of Pepper and Peter.

“What do you need?” Clint asks, he must be in the copilot seat.

“Peter was there when Ben Parker was shot. That scumbag mugger held a gun up to him.”

“Fuck Tony” Clint sympathizes. “You want us to turn around?”

“No, I…” Dammit. It is important that they get some information on Wakanda. Something has definitely been going on with that government and Tony needs to know what. “I’ll have one of the guys take care of this.”

“You sure? We can be back within the next day.”

“Yeah, Bucky…fuck! He’s still on May Parker.” Wilson is still on the Chitauri weapons gang and Steve is overseeing everything locally while Rhodes is covering all his own duties plus some of Tony’s. The other’s on the team aren’t necessarily trackers. Maybe he could send Vision? Although the bot isn’t the best at blending in.

“How about Kate?” Natasha says.

“Bishop?”

“Yeah, I think she can handle tracking a mugger.”

“She’s fifteen.”

“Clint’s been training her for over a year. I’ve worked quite a bit with her the past few months, she’s good.”

Tony ponders this. “Clint? What do you think?”

“It might take her a bit longer than it would Nat or I” the archer admits. “But she’s ready. In fact, Kate’s been chomping at the bit for a chance to prove herself. She’s also a New Yorker, it’s her home turf.”

Letting out a sigh, Tony guesses he can give the girl a chance. This isn’t exactly urgent. “When can she start?”

“I’ll have Laura fly her out tonight.”

“Great. JARVIS, start collecting as much intel as you can on Parker’s murder and have it ready for Kate when she arrives.”

“Will do, Sir” JARVIS says.

“Clint, Nat, you two stay safe over there” Tony tells his employees. “If you need back-up, don’t hesitate to call in.”

“Please” Natasha chuckles. “I’m more worried about getting bored with only this guy for company the next three weeks.”

“A concern anyone would have” Tony agrees with a smirk.

Clint rebukes “Nat, have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy working with you?”

“Not really.”

“There’s a reason.”

Tony hears rustling from Pepper’s bedroom. “Gotta go. See you two in a few weeks” he says before hanging up.

Making his way back to bed, Tony undresses from his jeans before climbing back in. Not wanting to wake his wife by moving the bedsheets, he grabs a blanket from the living room to drape over the two of them. Carefully he wraps his arms around her again. Instinctively, Pepper nestles herself into his side just like she used to ten years ago.

A small gesture that brings Tony more comfort than he expected. He closes his eyes and allows himself for just a moment to pretend it’s the past. To pretend that things are back to the way they were then. That they are back in Malibu with their son sleeping a few doors down. Thinking about that time now, Tony sees the underlying problems he had been oblivious to. Ones that he is now able to finally address and solve.

For this moment though, he just relishes having his wife’s warm body that he’s been missing for the past ten years curled up next to him.

Chapter Text

The first part of Tony’s morning has gone better than he expected. Pepper had woken up before him and had ordered them breakfast from the cafeteria. When Tony wandered into the kitchen, there was an omelet with toast waiting for him next to Pepper who had chosen yogurt and fruit for herself. They ate with barely any talking. It was tense but not unpleasant. Happy was surprised to see Tony there when he arrived to do his morning check in with Pepper. Tony bid them both goodbye and headed to the penthouse.

Now’s he’s in the elevator dreading what will be there when the doors open. Would it be better or worse if Peter is waiting for him? Tony just hopes this morning won’t be another fight.

There is no sign of life in the living room when Tony enters. Not that he’s surprised, Peter’s spent most of his time in his bedroom. Making his way to the kitchen, Tony faintly hears the sound of a bowl and spoon.

Sitting at the kitchen island is his son eating a bowl of cereal and scrolling through his phone. Probably a normal sight most parents see from their teenagers every morning. Only nothing about him and Peter are normal. The kid must have heard Tony, because Peter gives him a short glance and a quick nod as he enters.

“If you don’t feel like making yourself something substantial in the morning, you can always just order from the caf” Tony tells his son as he heads to the coffee pot.

Tony isn’t looking when Peter asks, “How?”

What does the kid mean by how? “Just tell JARVIS.”

“Well, how do I know what they’re making every morning?”

“They’ll make you anything.”

“Oh um…okay.”

This is also going better than Tony had expected. He was anticipating a pouty teen shooting daggers from his eyes while Tony forced him to eat some toast. As he waits for the coffee to pour, Tony turns to see Peter back on his phone. “What are you reading?” The phone doesn’t allow Peter to post anything online, but he has access to view pretty much anything.

“Mom and I are still trending.”

Peter doesn’t even need to specify. The major topic all week on every social media and news platform has been pretty much nothing but talking about their return and Tony’s press conference. Almost every public figure has put out a tweet congratulating or showing their support. Even Bruce Wayne and all his minions have put out statements.

“So far it’s all been mostly positive” Tony says.

“Yeah” Peter agrees, still scrolling. “People are just weird though.”

“Oh” Tony lets out a small chuckle. “How so?”

“Like…a lot of stuff. I get the people going through pictures of us from the past and all that but like…this one magazine did an entire article ranking Mom’s best red carpet looks. I mean…for all they know she just escaped Hydra. Who cares what she wore ten years ago? And then there’s a bunch of people comparing my school photo with a picture of me when I was three saying I’m a fake. Which is just stupid. Some of the conspiracy theories people have come up with are crazier than yours.”

Choosing to ignore the last comment, Tony tells him “Don’t pay those freaks any mind. They’re just bored and don’t have anything else going on. Just focus on the positive. Yesterday the big meme was funny ways you were sneaking into Oscorp. Did you see any of that?”

Shaking his head, Peter says “I haven’t picked this thing up since Tuesday. I’ve been avoiding the news too on TV.”

“What have you been doing up in your room all this time?”

“Watch movies” Peter shrugs. “Went in the hot tub a bit. Played some games on the computer. Practiced sticking stuff to my good hand. I’m trying to get faster at it.”

“Huh” Tony watches his son for a bit. There’s a different aura about him. This is the first conversation they’ve had outside the lab that doesn’t feel forced. It’s not necessarily open, but Peter doesn’t seem nervous about saying the right thing to Tony. He’s just talking. “What caused the shift in interest?”

“You said to have a different attitude” Peter moves his gaze to Tony, his expression impassive.

“Since when do you listen to my advice?”

“Just figured I should make the best of this. The whole, this is a blessing not a burden shit.”

So, Tony’s words did make an impact on the boy. “That was a fast change. What else…”

“Everything I said last night still holds true” Peter cuts him off, a slight edge to his voice.

“Same” Tony says. He holds Peter’s glare, neither breaking eye contact. “So, what does this mean going forward? Are you finally going to cooperate?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Dammit kid. “Peter…”

“Just because I’m accepting that this is my life now doesn’t mean I’m going to play your game. You’re still the sick bastard who held me down while Craptin America broke my arm.”

That’s it. Tony is willing to deal with the boy being moody, but Peter is not allowed to outright insult him in his own kitchen. He goes for a smack upside the kid’s head, only for his fist to be met with Peter’s grip. Peter holds Tony’s hand still and growls

“17,911 pounds Tony. I’m not the little three-year-old you used to knock around anymore. So how about you think twice next time before…”

It takes less than a second to get the kid pinned to the counter in front of him. Peter lets out a surprised curse as he makes contact and Tony restrains his uninjured arm behind his back.

“Oh Pete” Tony chuckles, a part of him proud by the boy’s spunk. “Your natural abilities are yes amazing, but there is a lot you still need to learn. Strength isn’t everything buddy. Now” Tony makes his voice more serious, “don’t ever try threatening me that way again. I wont today because we’re still collecting data on that arm. But I won’t hesitate to get that cuff out again. Like I said last night, those abilities are a gift. One that I will take away if necessary. Got that?” Peter doesn’t respond. “I said got that?”

“I’ve got it” the kid says through clenched teeth. Tony releases him and goes to pour a cup of coffee. When he turns back to his son, Peter is giving him a glare that doesn’t hide his embarrassment. That definitely knocked the kid down a couple of pegs. “So” Tony says after taking a sip of his drink, “Anything else change last night after our talk?”

Taking in a breath, Peter calms his anger down a bit before answering. “Portuguese.”

“What about it?”

“You asked if there were any other languages I wanted to learn. There was an old lady in the building Mom and I lived in that spoke it. I used to walk her dog and run errands for her. My grammar is pretty bad, but I picked up a lot of the vocabulary already. With a tutor I don’t think it’ll take long to become fluent. Same goes for Spanish. Then maybe after that I can move onto Italian.”

“Sounds like a good plan” Tony agrees. He’s glad the boy is finally taking all this seriously. “Any other subjects you want to take?”

“Um” Peter ponders. “I’ve always been bad at public speaking. If…for when you eventually have me do press…”

“Do you want to do press?” This one surprises Tony. Last night really did make a big impact.

Peter shrugs, “Not necessarily. But it’s inevitable, isn’t it?”

“You’ve really put some thought into all this.”

“I…” looking down at his hands, Peter bites his lip in thought. “I don’t want to do things your way. But…here I can make an impact on the world, and I want it to be a positive one.”

“What do you mean by ‘do things your way?”

“The torture, fear…killing. Things don’t need to be so…dark. You can run a country without…”

Tony snorts, “Sorry Pete. But it’s a completely childish notion that you can get to the top without squashing those who are trying to get there too.”

“But…other countries…”

“Do the same thing I do” Tony states. “History textbooks always sugarcoat the past and present. With all the wars and takeovers, you really think that was done without bloodshed?”

“Obviously not, but…”

“The world has always been dark Peter. Those who were blessed with power just allow those without it to exist in ignorant bliss. There has always been killings and torture and fear. Unlike the government before Wayne and me, we’re honest about it. And looks what it’s brought. Less crime, less wars, less death overall. SI brought sustainable energy to millions. Standard of living is up from what it was ten years ago. Is that not a world you want to live in?”

“I…” Peter looks conflicted. “There has to be a way…”

“The sooner you forget that little daydream the better. It’s not productive to exist in a world of pretend instead of reality. You’re just opening a door for others to step in and bring you down.”

“Why…why can’t you even try to see things from…”

“I am telling you this because if you two were to go head-to-head right now, Richard Wayne would eat you alive” That shuts the kid up. “Even with your powers, that boy would have you by the neck in a second. Bruce has him locked and loaded. Unlike you, he’s had a lifetime of prep. Not only would he figure out how to take you out, but he’d also have the press and country eating out of the palm of his hand while they watched. You say you don’t want to play my game but trust me kid you don’t even know the rules. Nobody cares about good intentions when others get results. I can get you where you need to be to go up against Richard, but you’re going to have to listen and follow instructions.”

It's at that moment that Happy makes an entrance. Like downstairs with Pepper, he seems surprised to find Tony and Peter chatting so calmly. “Um…is this a bad time?” he asks.

“No, what do you want?” Tony answers.

“Nothing, this went off under Pepper's bed.” Happy slides Tony’s phone over to him.

“Oh” Tony picks it up. There are a few messages from the team that he begins scrolling though. He notices an update about Kate Bishop, she arrived at the tower last night and is currently going over all the info JARVIS has found already. Good.

“Pepper was wondering” Happy says, “if after the gym she could do some reading on one of the balconies.”

Tony thinks for a moment. After last night, the anger he’s held onto the past decade has greatly decreased. Maybe it is a bit harsh to keep his wife in that hole downstairs. But…he still hasn’t fully forgiven her yet. “No balconies until after the nose has healed. I don’t want a picture of her to leak until she looks back to her old self. But if she wants to spend some time in the lounges, that’s fine. Just keep an eye on her.”

“Got it” Happy nods. He goes to leave, first telling the boy “Good morning, Peter.”

“Morning” the kid mumbles, lost in thought. He and Tony sit in quiet for a minute as Tony scrolls through his other messages. “You were with mom last night?”

“Went to see her after our chat.”

Another pause, “In her bedroom?”

“Why is that a surprise?”

“I…” The boy frowns. He appears to be debating asking a question he doesn’t want an answer to.

“We’re married Peter. It’s not uncommon for spouses to share a bed.” Tony knows what Peter is wondering. While nothing sexual happened between him and Pepper last night, it wouldn’t hurt to let the boy to think his mother is accepting Tony in that way. To think that Peter is the only one still fighting at this point.

“I just didn’t think…you know what” Peter shakes his head, disgust prevalent. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“Fine, fine” Tony chuckles.

Peter is lost in thought again. Tony lets him mull over whatever is going on in his head. So far, he’s pretty happy with how the conversation has gone. The kid is stubborn, but at least seems to be taking his role in life seriously. Hopefully this means less temper tantrums going forward.

“What do you know about Richard outside of the press?” he asks.

Tony raises an eyebrow, that is a complicated question. “I’ve only met him a few times. Bruce keeps all those kids close to home. The youngest three he doesn’t even allow at events yet. Richard is smart, but not as smart as you. Although Wayne intelligence is different than ours.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Its…different strengths. There’s a reason that although I hate his guts, Bruce and I make a good team when needed. I bring the tech, he brings the strategy. There’s a reason the press calls him the world’s greatest detective.”

“And Richard?”

“From what I can tell, smart but not Bruce. Or…at least doesn’t have the drive to be Bruce. That might change with age, he’s going though a bit of a troublemaking phase right now. Not that Bruce was an angel at that age. Excellent at fighting and has almost zero fear. He was patrolling as Robin at the age of twelve.”

Peter nods his head, “what about the other two biological kids?”

“Jason is the brawn of the group. Tough as nails and can scare the crap out of anyone, even those kryptonians. Helena, she…smartest of the three. Only one of them to skip grades at Gotham Academy. I’ve only met her a couple of times at galas. Thinks too highly of herself for her own good. She and Jason are the closest in age and seem to work well together. We don’t have really any info on the three adopted ones.”

“Do you…what’s it going to take to…beat them?”

Tony smiles at the boy, “Let’s first get you to the point where they see you as a threat. And you know what” Tony looks down at his phone, scrolling back to a text he got from Sam. He responds to it while asking Peter, “You done with breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

“Follow me” Tony begins heading to the elevator. Peter cautiously asks,

“Where are we going?”

“Basement.”

“Oh, fuck no!” Peter’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step away from Tony.

“Not a punishment for you Pete” Tony explains. “There’s a guy Sam found who knows some info on a group selling Chitauri grade weapons. He’s downstairs ready for interrogation.”

Peter goes white. He looks sick as he stutters “In…in...NO!” The boy runs out of the kitchen, Tony right after him. “No, no, no” he keeps repeating through the living room. Tony catches him on the stairs. “NO! Don’t make me” Peter begs. “No, please Mr. Stark. Don’t make me go through that. Please.”

“Okay, drop the whole Mr. Stark thing right now” Tony demands, pulling his son back towards the elevator. Peter might be strong, but he doesn’t know how to hone in that ability enough to fight Tony.

“PLEASE!” the teen yells in desperation. “Not again, not again.” His face getting red and eyes swelling.

“Do not let a single one of those tears fall” Tony growls.

Taking in a heavy breath, Peter bites his lip and tries to pull away from Tony again. The pull doesn’t work but he is at least successful with the crying. The elevator doors open and Tony drags Peter in.

The boy is still fighting, “No! Please, please, please don’t make me do this.”

“You just have to watch.”

“No! Please! Tony don’t!”

So, he’s really going to stick with the first name basis. Tony huffs and ignores his son’s pleas. At least he isn’t Mr. Stark again.

“Like I told you years ago Pete, it won’t be as bad this time.”

The basement hallway is more intimidating today than it was days ago. Somehow the unknown isn’t as scary as what Peter knows to expect. He still begs with Tony as he is dragged along. When they finally get to a door with Wilson outside, Tony thumps Peter upside the head.

“You’re not getting out of this” his father sneers. “Stop the whining. God, you could handle this when you were three.”

“I didn’t know what you were doing back then.”

“Well now you know what to expect.”

“EXACTLY!” Peter yells, trying once again to break free of Tony’s grasp.

“Jesus Christ” Tony rolls his eyes. A punch across the face causes Peter to freeze. His father instructs, “Peter, take a deep breath.”

He tries. Desperately, Peter tries to even out his erratic breathing. Flashes of the past begin running through his mind. The blood, the screaming, the bones crunching. It causes his stomach to churn. “Please Tony…”

“Enough!” Tony snaps with a ferocity that causes Peter to still. “I’ll give you two minutes to compose yourself. After that I expect not a peep out of you. You’re thirteen, be glad I’m not forcing you to participate.”

Peter knows he’s trembling. He doesn’t care, too focused on making sure his eyes don’t water. He’s already been told once not to cry; he won’t get a second warning. Redirecting his attention to Wilson, Tony listens to the soldier’s update. Peter doesn’t listen. Instead, he stares at the ceiling and tries not to think about what he is about to witness.

Too soon, his father turns back to him. Seeing Peter much more calm, Tony tells him “All you have to do is stand in the corner and watch. I don’t want any interruptions. No yelling, no interfering and I better not see one fucking tear. Got that?” Peter nods. “Follow me.”

Hesitantly and with a push from Wilson, Peter trails Tony into the interrogation room. Already it is overwhelming. The place looks just like the one from his memory. The steel walls, the tables of bats, bars, and other weapons, as well as the man tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Peter’s throat goes dry, and he prays to keep his breakfast down.

Tony gestures to a corner of the room, which Peter knows is meant for him to view from. He follows instructions, avoiding looking at everything around him.

The bag on the man’s head is ripped off. Of course, Peter has no clue who he is. That doesn’t help. The unknown man starts menacingly chuckling at Tony.

“I heard the cries in the hall, Hydra made your kid a pussy Stark.”

Tony’s nostrils flare and he sends a hard punch across the man’s face. That doesn’t wipe off the smirk. “Well, he’s home now” Tony growls. “Are you going to put on a good show?”

“Fuck you.” Another punch. “Asshole.”

“You know, I’m not one to take name-calling well. Especially in front of my kid.”

“Little shit needs to know what he comes from.” At that Tony promptly grabs one of the steel bars on the table and brings in down on the man’s arm. The stranger lets out a painfilled scream that is so familiar to the one that haunt’s Peter’s nightmares.

“WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE WEAPONS!”

“FUCK YOU!” Another swing followed by cries of agony.

‘God, just tell him what he wants to know!’ Peter yells in his head. This is horrible and Tony hasn’t even drawn blood yet.

This goes on for what feels like so long. The guy won’t budge and Tony’s torture gets more vicious with every swear and non-answer. He brings out a taser. Seeing the prisoner shake and spasm sends flashbacks to a few days ago in the gym. Peter remembers how it felt to have electricity coursing through him. His nerves felt on fire. Did his own screaming sound like this? Unable to take it, Peter closes his eyes and puts his hands over his ears.

He only gets that bit of protection for a minute. A flare in his neck tells him Tony has redirected his attention Peter’s way. Slowly opening his eyes, Peter is met with the furious gaze of his father.

“Does Wilson need to come in here to keep you attentive?”

Biting his lip to distract himself from his fear, Peter sends pleading eyes to Tony who’s stare only gets angrier. Taking a deep inhale through the nose, Peter shakily lowers his arms. That gets Tony’s attention off him.

Immediately after turning his head away, Tony sticks the taser up against the man’s neck earning an earsplitting scream. It rings in Peter’s ears.

Oh god no. The florescent light above them is getting brighter. Focus Peter. He closes his eyes but can’t drown out the man’s wailing. In fear that Tony will get mad, Peter opens his eyes again only to be met by the blinding glow.

“Tony” he whimpers.

“Shh” his father hushes, irritation clear. The man is yelling obscenities at him. They pierce way to loud in Peter’s ear canal.

“Tony!” he says a bit louder. This is too much!

A gut-wrenching crunch sounds out in the room when Tony brings a baseball bat onto the man’s leg. It’s sounds like the world itself cracked open. The light burns his pupils. Peter closes his eyes again covers his ears against the yelling. This is painful!

“TONY!” he screams at the top of his lungs.

His father must have realized what is happening, because seconds later the high pitch frequency is overtaking Peter’s senses. He welcomes it, grateful for the relief. Tony catches him before hitting the floor.

Once Peter can catch his breath and recuperate himself, he peers his eye open and sees Tony looking down on him with concern. After a minute Peter is able to say, “Thank you.”

“You okay?”

Nodding, Peter says “Can’t move my body yet, but senses are back to normal.”

“It’s good you got my attention. Maybe we should come up with a code word for next time. Here” he helps Peter to a seated position, leaning against the wall. He nods at the man in the chair, “Didn’t give him earplugs, he’ll be useless for a few minutes.”

“Wilson?”

“Oh shit, JARVIS?”

“Mr. Wilson is currently incapacitated in the hallway.”

“Dammit” Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. “Get Steve down here to help him out and explain the pitch.

“Will do Sir.”

“So,” Tony turns back to Peter. “You ready for round two?”

No, he’s not. But Peter knows he isn’t getting out of this. “Can I stay sitting on the floor?”

“Sure” Tony smirks, clearly glad Peter didn’t try to argue.

“Just get this over with.”

Giving Peter a clap on the shoulder, Tony sends him a small prideful smile. “That’s the spirit” he says before getting up and walking back to the man. “Okay you piece of shit. You ready to talk yet?”

The man spits in Tony’s direction.

“Disgusting” Tony frowns. Ridiculous considering he’s already covered in multiple bodily fluids from the man. Something shiny catches Peter’s attention in Tony’s hand. When did he grab a knife? Soon after Peter notices the blade, it is injected into the man’s torso.

A chocking gasp escapes the man. It continues as Tony pulls the knife out and slams it back in while growling “Were did you get the gun?”

After another stab wound, the man finally answers, “My cousin Georgie.”

“Is he the dealer?”

“No” the man whines. “He bought it from some guy and gave it to me.” Tony pushes the knife farther in. “It’s the truth I swear!”

“What’s Georgie’s real name?”

“George Laddin.” Thank God the man is answering. Just like Peter, he doesn’t want to prolong this.

“JARVIS?”

“Mr. Keller does not have a familial match with any George Laddins.”

Oh god.

Tony yanks the knife out and lodges it into the man’s leg. Another horrible scream from not only the man, but Tony.

“TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

“By marriage! He’s married to my cousin Louisa. They live in the Brooklyn.”

“It does appear that Mr. Keller has a cousin named Louisa Meyer. I am not finding any legal marriage certificate under her name.”

The man whimpers to Tony, “I don’t know what to tell you. They’ve been together for over ten years.”

“You’re fucking useless” Tony sneers. He pulls the knife out again. This time he lodges it into the man’s neck. Chocking and gargling noises Peter could have never even imagined to be real release from the man. It is only now that the metallic smell of blood his’s his nose. It makes him want to vomit, but he pushes that urge down. Tony ignores the disgusting sounds coming from the dying man and makes his way back over to Peter. He smiles down. How can he be so calm? “Able to move your legs yet?”

Peter can feel himself vibrating. Sucking in a deep breath that is tainted with the ghastly aroma he nods his head. Tony puts out a hand, which Peter accepts to be helped to a standing position. He allows his father to escort him out of the room. His gaze is focused on the door, not able to turn to look at the mangled human he passes. Oh, how relieved he is to finally leave this horrendous room.

In the hallway, Rogers is crouched next to Wilson who is in the same position Peter was in moments ago. They both look up at Tony as he and Peter exit the room. Steve asks, “How did the kid do?”

“Outside of the senses flaring up, pretty good” Tony gives his son a pat on the back. Peter hates having those hands on him. After watching what they are capable of, he doesn’t want them near him. He stares blankly ahead, not able to even look at Tony. He is acutely aware of the blood splattered across his clothing. The moment he entered the hallway, his mind went numb. He’s not sure if it is better or worse than what it was in that room which was hyperaware. Tony continues

“Had to chastise him once but he was a champ at the end. Isn’t that right Pete?”

Not responding, Peter redirects his gaze to the ceiling. Taking in a shaky breath he hopes Tony doesn’t make him answer.

Luckily, he doesn’t. Steve instead says, “It might take a day or two to track down this Georgie. Want us to save him for you?”

“Yeah” Tony answers. He then adds, “Gotta get Pete in as much practice as possible. This seems like a pretty harmless group, but they do put up a nice fight. What do you think kid?”

He can’t respond. It’s impossible. Peter chomps down on his lip and does everything in his power to stop his emotions. Again. He’s going to have to go through this again. Maybe even as soon as tomorrow. Jesus Christ! He can feel his body shaking and fights the stinging in his eyes.

“Pete” Tony says, more gently. “Hey, how about you go back upstairs and rest for a few hours. After lunch we can work on some stuff in the lab.”

Lab time with Tony is the last thing he wants, but the opportunity to escape back upstairs sounds wonderful. He silently nods his head, still not looking anyone in the eye.

Tony pulls him in for a small side hug. “You did good buddy, I’m proud” he whispers before placing a kiss into Peter’s hair. Again, he doesn’t want Tony’s affection right now. It feels so wrong after watching all of that. How can someone go from killing a man to hugging their child while covered in blood. It’s sick.

The second Tony releases him, Peter makes his way down the hall where he knows the elevators are. JARVIS must have been worried for him, because the lift is ready for Peter when he arrives.

When the doors close is when Peter lets it all out. He crumbles to the floor and gasps for breath. The tears are flowing now. The man’s screaming is wracking through his brain along with all the horrible visuals Tony made him watch. He can’t describe the emotions coursing though him. Fear, terror, disgust, sorrow, pity, shame. All of those mixed in a dreadful cocktail along with so many more.

This is his life now. One he is expected to embrace.

How can he ever be okay with this? How could anybody? It’s as if Tony expects him not to have a soul.

How can a human being be so cruel?

Well…he guesses Tony will teach him.

Chapter Text

For the third time since putting him to bed, Howie startles awake with a terrified yelp. The poor little boy has tears streaming down his face as he cries out into the dark. Pulling him close to reassure her son that he’s not alone, Pepper hushes,

“Shhh, I’m here. You’re okay Howie. Shhh.”

Cuddling into her side, Howie clings to Pepper with all his might and sobs into her chest. Pepper lets her own tears fall as she tries to comfort her traumatized three-year-old. The overwhelming sense of guilt sticks in her brain. She should have never allowed this. How could she let Tony do this to her baby?

As if he had given her a choice.

“Mo…mom…mommy” Howie stutters, his voice full of so much sorrow.

“I’ve got you” Pepper places a kiss on his head and begins rubbing the small boy’s back.

Eventually she is able to sooth him back to sleep. The poor child is exhausted. Between waking up every couple hours from nightmares the last few nights as well as the emotional fatigue he’s experiencing, Howie’s young body can’t take it.

The door to the bedroom slowly opens. Pepper stills as her husband makes his way over to the bed. Resentment and hatred like she has never experienced goes off in her brain towards that man. He did this to her son. Their little boy.

“How’s he doing?” Tony asks, taking a seat on the bed.

“Horrible” Pepper can’t hide the spite in her voice. She was able to down in the lab. But after holding her sobbing child for the two and a half days, she can’t pretend like this is all okay anymore. Instinctively, she pulls Howie closer to her. To keep him safe from the man who brought him so much pain. There is enough light coming from the window that she knows Tony can see her glare.

“It’ll get better Pep” he sighs. Pepper doesn’t respond, just keeps rubbing circles on her son’s back. Tony reaches towards the boy, which makes Pepper pull him away. “Pepper” he warns.

“Just go to bed Tony” she scowls.

“Not without you.”

“I’m staying here.”

“Pepper.”

“He needs me.”

Tony reaches forward and begins pulling Howie out of her grasp, “He needs to learn to get through this himself.

“No!” She tightens her hold.

“Pep!”

In her arms Howie begins stirring, he lets out a small whine.

Tony tells her in all seriousness, “If he wakes up crying in front of me, I’m going to have to punish him.”

Her heart breaks with those words. Placing a small kiss on her son’s head, she allows Tony to help her gently rearrange the boy off her body and onto the mattress. Getting up from the bed, she tucks Howie in. She only gets a gentle caress though his mop of curls before Tony begins pulling her out of the room. Once they enter the master suite, Pepper pauses. She stares at the bed she does not want to share with this man.

“Pepper, come on. Don’t be this way” Tony sighs, trying to usher her forward.

She whips around to face him, “How could you do this?”

“We discussed this…”

“He’s three” her voice breaks. “And you made him sit through that? What kind of father are you?”

“Stop!” He snaps, anger prevalent. “You knew this was going to come eventually. I don’t need to justify my actions on this. I had warned you years ago. Now you want to act innocent when things are getting hard?”

“You did not make it seem this bad. I thought he would be older. That you would start off small…”

“Look, I didn’t think that guy would last so long…”

“No more” Pepper begs. “No more Tony. Please don’t put Howie through that again.”

“Pepper…”

“He’s just a little boy!” She cries. “And he’s so sweet and innocent. Why do you want to change that?”

Tony asserts, “Sweet and innocent are not going to prepare him for his future. He’s brilliant Pep and has so much potential. You just need to give this time.”

Pepper can’t even respond. How does he expect her to accept this? He isn’t the one who has to hold Howie as he weeps his heart out and screams in terror. Tony doesn’t listen to their son plead for the safety of his own life. No three-year-old should have to go through this. No child of any age should. God! How was she so blind? How did she allow Tony to trick her into believing this was okay and normal? Well, not normal. He never phrased it that way. He had told her it would prepare their son for greatness. It would make him a leader. Someone admirable. And Pepper was stupid enough to believe Tony’s sick lies. She allowed her own hubris to take over her own principles of right and wrong. Now her son, her perfect little innocent son, is suffering because of her actions.

“Hey” Tony pulls her into an embrace. She hates him. She knows that now. Yet how can his arms around her still feel so good. “It’ll get better” he assures her, not that she believes him. Not anymore. “He’ll get stronger. He did so well Pep. He really did. It’ll get easier with time. I know this is difficult right now.”

“How much longer?”

“What?”

“How much longer until it gets better?” In her own mind, Pepper knows the answer is never.

Another sigh leaves her husband. “I’m not sure. It’s times like this I wish Howard was here for those answers. How about…would it help if you had a distraction?”

Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, Pepper asks “What do you mean?”

“I mean…if you had something to take your mind off Howie when…when he’s going through training. Something…or someone…” he trails off.

It takes Pepper a moment to understand what he is saying. Upon the realization, she pushes herself out of his arms. “You cannot seriously be suggesting that right now.”

“Pep, we always talked about…”

“You expect me to bring another baby into this? When Howie is down the hall in misery.” How can Tony even think about that right now. Pepper can’t imagine even allowing him to touch her in that way ever again. “What, is that just going to be your solution every time? What about when that child grows older? I just have another every three years for a distraction? As if it would be any easier…”

Tony cups her face with his hands. He stares down at her with sympathetic eyes, “We won’t have to go through this again if it’s a girl.”

“Oh my god!” Pepper cries. That is really his best solution? Just get pregnant and hope it’s a girl? They can’t guarantee that. And even if they do have a girl, what kind of life would she live? Sure, women in their world don’t go through the same training as the men, but their daughter would have her own hardships. When Tony goes to pull Pepper into another hug, she steps away “Don’t touch me.”

“Pep…”

He’s interrupted by FRIDAY, “It appears that Young Sir is having another nightmare.”

Pepper begins heading to the door only to be stopped by Tony.

“Let me go comfort him!” Pepper pleads.

Tony puts himself between her and the door. “He needs to learn to deal with this on his own. He’s not always going to have you…”

“Yes, he will!”

“No,” Tony says more sternly. “He won’t. JARVIS, lock the door.”

Pepper takes in a deep breath. There is no reasoning with her husband. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t see the harm in his actions. There is no getting through to him. In the distance she can hear her son’s sobs, it brings tears to her own eyes. How could she have let this happen? How did her life get to this point?

“C’mon” Tony is successful this time in pulling Pepper to bed. She’s given up. He has the power to force her to do anything he wants. Why did she allow herself to get trapped like this? Why did Tony set his sights on her?

Under the covers, Tony pulls Pepper close. Again, he whispers “It’ll get better. Just give it time.” An unwanted kiss is placed on her forehead. Pepper's tears are still falling. This is so messed up. Never has she hated herself more than this moment. Never more as lays there listening to her son’s wailing while the man who did this to him comforts her in his arms.

Peter doesn’t look good. Healthwise he’s fine physically. Great physically. Fully healed from the gym, the boy gets his cast off today. Something Tony can’t tell if the kid is excited about or not. He’s been so hard to read lately. While his body is healed, mentally Peter is struggling.

Tony knew to expect this. He knew the first few weeks of his son’s return would be difficult. That doesn’t mean it pains him any less to see Peter this way. The vacant stare that has taken residency on the boy’s face is unsettling. Although Tony appreciates that more than the stressed agony-filled lip bite that seems to make an appearance at least once an hour.

He’s proud of the boy. Peter’s done so well this past week. The tutors Tony has hired have given nothing but praises so far. Just like in the lab, the boy picks up quick and he is so eager. Those tutoring sessions seem to be the only thing that brings out that confident, inquisitive, relaxed kid from when he first arrived. Being around the tutors, who while very skilled at their job are also the most normal people in Peter’s life, brings an ease to the boy. He isn’t on edge like he is around Tony and the rest of his staff. During his schooling, Peter seems to be able to just lose himself in his studies.

Lab time is up and down depending on the day. Sometimes Peter is able to indulge fully in Tony’s inventions. He asks questions, examines schematics, analyzes codes. But Peter can’t tinker much with the cast, something that proved to be a trigger point for the kid. Just when Tony thought he had the boy fully immersed in a lesson, that cast would remind Peter of everything going on outside of his studies. Peter would try to use a screwdriver or pick something up and Tony would see him suddenly be staring at the ceiling with that harsh lip bite.

Deep breathing and laying his head on a table while protecting his eyes and ears has become a new norm for Peter. Even if it is technically a show of weakness, Tony doesn’t mind it. He prefers it to having to bring out the paralyzer, which has also become a new norm. Not as frequent, thank God! Those enhanced senses are becoming more of a burden than a gift. So is that tingle in his neck.

Overall, Peter’s handled everything better than Tony or any of the Avengers expected.

The worst part is that Tony never knows what is going to set his son off. Sometimes it is more obvious, such as one time when Peter saw Tony grab a knife for dinner. But sometimes it is completely random or out of nowhere. Such as once when the boy took a bite of a cracker that Tony can only guess sounded enough like bones snapping to send the kid spinning.

Peter has witnessed three interrogations since his return. Unlike the first, Peter didn’t fight Tony before the second. Steve had stepped in for the third since Tony was needed elsewhere that day. That one went the worst. Tony doesn’t know if it was because Peter was already stressed from watching the first two or if it was because he was watching someone other than Tony, but Peter struggled greatly that day. He was so out of sorts that Steve had to use the paralyzer four times.

Only twice has Tony caught Peter crying. Each time earned a punishment, but the kid has held so strong overall. Tony doesn’t care what Peter does in private to sooth himself. In fact, he knows the boy has had multiple breakdowns in the privacy of his bedroom or when he knows nobody is around. That’s fine. It’s expected.

Tony wishes Pepper could help. Nothing more does he wish he could let her come upstairs and comfort the boy. Tony can’t do that for Peter. The boy has to learn to put on a hard front. It would give mixed signals for Tony to go from back and forth on his teachings. But he can’t trust Pepper with that. Not yet.

God, they were supposed to be a team.

Eventually Peter will learn to handle the distress. The boy is trying so hard, but it is obvious that he is having a rough time. Once Peter has mastered the tears and stops going into constant flashbacks and sensory overload, they can move onto teaching the kid to hide his emotions. For now, as long as Peter is giving his all to not having freak outs, Tony is content. The kid really is trying his hardest.

That little boy who fought so hard to please Tony is making a reappearance. Begrudgingly. But Tony notices Peter’s frown and mood lighten a tiny bit whenever receiving praise from his father. It gives Tony hope. Just a small sign that things between them are improving.

Peter hasn’t forgiven Rhodey for the gym yet. That is clear. Nothing the pseudo-uncle does seems to please the boy. Peter becomes so stand-offish whenever Rhodes is in the penthouse. It’s gotten to the point where Tony has to be the one to remind Rhodes that things will become better with time.

It’s hard to tell who Peter trusts right now or is at least comfortable with. The only exception is Happy. The one person from Peter’s past that he doesn’t hold a grudge with so far. In fact, the boy looks forward to the bodyguard checking in on him. Tony first noticed it on Monday. Happy had just come up to give Tony an update on some new hires and Peter asked if he wanted to join them for breakfast.

Both Happy and Tony were surprised by this. It was a rare moment Happy’s nickname was actually fitting to his mood. It became clear why Peter made the offer when Tony left the room to grab his phone. That is when he overheard a conversation that he decided to ignore.

“So, you’re starting tutoring today” Happy started. “You excited?”

“Um…yeah, I guess. I kind of miss school, but it’ll be nice not to have to go through the curriculum so slowly.”

“I’m sure. Your dad has been bragging all week about how fast you pick things up you in the lab.”

“It’s…I…um…yeah…”

Tony heard a few clinks of silverware. After a moment, Happy asked,

“Anything on your mind kid?”

“You…you see mom everyday right?”

Happy hesitated but answered. “Yeah, I spend a couple hours a day with her.”

“Um…how is…”

“Peter” Happy stopped him. “If you finish that question, I’m going to have to tell Tony.” A silence between the two. A few more scrapes of dishes before Happy added, “Got a package of books I’ve been waiting on since yesterday.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, a bunch of biographies. Not my cup of tea personally. You like reading?”

“Sometimes.”

“There’s a lounge on the thirtieth floor that has a really good view of Bryant Park. It’s private. Quiet. Nice place to get lost in a good book. I spent quite a bit of time there yesterday. I’m debating moving my office next to it. You know…in case I ever want to read more often.”

Tony could hear the smile in his son’s voice, “Thanks Happy.”

“For what? I was just telling you about my day. Nothing to thank me for.”

“Okay.”

“Want a refill on the juice?”

“Yes, please.”

“Rhodes is right, you definitely got your manners from your mom. So, what subject are you looking forward to the most today?”

“Spanish actually. It always took forever for my class to memorize the vocab.”

“Huh, well I did the first round of interviews for your tutors. Trust me, Camilla will have you speaking paragraphs in a month.”

Peter was so quiet and nervous before that conversation. When Tony reentered the room, his son’s mood was so much brighter. Even though he should have been upset with Happy for giving in, Tony couldn’t help but appreciate his friend for giving the boy just a bit of solace. It was enough to get Peter excited for his first day of tutoring. All week, Happy has made a point to spend at least a few minutes talking with the boy in the morning. Tony has no idea what they discuss, always having some reason to leave the room.

Not even Happy’s visit today could get the boy’s jitters to settle. Tony can tell Peter didn’t sleep a wink last night. He looks awful. It’s like his body wants to be tense but is too exhausted. His eyes are hollow as they stare down at the food he’s been picking at for the past twenty minutes. Rhodey, as another olive branch, made another attempt to appease the boy with breakfast. A celebration for getting the cast off today.

Steve’s interrogation yesterday really did the kid in. He just looks so…broken. Yet there have been no tears, no attitude, no arguing. Nothing Tony can criticize at the moment. Peter has even responded, vacantly, every time they’ve addressed him this morning. Short and empty answers, but acknowledgement none the less.

“Hey Pete” Rhodey says, “Want me to refresh your plate? Those eggs look pretty cold.”

“No thanks” Peter mumbles.

“You’ve barely taken a bite.”

“Not hungry.”

Tony asks him, “You excited to get the cast off?”

Peter’s fork pauses at the same time that lip bite returns. Quietly, the boy asks, “Do we have to go down to the med bay?”

“That is where the equipment is.”

A flash of foreboding fills Peter’s eyes which he tries so hard to stop. The bite on his lip intensifies.

“How about” Rhodey offers, “I call down and see if Bruce can bring the tools up. We can do it in the living room. Sound good?”

Peter thinks about it, something clearly not sitting right with him. Tony places a hand on his son’s shoulder, “Pete?”

“Does…does it have to be Banner?”

Tony and Rhodes exchange a look. “No” Tony answers. “Helen is probably available.” That wasn’t the answer Peter wanted. It is written across his face. “Would you prefer Strange?”

Pausing, Peter thinks and settles a bit. He gives a small nod.

Rhodey leaves to make the call. Peter relaxes with the man’s absence, yet his eyes don’t wander from the plate in front of him. At least the lip bite releases.

“Banner and Cho care a lot about you, you know” Tony tells his son. “They went into overdrive the second they heard what happened with the spider. Neither slept for the first couple days you arrived because they wanted to get through all of Oscorp’s data in case…in case there was anything that could go wrong.”

“Or they were just having fun with their new experiment” Peter mumbles, malice in his voice.

Geez kid. “Peter, you are not an experiment.”

“Tell them that.”

Tony can admit that those two did behave poorly when discovering Peter’s senses. The gym probably didn’t help Banner’s case. “I’ll talk with them. Make the two cool off a bit.” Peter just gives him another small nod, his expression one of skepticism. Tony decides to change the subject, “Without the cast you can start combat training.”

The offer doesn’t bring the boy any pleasure. His expression grows pained. “I…” Peter wrestles with his thoughts. “I know I have to learn but…just…who’s it going to be with?”

“Steve.”

“God!” Peter throws his fork down. Tony can see the dread reeling around in Peter’s head. “Please not…fuck…no…please, not Steve. Anyone but Rogers.”

“Okay” Tony agrees. Of course, the kid doesn’t want to fight Steve, not after the arm. That probably contributed to yesterday’s issues during the interrogation. Tony really is an idiot sometimes; he should have seen that coming. “Who else would you prefer?”

“I…” Peter thinks, distress still rampant in his demeanor. “Clint. Clint’s fine.” The boy starts picking at his fingernail.

Tony sighs, “Clint and Natasha are on a mission for the next two weeks.” Although, if Clint is really the only one Peter is comfortable with, Tony will fly him back in a heartbeat. “My next best is Barnes.”

“He held my arm!”

Dammit. The kid isn’t going to trust anyone from the gym, is he. That leaves out Rhodey. “How about Sam?” Wilson isn’t much of a teacher, but he’s better than nothing.

“Is there…” Peter looks so defeated. “Is there anyone else?”

Not many options. At least not combat fighters. Wanda isn’t an expert on hand to hand, neither is Strange. Vision had tried to teach Harley some things a few years ago and that ended in disaster. Wait…Harley.

“You okay with Scott?” Tony asks.

“Antman?” Peter asks. Right, the kid’s only met Lang once.

“Yeah. He’s not the most experienced but he’ll be able to teach you the basics until Clint returns. He also has some experience teaching. Would you be willing to work with him?”

Taking a deep breath, Peter regains some of his composure. “Yeah” he says, much to Tony’s relief. “Yeah, I’ll try with him.”

Tension in Tony’s shoulders releases. Thank God, one battle won. Sounds like most of the team is going to have to regain Peter’s trust. It kind of makes Tony feel less alone on this. But…he can only imagine how it makes his son feel.

Rhodey enters the kitchen again, “Strange is on his way up. You sure you don’t want anything else to eat Pete?”

Shaking his head, Peter pushes his plate away. Obviously, he doesn’t want to talk with his godfather. Tony shoots Rhodes a look letting him know they would discuss this later.

“Let’s head into the living room then, shall we?” Tony says. After a second of thought he adds, “Rhodes, stay in here and clean up.” His friend shoots him a look, but after glancing at Peter relaxing at the order, just nods in agreement.

Peter allows Tony to escort him to the living room. They sit next to each other on one of the couches. Soon after, Dr. Strange walks in with a box of a few medical tools.

“Good morning” Stephen says, taking a seat across from them. He places the box on the coffee table. “I must say I’m honored. Not every world-renowned neurosurgeon gets house calls for arm casts.”

Tony rolls his eyes. Strange has an ego that could rival his own. “Yeah, well most don’t need magic stones to move their hands.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, Tony regrets it. Peter sends him a nervous look. “He’s fine now” Tony assures, hoping playing off the joke settles the boy.

Strange must have noticed Peter’s panic as he makes a purposeful stretch of his hands that demonstrates their control. “So” he says nonchalantly, trying to lighten the mood of the room. “Let’s get my handiwork off that arm. Feels like only yesterday I was wrapping it up.”

“Ten days” Tony says, knowing Peter isn’t going to respond.

Stephen lets out an impressed whistle, “Not too bad. That’s right up there with the Flashes.” The talking seems to be helping Peter relax a bit. Stephen notices this too and adds, “Of course in the future we’ll put you on some supplements and boosters whenever your hurt. Speeds things along real quick. An IV drip can really do wonders. Ask your dad. It’s gotten him though quite a few things. Broken bones, cuts, bruises. Lots of hangovers.”

“Okay” Tony stops the doc, although he takes note of the grin Peter gets out of his father’s embarrassment. “Move onto the arm now.”

“Fine” Strange pulls out a large tool. The calmness that Peter had before becomes more and more tense as he stares at it. “This is a form of saw designed for casts. It only vibrates, so it won’t hurt your skin underneath. I’m also going to do multiple cuts going in and out of the cast. Not one big one. Understand?”

Peter nods, but his eyes are still glued to the saw. Strange gestures for him to reach out his arm. Shakily, Peter does.

“I’m going to need you to hold it still Peter.”

The boy tries, they can see he is trying. But his nerves are too much. “Here” Tony reaches out and grabs the arm, which was the wrong move.

Yanking the arm away, Peter sends Tony the most distrustful stare he has ever received. Instead of ushering Peter back to his former spot on the couch, Strange slides over to Peter’s new one. Away from Tony. He gives a warm smile, not acknowledging the awkwardness in the room.

“It’s going to be a bit loud. How about you just put your cast on the armrest?”

Doing as he is told, Peter sits still as Strange gets the blade ready. It isn’t when the blade initially begins making noise that Peter panics, but when Stephen is about to lower it onto the cast.

“NO” Peter yells, yanking his arm away again.

“Peter” Tony says sternly. Before he can continue, Stephen interrupts

“Take a deep breath.” The doctor holds Peter’s gaze. When Peter follows his instructions, Stephen says “Good. Again. Great.”

Peter’s breathing is labored. His right hand goes to the back of his neck and he starts rubbing. Dammit, not the tingle. Strange turns to Tony,

“Stark, go over to the window” he makes a shooing motion.

“Excuse you?” Tony growls, not appreciating being brushed away in his own home.

“Doctor’s orders. Go!” Stephen turns back to Peter, who looks grateful towards the doc.

Biting his pride, Tony gets up from the couch and walks away. Out of spite he stands by the fireplace instead of the window. Same distance away. Not caring, Strange is still focused on Peter. He whispers so low Tony can barely hear,

“That better?” A thankful tiny nod is Tony’s son’s response. “Ready for try two?”

“Just…can you turn it on and let me get used to the sound? It…yesterday…”

“Yeah” Strange doesn’t make the boy explain himself. He turns on the machine and the three sit for a while with the machine as the only sound. After a while Peter gives a nod that he is ready. “I’m going to do this side of the arm and then we’ll flip it and I’ll go down the underside.”

Carefully and keeping an eye on Peter’s face, Strange begins sawing the cast. It goes well. He gives Peter a moment to catch his breath before doing the other side. Next, he pulls out a large instrument that he uses to crack open each side. Peter closed his eyes during it but didn’t panic. Not until Strange announces

“Last step” and pulls out a small set of scissors.

“NO” Peter screams, leaping off the couch.

“Peter” Stephen says calmly.

“Sit back down” Tony demands.

“NO.”

“PETER!”

“FUCK YOU!”

Tony takes a step towards his son who is now in an all-out panic. Only to be intercepted by Strange who puts himself between Peter and Tony. Strange in a calmer tone than his boss says, “Peter it’s the last step. We’re almost done.”

“Let me do it!”

“It’s just a few snips.”

“LET ME DO IT THEN!”

Rhodey runs into the room, concerned with the yelling. “Hey, everything okay?”

“It’s fine” Stephen sneers in annoyance. He tries to get Peter’s attention again. “Let’s just sit back down and everyone take a breather.”

“KEEP THOSE AWAY FROM ME!”

Taking a step towards Peter, Rhodey tries to gently coax the boy “Peter, you’re safe…”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“Step away Rhodes” Stephen snaps before again calmly changing his tone. “Peter, how about we go to a separate room.”

“Just give me the scissors” the boy begs.

“ENOUGH” Tony yells. He storms over to Peter. “Sit down and let Strange finish cutting you out of that. God kid! It’s the last step.”

“No.”

“Peter…”

“No!”

Tony takes a closer step, “Listen here…”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Peter dashes towards the stairs. Tony is right behind him and hears a ripping noise. When they reach the bottom of the staircase, Peter throws something at Tony’s feet. It’s the cast. The kid was able to rip the gauze with his strength. Looking up, Tony is met with Peter’s desperate face. “I JUST NEED A FUCKING BREAK!” he screams before racing up the stairs.

Running a hand through his hair, Tony turns back to his employees. Rhodey looks just as beat as Tony feels. God, why can't anything be easy? This was supposed to be a happy occasion.

“For fuck’s sake Stark” Stephen chides. “Go after him!” Tony gives him an incredulous glare only to receive a stern “Now!” in return.

It’s the push Tony needs. He chases up the stairs after his son. The boy of course fled to his bedroom. The door is locked.

“Peter” Tony calls out.

“GO AWAY.”

“Open the door!”

“NO.”

“JARVIS unlock the door.”

A click sounds. Tony swiftly opens the door into his son’s room. He catches a glimpse of his son running into the bathroom. What the fuck? When Tony makes it to the bathroom entrance, he sees Peter turned on the shower and hopped in fully clothed. He's facing the water, letting it fall all over him.

“Peter?” Tony approaches with caution.

“Go. Away.”

“Buddy…”

“I SAID GO AWAY!” this time it’s a sob from his son. Tony’s heart skips a beat. He realizes why his son suddenly wanted to be drenched in water. Not caring about his own clothes, Tony steps under the showerhead also. He places a hand on Peter’s shoulder and slowly turns the boy around. Peter’s eyes are red already. He is only able to whimper “I was alone. You said I wouldn’t be punished if I was alone.”

Tony breaks. Pulling Peter to his chest, Tony wraps his son into a tight hug. “Punished for what? I don’t see any tears.”

Another sob escapes the boy as his legs give out. Tony gently lowers both of them to the shower floor, still in the tight embrace. They sit there for a long while, letting the warm water douse them from above. A shield for both. Tony’s heart is pounding as he pretends not to hear Peter cries. The kid really has been so strong up until now.

Eventually, much much later, but eventually the sobbing stops and the two are now quietly holding each other. Tony places a kiss in Peter’s wet curls.

“I’m proud of you kiddo, I really am” Tony tells him. Peter doesn’t respond. “Always have been. When you were little, you couldn't have found a dad who bragged about his kid more than me. Ask anyone who was on the team at the time, they got so sick of hearing me go on about you. Didn’t think I could be any prouder than I was back then until now. You’ve exceeded my expectations in every way. I know I don’t always show it, but I know you’re trying your hardest. That’s all I ask. I'm not expecting perfection right away. It’ll get better, I promise.”

“I hate this” Peter admits, his face pressed into Tony’s chest.

“I know, I hate it too” Tony places another kiss into the mop of hair. “It shouldn’t have to be this way but we’re having to speed run all this. I wanted to give you more time, more space between. That’s why I started you so young. Just trust the process Pete, it’ll get easier.”

“I just…I just need a break. It’s every day. If it’s not the interrogations, it’s the lab. If it’s not the lab, it’s the doctors. If it’s not doctors, it’s the tutors. If it’s not the tutors, its every fucking Avenger trying to talk to me. I’m never alone. The tingle in my neck never stops. I can't sleep. When I do, it's all just blood and gore. I see the same five rooms every day. There's no escape. It’s suffocating.”

God, Tony wishes Pepper was here. Everything Peter is describing is the role she was supposed to fulfill. Now, the kid has no one.

Reaching up, Tony turns off the water. He rubs some circles on Peter’s back and thinks out loud.

“It is Saturday. How about a nice weekend off? Just, dry off and relax the rest of the day. I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’ll be gone for most of it. You can just hang out and turn your brain off. Then tomorrow…how about a bit of an adventure?”

“What…what do you mean?”

“Well, you haven’t really gotten a full tour of the tower yet. Maybe…how about I have Happy show you around.”

For the first time since they sat on the floor, Peter looks up at Tony. His eyes are still puffy, but hopeful. “That…that would be nice.”

Tony smiles down. “Then after…how about we go catch a movie? There's a new Jurassic World.”

“That’s been out of theaters…”

“Not for me…or you. It’ll be nice chance to get out of the tower for a bit. I’ll rent out a theater. You can have as much junk food from the concessions stand as you want. Maybe we could have a nice drive around the city after. I’m guessing you haven’t seen much of Manhattan.”

“None of it” Peter admits. For the first time in days, the kid seems at ease. “No training or anything?”

“Nothing. Scott will probably be here by Monday. After tutoring you can test things out with him. Sound good?”

Nodding, Peter the allows his neck to go lax. It rests on Tony’s chest and he closes his eyes. After a minute or so, the boy confesses “I miss mom.”

“She misses you too” Tony tells him. He knows how painful it is for both to be away from each other. He hears it in Pepper’s voice and sees the longing in Peter’s gaze whenever Pepper is brought up in conversation. “It’s your birthday in a couple weeks. How would you feel about her spending the day in the penthouse with us?”

Peter’s hopeful gaze shoots up, “Really?”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes!” the boy nods. His face gets emotional and looks like he is about to cry for a very different reason than before. Tony pulls his son’s face into his chest so that he doesn’t have to acknowledge that.

“Then I'll have that arranged. Anything else you want for the big day?”

“Just mom.”

“Okay” Tony rubs some more circles on Peter’s back. He’s in no hurry to get out of the shower.

Chapter Text

The dark drink in Peter’s cup tastes so bitter. Tony had poured it for him before heading down to his office. While having the majority of yesterday to relax helped Peter recover from his fatigue, he still hasn’t gotten much sleep. At least not restful sleep. Only in one-to-two-hour intervals can he make his brain stop the flashes from the interrogations. He’s still so tired. Tony was about to head out when Peter made his way down the stairs this morning. Upon seeing Peter’s still haggard state, his father gave him a cup of coffee to see if the caffeine would help. Peter’s been sipping on it, but the taste is dreadful. No wonder his mom prefers tea.

“Hey kid” Peter hears his father’s bodyguard enter the kitchen.

“Hey Happy. How are you today?”

“Pretty good, thanks for asking. You eaten yet?”

“Um…no I just woke up.” That’s not entirely true. He’s been awake for hours, but just finally gave up on trying to get anymore sleep. Taking another attempt at a sip of his coffee, Peter makes a face.

Happy notices and chuckles “Not a fan of the dark roast?”

“It’s so gross but I could use the caffeine.”

“Yeah, Tony’s built up quite the tolerance. I can’t even drink the pots he makes. Tastes like ash half the time.” Peter gives Happy a small smile. He agrees. Happy returns the grin and offers, “There’s a coffee shop on the first floor that makes good drinks. How about I call down and have them clear out the place so we can go have breakfast down there? You can try something from a barista that hasn’t fried their tastebuds.”

The chance to have a meal somewhere besides the penthouse sounds so nice. “Tony won’t mind?”

“No, not at all.”

“But the workers…”

“The tower staff all knows you’re going to be walking around today.” Happy explains. “They’ve been instructed to remain professional but be prepared for some staring. Besides the Hydra photos, nothing current has been released to the press. We’re hoping that nobody recognizes you. But the fact you’ll be with me and considering your resemblance to Tony is uncanny, I highly doubt that will happen. Sundays are always the slowest at the tower, but there are still quite a few people around. SI tends to attract workaholics. We’ve closed down tours and visitors for the day. However, Tony is holding a press conference this morning at eleven so there will be some reporters we will need to avoid.”

Peter nods in understanding. Normal people. For the first time in almost two weeks, he will be surrounded by normal people. While the dark side of SI is massive and heavily influential, there is also the half that is just a regular business and governing body. Everyday people who show up, do their ordinary job, then go home without blood on their hands. People who’s only contribution to the company is filing paperwork or organizing events. Even some of the engineers in the floors down below took the job because they wanted to work on prosthetics, medicine or sustainable energy. People who are happy staying on the ground, not wanting to be promoted to higher floors. It is well known the higher the floor you work on in SI, the more sinister your duties become.

The coffee shop is on the first floor. For all Peter knows, he might be served by regular high school kid that just wanted a part time job. The thought of that is so refreshing after being surrounded by super powered spies and soldiers.

“Let me go get changed, I’ll be back down in a minute.”

“Take your time. It’ll take a bit to clear out the café anyway.”

Even with Happy’s caution, Peter can’t help but rush through his morning routine. His eagerness to finally be in a small portion of the outside world again is overpowering. Just to be out of the intense environment he’s been drowning in for the past two weeks. Sure, he’ll still be in the tower, but it’s something different and new.

Minutes later he is back down the stairs. He catches Happy smirking at his excitement. Peter had gotten ready too quickly, the café isn’t ready. For another five or so minutes, he and Happy wait until the bodyguard receives a text that says they can go down. In the elevator, Peter can feel himself bouncing in anticipation.

The doors open to a hallway with high ceilings. There are multiple doors on each side. Following behind Happy, Peter tries to take in everything they pass. Happy tells him, “Nothing too impressive down here. Mostly just space for the tier one employees to get their work done. Tour guides, receptionists, janitorial. There are a few shops and restaurants that the tower rents out space to. Those are accessible to the public through the lobby. That’s still open today, so we’ll be going through the kitchen for the café. Later down the line, I’m sure Tony will let you check out the more public areas.”

As explained, Happy leads Peter through an employee only hallway. They are greeted at one of the many doors by a woman in her early twenties. Peter can tell she is nervous and is trying to hide it by being overly pleasant. She escorts them through a kitchen into an empty seating area. Peter takes note of all the windows. He pauses and stares at the people walking by.

“All the windows on the tower can change into one-ways” Happy says as he takes a seat at one of the tables in the middle of the cafe. “We can see out, they can’t see in. I thought you’d prefer not to sit in a room full of blinds.”

Gratitude fills Peter’s chest. Even though the arrangement is still so out of the ordinary in this empty café, it still feels like he is a part of the world again. Seeing all the New Yorkers rush around outside reminds him so much of home. “Thanks, Happy” Peter says in a quiet voice. After relishing the view for a few more seconds, Peter takes a seat across from Happy.

The waitress comes back with two menus and cups of water. “Anything you two would like to drink?”

“Black coffee for me” Happy says.

“And you?” the waitress, who’s nametag says Sophie, asks Peter.

“Umm” he looks down at the menu. He recognizes the names of all the drinks but has no idea what any of it means. “I wasn’t really allowed to have coffee drinks growing up, any suggestions?”

“Oh” Sophie looks shocked. She blinks and stutters, “I…I guess…yeah…wow…um…”

Oh shit. She thinks he means Hydra.

Before Peter can correct her, Happy steps in “Just get him an assortment. Let him try out a few options.”

Sophie nods, looking a bit shaken. She gives them a sad smile and quickly retreats into the kitchen. Peter starts to call after her, “I didn’t mean…”

“Peter” Happy hushes. He whispers, “It’s fine.”

“But…I just meant mom didn’t let me have caffeine that often. She thinks…”

“Let her think. It’s good for the backstory.”

Sucking in a breath, Peter bites his tongue. Of course. The Hydra story. For the first time since calling Ned and MJ, Peter remembers he is going to have to play along with Tony’s fucked up lie of history. Sensing Peter’s discomfort, Happy changes the subject.

“Tony tells me your tutors have been impressed. How do you like them?”

“They’re all great so far. It’s kind of weird only having two or three subjects a day though.” The tutoring schedule is set up in a block system unlike Midtown where Peter had all seven classes every day.

“You’ll get used to it.” Happy assures him. “If you really don’t like it after a few weeks, just let me know. I’ll see if Tony will change you to a more structured schedule like your last school.”

Peter can’t help but smile, “Thanks Happy.” It feels so nice to talk with someone who at least seems to be on his side.

They talk for a while until Sophie returns. She is carrying a large tray which she puts down on a stand next to Peter. On it is over a dozen tiny cups labelled with different drinks. While placing a normal sized beverage and a large thermal in front of Happy, she explains

“All of the iced ones are lattes with different flavoring except for the cold brew. For the hot ones, I put made a couple different mochas, an americano, a cappuccino which is really similar to a latte. Also, there’s an empty cup if you wanted some of the regular coffee. There are different types of creamers on the table for you to try. Do you have any questions?”

‘Yeah’ Peter thinks. ‘What the hell?’

Instead, he says out loud, “No…thank you.” Happy doesn’t say anything.

“Are we ready to order?”

“Nothing for me” Happy says. “I ate earlier. Pete?”

“Umm” Peter is still staring gob smacked at the array of drinks. “Just some pancakes please.”

A flash of light from the other side of the table causes Peter to turn. Snickering with his phone up, Happy tells Sophie, “I’ve seen him devour an entire pizza by himself. A few options. Chef’s choice.”

Blushing, the waitress goes back to the kitchen. Once she is out of earshot, Peter says “This is so over-the-top.”

“That we can agree on” Happy laughs, staring at his phone. He turns it so Peter can see a picture of him staring in awe of the tray. “I’m sending this to your parents.” Putting his phone back in his pocket, Happy adds, “Get used to it kid. You’re the long-lost prince of New York.”

Feeling his face heat up, Peter knows he is blushing just as much as Sophie was a moment ago. He knows Happy isn’t the one to come up with that title. Pretty much every news outlet and the entirety of social media has adopted that phrase in regards to Peter. Apparently, it started with a meme of Peter’s face photoshopped onto some Broadway dancer that said ‘Look at me! I’m the prince of New Yoooooork!’ Peter doesn’t even understand the reference but it’s embarrassing none the less.

“Please don’t call me that.”

Pouring himself a cup of regular coffee, Happy jokes “Drink up before it gets cold your highness.”

“Ugh” Peter groans, turning his attention back to the tray. He picks up one of the warm drinks labelled ‘Café Mocha’ and takes a sip.

“What do you think?”

“It’s like a hot chocolate but worse.”

Happy laughs at that. “Fair assessment I must say. Espresso is an acquired taste.”

The rest of the meal goes well. Sophie didn’t go as overboard with the food. She brought out three plates of different breakfast items. Happy was right to order more, Peter ate all of it. The drinks did the trick as Peter can feel his brain wired full of energy. As they leave, Happy hands Sophie what looks to be a thousand dollars in cash. “Split that amongst everyone.”

When they reenter the elevator, Peter timidly asks “How much did that all cost?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Tony won’t…”

“Money isn’t an issue Pete” Happy assures. “Especially when it comes to spoiling you and your mom. Frankly, he’s probably jealous he wasn’t here to do it himself.”

Biting his lip, Peter mulls that over. When he was younger, it wasn’t uncommon for Tony to bring home gifts more than once a week. At the time, Peter might have held a record for the most owned Lego sets. Mom too was always getting jewelry or some ridiculously flashy present. A stuffed rabbit that was two floors high comes to Peter’s mind. Mom couldn’t hide her distaste for that one.

Mom.

“Hey Happy” Peter takes in a breath. He has to word this carefully, “Do you take anyone else to the café like that?”

A small sympathetic frown crosses the bodyguard’s face. “You’re the only one with that privilege so far kid.”

“Oh.” From what Happy has told him, it sounds like Peter’s parents are getting along better the past few days compared to when they first arrived. Tony tries to spend an hour or two a day with Pepper and has spent the night a few times. Peter doesn’t want to think about the implications of that. But even with all of that, of course Tony hasn’t forgiven her to a point he’d allow Pepper out of her prison.

She must be so lonely. God, he misses her. The coded updates Happy gives him help but are nowhere close to enough.

They enter a floor with a bunch of offices. Happy explains that the second through fifteenth floors are for administrative staff. Human resources, accounting, public relations. Everything a business needs to run smoothly. Peter can’t help but notice how close all the desks are. If the place was full he imagines everyone would be on top of each other. So far, they’ve only seen a handful of people.

“The cafeteria is on the fifth floor. We can check that out for lunch.”

They get to the sixteenth floor. The doors open are reveal the lobby of the Avenger’s museum. A man in his forties is there to greet them.

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Hogan. Welcome” he smiles. “My name is Andrew. I am the manager of the museum. It’s nice to meet both of you.”

“Pleasure” Happy says.

“Nice to meet you too” Peter shakes the man’s hand after.

“The place is cleared out. Since you are the only tour today, I gave everyone the day off. I’d be happy to show you two around and answer any questions if you’d like.”

Looking to Peter, Happy asks “What do you think kid?”

“Um…that’d be good. I guess.”

“Great” Andrew smile. He leads the way into the first exhibit. It’s a gallery of all the Avengers old outfits. Each display goes into heavy detail about each member. Their history, skills, role on the team plus some ‘fun facts’ such as their favorite food. The only one without a costume is Vision. Peter spends a bit more time reading up on the android and Scarlett Witch. The only two Avengers he has yet to meet. He also notices Tony doesn’t have a display.

“Oh, Mr. Stark has an entire exhibit dedicated to his suits” Andrew explains. He directs them to another room, “It’s down here.”

Just like everything Tony does, the exhibition in his honor is over-the-top. Multiple display cases with his former suits line the wall. Peter stops at the first one. It’s so different than the others. Big and clunky. The metal on it isn’t painted and is badly burnt. Also, the shape of the mask is almost laughably weird looking.

“This is what he built in the cave?” Peter asks.

“What’s left of it” Andrew nods. “The military was only able to find these scraps in the desert. It’s also missing the original arc reactor.”

“I’ve seen that before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he has it in his workshop.” Just last week Tony had let Peter take it out of the display and examine it. Holding it felt other worldly. That little device changed history.

“Wow” Andrew’s eyes are big. “He still has it? I mean…just…I’ve always wanted to see it. It…” the man takes a moment to calm his excitement. “I apologize. I must admit I am kind of a fan. What your father has done…he’s an amazing man. I’ve always been fascinated about his time in Afghanistan.”

This isn’t the first time Peter has had to listen to people gush over Tony’s legacy. He had to listen to Ned do it all the time growing up. He’s used to keeping a neutral reaction when discussing the man. “Um…yeah” he tries to move on. “So, he did this all by himself?”

“Not quite” Andrew points to a plaque next to the suit. It has a picture of a man Peter has never seen before. “Ho Yinsen. He was another prisoner of the Ten Rings. He assisted in making the suit and arc reactor.”

Happy adds in a whisper only Peter can hear. “He’s the one who did the surgery.”

The public doesn’t know the original home of the arc reactor. They have no idea that Tony walked around with a device in his chest for over ten years. Peter still doesn’t know the story of when he got it removed or why. He just knows it was five years ago. So, it must have been after the Mandarin attack.

Peter reads the plaque. It’s different than the ones about the Avengers. The way it’s written is almost heartfelt.

“Yinsen sacrificed himself in order to help Tony escape” Happy tells Peter. “Tony wrote this himself. He holds a lot of respect for the man. At one point he even debated naming you after him.”

That makes Peter feel conflicted. The doctor in that cave had no idea what he released onto the world. If he had just let Tony die in that cave…he shouldn’t think this way. Even if he hates the man, Tony is Peter’s father. If this Yinsen didn’t do what he did, Peter wouldn’t be here right now.

“Can we move on?”

“Sure” Andrew appears to notice Peter’s discomfort. “Do you want to check out the other suits or just go onto the next exhibit?”

“Umm.” Peter isn’t sure what he wants. He doesn’t like how hero-worshiping this exhibit is towards Tony, but the suits are really cool to look at.

Almost as if he’s reading Peter’s mind, Happy offers “How about we go onto the next one? If you want to look at the suits up close, I’m sure Tony would be happy to get them transferred to his lab for you to tinker around with.”

Sending the bodyguard a grateful smile, Peter agrees “Sounds good.”

Andrew’s eyes are bigger than before, “Tinker around…wow. You’ve been in his lab? His personal lab?”

Shrugging, Peter starks picking at his fingers. He guesses it would be weird as a citizen to hear that Tony lets a kid into the place where he does most of inventing. It’s never felt like a big deal to Peter. He used to spend almost every night in Tony’s lab when he was little. He guesses to everyone else it would be an honor.

“Peter’s definitely inherited Tony’s engineering mind” Happy says, giving Peter a clap on the back. “Tony’s been boasting to anyone willing or unwilling to listen about how smart the kid is. I think Steve is about ready to pull his hair out if he hears Tony go on about Peter fixing a bug in the new phones again.”

Blushing, Peter bites his lip. Tony said yesterday that he used to brag about Peter when he was little. He didn’t realize his father is still doing that.

“Wow” is all Andrew can say, his mind clearly spinning.

They move onto the next exhibit. It’s the equipment used to create Captain America. It looks so old. The machine is huge. There is a display of some picture of Steve before and after the transformation as well as some information about the history of the serum.

“I didn’t know Steve was from Brooklyn.”

“Him and Bucky” Happy says. “They visit there quite a bit still. They’ve got a little apartment for when they want to unwind away from work.”

Moving on in the exhibit, it shifts focus to Stark Industries in general after the World War II. Peter notices a few pictures of Howard Stark, his grandfather. He reads a bit about Howard’s contribution on the super soldier project and his work after. “Grandpa was a part of SHIELD?”

“In the early days. He left pretty soon after the war, before all the Hydra nonsense.”

There are a few documentaries Peter has seen in school that talked about the man. The only footage he’s seen of Howard has been him giving speeches or interviews. Tony has a picture of Howard and Maria’s wedding day, but even that feels so formal. Nothing like some of these photos. Howard working in his lab, relaxing with some soldiers, eating a meal with the president. He looks so casual in these. Not like the serious businessman and mobster Peter knows him to be. There’s one where Howard’s got his arm around Steve who is showing off his shield which is unpainted.

“How well did he know Rogers?”

“They were really good friends. Howard never stopped looking for Steve after he disappeared. He spent millions searching the bottom of the ocean. It’s one of the reasons why Steve’s so loyal to Tony, because Howard was a good friend even when everyone believed Steve to be dead.”

Tony had told Peter once that Starks remain loyal to those who are loyal to them. He said Peter’s grandfather had taught him that. Maybe Steve was the inspiration for that quote. The soldier does seem to be diligent to Tony.

Andrew guides them through the rest of the museum. There are rooms dedicated to all the big battles the Avengers have fought. The last exhibit is of the Chitauri attacks. This is the biggest one by far which is surprising because he knows there is a giant museum in Times Square that has a ton of artifacts from the battle. There aren’t many here. It’s mostly pictures and video of the Avengers fighting. There are some that involve the Justice League, but it mostly focuses on Tony’s team. At the end there is a display of Tony and Bruce Wayne. It explains their take over in words that hold a much more positive light.

Peter notices a door that for some reason has a drape in front of it. He wanders over and tries to peer through.

“Mr. Stark” Andrew rushes over. “That exhibit is about to be renovated. You don’t want to see it.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Why are you renovating it.”

“Just…updating it due to some current events.”

“Current events? Like what?” Peter isn’t aware of any recent battles or missions the Avengers have done. The last big thing was bringing down SHIELD and that was years ago.

“Well…um…”

Happy walks over, “It’s your exhibit Peter.”

Blinking, Peter asks “What?”

“It’s about you and your mom” Happy explains. “It’s about your disappearance. What Tony lost in the battle that saved the world.”

He and his mom? There is an entire exhibit dedicated to them? “Um…can I see it?”

Andrew asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah” Peter nods.

Pulling some keys out of his pocket, Andrew unlocks the door. They push the drape aside and enter the room. It’s smaller than the other exhibits. More intimate. The first thing Peter sees is a family portrait he and his parents took a few months before he and his mom left. They’re standing outside of the malibu home, the ocean in the background. All three of them are smiling. His mom is holding Peter and Tony has his arms around the two of them. They look happy. At the time Peter thought he was.

The next thing he sees is a display talking about the disappearance. It explains the theory SI had spun about the FBI/CIA being involved in the kidnapping. It’s a complete lie but Peter reads it none the less. Both organizations claimed to have no involvement, but SI had falsified some ‘proof.’

He slowly makes his way around the room. Pictures of his early childhood litter the walls. Some of just him, some with his parents and some with different members of the Avengers. There’s one of him and Rhodes. Its label explains that Rhodes is Peter’s godfather and used to be called by Howie ‘Uncle Rhodey.’ Yeah, Rhodes is never going to hear that nickname out of Peter’s mouth again. Not after what he did in the gym.

A stuffed Yoda is in a display of its own. Peter barely remembers it, but apparently it was his favorite stuffed toy. Next to it is a bunch of completed Lego sets from when he was three. Why are these here? Is the public really interested in them?

Next, he comes across a display of a bunch of mini-inventions. He realizes they are the projects Tony had him do down in the lab when he was three. Andrew walks up next to him, “Believe it or not, this is one of the most popular displays in the museum.”

“Really?”

“Yup. People love these. They can’t believe a three-year-old made them.”

“It was just so Tony could get work done in the lab without me bothering him” Peter mumbles. Andrew is quiet, his eyebrows knitted together. Happy makes a small gesture to shoo the guide away. Once it’s just him and Peter, Happy says

“Did you know Tony used to bring these into work everyday after you completed them?” Peter shakes his head. Happy continues, “First thing his secretary would hear about in the morning. She’d hand him a cup of coffee and he’d hand her the most recent one to view. These are only a few of them. Unfortunately, most got destroyed when the mansion exploded. That was hard for him. If there is anything Tony could bring back from that house, there isn’t a doubt in my mind it would be one of those little projects. There’s a little catapult you made that sits on his desk in his office. That one is his favorite.”

Not wanting to hear any more about this, Peter walks over to the next display. This area of the room is dedicated to his mom. But…she doesn’t look like his mom in any of these pictures. Yes, she looks like she did when he was really little but this isn’t how he thinks of her now. This is Pepper Potts, that was Howie’s mother. Peter grew up with Mary Parker. Mary has dark hair, similar to Peter’s. Mary’s nose doesn’t look like the one in these pictures of Pepper. Peter barely recognizes the woman in these displays.

‘I’m not leaving her face looking like that.’

Tony said that the second night Peter was here. He’s changing her back to how she was before. But…that’s not Peter’s mom. When he does see her again, he wants Mary, not Pepper.

None of this is about what Peter wants though.

“I’m done, can we go?” he asks Happy.

“Yeah kid” Happy says. Peter follows him, keeping his stare on the bodyguard’s back. He can’t look at the memorial around him anymore. The lie of a happy family that was ‘torn apart’ because of some power-hungry government. Little does the public know what was happening behind closed doors. Or what is happening now.

A gift shop is at the end. Happy asks Peter if he wants anything, but Peter definitely doesn’t. They bid Andrew a hasty goodbye and get back into the elevator. They stand there quietly. Peter doesn’t want to talk. He doesn’t say anything as Happy shows him the next couple of floors. He barely pays any mind to them, his head still reeling from the museum. It isn’t until they enter some of the engineering labs that his mood lightens back up.

The labs have more people that the rest of the building. Scientists and engineers are scattered about working on different projects. Peter can feel their eyes following him as he passes by. Every so often one introduces themselves, usually the head of the department, and gives them a short tour similar to what Andrew did.

They are talking to one right now. He’s explaining the arc reactor that powers the building. The one they have on display for tours is fake. The real one is far below, underneath the basement. Happy said they can check it out later. Peter’s barely listening, too distracted with something he sees on a white board.

“Pete” he hears Happy say distantly. Peter’s broken out of his trance by a shake on the shoulder. “Hey kid…did you hear me?”

“What?”

“I asked if you wanted to move onto the chem labs.”

“Oh um…sure” he says, turning back to the board.

The scientist they were talking to sees what has Peter so distracted. He explains, “We’ve been working on that theory for weeks. We’ve can’t get past that equation.”

“Use Fineman’s trick” Peter absentmindedly suggests, not even realizing he said it out loud.

“Fineman’s…” the scientist pauses. He quickly makes his way over to the board. “Jesus! Mark, get over here. The kid figured it out.”

Happy chuckles next to Peter who feels just a bit embarrassed. “Just like Tony, he walks through and somehow magically fixes everyone’s problems. C’mon.”

They go to the chemistry lab. Peter is excited until he sees who is in there. Dr. Bruce Banner is working at a table with a couple other scientists. Banner doesn’t notice Happy or Peter until his colleagues stop mid-sentence and stare at the pair. Turning, Banner pauses when he sees them. After a moment he gestures for them to get closer. Peter doesn’t want to but is pushed by Happy.

“How are you two today.”

“Fine, how are you” Happy says, Peter stays quiet.

“Great. Just getting Linda and Brenden set up, they’re going two of our interns this summer.”

“It’s an honor to meet you” Linda can’t hide her excitement. Brenden looks to be in shock and can only manage a timid wave.

Peter nods to them before turning his attention to picking at his finger. He doesn’t want to be here. Banner tells the interns “Can you give us a moment?”

The two young adults leave, Peter can hear them enthusiastically whispering to each other about him. Once they are a good distance away Banner turns to Peter.

“Um…” the Avenger scratches the back of his neck. “Tony had a talk with Cho and I yesterday.” He waits for Peter to acknowledge that, he doesn’t. Banner goes on, “We didn’t mean to make you…feel that way. We don’t view you as an…an experiment. It’s just…” he sighs. “The super soldier serum has been my life’s work for years. After finding out about the spider bite, we were really worried that you wouldn’t survive the mutation. Cho and I were relieved you made it through the night. Tony had waited so long to be reunited with you…I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if you died in my care. If Tony had you back for just a short while only to lose you all over again. That morning after…we were unprofessional, and I apologize for how I acted. Helen does too. We just…there’s no excuse. You were scared and we should have been better. I’m sorry.”

Peter continues to pick at his nail. So Banner is sorry for the med bay but not the gym.

“Can we go now?” he asks Happy, not looking up.

“Sure” Happy guides Peter back to the elevator. Peter is slightly aware of a silent exchange the two men have but doesn’t care. Banner doesn’t deserve his attention. Instead, Peter focuses on calming the tingle in his neck which started going off the second he spotted the Avenger.

“Tony’s press conference starts in a bit. He’s demonstrating that hologram memory thing…”

“BARF?” Peter asks. Tony had showed it to him a few days ago in the lab.

“You feel sick?” Happy asks in concern.

A small smile spreads across Peter’s face, his finger picking stops. “No, that’s what Tony calls it. It stands for Binary Augmented Retro-Framing. B.A.R.F.”

Rolling his eyes, Happy mumbles “Of course Tony named it that. Want to go watch?”

Peter thinks the offer over. The device was really cool when Tony showed it to him a few days ago. Over the years, Peter had watched a few of Tony’s tech demonstrations out of curiosity. But those are always edited down and skip a lot the Q&A portions. He’s never seen Tony do one in person.

“Won’t I get recognized?”

“We’ll be backstage. You can watch from the curtains.”

“Um…yeah. That would be cool.”

They make their way to an auditorium on the first floor. Just like the restaurant, they take staff hallways. When they arrive, Tony has already started. He’s onstage demonstrating the glasses. Around him is a scene Peter wasn’t expecting.

It’s a memory from Tony’s teen years. Peter recognizes his grandmother Maria playing a piano and Howard giving young Tony shit. Howard and Maria are leaving for the Bahamas and Tony is clearly annoyed. Then the tone shifts. Maria gets up from the piano and tells Tony it’s the last time he’s going to see them. It’s then that Peter realizes it’s the day of the car accident.

“I love you dad” Young Tony says. “And I know you did the best you could.”

“That’s how I wish it happened” Today’s Tony, the real one, tells the room of reporters before going into an explanation of BARF. He explains how the glasses can access the hippocampus in the brain and displays a memory around it’s user. In private, Tony told Peter it could be used for interrogations but for the press it is a therapy method. He talks about how he used it to process his grief about his parents. Tony masterfully fascinates the crowd. Peter even feels himself being drawn to the presentation, being interested in what goes on in his father’s head. Tony rarely brings up his parents.

“It doesn’t always have to be sad memories” Tony says. Around him the scene changes. Again, Tony looks young but not as young as the other memory. He’s with a young woman who…holy shit that’s Pepper. Peter recognizes her voice. They’re dancing at a party. Mom looks a tiny bit uneasy yet has a real smile on her face.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Young Tony asks.

“Oh” Pepper says. “Oh, uh, no. No. I…I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss in front of everyone I work with in a dress with no back.”

God, it feels so nice to hear her voice again. Peter whispers to Happy, “Can I get closer?”

Nodding Happy tells him, “Stay close to the curtains. If you can see a reporter, they can see you.” With that, Peter carefully makes his way closer to the scene. He keeps an eye on the edge of the curtain, making sure he is out of sight of the audience. The memory is still of Tony and Pepper dancing while obviously flirting.

His mother’s memory says, “I actually don’t think you’d be able to tie your shoes without me.”

“I’d make it a week.”

“Really, what’s your social security number?”

Fake Tony pauses, earning a playful look from Pepper. Peter’s never seen them this way. He doesn’t ever remember them joking around like this. His mom looks so comfortable teasing Tony and Tony appears to be enjoying it.

“Five.”

“Five” Pepper gently laughs. “Right.”

“Right.”

“You’re missing just…a couple of digits there.”

“The other eight” Tony admits as Pepper giggles. “I’ve got you for the other eight.”

They continue dancing. A smile Peter has never seen is engrained onto Pepper’s face. He swears he can even see her slightly blush. Past Tony is staring at her with a twinkle in his eye. They continue to dance, staring into each other’s eyes. Eventually Tony asks, “How about a little air?”

“Yes” Pepper agrees quickly. “I need some air.”

The scene dissolves, much to Peter’s displeasure. Was that real? Mom looked so…happy. She had told Peter that there was a time she was in love with Tony, Peter just never believed her. But that…that’s not the mom he recognizes.

Tony goes on a bit more about the tech, Peter barely comprehends any of it, his mind too distracted to pay attention. Until Tony says,

“I might have to change the shape of the glasses. My son said they make me look old.”

The crowd chuckles. So does Happy. The bodyguard asks, “Did you really call him that?”

“No” Peter states. “I said they make him look like Jeff Goldbloom. He’s the one who took that as old. Although, I can’t say I disagree with the sentiment.”

The scene around Tony shifts again. Peter immediately recognizes the Malibu mansion. He didn’t catch what Tony had said before the memory, he doesn’t know why Tony is showing this.

It’s him. Back when he was Howie.

Tony’s walking into the mansion. A tiny little body that Peter knows is his past self runs up to him at the door. Howie’s wearing a plastic ironman helmet and has a glove resembling a blaster on his hand. He holds it up at Tony and says in a squeaky voice

“Stop right there!”

Holding up his hands, past Tony smiles “We come in peace.”

“State your business!”

“Well, some dinner would be nice as well as a hug from a little boy I’ve been missing the past week.”

It’s the week before the Chitauri attacks. Peter remembers his parents had just come home after being away for a bit. He had stayed back in California with Rhodes, who makes an entrance into the scene.

“Good job Howie, you caught him.”

“You put him up to this?”

“He saw the mask on a commercial and begged for it.”

Peter takes a step closer to the stage, wanting a better view. Pepper enters through the front door, “Begged for what?”

“Mommy!” Peter watches as his younger self dashes over to his mom. His mom that doesn’t look like his mom. She pulls the little boy into a hug and lifts the mask to reveal a smiling three-year-old. Pepper places a kiss on Howie’s cheek as past Tony complains

“What, she gets ‘Mommy’ and I get ‘Stop right there?’ How is that fair?”

The little boy coyly smiles at his father and reaches out to Tony who gladly takes the child into his arms. “That’s more like it” past Tony smiles and places a kiss on Howie’s forehead.

This is real. Peter faintly remembers this. He knows he had that helmet. His mom had grabbed it when she was packing the suitcases to leave. Peter would wear it if she had to bring him in public. She would tell people he was a fan of the superhero. It was a way to hide his face. Does that mean the last memory was real too? The one of his parents dancing, did his mom really love Tony at one point? Or did Tony manipulate that one like he did the one with Maria and Howard?

Real Tony tells the crowd “Or memories that are more recent.”

This memory is very recent. It was just last week. Peter’s second night in the tower. He and Tony are down in the lab. The night Peter actually felt okay being here. He knows what Tony is about to show the audience.

The two of them are sitting at a computer, one of the new Stark phones next to them. Tony’s showing Peter the code for it. He explains “It looks like there’s a bug report the team downstairs can’t figure out. It’s four days old. Jesus Christ, lets take a look.”

The two stare at the screen for a bit, both their eyes trailing down as they read the code. After a minute past Peter points, “Shouldn’t that be an equal sign?”

Tony reads the code and smirks, “I have hundreds of engineers on staff who are going to be so embarrassed to find out they were outdone by a thirteen-year-old. Good job buddy.” Past Tony gives his son a clap on the back.

Peter watches as his past self blushes. God, did he really have such a dorky grin? Over the past week, Tony’s given Peter plenty of compliments in the lab. None have felt as good as that one. Now there’s a bittersweetness to all of them. It’s nice to have the recognition but Peter almost feels like it’s wrong to make Tony proud.

“It’s the kid” someone in the audience shouts. At first, Peter thinks they’re talking about the hologram but then he sees the flashes.

He didn’t realize how far he unconsciously stepped. While he is still behind the curtain, he is close enough to the stage that a few of the reporters on the end of the front row can see him. They have their cameras pointed at him, all going crazy with the flashes.

A big hand pulls Peter backward. He hears Happy curse, “Shit.”

Fuck, Peter messed up. Onstage, Tony gives a waive to the audience that he will be right back. Shit, shit, shit. He’s going to be mad Peter not only interrupted the presentation, but that he was spotted. At least five reporters probably have his picture. With every step Tony takes, Peter feels his gut clench in fear.

“Hey” Tony says. “I didn’t realize you two would be here.”

“Kid wanted to see the presentation” Happy explains.

“Heh” Tony smirks, “wanted to see your old man in action.”

“I’m so sorry” Peter quickly apologizes, backing up closer to Happy. “I didn’t realize…”

“Peter” Tony places a hand on his son’s shoulder. Peter flinches at the contact, something which Tony ignores. “I’m not mad. It’s fine. If anything, it’ll get you back to number one on trending.” Releasing a tense breath, Peter feels his shoulders release. Tony continues, “What do you think of the show so far?”

“Um…” What does Peter think of it? He initially wanted to watch because of BARF, but now…he can barely pay attention to the technology with all the memories Tony is just willingly presenting to the world. Memories Peter doesn’t know if they’re completely real or not. Is Tony presenting them how they really happened or are they his idealized version of events? “Are you going to show more memories?”

“Just a couple. Why? Did you have any in mind?”

“No” Peter answers quickly. “No, um…” He starts picking at his fingers.

After a long pause of the trio standing in silence, Tony says “I can just move onto the Q&A portion. I should be able to wrap everything up by 12:30. How about the three of us have lunch in the caf after?”

That isn’t a plan Peter wants to participate in. He wasn’t sure what to expect out of today, but it wasn’t any of this. He never thought anything would make him feel this…he can’t even explain it. Confused, disheartened, resentful. Everything he’s seen today…what is real and what isn’t? The museum has so much history that has to be true, but the way Tony has that exhibit of Howie and Pepper is just a big lie for sympathy. Banner’s apology…he doesn’t get what is actually the problem. His biggest concern was letting down Tony, not Peter’s wellbeing. Yet, the scientist seemed so sincere. Their waitress this morning believes he’s the abused victim of Hydra, yet Peter has only ever been injured in his father’s custody. None of this is right.

“I’m kind of hungry now” Peter lies.

“Oh” Tony looks a bit disappointed. “Uh, Happy can take you to eat. Um…better get back onstage. See you later tonight.” Peter doesn’t respond, just watches his father turn and address the reporters. “I’ve been told to cool it on the family memories. Can you believe it? Less than two weeks and I’m already embarrassing.”

The crowd chuckles. This time neither Peter nor Happy does. Peter feels Happy place a gentle hand on his shoulder and guides him out of the auditorium. They remain quiet as they make their way to the cafeteria. Upon entering, Peter can feel a room of eyes on him. As quick as they can, he and Happy grab some premade pizzas and retreat to a balcony Happy suggested with a lot more privacy.

“Penny for your thoughts” Happy says after they’ve gone halfway through their meal in silence. Peter bites his lip and continues staring out onto the city. Their view overlooks the water. “C’mon kid, it’s just you and me.”

“And JARVIS.”

“JARVIS can’t hear very well outside” Peter gives Happy a perplexed look. He explains, “The balconies do have some microphones, but not even Tony can fight the natural elements. They mostly pick up the wind. So, what’s bothering you?”

Picking at his fingers once again, Peter asks “You won’t tell Tony?”

“Only if I think you’re in danger.”

That earns an amused scoff from the teen. He contemplates just keeping his mouth shut but needs to get this off his chest. “How am I not in danger here?”

“Peter…”

“He hits me, separated me from my mom, makes me watch literal torture and allowed a super soldier to break my arm. How can any of you think this is okay Happy?”

“Look, Tony…”

“And all day…my entire life has been turned into a lie. All because of Tony. The way people talk about him…I’m tired of everyone acting like he’s father of the year. He doesn’t care about me or my mom.”

“Tony loves you two more than anything on this planet” Happy asserts.

“No” Peter shakes his head. “He loves the idea of us. That’s why he wants to change us so bad. So that we fit the mold he wants us to be. All the showmanship of those memories during that presentation and that stupid memorial in the museum…it’s all fake.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Happy, come on. He’s lied…”

“Name one thing Tony has lied to you about.”

“The whole Hydra story…”

“That was for the press. What has he lied to you about?”

Peter can feel his mouth drop open, yet no words come out. Okay, so Tony has been truthful to him. So what? That doesn’t absolve him from anything.

Happy continues, “More than one thing can be true Peter. All your feelings about the past, that’s your story. Tony sees things differently. I know you’re probably sick of hearing this, but he is doing what is best for you.”

“Jesus Christ! If I have to hear one more person say that…”

“Then you should believe it” Happy cuts him off. “I didn’t grow up in this world either Peter. I was introduced to it during my boxing career. I too thought it was vile until I started working for your father and saw its purpose. It takes time, but you will understand one day. I know that’s not what you want to hear, and you probably think I’m full of shit right now. I can’t imagine how tuff this all is for you. It’s only your second week. Trust me, things will get better.”

Taking a deep breath, Peter focuses on the stinging that has started in his eyes. He holds those tears back and stares at the city. Of course, Happy doesn’t understand. Nobody here does. God, he wants his mom. “You’re just on Tony’s side.”

“I’m on both your sides. Tony’s like my brother. My spoiled, arrogant, amazing little brother. One who I am more than willing to knock upside the head when he’s being an idiot especially when it comes to you and your mom. That’s why Tony put me in charge of watching over Pepper. Because unlike most people here, I’m willing to tell him no. And…I know it seems like the Avengers are a bunch of yes-men but believe me there are quite a few who call Tony out on his shit. At the end of the day, we all respect him and think he’s a great man, but nobody is perfect. I know you’re in a place right now where it feels like you and your mom have no choices. And honestly…you don’t. That will change with time. For now…if you have a problem, you come to me. I won’t be able to fix everything, especially in regards to your training, but I can definitely give Tony an earful. So, if you’re ever feeling stressed or overwhelmed or...sad, just let me know. I’ll try my best to fix it.”

“Really?” Peter asks, a bit of hope in his chest. He wants to believe Happy so bad. Since arriving at the Tower, Happy and Dr. Strange have been the only ones willing to go against Tony for Peter’s sake. Strange with the cast and keeping Rhodes away. Happy gives Peter small updates on his mom, something he is so thankful for. He’s also the only person who has stopped calling Tony Peter’s dad. He noticed the change a few days ago. After Monday, the bodyguard adapted to Peter’s language instead of pushing that title he isn’t comfortable with. Today too, Happy did so many small things to make Peter feel better.

“Anything for my favorite nephew and sister-in-law” Happy smiles. His eyes show his sincerity. "Let's start with making sure these weekends off continue. Everyone needs a day or two to relax during the week."

For the first time since arriving at the tower, Peter’s neck isn’t tingling. He feels safe with Happy, like he has at least a bit of protection. He gives the man a small smile and says,

“Thanks Uncle Happy.”

Chapter Text

The movie last night was awkward. Tony couldn’t tell what was on Peter’s mind, but he was distracted the entire trip. From the moment they got in the car, the kid was tense. He stared out the window, not wanting to talk. Tony had thought the tour of the tower would brighten the boy’s mood, but it seemed to just change it from stressed to conflicted. He had asked Happy if Peter said anything to him, but the bodyguard refused to say. The only hint Happy would give him was ‘the kid is still processing everything’, which isn’t much help. As the night went on it almost felt like Peter was resenting being there. He became more and more reserved.

When they got home, Peter retired to his bedroom with as little as a ‘good night’ to Tony. He just can’t read the kid. While the boy’s face still displays every emotion Peter feels, that doesn’t mean Tony can figure out what is going on in the kid’s head. Especially after Saturday, Tony knows there are layers to Peter’s feeling that not even the boy can figure out.

Today marks two-weeks since Peter and Pepper’s return. Tony had thought their time away would be the hardest part of his life. These past couple weeks have proven to be more difficult than that. He is overjoyed, elated to have them home. But the emotional baggage and turmoil he has been repressing the past ten years is beginning to take its toll as well as the struggle that comes with Peter’s training.

Every step forward causes two steps back.

So much has happened in just two weeks. No wonder Peter got overwhelmed so quickly. It’s only been fourteen days, yet it’s felt like a lifetime. The other Avengers have gotten back into the flow of their everyday lives, but Tony can’t do that. His life as well as his wife’s and son’s has changed so drastically. All three of them are in uncharted water. Tony had years to prepare for the day he found his family. He had a plan set in place. The basement apartment for Pepper, Peter’s training, even reorganizing Tony’s duties to SI for the first few months of their return. There is a reason the team was so efficient when the day finally came.

But he wasn’t expecting Peter’s mutation. He didn’t plan on having to figure out not only the serum’s new abilities, but also try to explain the seriousness of it to his son at such a young age. Tony thought he would have more time with the boy before adding on the responsibilities of the serum. There’s a reason both he and Wayne have only allowed certain members of their teams to receive it. The mutation can be dangerous not only for its user but to those around them. Thank God it seems like Peter must focus in order to use that strength of his. Tony doesn’t want to think about what would happen if it was effortless.

The other thing Tony wasn’t expecting was how quickly he has been able to forgive his wife. He’s still angry. Livid at times. But just a flash of her ocean blue eyes and Tony can feel his temper melt away. Especially after their talk the night he cut his hand. Guilt that he didn’t see coming has begun to replace his animosity towards her. Unlike Peter, Pepper has done everything Tony has asked of her. She has answered every question with honesty and hasn’t fought him on any decisions.

Last night they were intimate for the first time since the med bay. That too was awkward and at times uncomfortable. Pepper was nervous. Almost as nervous as the day they first slept together, the day they got engaged. It was clear within the first minute that she was out of practice. Not that Tony had doubted her, but now he really believes she hasn’t been with anyone else the past ten years. After a while of neither of them having a good time, they gave up and went to sleep.

At the moment, Tony is lying awake next to his naked wife. Her breathing changed about ten minutes ago but she hasn’t said anything. “I know you’re awake” Tony finally announces. “JARVIS, turn the lights up to sixty percent.” God, it is dark down here.

As the room illuminates, Tony sees Pepper’s eyes on him. “Morning” she mumbles.

“Morning” he gives her a side smile.

It’s still so tricky between them. They sit in quiet, neither knowing what to say. Tony kind of regrets even acknowledging her consciousness. Maybe he should have just left. Avoided this tension.

“What are your plans for the day?” Pepper asks.

“Um…a meeting with the team at nine. After that it’s mostly just normal SI stuff. Will probably visit R&D. I haven’t done a walkthrough of any of the labs for a few weeks. Gotta keep them on their toes.”

“Do they all still alert the other departments when they hear you coming?”

Tony gives her another smirk, “Always. The only exception is chemistry. Banner keeps them all in check.”

“Huh” is all Pepper has to say. They fall into another uncomfortable quiet.

Tony mentions the only thing he can think to bring up, “I guess Peter showed up one of my lead guys in the physics lab.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, took one look at a problem they were stuck on and solved two weeks of their work. Why do I bother even hiring professionals if a thirteen-year-old can do their job?”

“Well,” Pepper chuckles. “He’s not a normal thirteen-year-old.”

“No, no he is not.”

Another silence. Why, why can’t this just be easy? What’s the point of them getting along if they can’t at least enjoy each other’s company? Tony has tried to spend time with his wife every day, but it always just falls into a pattern of empty conversation. Having sex last night was more of an attempt to get out of talking rather than passion. God! When they had first met Pepper was so full of sass and wit, it’s like she has lost that side of her.

Tony knows he is partly to blame for that.

He wonders what she was like during her time in Queens. Was she closer to the clever woman he married or this depressed mousy version of herself? He knows she worked at a hotel and progressed pretty quickly through the ranks of the staff. Pepper was made a manager after only a few years. She was fabulous as his assistant; he can imagine she brought the same drive to her job there. Now…now she has nothing to work towards. Tony’s stripped away everything from her. Long ago. The moment he put a ring on her finger. He thought he was taking care of Pepper by making her quit SI in exchange for marriage. Really…he fell in love with her for her for her intelligence only to put it to waste. Pepper was always meant to be more than a stay-at-home wife and mother. She was always at her happiest when Tony gave her projects to manage. The tower for instance. His wife was so ambitious with the design. He thought it was cute how focused she would get when coming up with the plans.

Maybe that’s a way to get her back.

“I’m moving the Avengers to a compound upstate” Tony tells her.

“Why?”

“The company has outgrown the tower” he explains. “Has been for a while. I’ve already had to move so much R&D back to California just so they could breathe.”

“Well, the plan when making this place was to just house the company. Not a governing body and superhero team.”

“Yeah. I want to keep the governing staff in the city as well as all the financial departments with wall street right there.”

“Makes sense to move the team” Pepper agrees. “It’ll help keep them out of the spotlight being upstate.”

“Exactly” Tony smiles down at her. “There’s an old warehouse dad built that we’re going to renovate. We’re adding a gym, training facility, living space. Wilson and Barnes keep demanding to get separate offices. I kind of want to keep them together just to see the reaction.”

“Is the living space going to be like it is here?” Pepper frowns.

“That’s the plan for now. Although there is a need for a bigger kitchen.”

“You should give them all separate apartments or bungalows.”

“Bungalows?”

“Yeah” Pepper sits up. “For the families. Give them a bit of normalcy. There’s enough space if it’s the facility I’m thinking of. The one by that lake, right?”

Tony nods.

“Put a few houses next to that. Maybe you’ll finally get Laura to agree to move the kids out of Iowa. It would also help some of the bachelors on the team if they weren’t living like college kids in dorms.”

“Huh” Tony ponders, she has a point. It would also be nice for Peter to have other teens his age around. They could easily make a little neighborhood on the compound grounds. “Good idea. Got any others?”

“I’d have to take a look at your designs.”

“JARVIS, have the compound designs downloaded onto Pepper’s tablet.”

“As you wish Sir” the AI says.

Looking over, Tony sees his wife’s shock. He gives her a smile and gestures to the Starkpad sitting on the table next to her. She quickly grabs it and starts analyzing the designs. After only a minute she frowns,

“You cannot seriously think the that is going to be enough space in the hangar.”

“It’s huge.”

“You’ll run out of room within a year with how many jets and other toys you all collect. It needs to be at least twice this size.”

“I...”

“Why are there no access tunnels between all the buildings?”

“Well…”

“The conference center should be closer to the entrance. You want the media in and out, no reason for them to wander the premises.”

“Okay, okay” Tony chuckles. “Just…fix it.” For the first time since she’s been back, Pepper has that fire that he adores so much. That look of determination in her eye as she picks apart every detail and perfects it. Already, she is making a list of all the changes she wants to make.

The design team have no idea what they are in for.

The elevator doors open to an empty hall. Remembering his way around from last week, Peter navigates his way to the gym. He’s kind of surprised Tony didn’t stop by after tutoring, but figured the man is probably busy. Upon getting closer to his destination, he hears someone talking.

Scott Lang is on the phone with somebody. “Yeah, I know, I know” he says before noticing Peter. “Harley I’ve got to go. I know, I know. He’s here, I’ve got…Harley. I…Harley…Harley! I’ll see you later.” The Avengers clicks his phone to end the call, the person on the other side still talking. “Hey Peter” Scott smiles, waving him over.

“I’m a bit early, you can call him back if you need to talk.”

“Nah, nah” Scott waives off the offer. “It’s just my stepson. He wanted to join in on training today. Tony told me he wants you doing privates until your caught up. Har wasn’t too happy about that.”

“Oh” Peter says. He remembers Tony had brought up this Harley the night they ordered Chinese. He still isn’t sure if he’s ready to meet any of the protégé’s. The wound of losing Ned and MJ is still so fresh. Although, it’s felt like forever since he’s seen someone his age. “Is he in the tower?”

“Yeah, we’re staying on the communal floors. We live most of the year in San Francisco and fly in for training and missions. Harley always begs to come with when I’m called in. He likes it here.”

“Huh.”

“Do you want to meet him later? He’s been excited to meet you since the spider bite. Has been harassing Rhodes non-stop to fly him in.”

“Um…” Oh yeah. Harley trains under Rhodes. Peter knows he shouldn’t hold that against the boy, but his anger at that man is so intense. “No…sorry.”

“An apology out of a Stark” Scott smirks. “Thought I’d never see the day. No need to be sorry, I know you’re still getting used to everything. So, how about we get started?”

Nodding, Peter follows Scott onto some mats.

“The first thing I learned when I got the suit, is how to do a proper punch” Antman tells him. “Have you ever punched someone before?” Peter shakes his head. He’s been hit before, but never fought back. Flash Thompson had taken an interest in making Peter’s life at school miserable at times. The bully didn’t like being shown up in class by someone smarter than him. “Okay” Scott says while holding up a hand. “Give it a try.”

Frowning, Peter gives the man an apprehensive look. With an encouraging, “Come on” from Scott, Peter balls his fist and punches at the man’s hand.

Eyes going wide in pain, Scott groans “Ahhhhhh” and shakes the hand. Crap. Did Peter hurt him that bad? “Holy shit” Scott hisses. “I knew you were strong but fuck! What did you lift when Tony had you tested?”

“Um…almost eighteen thousand pounds.”

Scott’s jaw drops open. “Eighteen thousand?” Peter nods. He can feel his face heat up with a blush. Antman continues, “Holy shit! You sure you’re not kryptonian?”

“Not that I’m aware” Peter smirks.

“Damn. Ok. Let me go grab some gloves. Wow.”

The rest of the training session goes better than Peter thought it would. He actually really enjoyed it. Unlike the other Avengers, Scott is so…goofy. He cracks jokes constantly and at one point did a magic trick with a water bottle.

“Learned how to do that for my daughter’s birthday one year. It was the first one I hosted after getting custody, had to go all out.”

“Custody?”

“Yeah. My uh…ex-wife kept trying to stop me from seeing her. It’s actually why I joined the Avengers. I gave Tony Hank Pym’s technology, he got me full custody of Cassie. We stay in San Francisco so she can visit with her mom.”

“Oh” Peter says. He never really thought about how Tony put his team together. The Avengers are all so loyal to him. What other reasons do they have to be on the team besides the power it brings? Yesterday Happy said Steve joined because of his friendship with Howard. “Why…why did you need Tony’s help with that?”

“It’s a long story. But basically, I went to jail for a few years. When I got out, it was hard to find a job and Maggie wouldn’t even talk about visitation without child support. Then, Hank Pym and his daughter hired me and gave me the suit. I was in the process of trying to steal some tech from one of Tony’s warehouses when Sam caught me. After finding out who I was and my association with Pym, Tony struck the deal with me. Best decision I ever made. I got Cassie, met Janet, and I must say your father is very generous with all of our paychecks.”

“Still don’t know if you’re worth the money” Tony’s voice says from the gym entrance. Peter’s pulse skips a beat. God, what’s the point of this tingle if it doesn’t warn him properly. For the past week it has developed into just a constant buzz. “How’s the training going?”

“Good” Scott answers. “Kid nearly broke my hand at the start. Thanks for the warning on the strength.”

Tony chuckles and wanders farther into the room. “He’s got quite the power, huh. What have you two gone over?”

“Just the fundamentals. Form, stance, some basic moves. Tomorrow we can start working on endurance.”

“Great. How are the kids?”

“Chaos as usual” Scott smiles. “Cassie and Ally are excited for summer break coming up. Donnie just started to walk and is getting into everything. There isn’t a child lock out there the kid can’t break through.”

“Oh, I remember those days. Pete here could escape out of anything at that age. Scared the crap out of me a few times in the lab.” Tony chuckles. It’s weird hearing him talk like this. Peter’s never really seen him just casually discuss fatherhood with someone. “And Harley?”

“Downstairs blowing up my phone. He and Kate were finishing up their homework when I left them.”

“I didn’t realize you brought him.”

“It’s either I bring him along or spend my entire trip getting bombarded with texts.”

“The boy is relentless.”

“God, he’s developed such an attitude lately. I swear he only listens to Rhodes and you.”

Tony again chuckles, “Tell him I’ll stop by some time. He still working on that AI?”

“Trying to. He’s been stuck on some bug for weeks. Won’t let me look at it.”

“Well, lets see if he’ll accept my help.” Turning to Peter Tony asks, “You ready for some lab time?”

No. Peter doesn’t want to spend time in the lab with Tony. However, he knows Tony really isn’t asking. He nods and says to Lang “Thanks for today.”

“No problem kiddo. See you tomorrow.”

Leaving the gym with Tony, Peter’s stomach suddenly growls. Tony notices and says “We can eat down in the lab. Want anything in particular?”

“A burger sounds good.”

“JARVIS” Tony calls out to the ceiling. “Have the caf send up some burgers and fries to the lab.”

“Will do Sir.”

“How did it go with Scott?”

“Good” Peter answers as they enter the elevator. “He’s nice.”

“Well, while I’m glad you like him. I’m more concerned that you’re actually learning something.”

“I am” Peter tells him. “We went over a lot. He’s actually a pretty good teacher.”

“He’s had plenty of practice with Harley.”

“I guess” Peter bites his lip. Harley. From the conversation with Scott, it sounds like this Harley knows Tony pretty well. Well enough that Tony knows he is working on an AI. An unwelcome pang of jealousy hits him. Not that he wants Tony’s attention, but it doesn’t seem right that some other kid has that kind of relationship with Peter’s father. “How often are they around?”

“Once a month Steve calls everyone out of state in for training. Harley tries to visit more often. Rhodes will fly him in for a week or two at a time to work with him. Same goes for Kate with Clint and Natasha. I think you’ll like them, they’re both good kids.”

Peter highly doubts that. His and Tony’s definition of ‘good kid’ are drastically different. As much as he hates it, Peter does have an itch to find out more about them. Tony had said Kate helped Clint bring down another gang. But how did this Harley come into the mix? And what is his connection with Tony like? Not wanting to hint at his inner jealousy, Peter is careful with his questions.

They enter the lab. Peter takes his resident spot on a stool while Tony decides what he wants to work on tonight. Hesitantly, Peter asks “You said Harley is making an AI. He’s into coding?”

“Yeah. When I first moved him to New York he was more interested in mechanical engineering. The past couple of years he’s switched to software. Pretty sure that is Scott’s influence on him but I’m not sure. It’s hard to get a read on those two. Even Rhodey doesn’t understand that relationship and he’s closer to Harley than anybody.”

Tony moved Harley to New York? But…Scott said they live in San Francisco. When…how long has this kid been around?

Not noticing Peter’s tension, Tony moves on. He pulls up a hologram of his next Ironman design. Passively he mentions, “Happy said you were interested in looking at some of my old suits. Is that true?”

“Um…yeah” Peter says, trying to snap himself out of his thoughts. “If you’re okay with that.”

“More than okay. Not much to look at with the Mark I but I’ll have facilities send up two and three tomorrow. In the meantime, lets work on JARVIS’s code. He needs an upgrade for my next suit.” With that he switches to a computer which brings up the AI’s complicated code. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone over some of it with Peter. While Peter has a general understanding of some aspects of it, most of the intricate and immense program goes way over his head. The AI is older than Peter is. Tony’s worked on it for decades. JARVIS in some ways is Tony’s true first born.

“When did you start making JARVIS?”

“During my undergrad” Tony answers. “Although he really didn’t do much until after I got my masters. That’s when I turned him into an actual AI. For a long time he just ran the house in Malibu. His major upgrades didn’t come until I started making the suits.”

“Why did you make him initially?”

“For fun” Tony shrugs. “When I started making more complex projects at MIT it was nice to have a centralized program to run them all through instead of creating new ones each time like I did for Dum-E and U.” Upon hearing their names, both bots make chirping noises. “Not now” Tony chides. “I wasn’t talking to you two. Shoo.”

The dejected robotic whine the bots give causes Peter to smirk. Even at a young age Tony was able to give his inventions personalities of their own. Last week Peter had looked over the code for Dum-E. That one was much easier to understand than JARVIS. Neither of the two arm bots have gotten many upgrades over the years. Even though they cause complete chaos sometimes, Peter knows Tony secretly enjoys his early creation’s flaws.

“How about them? When did you start working on Dum-E and U?”

“I started working on them when I was fourteen, didn’t finish until I was sixteen. Even though they’re idiots now, at the time I was proud. Coding was the one thing I could outdo your grandfather on.”

Nodding, Peter observes the bots a bit. Dum-E, who is usually tasked on clean-up duty, is trying to sweep in the corner of the room. The poor bot keeps ramming the broom into a wall, not making much progress. After a few particularly loud knocks, Tony snaps at it “Hey! Keep that up and I’ll fry your motherboard and turn you into a rumba. Scram.” He notices Peter smiling. “What, you enjoy their mediocrity?”

“They’re trying their hardest. You don’t need to be so mean” Peter jokes.

“To think there was a day that crane of bolts was an award winner.”

“If Dum-E drives you that crazy, why do you keep him around?”

“He’s a good reminder that things can always be improved.”

“I think you’re just sentimental.”

“Please. I resent the insinuation. Those two are just lucky they survived the mansion explosion. Trust me, there were plenty of other things I would have rather salvaged.”

Happy’s words from yesterday ring in Peter’s head. ‘If there is anything Tony could bring back from that house, there isn’t a doubt in my mind it would be one of those little projects.’ The display case of those tiny gadgets Peter made as a kid flash through his mind. Peter’s sure a lot more than just those toys were obliterated that day. What else would Tony want to hang onto?

“Do you want to make one?” Tony’s question snaps Peter out of his thought.

“What?”

“An AI. Want to make one of your own?”

“Um…what for?”

“Anything you want” Tony shrugs. “Best way to learn is to do it yourself. Start off small, a little bot of some sort. That’s what JARVIS started off as. I can help you get it going. I helped Harley when he began making his.”

Another small pang of jealousy. Why…who is this kid? Tony had just said Scott influenced Harley to start coding. Why would Tony help him make an AI? Doesn't Harley train under Rhodes. Why…okay Peter knock it off. You shouldn’t be upset by this. Why does he care if Tony taught some other kid engineering when Peter was away? He doesn’t. Nope. Nope. He doesn’t. It’s not like…it’s not like it’s his privilege to have worked with Tony in his lab…Has Harley worked in Tony’s lab?

That leaves a bitterness in Peter’s mind that he does not appreciate.

Sure, he can admit that there were instances over the past ten years that he missed spending time with Tony in the Malibu lab. Of course, he did. Those were most of the only good memories Peter had of the man. Then with school and clubs being so easy, he missed the challenge of Tony’s lessons.

Who care’s if Tony did the same with some other boy? It’s…It’s not like Peter ever considered it a special…stop it, Peter. You don’t care. You do not care. Remember all the shit Tony has done. Only ten minutes ago you were dreading going to the lab with Tony. That should not change just because this Harley…fuck!

“Pete?” Tony places a hand on Peter’s shoulder. He didn’t realize he had spaced out so bad. “You okay?”

“Yeah” Peter lies. “Uh…sorry. What was your question.”

“Uh…did you want to make your own AI? A personal one.” Tony says, his eyes analyzing Peter.

“Sure” Peter tries to act normal. “Sounds fun.”

It does sound fun. Right? That’s why Peter agreed. Not because…shit. Stop it Peter.

Stop it.

Chapter Text

"Sup Penis Parker" Flash taunts as Peter passes him. He ignores Thompson and makes his way into school.

Weaving his way through his schoolmates, Peter finally gets to his locker. After taking off his jacket, he wonders if MJ or Ned have arrived yet. Having to rely on the subway schedule, Peter usually is the first to get to school. But every now and then one of his friends surprises him. Today is one of those days.

"Join me and together" Ned's voice says. Peter feels a tiny object on his shoulder, "we can build my new Lego death star."

Turning, Peter knows his eyes are wide. "What?"

"So lame" one of the cheerleaders next to them says. Both Peter and Ned ignore the group of girls. Neither of them would be considered popular by any means at school. After years of being considered losers, they have just come to accept their classmates disapproval.

"No way, that's awesome" Peter tells his best friend. "How many pieces?"

"3,803." That's bigger than any either of them have ever completed. Even bigger than the ones Tony used to buy Peter when he was young. Not having billions to spend on toys, Peter and Ned don't get new Lego sets often.

"That's insane!"

"I know! You wanna build it tonight?"

"I can but not right after school" Peter says. "My guidance counselor wants to have another meeting."

"About the SI scouts?" MJ asks, appearing next to the pair.

Nodding, Peter finishes preparing his backpack for his next few classes. Midtown has been on him and his mom to meet with the scouts since he enrolled. Every year they push harder and harder. It looks good on the school to get students into the internship program. If only they knew the fate they were signing those kids up for by doing that. Now with eighth grade coming to an end in a few weeks and high school just around the corner, Midtown has been desperately trying to get Peter and his mom to at least meet with one of the recruiters. Of course, they always say no. If they wanted to be a part of SI, all they would have to do is walk into Stark Tower and scan their fingertips. No doubt the entire Avengers team would whisk them up into the penthouse within seconds.

"You know there are plenty of engineers that aren't...you know...they just do normal stuff" Ned says. While fearing the governing body, Peter know his best friend still secretly wishes to be a part of the lower floors of SI. MJ on the other hand wants nothing to do with it.

"Those people are just enablers" she argues.

"Well..." Ned shrugs. They bring their voices down in order not to attract attention as they walk to their science class. "It's not like they can do anything. Besides, SI is the leading tech company in the world. It'd be cool to work in R&D for one of the normal departments. And you can be an intern for them then get another job somewhere else. Can you imagine how cool the labs are there?"

Yes. Peter has a very good idea of what the labs at Stark Industries looks like. Maybe not exactly, but he remembers enough of the branch in California that he has a pretty good clue of what the ones in New York are like. "I'm sure they're top of the line. Doesn't mean it's worth it."

"Where else would you rather work?"

MJ is the one to answer, "Somewhere you don't have to sell your soul."

"A lot to say in the engineering field these days" Ned points out. It's true. Slowly, all tech companies including Google and Apple have either been bought or put out of business by SI and Wayne Enterprises. Only small start ups are free of their influence. "If you're so against it, why did you sign up for the fieldtrip next week MJ?"

"Extra credit."

"You don't need extra credit" Peter says.

They exchange a smile. Peter hopes his cheeks aren't red when her beautiful eyes meet his. "How about you then Parker?"

"My mom said I can't go." Mary didn't even let him finish asking the question before going into a long explanation as to why she wouldn't sign the permission form.

"Dude! You have to go!" Ned exclaims. "It'll be so cool. It's the first time any of us will see a professional lab."

That's not entirely true. Peter has been in a professional lab before. Many of them. There used to be one in his former home's basement. Not that he can say that to his friends. "You know how she is when it comes to Stark Industries."

"But this is Oscorp."

"Which is a branch of SI. She won't budge on this Ned." Never. There isn't even the slightest chance Mary will change her mind.

"Awwww" the taunting voice from before makes a reappearance. "Puny Parker scared of going to Oscorp? What, you think an Avenger would beat you up or something?" Yup. That is exactly what Peter is afraid of. The bully continues, "As if they'd pay you any mind Penis."

"Go away Flash."

"You know what? It's probably a good thing you aren't going. You'd just embarrass yourself and the school. SI would take one look at you and never send another scout to Midtown."

Peter wishes that was the case. Before he can argue, MJ speaks up "I think you were the one to embarrass the school at the last DeCal tournament. What did you call a knife used by a surgeon? A scallop?"

"Whatever losers" Flash sneers. Before returning to his goon squad he gets in, "Hope you enjoy sitting at school doing homework all day Penis."

"Thanks" Peter tells MJ.

"Always glad to bring down a jerk" she shrugs. Again, they exchange a smile. "Hey, do you two want to go to a movie this weekend?"

"I can Saturday" Ned offers.

"Same."

"Cool."

"Cool" MJ repeats. Their eyes lock and Peter feels his heart skip a beat. "It will suck not to have you there at Oscorp."

Completely oblivious to Peter and MJ's staring, Ned agrees "Yeah. We're going to have to listen to Flash brag all day. It would be nice to have you there to show him up."

Grabbing the permission form from his backpack, Peter thinks it over. Oscorp is a smaller branch of SI. Tony and the Avengers probably pay it little mind. It would also be so much fun to see a professional lab again. The ones at school are nowhere close to as impressive as the ones Peter remembers from his youth. Although nothing will ever compare to working with his father in the Malibu lab. Scribbling his mother's name on the signature line, Peter tells his friends "I'm not going to show him up." He won't. Peter will stay in the back of the tour and remain quiet. He'll attract as little attention to himself as possible.

The teacher enters the classroom moments later. Going up to the front of the class, Peter hands him the forged form. Mr. Harrington grins, "Glad you've decided to join us after all. I think you'll benefit greatly from the experience." He puts the form on a stack with the others that have already been turned in. "I believe you have a meeting with your counselor after school today. Is that correct?"

"Yeah" Peter sighs. Here it comes.

"An internship with SI would get you a for sure in to MIT or any college of your choice Peter."

"Are you saying you don't think I could get into MIT without it?"

"No" his teacher shakes his head. "Trust me Peter, you are more than capable of getting into any school you desire. Look...I understand you and your mother's concerns regarding Stark Industries. I do. But you are so smart Peter. Probably the brightest kid I've ever taught. A scout would be an idiot for not trying to scoop you up..."

"Mr. Harrington" Peter stops his teacher. "My mom and I don't want anything to do with Stark Industries or the Avengers." Or Tony Stark Peter adds to himself silently. He wants absolutely nothing to do with that man. That murderer he shares blood with.

"Your intelligence could do a lot of good for the world Peter. Stark Industries could help you do that. As much as their...tactics are questionable, SI has done a lot right for the country. The Avengers and Justice League have brought a lot of peace to the world. You were too young to remember a time before them. Many people didn't have the rights they deserved and it took ages to get the government to do anything about it. We had so many wars, all the time. The planet was dying. Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne changed that."

Not wanting to listen to this spiel again, Peter asks "Can I go back to my seat?" He's heard all this before. Many times. Constantly from teachers, counselors, even the school principal a few times. He and his mom are always being pulled into meetings and told about all the great work Stark Industries has done and how Peter could benefit from their internship program. Later today he'll have to hear the same ramblings, can he at least not have to hear it this morning too?

"Yeah" his teacher deflates. "Go on."

Flash sends him a glare as Peter passes. He knows the bully can't stand the fact the school tries so hard to get Peter to meet with the recruiters. It's unheard of for them to push middle schoolers. Usually they wait until kids have turned sixteen. Peter's the first which brings out a lot of jealousy from certain classmates. Especially those whose families have tried social climbing their way up to the Avengers. Flash is from one of those.

Taking his seat, Peter receives a couple sympathetic looks from his two friends. They know how annoying it is for him to have to deal with the matter of the scouts. It's better when his mom is with him. She easily takes over the conversation and let's Peter sit back. But when it's just him...the school has no idea what they are asking of him. They have no clue what would actually happen if Peter took one step into Stark Tower. A chill runs up his spine just thinking about it.

"Hey" Ned whispers. "I'll ask my mom if we can order pizza tonight while making the death star."

"Legos again?" MJ asks.

"Want to join?"

Glancing at Peter, MJ gives him another small smile that makes his stomach flutter. "Sure. It'll be fun to draw you two nerds fanning over a children's toy."

At least Peter has something to look forward to during the meeting after school. He's lucky to have both Ned and MJ. He doesn't need to be the most popular kid in school. All he needs is them.

As much as Peter hates to admit it, life at the tower is getting easier.

It doesn’t feel right to confess, but it’s true. Don’t get him wrong, things are still so difficult. Especially the interrogations. At least he hasn’t had to watch Steve do one again. Ever since their conversation in the bathroom, Peter has noticed Tony keeping more of the Avengers at bay. Only in short, small snippets does Peter have to endure being in the same room as Rogers, Barnes and Banner. Rhodes is still trying to make amends and won’t take Peter’s cold shoulder as a hint. Happy still stops by every morning and Peter has daily training with Scott which he is enjoying. Strange has stopped by a couple times to teach him some martial arts. Although the doctor clearly doesn’t have the patience Scott has.

As promised Happy has gotten Peter weekends off. Although after starting the AI with Tony, Peter has found himself wanting to be in the lab more. It feels nice having a project of his own rather than only studying Tony’s designs. It feels less worshiping his father’s brilliance and more like Peter has control over something in his life. Sure, Tony checks in on the code’s progress and makes suggestions, but for the most part it is from Peter’s own brain. A small drone is what he decided on. The design for his first one is simple. As Tony recommended, start off small and Peter can improve on it later.

Scott and Tony must have talked about Harley and Kate. After a few awkward conversations that Peter kept trying to avoid meeting the two teens, the two adults stopped bringing them up. However, not addressing the topic of the teens doesn’t prevent the weird feeling Peter gets knowing the two are somewhere in the tower. Doing what, Peter has no clue. A flash of spite flares every time Peter imagines the other boy down in Tony’s lab. An emotion that he does not welcome and resents greatly.

He still misses his mom. A lot. Yet the promise Tony made that she could visit on his birthday brings a sense of hope and anticipation. Peter has started a mental countdown. Only four more days until they’re reunited. At the same time an uneasy sense of trepidation also comes along with the visit. Peter isn’t sure if he’s ready to see his mother look differently than how he remembers her. For now, he is trying to prepare himself for the shock.

There still hasn’t been a single night he has slept completely through since the gym. Horrors of screams and blood haunt his nightmares. As the weeks have gone on, Peter has at least been able to settle himself down faster when having flashbacks. During interrogations, Tony still has to use the paralyzer. It’s still so strange to go from watching the man bludgeon a person to hours later Peter asking him questions about electromagnets. However, the transition is getting easier as the days go on. It sickens Peter to know he is getting used to this routine.

It also sickens him to know that he is able to stomach the torture more.

“Please stop! Please!” the woman yells as Tony places a hot rod on her skin. Peter can smell the burning. “AHHHHHH!”

She’s getting close. Peter is starting to be able to tell when someone is nearing their breaking point. Sure enough, a few more singes and the woman is yelling the location of some gang’s warehouse. It’s some town in New Jersey.

Tony sighs in annoyance. “God dammit. Of course, it is.”

This time it’s a quick death. Single gunshot wound to the head. Right after firing the weapon, Tony smiles over at Peter, “No sensory overdrive this time. That’s an improvement.”

Tony knows not to expect a response from Peter after these events. While he’s been able to endure his way through these and has gotten better at stopping any liquid from leaving his eyes, Peter is never ready to talk after having to watch his father mangle a human being to death. Instead of waiting for an answer, Tony claps Peter on the back “Proud of you son” and escorts him out of the room.

Rhodes is in the hall. “Hey” he grins at the pair, “no paralyzer this time.” He goes to give Peter a pat also, but Peter yanks away before he can make contact. No way does he want Rhodes’s approval.

His godfather sighs and moves on, “Did I hear Jersey?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I’ll make a call to the League. Wonder if Bats will take it since it’s so close to Gotham.” New Jersey is a part of Wayne’s territory. Peter guesses the Avengers aren’t supposed to encroach onto the other team’s turf.

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be so excited” Tony rolls his eyes. “What a way to start a Friday.”

“Eh. Whatever, at least this isn’t our problem anymore.”

“True. C’mon Pete. Let’s get changed before your tutor arrives.”

It’s silent between them for the ride up the elevator. At least today they got this out of the way in the morning. It makes the first few hours of tutoring tense but gives Peter so much more time before having to see Tony again. It’s easier to be around the man when Peter’s had almost a full day of activities between interrogations and lab time.

Getting himself cleaned up, Peter then makes his way back downstairs. Hopefully he can stomach a bagel at least before his language arts tutor arrives. He finds the subject dull to begin with, let alone on an empty stomach.

Before he makes it to the kitchen, Peter notices he’s not alone in the penthouse. A girl around his age, maybe a bit older is standing in the living room. She has dark hair and eyes and is wearing a purple armored outfit with a bow and arrow strapped to her back. Upon spotting Peter, she looks just as surprised as he is.

“Oh uh…Hi. I…I was looking for Mr. Stark. Well, I mean…the other Mr. Stark” she stutters. “Because you both…um…uh…Hi. I’m Kate. You…you must be Peter.”

“Tony’s getting changed.”

“I figured…um…”

This is so awkward. Peter was able to avoid this girl for almost two weeks. Tony had said only Rhodes and Happy had unlimited access to the penthouse. Peter had thought if he stayed up here when not in training, that he wouldn’t run into her or Harley. Now, here she is.

“So, uh…you train with Clint” Peter says. He doesn’t want to talk with her, but also doesn’t want to sit in this uncomfortable silence.

“Yeah” Kate nods. “Well…mostly with Clint. Hence the bow. Um…lately I’ve also been working with Natasha quite a bit. They’ve both been really great. They…well they’ve been in Africa the past couple of weeks. Have…have you met them?”

Nodding Peter can’t stop the words from leaving his mouth, “They threatened the families of my two best friends. One I’ve known since I was five.” Oh, the irony of this girl talking about Clint and Natasha that way. The supposed replacement for the two friends her mentor scared away.

“Um…” Kates eyes go wide. She gulps, “I heard about that…that…that must have really sucked. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It did.”

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. The two of them stare at each other, neither knowing how to continue the conversation. A part of Peter just wants to yell at her to go away. Get out of the one place he thought he could avoid her. Both he and Kate are relieved when Tony appears at the top of the stairs.

“Bishop?” He asks. “How did you get up here?” Peter would also love to know the answer to that question.

“Oh uh…” God this girl stutters. “Rhodes gave me access.” Of course, it was Rhodes. Peter’s anger for that man grows a tiny bit more.

“Why?”

“I ran into him in the basement. That uh…that mission you had me on. It’s done.”

Mission. What mission? Tony brought her here?

“Really” Tony grins. “I must say that was faster than I thought it would be. You sure it’s the right guy.”

“Positive. I confirmed ballistics. He has a history from before. Also, his prints matched some the police found on a nearby trashcan. I uploaded everything to JARVIS for you to look over if you’d like.” Tony does. He grabs a tablet sitting in the living room and pulls up the files. As he reads through it, Kate continues, “It actually took longer to locate him than it did to identify. Last night I was able to track him down in Maine. Harley and I went to collect him. That’s why we ran into Rhodes. We just got back. Harley and Rhodes are taking care of detaining the guy downstairs now.”

“This is good work Kate” Tony compliments. Peter again wonders who the hell they are talking about. At first Peter was nervous it was May, but apparently Kate tracked down a man. “I’ll let Clint know. He’ll be proud.”

A smile forms on the girl’s face, “Thank you Mr. Stark.”

“You’re excused. Go get some rest. Tell Harley good job for me. You two want show tickets or anything? This was a personal errand, you deserve a reward.”

“Do I have to go with Harley?”

Chuckling, Tony shakes his head “No. How about you both think of something you’d like and tell JARVIS.”

“Again, thank you Mr. Stark.” With that Kate leaves. She gives a small nod to Peter, “It was nice to meet you.” That’s got to be a lie.

Once it is just him and Tony again, Peter asks “What was that about?”

“Something you’ll find out about later.”

That doesn’t sit well with Peter. He doesn’t need the tingle in his neck to know the foreboding those words bring. He’s sure whoever the man Kate tracked down is, Peter’s going to witness a horrendous fate.

“It’s his birthday next week” Tony argues.

“And you’ve already promised him Pepper” Steve asserts. “It’s a perfect opportunity Tony. She’ll be able to comfort him. He’ll need and want her more than ever after.”

“It’s the first one I have him back for.”

“You’ll have plenty with him in the future. We always knew his first year back would be rough. Sure, this birthday this year will be bad. That means the ones in the future will be better. Wouldn’t you rather he be upset now than when you want to give him a car. Or the last one before you send him to college. Or when you want to bring him to Vegas. No offense Tony, but it’s not like Peter necessarily wants to spend his birthday this year with you anyway.”

“Fuck off, Rogers.”

“Just rip the band-aid off Tony” Barnes says. “He did well today. He’ll have the weekend off. Do it on Monday and then Tuesday he’ll have Pepper there. Who knows, maybe he’ll be glad to take out his anger on the guy.”

Letting out a breath, Tony shakes his head. “He won’t.”

“He knows it’s going to be expected sooner or later.”

“It’s only been a month! Things just started to get easier.”

Steve tells him “There’s never going to be a better person for him to start off on. If his relationship with Ben Parker was that strong, this guy is our best option.”

Barnes adds, “It’s not like we’re asking Peter to kill the guy. You can have that honor for yourself.”

Tony knows his employees are right. Just a few days ago it felt like he and Peter were turning a corner again. The kid still hates him. Tony had spent years preparing himself for that. God, he just wants a few days where it feels like he has a truce with his son. At most, Peter tolerates Tony’s presence. The chemistry they had that first night in the lab is the hope Tony clings to in order to get him through this awful period. Only recently has it felt less tense around Peter. Less like the kid was counting down the seconds before he can retreat into his room. Tony knows he isn’t the reason for Peter’s growing comfort. He can thank Happy and Scott for that. Begrudgingly, Tony can even give some credit to Strange.

Rhodes, Scott and Happy have been quiet during this meeting. Tony looks to them, “What do you three think?”

Appearing conflicted, Rhodey answers "Whatever you think is best Tones."

The other two exchange looks, begging the other to answer first. Scott sighs “Peter’s going to want his mom after. He’s going to hate you Tony…a lot. He’ll need her. Harley clung to Janet after his first time.”

Cracking his knuckles, Tony gives a small nod. A part of him wishes someone would argue the other way.

“Happy?”

His friend gives Tony a sympathetic frown. “Spoil him this weekend Tony. Get him a bunch of presents, bring him to a movie. Hell, fly him to Disney for a day. Just…you’re going back to square one.”

“It’s a hard one to come back from” Scott adds. His words hang in the air. Everyone remembers how Harley acted towards his stepfather for the weeks following the first interrogation he had to participate in. Many of them question if the relationship between the two has ever fully mended.

Running a hand through his hair, Tony allows himself one last moment of pity.

Steve speaks up, "One year, remember. One year of going non-stop, speeding through. He's doing so much better than we had expected. Now isn't the time to stop." 

That plan seemed much more doable before they found his son. One year of awfulness, then they could slow down once Peter is on track for his age. However, living through this makes each week feel like a year itself. Life has become a rollercoaster of ups and downs every day. Having to up Peter's training so quickly makes it impossible to get into a steady rhythm. Tony reminds himself of what it felt like after the gym. He had felt so hopeless for weeks after that, yet to his surprise things did improve. Faster than any of them anticipated. However, they had the benefit of Peter remembering some time in Malibu. The boy already had experience of what was required of him. Going forward is new territory, things Peter most likely isn’t expecting so soon.

“Have the guy ready Monday night at 8. I’ll give Pete some time to hang out after dinner beforehand. Pepper can be in the penthouse before he wakes up the next day.”

“Happy was right about this weekend” Rhodes says. “Steve and I have everything here under control, take the weekend off. You’ve been going overtime this week anyway.”

Steve agrees, “You look like you could use a vacation.”

Tony sends them a small glare. With all the recon coming in from Wakanda, a few of them have had some all-nighters the past week. Especially Tony. Already, they have had to extend Nat and Clint’s stay in the country. Tony just prays that he doesn’t need to get Wayne involved. The last thing he needs right now is having to work with Bruce.

“Happy, have a team go prepare the Hamptons house for the weekend. Peter and I will head out tonight after dinner.”

“I can drive you two if you’d like.”

Shaking his head, Tony says “I just want it to be us.”

Thank God it’s Friday. Scott went hard today during training today. Peter could feel himself dripping with sweat. Luckily, he got out a bit early to shower before dinner. A quick rinse and Peter changed into some clothes more comfortable for the lab. Another strange aspect of his new daily routine. He goes through about three to four different outfits depending on the activities of the day. When he had first seen the immense amount of clothing in his closet, Peter thought it was overboard. Now he questions if it’s enough. Laundry is only done over the weekend and about half his closet isn't necessarily Peter's taste. Maybe he should take Tony up on the offer and order some stuff online. It would be nice to have some more personalized t-shirts and sweats.

For the second time today, Peter is surprised to find another teenager in the penthouse. Entering the dining room, he is greeted by a boy with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Unlike Kate, he is dressed casually like Peter.

“Hi, I’m Harley.”

Anger, intense spite flashes through Peter’s veins. How the hell did he get up here? Taking a deep breath, Peter calms himself before saying “Peter.”

“I know” the boy smiles. “Tony has told me a lot about you.”

“Oh, has he?”

“Yeah, same with Rhodey.” So, Harley is comfortable using Tony’s first name as well as the nickname for Rhodes. At least Bishop was more formal. “I know you’re currently training with Scott. He’s my stepfather. He told me you have been working on some combat training.”

“Yup.”

“How’s it going? I mean, Scott says well but he also has a tendency to goof off. Rhodey, Steve and Nat are a lot more serious about it. Tony told me too that you’ve been doing a lot of work in the lab. He said you’re making an AI. I’m making one too. Although mine is for data processing not a drone…”

“I’m sorry” Peter cuts him off. He can’t stand to listen to this kid. Why is Tony talking to him about Peter? When is Tony talking to him? It’s bad enough Harley broke into the penthouse. Peter doesn’t want to hear about his private conversations with Peter’s father. “Kid…”

“Harley.”

“I…” Peter takes a breath. “How did you get up here?”

“Oh uh” Harley gets a bit uneasy. “I snuck up with the food delivery from the kitchen. I hope that’s okay…”

“It’s not.” Peter snaps. “This is a private residence.”

“I know…”

“You can’t just break into people’s homes.”

“Well, I didn’t really break in. I do live in the tower.”

“Not the penthouse!”

“I uh…” Harley falters. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I’ve just…I…”

A flash in Peter’s neck alerts him to Rhodes entrance. “Harley” the man says in an angry tone. “What the hell?”

Eyes wide, clearly nervous about being caught, Harley says in a timid voice “Hey Wingman.”

“Get over here” Rhodes forces the kid into the hall. Thinking they are out of Peter’s earshot, Rhodes chastises, “You know you are not supposed to be up here.”

“It’s not fair, Kate got to meet him.”

“You two…it’s not a competition.”

“Yeah, because she already won.”

“For the love of God! Does Scott know you’re up here.”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

“Harley” Rhodes warningly whispers.

“You all brought me in so…”

Rhodes cuts him off, “Shh.”

Peter can hear the elevator open. A few seconds later he hears Tony’s voice, “Hey Harley. Rhodey. Aren’t you two supposed to be in training?”

“Hey Mechanic” Harley chirps. That sends another wave of hatred though Peter’s system. He doesn’t care that the kid has a nickname for Rhodes, but Tony…what the hell? “We were just…”

“He snuck up here” Rhodes says.

“Harley…”

“I just wanted to meet him. I know what…”

Tony stops the kid with a sigh, “Maybe in a few weeks Harley. I know you’re excited, but now isn’t the time.”

“I’ve gone…”

“I know…get downstairs before Steve loses his shit.”

“Fine” Harley grumbles.

“See you later short stack.”

“I’m not that short anymore!”

“Yeah, yeah” Tony says. Peter hears Rhodes and Harley walk into the elevator. A minute later Tony enters the dining room. Seeing Peter he asks, “How much of that did you hear?”

Glaring Peter asks, “Who the hell are these kids?”

“I told you, Harley and Kate are Rhodes and Clint’s proteges. They’re being trained for your future team.”

“I don’t want them.”

“Peter…”

“And what’s with the nicknames? I thought you said he trains under Rhodes.”

“The…” Tony frowns in confusion. “I have nicknames for everyone. I've known Harley since he was nine. Does that really bother you?”

“No” Peter snaps much too quickly.

A look of realization dawns over his father’s features. “Peter…”

“I just think it’s weird.”

“Why?”

“I…whatever. I don’t care.”

“I think you do.”

“No!”

Tony’s head tilts to the side a bit. He calmly tells Peter “Take a seat” while pulling out a couple chairs from the table to face each other. Hesitantly, Peter sits down on one. Seated across from him, Tony looks Peter in the eye, “It’s not like that Peter. I found Harley a few years ago and saw potential. He’s smart, he’s loyal, and fun to have around. That’s why I gave him to Rhodes. So that he could train Harley to be your number two. Yes, I’ve worked with him a bit but not in the way you’re thinking. Just like Rhodey thinks of you, I look at Harley as a nephew. One by the way, who is extremely eager to get to know you.”

“I don’t want to get to know him” Peter growls. He hates the fact this kid has such an impact on him. Tony’s explanation doesn’t help. In fact, it just confirms what Peter was already wondering. He doesn’t want to care that Tony has a relationship with another boy, but he does. That jealousy is a tough pill to swallow.

Studying Peter for a while, Tony gives a defeated huff. “I really hope that changes kiddo.”

“It won’t.”

“Do you feel the same way about Kate?”

“Yup.”

“They want to be your friends Peter.”

Rolling his eyes, Peter sneers, “I had friends. You took them away.”

“I tried…”

“I don’t care.”

“What happened to ‘make the best of this’?”

Averting his eyes, Peter knows he can’t argue against that. He realizes how childish he is being, how immature he is handling this situation. It’s not Kate or Harley’s fault Peter lost Ned and MJ. And if Tony is telling the truth, which he probably is, then his relationships with both is more than reasonable.

Tony continues, “They’ve been trained similarly to you Pete. Harley has had more time and Kate’s focus is more of a spy than a soldier. But they’ve gone through the same struggles you are currently experiencing. Pushing them away isn’t going to make you feel better. Don’t you want people in your corner?”

“From what it sounds like they’re in yours.”

“Which one day you’ll see is also yours” Tony sighs. He watches Peter for a while before adding, “There really isn’t anything more than that between Harley and I Pete. I brought him here for you.”

“Whatever” Peter looks down at his hands and begins picking at his thumb. He can’t hold Tony’s stare.

“I was thinking” Tony changes the subject. “Since it’s your birthday weekend, how about a little vacation?”

“What?”

“I have a house in the Hamptons. It’s got a pool, a giant lawn, is beachside. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. Perfect time for a little escape. Just you and me for the weekend.”

Time away from the tower. Although he doesn’t necessarily want to be alone with Tony, a change of scenery sounds very desirable right now. Get away from the Avengers, training, Kate and Harley. “When would we leave?”

“I was thinking after dinner. It’s a few hours drive. You can pick out the car we take.”

A yellow Audi R8 Peter remembers seeing in Tony’s collection surfaces in his mind. He had stared in awe for a moment before getting distracted by his father’s ramblings about another vehicle he was working on. Peter’s also only been to a true beach a handful of times since Malibu. Nothing private. A weekend not being surrounded by people does sound relaxing. Maybe he’ll finally get some relief from the tingling in his neck.

“Yeah” Peter says quietly. “I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

Peter can feel his body relax more and more the further they get from the city. Tony too, seems to ease the farther they go in their travel. The mood in the car is a lot more pleasant than Peter was expecting. Tony hasn’t pushed a ton of conversation. The two of them have mostly just listened to a playlist frequently used in the lab. At one point, Peter thought he caught his father quietly singing along to an ACDC song. Even though it is dark outside, Peter’s enjoying the view. The city was fun to see all the lights and people hurrying around. Tony drove through Times Square so Peter could see it for the first time. Then viewing all the open land and parks they pass is a refreshing change. Peter has rarely left New York City over the past ten years. Once they were in a less populated area, Tony put the top of the car’s roof down. The wind in his hair feels wonderful on Peter’s scalp.

He smells the ocean before he can see it. The moon reflects beautifully off the crashing waves. Feeling himself smile, Peter can’t help but appreciate the soothing effects this trip has already caused.

Eventually, they pull up to a large house. The lights are already on inside. Peter guesses Tony had a staff prepare the place for them.

“You hungry at all?” Tony asks as he grabs Peter’s bag from the trunk. Tony has stuff here already.

“A bit” Peter wasn’t in the mood to eat after their conversation before dinner.

“I’ll order us some pizza as you pick a room.”

“Pick?”

Tony smiles at him, “There are a few options. The master is all the way at the end of the hall upstairs to the right. Other than that, you can take any of the other four bedrooms. Go on” he points to the stairs.

The house is very different than the tower. It’s different than the Malibu home too. While not outdated by any means, the place is not the modern style Tony usually prefers. It’s light walls and nautical décor is the contrast Peter needed for the weekend. This place is so much more comforting than he expected. A refresh from the existence of the city.

All the bedrooms are spacious but not nearly as big as his at the tower. Which is something Peter actually appreciates. While his over-the-top bedroom is nice and a good retreat, it still is overwhelming at times. This…this feels homey. Like the apartment in Queens. He decides on the third bedroom for a few reasons. It has a private bathroom and a balcony that faces the ocean. There is a circular wall covered in windows that looks over the pool and has a nice seating area. He also takes notice of a painting on the wall. It…it feels almost familiar. Peter is still staring at it when his neck flashes.

“Your mother bought that on our honeymoon” Tony’s voice says from the door.

That’s why. It looks like something his mom would buy. It’s similar to a painting they had in their living room. It’s exactly her taste.

Tony asks, “This the one you want?”

Nodding, Peter continues to stare at the painting. He was happy with the room before. Now knowing this is here, a small part of his mom, he definitely wants this one. Tony places Peter’s suitcase on the bed.

“Pizza should be here in half an hour. Get yourself unpacked and settled in until then.”

“Okay” Peter tells Tony before he leaves. Before unpacking, he wanders to the balcony. In the distance he can hear the waves on the beach crash onto the shore. Other than that, it is quiet. Peaceful. A gust of wind carries the salty smell of the water. Again, Peter can feel the tension inside of him drain away. It’s like this place has magic.

Looking off to the side of the house, Peter sees the neighbors are a good distance away. Tony had told him the house is very private. There are plenty of trees blocking the view of the other homes. They had come through a big gate at the front that also did a good job of hiding the place.

For just a moment, Peter allows himself to imagine climbing over that gate. He imagines running down the street and disappearing into the night. He could do it. Easily, he could use his spiderpowers to climb down the side of the house and over the gate's barrier. He could find a knife and cut out the tracker Tony put in his arm.

A foolish plan. His face has been all over the news and social media. It would take less than an hour for Tony to find him. Even if he didn’t someone would recognize Peter. What would he do after the escape anyways? It’s not like he could get a job or go to school. Peter could go screaming down the street about every atrocity Tony and his team have done and nobody would do a thing. Nobody but maybe Bruce Wayne could go up against Tony. And what would happen then? As if the bats would leave Peter alive.

Walking back inside, Peter again looks at the painting. Mom. He can’t leave that way. Not without her. She’d be so worried and in so much danger. He could never do that to her.

Unpacking was quick work. He didn’t need to bring any toiletries like a toothbrush or deodorant. Tony had told Peter to bring a bunch of clothes he doesn’t mind leaving at the house. That way he doesn’t need to pack every time they visit. Something Peter hopes is a frequent thing. He’s only been here for half and hour and this place has already made him feel much better. He can only imagine what the weekend will do. Maybe one time Peter could convince Tony to also bring mom here.

Peter hears Tony bring in the pizzas. The knowledge makes his stomach growl. Making his way downstairs, he sees his father has already started eating in the dining area. He also has poured himself a drink. “Hey” Tony greets him. “Everything unpacked?”

“Yeah” Peter says, grabbing a box marked 'meat lovers'. He notices Tony has ordered quite a few. “Why did you get so many?”

“We don’t have the cafeteria to order from. Figured we could have leftovers for tomorrow rather than getting poisoned by my cooking.”

“You cannot be that bad.”

“You’d be surprised. I’d have withered away in college if it weren’t for Rhodey. I once spent three hours making Pepper an omelet only for it to still come out half underdone and half burnt.”

“You’ve built a suit of armor that flies, shoots lasers and missiles and you’re telling me you can’t fry an egg?”

“I’ve always had people to do that for me. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been busy doing other things like building suits of armor that shoot lasers and missiles.”

“Yeah okay” Peter smirks, taking a bite of his pizza.

After the two of them eat in silence for a while, Tony brings up “Have you liked going through some of my old suits?”

“Uh huh” Peter swallows his current bite. “I’ve been looking at the flight stabilizers. JARVIS um…” he chuckles, “he showed me a video of your first few tests of those.”

“Oh my god” Tony laments. “JARVIS you are becoming a traitor! Which video?”

“The first test when you flew into the ceiling.” As Tony lets out another groan, Peter adds “I always wondered where that scratch had come from.”

“If only you could have seen Pepper’s face the first time she saw me working on those. Accidently blasted myself across half the workshop. Nearly scared the crap out of her.”

Since first arriving to the tower, there has been little discussion of Pepper. Peter hasn't been allowed to ask and Tony has only ever brought her up in short off-handed comments. While he was growing up, Pepper never really talked about her time with Tony. It was difficult to get stories out of her from before Peter was three, let alone before he was born. That time period is such a mystery that Peter can't help but feel intrigued by. What were his parents like together? Was his mother always afraid of Tony? That memory Tony had shown at the BARF presentation made them appear happy together. The sight of that has sent Peter's mind reeling trying to comb over everything he remembers from his childhood in Malibu. Trying to find any hint that the memory could be true.

“I thought nobody knew what you were building at the time" Peter says, hoping to spur the conversation of his mom onward without pissing off Tony.

“She didn’t. At least, not at first. Just thought I was playing around. Then Pepper walked in on me taking the suit off after a flight.”

“How did she react to that?”

“Considering there was about thirty bullet holes on it, she was not pleased.”

“Thirty…shit, were you okay?”

“I was fine, just some bruises. None got through the armor.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you might have a death wish.”

Chuckling, Tony says “On occasion. Less the past few years. Been too busy to go on missions myself.”

Another thing Peter has noticed. For the most part, Tony sticks around the tower. Every once in a while, Peter is informed that he had to go to a meeting or presentation at another location. However, it seems Tony keeps does most of his work inside Stark Tower's walls. At first, Peter thought it was because of he and his mom's return. But if Tony hasn't gone on missions in the past few years, maybe not.

“Do you like going on missions?”

“Love it. Unlike Wayne, I don’t care much for patrolling. Missions are the only time I see any action. Although, those are starting to become far and few between. Not many people out there willing to go up against Bruce and I now a days. Killian was the last one I took care of myself.”

“Why don’t you like patrol?” All the time Peter would read or hear about the bats going out into Gotham and taking care of crime. He’s overheard a few of the Avengers talk about their patrols. They all seem to enjoy it.

“Eh. It’s just so easy…and boring. But a good way to learn to think on your feet. You learn decisive decision making quick when someone has a gun pointed at your head. You do get a lot of praise during patrol. People are really grateful after. That was always nice.”

Once in third grade the bank near Peter’s school got robbed. One of the captives during it was his teacher. After about an hour and a big fight, Captain America had all the robbers in handcuffs and subdued. Peter’s teacher came back a week later and told the class the story. She recounted how scared she was and how she thought she was going to die that day. Then when Steve Rogers came, he made sure all the innocent people were saved. She was so grateful. A poster of the man hung on her door for the rest of Peter’s time in elementary school. It was the first time that Peter saw some of the good that came out of Tony's regime. The Avenger's handle on crime has saved a lot of people.

“You said Richard Wayne started patrolling when he was twelve.”

Looking up from his pizza, Tony gives Peter a serious look. “No chance.”

“But…”

“You started combat training two weeks ago. No fucking way I’m letting you out for that.”

“Tony…”

“No Peter” his father adamantly says. “Maybe in a year or two, not now. You are nowhere near prepared.” He takes a big swig of his drink.

“Fine” Peter says dejectedly. Tony’s right. He isn’t prepared for that. Richard Wayne had years of training before going out on patrol, his entire lifetime. They aren’t on the same playing field. Not yet.

Changing the subject, Tony asks “What do you think of the house?”

“I like it a lot” Peter admits. It’s comfy. The large space isn't as intimidating or imposing as the tower. It feels welcoming.

“Good” Tony says, getting up to pour himself another drink. Before he puts the bottle away, he asks “Want one?”

“What?”

“Some rum. I think there is some coke in the fridge if you want to mix it.”

“I’m thirteen.” Is Tony seriously offering? It’s illegal. Pepper would flip.

Tony smirks, “Fourteen in a few days. It’s a celebratory weekend. Only us two in the house. You can have a few.”

“Um…” Peter contemplates. He’s never had liquor before. He Ned and MJ never even thought of trying to sneak a bottle. One time Flash had gone around bragging about drinking at his parent’s party, but the school put an end to that quickly. Underage drinking is a no go in middle school. Although…the law and rules don’t really apply to Peter anymore. Especially when he is with Tony. “Yeah. I’ll try it.”

Tony pours a bit of rum into another glass and hands it to Peter. Taking a sip, Peter immediately spits it back into the cup. It tastes horrible and burns. His father laughs and grabs a can of coke-a-cola from the fridge. Tony mixes that and some rum into another glass before giving it to Peter. That is a lot more palatable. Peter sips on it as he and Tony chat late into the night. At first they start off with discussing Peter's AI, a safe subject they know the other won't get upset by. Then the effects of the alcohol kick in after a couple drinks. With it, Peter's courage kicks up a bit. He begins asking about some of the things Tony and the Avengers are working on. He outwardly wonders what what working with Wayne is like. What was it like to form a new country after the alien attack. Tony doesn't go into great detail, but does answer all of Peter's questions with a smile. After listening to a short explanation about the land negotiations, Peter finds himself staring up at a swirling ceiling.

“You okay there buddy?” Tony asks.

“My face feels numb” Peter answers, patting his cheeks. “Also, the room is spinning but it’s not.”

“Oh, to be a lightweight again” Tony chuckles. “Good to know the serum didn’t heighten your tolerance that much. Steve has to drink special liquor in order to get drunk.”

“I don’t know if I like this.”

“Eat some pizza” Tony pushes a few slices Peter’s way. “I’ll get you some water.”

“Am I going to be hungover?” Peter asks before biting into a slice. The food feels weird in his mouth. He wants to eat it but at the same time finds himself unmotivated to swallow.

“After three shots? No, you’ll be fine. Just drink this” Tony hands him a bottle of water. After noticing Peter's struggle, he smirks “C’mon let’s get you to bed.”

Tony helps Peter to his room. Not wanting to go through the hassle of changing into pajamas, Peter just crawls in wearing his sweats and tee-shirt. As Tony pulls rearranges the blankets, Peter mumbles

“This place is the best.”

His father laughs, “It’s only been a few hours, but I’m glad you’re having a good time so far.”

Catching a glimpse of the painting on the wall, Peter asks “Can we bring mom here? She’d love it.”

Tony’s demeanor flattens, “Someday Pete” he sighs. He stares at Peter for a while before adding “She does love it here. We used to spend a lot of time during the summers up here, even before we were married. She decorated the place.”

“I can tell.” That's why everything feels familiar. Pepper's influence on the space is now clear to Peter. His next question probably isn’t a good idea, but Peter’s hazy mind doesn’t care to ponder any repercussions. “Were you two happy together?”

“Of course, we were” Tony looks perplexed. “Did she say we weren’t?”

“No. I just…I always thought she was just trying to make me feel better.”

“We weren’t a perfect couple, Pete. But we were happy together. You know I love her, right?”

“Yeah” Peter admits. He picks at some decorative fabric on one of the pillows. “Why doesn’t she live with us then?”

“She…” Tony falters. “It’s just complicated right now. This isn't permanent.”

“Is she okay?”

“As I told you before, of course, she is.”

“Is she happy?”

“She’s…” Tony sighs. “She misses you…a lot.”

“I miss her too.” That hole in Peter’s life is so big. He want’s nothing more than to see Pepper again. He misses her hugs, her smile, the feeling of safety she brings. He wants to see the sparkle in her eye that she’d get whenever he’d arrive home from school.

“You know” Tony’s voice is low. “I spent ten years missing you two. It was the hardest thing I ever went through. Not knowing where you two were or if you were even alive. It might have been the best moments of my life when Rhodey told me they found you.”

“We missed you too” Peter admits. He never thought he would say that to Tony and can’t believe the words slipped through his mouth. It's a confession that Peter has struggled accepting himself. “Mom lost it when everyone thought you died during the Mandarin. She didn’t even let May or Ben comfort her. Just locked herself in our room and cried all night.”

Tony sits there staring at him for a while longer. They’re silent after Peter’s admission and can’t look the other in the eye. “I’ll see you in the morning” Tony tells him before leaving. The weight of Peter’s words hang heavy in the air even after his father is out of the room.

So much of what Peter thought was true has been proved false since reuniting with Tony. For years Peter thought of the man as a heartless monster. He’s still a monster. But the past few weeks have shown that Tony, just like Pepper’s gift says, does have a heart. Warped and fucked up. But Peter knows his father has a deep love for both him and his mom. As much as he knows Pepper’s fear of Tony, he also is realizing that she never stopped loving the man. The small things Peter remembers from his childhood are becoming clear indicators of his mother’s continued affection. His mom never dated anyone else. She always kept up on news involving Tony. She never got rid of her wedding ring. She never wore it, but Peter remembers the little jewelry box she kept it safe in. He wonders if she is wearing it now that they are back.

The time away from Tony made Peter distort certain memories he had to be worse than reality. The terrible, horrible memories he had begun to merge with the good. There is no reason he should have believed Tony thought of him as an annoyance in the lab. He could have given Peter those little projects to work on and sent him upstairs. His mom never said she didn’t love Tony, yet he thought that to be true. How could she? After everything Tony has done, how can his mom love him? Tony did say that he hid a lot of the darker side of SI from her. But with just the knowledge of what the public knows, how could she still love him?

Eventually Peter’s ponderings drift him off to sleep. In the morning he is met with a gorgeous view of the ocean. It’s better than what he remembers in Malibu. He’s up before Tony who doesn’t make an appearance until after ten o’clock. Peter uses the time to explore more of the house. There are plenty of living spaces for lounging and games. An office, movie room, a small library. What intrigues Peter the most are the picture decorating the spaces. There is plenty of artwork, but even more personal pictures. Professional portraits of Tony, Pepper and sometimes Peter from his youth hang in prominent spots such as over a fireplace. An entire wall in a sitting room is dedicated to a photoshoot of when Peter was probably around two. He's playing in sand for most of them.

In the office are photos clearly taken by either Tony or Pepper. The one closest to the computer is of Peter when he was a baby. He's half buried on a beach with a 1 drawn next to him. Is this where they celebrated his first birthday? The picture is paired with a photo of him and his parents and of one of him smashing into a small cake. On the wall there are photos of the three of them in the pool Peter saw outside. Rhodes makes an appearance in a few. There's even one of Happy holding Peter at some restaurant. Another that must clearly be a favorite for it's proximity to the workspace, is one of Tony driving a boat. On his lap is Peter about over a year old, standing with his hands on the steering-wheel. Both have giant smiles on their faces.

It is so strange to see these. The only good memories Peter clung onto of Tony were in the lab. That's the only positive association he had of his father for years. Having the horrible memory of that first interrogation made it easy for Peter to disassociate his connection to Tony while growing up. He willingly believed that outside of the lab, Tony was nothing but horrible. However...these photos paint a different story. A smile that a toddler can't fake is plastered over Peter's young face in nearly every picture. Going all the way up until what looks like only months before he and his mom left. A picture of Peter and his parents cuddled together in front of a decorative tree shows them happily together on what must be Christmas.

Peter notes there doesn't seem to be any pictures from the last ten years. Anywhere. Not a single photo from the past decade. Only from before the Chitauri attack. As he wanders his way back into the kitchen, Peter can't help but feel lost in time. It's as if Tony kept this place as a mausoleum to the family the three of them once were.

While pondering this over in his head and sipping on orange juice he found in the fridge, Peter hears Tony come down the stairs into the kitchen.

“You feel okay today?” Tony asks as he begins making some coffee.

“Yeah, no hangover” Peter tells him, glad Tony didn’t bring up last nights conversation.

“Great. What do you want to do today? We could either go into town and shop around or just stay here.”

“You’d let me go into town?”

“Do I have to worry about bringing you into town?” Tony asks in a warning seriousness. Peter can hear the implication in his voice.

“No” Peter shakes his head. Truly, there would be no point in making a scene in public. As if anyone would help him.

“Good” Tony smiles before beginning to make himself a bagel. "Today is supposed to be warm. How about we spend some time at the beach then go somewhere for dinner. I have a boat we could go around the bay if you’d like.”

That is what they do. They spend some time in the pool before eating lunch and heading to the beach where they spend the majority of the day. Peter has a blast. It is fun to play in the ocean waves and in the beach's soft sand. Tony is at his side the entire time, joining in on the fun. When they take the speedboat out, Tony lets him drive it for a while. It is exhilarating flying over the water. Peter's cheeks start to get sore from the giant grin that forms on his face. Seeing how much Peter enjoyed that, Tony makes a call to get a couple jet skis delivered for tomorrow.

The realization of how big his father’s wealth is makes an impact that day. After dinner at a seafood place, Tony and Peter walk around main street shopping. Everything Peter shows the slightest interest in, Tony buys him. The closet at the house will surely be full after their trip to town.

Peter notices all the stares the two get. He is also aware of the pictures people are taking on their phones. Tony doesn’t seem to care. He’s probably used to it, unlike Peter. During dinner Tony had requested a private room so they didn’t have to deal with the unwanted attention. As Tony had suggested weeks ago, Peter tries scallops for the first time as well as lobster and crab. It's all delicious. Peter can’t fathom what the bill was.

Some of the shops close down to give Tony and Peter privacy while inside. That doesn’t stop the employees from gushing over them. It’s uncomfortable the amount of praise Peter receives for the fake Hydra story. His great escape that never happened. Every time someone mentions it, the mood of the trip goes down.

“What do you think?” Tony asks Peter about a jacket he is trying on. They are in a Gucci store.

“It’s a bit flashy” Peter eyes the patterned fabric.

“Eh, maybe you’re right. You find anything?”

“Um…” Peter eyes some of the racks. He nearly choked at the first price tag he saw. “A few things. But um…”

“Is the hesitation about money?” Tony cuts off Peter’s thoughts.

“How…”

“Happy told me about your talk after the café.” Tony looks Peter in the eye. “Money isn’t an issue. Trust me, I have more than anyone would know what to do with. I want to spend it on you. So, go grab the things you like and meet me at the check out.”

They easily sped over twenty thousand dollars. Tony doesn’t even blink when swiping his credit card. When they get to the entrance, they see that a small mob has formed outside. Clearly, the news of their presence made its way to enough people. “Shit” Tony curses. He looks to Peter “You ready for the piranhas?”

Taking a glance out of the window, Peter spots their car. It’s not too far away. “Yeah” he nods. They book it through the crowd towards the car. Cameras go off all around them. Peter tosses his bags into the backseat. As he goes to open the passenger front door, someone yanks on his jacket. A small yelp escapes him.

The person is a taller man who immediately begins spewing off questions at Peter. He doesn’t even understand half of what the guy is saying, the stranger is talking so fast. Before Peter gets a word in, Tony’s angry voice causes all the chaos around Peter to stop.

“DO NOT TOUCH MY KID!” Tony yells, storming from the driver side of the car. The man lets go, his face full of fear. Tony wraps an arm around Peter and ushers him into the car. He sends one last glare at the man before getting into the drivers seat. “You okay?”

“I’m fine” Peter tells him. His heart is still racing. “The guy just grabbed me for some questions.”

“Fucking dickhead” Tony growls. “He’s lucky I didn’t punch him in the throat.”

Peter doesn’t respond. Today’s been great, he doesn’t want to think about all the things Tony could have done to that man. This weekend is supposed to help him forget.

They leave most of the clothes they bought in the car. Peter had picked out a few things he wants to leave at the beach house, but most of it is to bring back to NYC. Still irked by what happened earlier, Tony pours himself some rum from the same bottle as last night. “Want any?” he asks.

“Um…” Maybe if he joins in, Tony’s mood will lighten again. “Sure.”

They go down to the theater room. After picking the movie for the night, Peter settles into a chair. Only a few minutes into watching Jack Sparrow run around onscreen does Peter realize how tired he is. Last night he slept well but today has been a busy day. He spent so much time swimming and running on the beach, his body is exhausted. The booze doesn’t help fight the grogginess.

The next thing he knows, Peter is waking up in his bedroom. How did he get here? Tony must have carried him. That’s embarrassing. Peter strolls into the hall where he finds more pictures of the past. One display on the wall is dedicated to his mom. Tony wasn't lying when he said they spent a lot of time here. Not just during the summer, but a lot of holidays. One photo is of Pepper holding two balloons that say '1' and '9'. That must be her first birthday while working for Tony. She looks so young. Young like Peter wouldn't have been surprised to see her in the high school wing at Midtown. There's a photo of Pepper, Tony, Rhodes and some woman out to dinner. Tony and Pepper at a red carpet event. The two of them curled up together on a yacht. Peter's mom showing off her pregnant belly while relaxing on the beach. She clearly did love this place. Maybe that's why it's so comforting for Peter. Her love seeping out of the walls to bring him just a bit of peace.

Unlike yesterday, Tony is the first to wake. He is frowning at something on his phone while drinking coffee when Peter gets down the stairs. “Everything okay?” Peter asks.

Tony lets out a huff, “Jason Wayne lead his first drug bust yesterday. Used the info we gave the bats from that woman on Friday.”

“That…” Peter thinks out load as he grabs some milk out of the fridge. “…was fast. Isn’t he my age?”

“A few months older.”

“Huh.” Since their conversation weeks ago, Peter thought his biggest competition was going to be Richard. But now with Jason stepping up, he guesses he’ll have to compete with all the bats. It doesn’t seem fair really that it’s only him against six. “How long has he been patrolling?”

“Same as Richard, started at twelve.”

“How about Helena?”

“Bruce hasn’t trained her like his sons” Tony explains. “I’m sure she knows some fighting for emergencies, but girls aren’t trained the same as boys. Bishop was an exception of that.”

"What does she do then?"

"Distraction. She's Bruce's little musical prodigy."

“Music?”

“Yup. I’ve heard her play the piano at a gala once, she’s good. I think she’s also in ballet and some stuff like that. I’m sure when she’s older Bruce will flaunt her talents around when he wants to divert negative scrutiny away from the boys.”

“Why do you know so much about them?”

“Because it would be irresponsible not to. I keep a close eye on Wayne and his team just like they do to us. But” Tony tosses his phone onto the counter, “enough about them for today. Jet skis arrived this morning, wanna go take those for a spin?”

Peter forgets all about the Wayne family throughout the day. Just like yesterday, he and Tony have a lot of fun on the beach. It’s like this place is a world of it’s own. Peter can just completely pretend everything in New York never happened. He’s actually slept through the night and feels refreshed with a ton of energy. It’s also been so nice to experience this side of Tony. This carefree, relaxed, playful side of his father. He’s able to actually enjoy Tony’s attention instead of dread it.

However, all good things come to an end eventually. Sooner than Peter wanted, it is time to head back to the city. They go to a steakhouse where again Tony requests a private room. They chat the entire meal. Peter is fully engaged, wanting to make the most out of the last few hours before life goes back to how it was at the tower. Before Tony goes back to being the abusive mobster Peter want's to avoid.

At the end of their meal, the waiter brings out a cupcake with a candle. Peter can feel himself blush as a group of wait staff sing him ‘Happy Birthday’ while Tony takes a picture of him. He’s taken several throughout the trip. No doubt they will make it onto some of the walls at the beach house.

The drive back is quiet like it was on the way to the Hamptons. The foreboding sense of dread is grows with each mile the get closer to the city. Already Peter is wishing for another trip back. It was a great weekend that he doesn’t want to be over.

Distracting himself, Peter scrolls through social media on his phone. Jason Wayne is top on trending followed by pictures of Peter and Tony on vacation. Twitter has given Tony an adoring hashtag 'Irondad'. Peter clicks on the Jason’s profile. There are a few tweets about the drug bust. Earlier on his timeline is a selfie of him and Helena that says ‘Happy Birthday Helsie! Can’t wait to smash cake in your face later.” The post is from two days ago. Peter didn’t realize his and Helena's birthdays were so close together. He scrolls a bit more. Jason’s profile is mostly just about tv shows or school. There are some mentions of training and vacations. Quite a few pictures of him, his friends and siblings. Every so often he tweets at a Justice League member.

“Hey” Peter asks Tony, “could I get a dummy account for social medias? I know I can’t post, but I’d like to follow some accounts.”

“I programed the phone so you can already do that” Tony says. He catches a glimpse of Peter’s screen. “Jason Wayne?”

“You said earlier you keep an eye on Bruce. Shouldn’t I be doing the same with Richard and Jason?”

Smirking, Tony says “Yes. Yes, you should. Those are the only two of Bruce's who have accounts, the other kids are too young. There are other children of the League you should look into also. I think all over the age of fourteen have at least twitter and Instagram. A few are on TikTok.”

Peter gets to work. He goes through all of the Leagues accounts. He gives special attention to Richard’s. It’s similar to Jason's if only a bit braggier. He’s really into acrobatics, something Peter already knew. He also posts quite a bit about his successes on patrol. There are a bunch of pictures of him at big events with celebrities. A few nights ago he did a video call in to a late night show for a segment. There is also a lot of picture of him and Bruce.

All three biological kids have Bruce’s blue eyes. Richard and Jason also have his black hair where Helena’s is a dark brown like her mother’s. Both boys are tall like Bruce, unlike Helena who again must have inherited her mother’s height.

The Kents, Queens, Princes, and other teen Leaguers are less active than the bats. Peter supposes that is on purpose to attract more focus to Richard. Everyone’s Instagram is similar to twitter. Like Tony said, only a few have accounts on other platforms. TikTok is the most interesting to Peter. Only Wally West, Richard’s best friend, and Kara Kent have accounts. Richard makes an appearance quite a bit on Wally’s page. It’s fascinating seeing him on there compared to other media. He’s much more…silly. Doing dumb trends and just joking around with his friends. There’s one of him in some parking lot dancing goofily. The camera pans to a teen girl of similar age who appears embarrassed and says, “That’s my man.” From Richard’s account Peter knows that is Barbara Gordon, his girlfriend.

Over the years, Peter has never paid much attention to the League or bats. They reminded him of Tony and the life he could have been living. Now he is more than interested in every aspect of Richard, Jason and Helena's life. There is little known out there about the three adopted. Even Helena only appears every so often on one of her brother's accounts. The three of them appear happy and seem to enjoy each other. Another pang of unfairness hit's Peter's mind. Not that he want's to bring another child into this mess, but he does wonder what it would be like to have a little sibling lean on. What are the relationships between the Wayne kids like offscreen? Are they as close as they present? Are they supportive or competitive with each other? Tony said a few weeks ago that Jason and Helena work together well. That makes sense since they are closest in age.

A Tiktok of Wally recording Richard faceplanting a tumbling trick comes up on Peter's screen. It isn't the first time he has seen this clip. After crashing to the floor, Richard rolls onto his back and groans, 'Yup...yup...I'm broken...just leave me here to die." The sound went viral last year on the app. The expression on the teens face morphs into an amused grin when he see's his friend recording. 'You jerk, delete that' he laughs before the clip ends. The video brings a new feeling to Peter that it didn't ever before.

Hope.

Richard seems so normal in posts like that. Surely he has gone through the same training Peter is currently experiencing, yet the teen seems adjusted. Not just adjusted but content and happy. He has friends, solid relationships with his family, and is more than talented in his craft. The same goes for Jason and the other League kids. 'Just trust the process Pete, it'll get easier' Tony had said during their talk in the shower. If Richard has gone through all this and still come out smiling and having fun, maybe Peter can too. This weekend showed him that it is possible for him to enjoy life with Tony. Maybe after he is over the shock of everything, he can get to a place where he is truly happy again.

Peter doesn’t realize they’ve made it back to the Tower until he hears the garage door open. That brings him out of his thoughts and back to present time. The unease that the building brings sets back in. Tomorrow, he has to go back to that grueling routine of tutors, trainers, tech and murder. He doesn’t want to. This vacation was extremely needed. He wishes so much he could go back to the Hampton’s house right now.

“I had a good time this weekend” Tony tells him as they make their way up to their bedrooms.

“Yeah” Peter says, “Me too.”

A heavy look appears on his father. Tony thinks about something before saying “No lab after dinner tomorrow. There’s something else we need to get done at eight. Just relax a bit after we eat, okay?”

“What is it?”

“Just…” Tony hesitates. “I’ll explain tomorrow. Just get a good night’s rest.”

“Um…okay.”

Tony stares at him for another long moment before pulling Peter into a hug. “I love you Buddy” Tony whispers before letting go. He heads down the hall while adding “Happy Birthday by the way.”

Peter watches him go feeling perplexed. Why is Tony acting this way? He’s…it was a good weekend. Why does it feel like Tony is expecting Peter to be upset? Why does it feel like he is saying goodbye? Tomorrow...What…oh God. What does Tony have planned for tomorrow?

Chapter Text

“This isn’t fair. I didn’t even touch him!” Peter argues at his teacher.

“I didn’t see how the fight started and Eugene said you were the one to initiate it” his teacher tells him. “Mitchel and Joshua said the same.”

“They started it! Ned and I were just minding our own business and they came up to us and began calling us names. Flash has had it out for me since the beginning of the school year. Ask Ned, he’s sick of dealing with those guys too.”

“Mr. Thompson has said the same about you. In fact, he told me that he has been trying to be your friend and you keep pushing him away.”

“That’s not true!”

Mrs. Holtz holds up a hand indicating for Peter to stop talking. “I am calling your mother and you will discuss this with the principal when she arrives. For now, go to the office and wait.”

Peter does as he is told. He sits outside in the hall fuming as he waits for his mom to arrive. This is ridiculous! It’s well known at school what an ass Eugene Thompson can be. He calls himself Flash for god’s sake! But the teachers never do anything about it. Peter and Ned were just eating lunch together when the band of bullies came up to them. They tried to ignore all the taunts Flash sent their way. Then he went after Peter’s mom.

Finally, after about half an hour, Mary Parker comes storming into the school. Before entering the office, she talks to Peter in the hallway. “This that Flash kid again?” After Peter nods a confirmation she says, “Tell me what happened.”

“He and his friends were making fun of Ned and I at lunch. We tried to ignore them, but they kept going. I stood up to tell him to stop and he punched me in the gut.”

“Did you hit him back?”

“No.”

“That’s all I need to hear” she remarks before marches into the office. Peter follows. Mary walks up to the receptionist and puts on a more pleasant demeanor, “I’m Mrs. Parker. The principal wanted to talk with me.”

“Oh, yes. You and Peter can follow me.” The receptionist walks to one of the doors and knocks. She peaks her head in, “Mrs. Parker is here.” She then tells Peter and his mom “You can head in.”

Principal Morita sits at his desk. “Please, take a seat” he says, pointing to the chairs in front of him.

They sit down. Peter can feel the anger radiating from his mother. Her face has a neutral expression, concealing her fury. She’s always been good at hiding her emotions when necessary. Something Peter has never been good at.

“So” Morita starts, “Peter had a bit of an incident at lunch today.”

“More like that Thompson boy needs to learn to keep to himself” Pepper says, her voice firm.

“We are not here to discuss other children Mrs. Parker.”

“How are we not? That kid started the incident. He’s been a problem since Peter started at Midtown. Frankly, the fact the school is doing nothing to stop his behavior makes me question bringing my son here in the first place. They are in sixth grade. You expect him to endure six more years of this?”

“The teachers handle the students the best way we see fit. We under no circumstances want to lose Peter but we must hold students to a certain standard. Again, we asked you to come in to discuss Peter’s behavior.”

“He was defending himself.”

“If that is the case, he should have gotten a teacher.”

Peter chimes in, “I’ve tried that. They don’t do anything. Flash gets away with everything.”

The principal frowns, “That just simply is not true.”

“Really?” Mary takes back over. “How about the time that Thompson kid tried to break Peter’s science project? Or the time he purposely pushed Peter into the bleachers during gym. Or when he called both of us poor uneducated leaches on society. My son went to a teacher after all those incidents, yet nothing was done.”

“There was no proof…”

“Is it because that boy’s parents are donors while Peter is on scholarship?” Mary knows more than anybody what the influence of money can do, having been on both sides of the wealth gap.

Principal Morita’s tone becomes harsh, “That is quite an allegation Mrs. Parker.”

“You aren’t denying it.”

The two hold each other’s stare. A heated tension fills the room. After a long moment of silence, Morita backs down, “Look. I’m going to let Peter off with a warning this time. The teacher didn’t see him get physical, but I expect him not to initiate events like this in the future.”

“I didn’t…”

“Moving on” the principal cuts Peter off. “There are other things I was hoping to discuss with you Mrs. Parker. It’s about Peter’s grades.”

Mary frowns in confusion, “He’s brought home A’s on everything.”

“Precisely” Morita nods. “We had standardized testing a few weeks ago and couldn’t help but notice your son’s incredibly high performance. According to what my staff has indicated, Peter should be grades above where he is now.”

Letting out an annoyed groan, Mary says “Mr. Morita. I am aware of my son’s intelligence. As I’ve told his teachers many times throughout the years, I want him to stay with children his own age. There’s no need to rush through school just for the sake of it. Yes, Peter can handle more of a challenge, that’s why I enrolled him to Midtown. If my memory serves me correctly, we had this exact discussion after he took the acceptance exam.”

“You are correct Mrs. Parker. However, at the time we didn’t realize how smart your son really is. Every single one of his teachers have told me that he could easily be taking high school level courses. Since Midtown covers grades 6-12, we could accommodate that.”

“He stays in the grade his age belongs” Mary asserts. Peter knows she’s had this argument so many times over the years. “My answer will not change.”

Morita lets out a defeated sigh. “I understand Mrs. Parker. There…there is another topic I wanted to discuss with you. As you know, Stark Industries has an internship program…”

“No!” Mary nearly shouts. Peter can feel his heartrate pick up.

“Mrs. Parker…”

“I told you at the beginning of the year that we have no interest in that.”

“I understand your feelings about Stark Industries.”

“Then why are you bringing this up again?”

Taking in a deep breath, Morita brings out a sheet of paper. “There is a new program they are starting this year. It is called the ‘Young Avengers Initiative’. They are asking schools to make profiles on students between ages 8-18 that they deem highly skilled or talented in some way. If chosen, they would train under the Avengers to prepare for the next generation of the team. It’s similar to the Teen Titians with the Justice League. We believe Peter’s intelligence…”

“NO!” Mary yells as she crunches the piece of paper into a ball. Peter can hear the fear in her voice. His own chest is starting to feel restrictive as he listens to his mother go on “Absolutely not! No way! No no no no no…”

“Mrs. Parker…”

“Do you realize what you are asking?” Mary leans forward to look Morita in the eye. “He’s eleven. You want him to become one…one of those…he’s just a boy.” Her voice cracks at the end. Peter knows she is about to cry. She never gets this emotional in public.

“They want to start training younger…”

“Oh, I am aware why they want them young.”

“There is a very slim chance Peter would even be chosen. If he was, it would be a great opportunity for him. If Mr. Stark’s son is never found, Peter could potentially…”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT” Mary yells, tears streaming down her face. Her breathing is strenuous.

Reaching a hand out, Peter gently places it on his mother’s shoulder, “Mom?”

Turning to Peter, Mary takes a deep breath. “C’mon honey. We’re leaving.” She stands up and tells Principal Morita “I’m pulling Peter for the rest of the day.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you, Mrs. Parker.” Morita tells her, guilt prevalent. “Your son is exceptionally bright and we at Midtown are grateful to have him here. We just want to give Peter every opportunity to succeed. I understand your concerns and will not submit a profile about Peter without your permission. But I do hope you consider at least allowing him to one day speak with one of the scouts about the internship program. It doesn’t have to be now. He has years before you have to decide. But of course, we will honor your wishes on the matter.”

“Thank you” Mary says as she tries to calm herself down. “I too want what is best for my son Mr. Morita. I hope you have a good rest of your day.” With that she walks out of the office.

Before Peter can follow her, Morita calls out to him. “Peter.” Turning Peter sees another sheet of paper in the man’s hand, “take this. Just in case you want to read up on the programs. I think you would have a good shot.”

Peter has a great shot. A for sure in. He doesn’t need Morita to tell him that.

“I don’t want it.”

“Mr. Parker. This is your future we are talking about. Becoming an Avenger…”

“There’s a reason I didn’t hit Flash back today. It’s because I don’t want to be like one of them.” He doesn’t. He doesn’t want to be anything like Captain America or Hulk or Black Widow. Any of them.

He especially doesn’t want to be like Ironman.

Peter didn’t sleep well last night. His mind was too busy thinking of all the possibilities that could await him later today. Tony just said to get some rest before 8 o’clock. It must be some sort of training. Maybe Clint and Natasha are back from whatever they were doing, and he has to work with them. Or Steve. Harley had said that Steve, Rhodes and Natasha take training the most seriously. Scott has to go back to San Francisco at some point. He has a one-year-old. A fact Peter feels a bit guilty about keeping the father away. He’d be disappointed if his training with Scott is over but would be happy to know Harley would be going with Antman across the country. Last thing Peter wants is another surprise visit from that kid or Kate.

The other possibilities he’s thought of are worse. Are they going to experiment on him? Break another one of his bones to see how fast he heals on the supplements Strange had mentioned. Are they going to make him watch some new type of torture? Peter feels like he’s seen everything at this point. Does it involve his mom? Tony said she is okay and Peter is supposed to see her tomorrow. They wouldn’t do anything to her tonight, would they?

The one theory Peter hopes the most isn’t true is if they found May Parker. If they are going to make him watch as Tony bludgeons the woman who he and his mom consider family to death. Would they make Pepper watch? Or worse, would they keep May alive just to make her life a living hell. No matter what they decided, Peter would fight them. He doesn’t care about the ramifications for himself, he’d fight Tony before the monster puts a single finger on May.

His leg shakes as Peter sits at the dinner table with Tony. He’s barely touched his food. He was distracted all day during tutoring. Scott had given him the day off of training. Clearly, he knows something Peter doesn’t.

“Eat up Peter” Tony tells him. “You’ll need your strength.”

Putting a piece of chicken in his mouth, Peter has to concentrate to chew. To let his mind do anything but think about what awaits him. He needs strength, it must be training. After swallowing, he asks “What are we doing later?”

“As I told you this morning, you’ll find out at eight.”

“Why does it need to be a secret?”

“Because it’s a surprise.”

“A good or bad one?”

“In my opinion good” Tony says. “I for one am looking forward to it.”

Something about the way he says that sends a shiver down Peter’s spine. He doesn’t like the tone in Tony’s voice. That piece of chicken Peter just swallowed is itching to make a reappearance. The tingle in his neck is on the fritz. It’s taking everything in Peter’s power to not let his senses go haywire. After Peter is able to get down about half a plate of chicken and rice, Tony excuses him. Up in his bedroom, Peter paces the floor. His mind is still reeling.

‘Please don’t be May’ he thinks to himself. ‘Please, please don’t be May.’

Tony knocks on the door and enters at 7:55. “Ready?” he asks.

“Are you going to tell me what for?”

“Downstairs. C’mon” he gestures for Peter to follow.

Neither say a word in the elevator. The doors open to the basement. Peter takes a deep breath and walks along with Tony to one of the interrogation rooms.

‘Please not May’ he silently pleads again. ‘Please not May.’

“Put this in your ear” Tony hands him a small earpiece. Peter frowns at it and eyes Tony who is giving him a serious look. He does as instructed. Once the device is in his ear a pinch stings into his skin. “Ah!” Peter yelps in surprise. He tries to dig it out, but the earpiece sunk itself in.

Tony puts his hand on the doorknob.

‘Please not May, please not May, please not May.’

Relief takes over Peter’s mind when the door opens revealing a man strapped to the familiar metal chair. Okay, just another interrogation. Peter can get through this. He goes to stand in his usual spot and notices multiple Avengers standing around the room. Barnes, Rogers, Wilson, Rhodes, Scott and Vision have their eyes on him.

“What are they doing here?” Peter asks Tony.

“For assistance” Tony answers vaguely.

Peter’s neck is pounding. He turns and dashes back to the door only to realize it’s locked. He begins pushing against the door, hoping his strength can bring it down.

Two pairs of arms pull Peter away from the door. Barnes and Rogers wrestle him to face Tony who tells Peter, “They aren’t here to hurt you. If you haven’t noticed, there is somebody else in the chair.”

“Let me go” Peter tries to yank his arms out of the super soldiers’ grips.

“Steve, Bucky, let him go.”

Once free, Peter glares up at his father. His heart is pounding and breathing heavy. He hopes he is covering up his fear with anger.

“We really need to work on that face kid” Tony comments. Okay, Peter wasn’t successful.

“This just another interrogation?” he asks.

“Of sorts.”

“Fine” Peter begins heading to his usual corner but is stopped by Tony.

“No Peter” Tony turns him back around. “You’re not sitting out this time.”

Peter’s heart goes from speeding through beats to skipping ones altogether. He’s not sitting out. That only means one thing. “No.”

“You don’t need to kill him, just beat him up a bit.”

“No!”

“I started when I was ten.”

“So what?”

“Hey” Tony leans down so he is Peter’s height. “Just three days ago you were talking about going on patrol. You want to get to that level; this is the road to get there.”

“You’re sick.”

“What do you think will happen once I let you out there? That it’ll just be saving kittens from trees all day? Is that all you want to do? Or do you want to stop bank robberies, purse snatchers, track down murderers.”

“You’re a murderer” Peter snarls.

“Those people made decisions to earn their place in front of my gun. You want to be a hero? Save lives? Protect the innocent? It takes a tough skin and a willingness to do what is necessary. That includes hurting bastards who deserve it. Now, let’s get started.”

“Fuck you” Peter turns and heads back to the door.

Tony calls after him, “You’re really telling me you don’t want to punch the man who killed Ben Parker?”

Every blood cell in Peter’s body freezes. All he can hear is the gushing sound of his heart beating, everything else is tuned out. His brain clears, only picturing the bloody body of Ben Parker lying on the sidewalk.

‘Uncle Ben’ Peter had whispered, kneeling next to the dying man he loved so much. ‘Uncle Ben?’ Ben’s breathing was so heavy. Every breath was a struggle. A wet red spot was growing on his shirt.

Slowly, Peter faces the man in the chair. He was wearing a mask that night. Peter had only seen his eyes. “Look at me” he growls at the captive.

The man keeps his head down, staring at his lap. Tony grabs the back of the man’s neck and yanks his head up while sneering “He said look at him.”

Their eyes meet. A light brown that Peter will never forget. It’s him. It’s the man who killed Ben.

‘Oh god’ Peter had pressed his hands on the gun wound. ‘Oh god, oh my god, oh god.’ The metallic smell he remembered from years ago filled his nostrils.

“Oh my god” Peter feels like he is about to throw up.

“He’s all yours Peter” Tony says, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Peter can feel his body shaking. Being honest with himself, he knows there is a part of him that wants to hurt this man. A part of him that would love it. But he is not going to give Tony that pleasure.

“No.”

“God kid” Tony exhales. “Seriously? He held a gun on you and then shot Parker right through the chest. You don’t think he deserves a few good punches? A nice bat to the brains?”

“Ben wouldn’t want me to” Peter states. Ben wouldn’t want this. He didn’t want anybody to suffer.

“Ben wouldn’t want justice?”

“This isn’t justice.”

“According to who?” Tony taunts. “To Ben? That man didn’t know anything.”

“Don’t you talk about him that way.”

“I wasn’t lying to you when I said Parker didn’t know how to do his job. I saw the street cam. Any officer should have been able to grab the gun out of this asshole’s hand. Parker was too scared.”

“Shut up!” Peter shouts.

“He was weak.”

“Don’t talk about him that way.”

“A complete and udder idiot. I’m surprised he even made it through the academy.”

“FUCK YOU!”

“Frankly this guy” Tony gestures to the man in the chair, “did the world a favor. Don’t need fools like Ben Parker walking around. Good thing that May was barren, so they didn’t procreate.”

Something snaps in Peter. He lunges at Tony, fury pulsing through his veins. Just like before, Barnes and Rogers hold him back. Peter starts throwing hits at them. The two Avengers flinch a bit, but they don’t let go.

“That’s more like it” Tony smiles gleefully.

“I HATE YOU!”

“So, I’ve heard. You going to continue your little tantrum or get to work in turning this guy into a pile of mush?” The captive man’s mouth is muffled by a rag causing what would have been a plead for help to be a squashed groan.

Putting all his might into it, Peter successfully pushes Barnes across the room. He quickly does the same with Rogers. Before he can get to Tony, the now too familiar ring of the paralyzer sounds from the device in his ear. Peter falls, Rhodes catches him and lays him down gently.

As Peter recovers on the floor, Tony hovers above him. “Why are you protecting this guy, Peter? Hasn’t he done enough with just Parker to make you want him to suffer just like Ben did. Gunshot to the chest isn’t a painless death. Coroner said there was blood in his lungs. That couldn’t have felt good. I would sympathize, but then I remember what the dirtbag’s wife did to your mother’s face. He really deserved the bullet.”

Lunging at Tony again, Peter is knocked back down immediately. He doesn’t have full control of his body yet. Tony places a knee on Peter’s chest, keeping him pinned to the floor. Scott comes forward and hands Tony a few pieces of paper which he shows Peter. Crime scene photos of Ben’s murder

‘Uncle Ben? SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE!’ Peter screamed to the empty street. He didn’t know if anyone heard him. ‘HELP!’

“You don’t get to leave this room until this asshole is just as bloody as these pictures of Parker” Tony tells him. “You ready?”

Not being able to move, Peter does the one thing he can think of. Spit in Tony’s face. His father’s angry glare is paired with a hard fist across the face. “Ah” Peter groans before muttering under his breath, “Bastard.”

Another slap.

“Tones” Rhodes says. It sounds like he is about to say more but stops with one glare from Tony.

Returning his attention to Peter, Tony snarls “Disrespect like that will get you more than a punch next time. Nobody is allowed to talk to me that way, that includes you. I’m growing tired of having to remind you of that.” Releasing the pressure on Peter’s chest, Tony stands up and demands in an authoritative voice “Get up.”

Peter sits up but stays on the floor. He glares up at Tony “No.”

With one wave of a hand, Tony instructs Scott and Wilson to pull Peter to his feet. Yanking himself out of their grips, Peter tries to make his way to the door only to be stopped by Vision. He tries to push the bot out of the way, but the android is strong.

“He’s made of vibranium Peter” Tony says. “You aren’t getting out of this.”

Whipping around, Peter yells at his father “WHY?”

“It’s the next step.”

“No.”

“Get over here.”

“No!”

“Vision.”

The bot grabs Peter and pushes him towards both Tony and the man tied to the chair. When getting closer, Peter tries again to lunge at Tony but misses.

“What” his father taunts. “You’re willing to hit me but not this asshole?”

“I hate you.”

“More or less than you hate him?”

Peter just stares at Tony, shooting daggers with his eyes. He doesn’t know the answer. He hates the man in the chair with a passion that could burn down New York City entirely. But Tony puts up a good fight for first on Peter’s list of people he wants to send to hell. With Tony it’s different though. It’s so back and forth. Conflicted on every level. One moment he’s relishing his father’s pride of him, the next he wants to strangle the man. This last weekend felt like a dream. An oasis where Peter finally started to appreciate the growing relationship between him and Tony. Now…

“Fuck you” Peter all but whimpers. He can’t raise his voice above a whisper. The floodgates of his eyes are burning to be released. “Don’t make me do this.”

“Five punches, hard ones. Five swings with a bat. Five stabs with a knife. Then you’re done.”

Leaning his head back, Peter looks up to the ceiling. He tries to compose himself, staring at the lights above. He wishes he was someone like Vision or Superman who could fly through the floors above and flee into the night. He wonders how far above him is his mom’s apartment. Which floor is she on? He wants her so fucking bad right now.

Returning his gaze to Tony, Peter tearfully asks “Why did you bring us back here? Why couldn’t you have just left us in Queens?”

“Because” Tony holds his stare, “you are my son and I love you.”

“You say that but then why do you make me do this? I don’t want to be like you. Ben accepted me for who I am, why can’t you?”

Getting closer, Tony tenderly cups his hands around Peter’s face. Just like mom did back at the hospital before Tony arrived. Also like she did, Tony gently places is forehead on Peters. “Because I know you can be so much more” he says softly. “You’re amazing Pete, but there is so much inside you that is begging to be unlocked. This anguish you feel right now, it’s growing pains. We’ve all gone through it. It’s your time. I love you.”

Again, Peter thinks of his mom. She said she loves him in almost this exact position. Yet the context between the interactions is different in nearly every way. Peter closes his eyes and thinks of the last time they had spoken. ‘If we just do what he wants, the sooner we will see each other again.’ He gets to see her tomorrow. Once he does this, he gets his mom. He’ll finally be wrapped in one of her hugs that he’s been craving desperately for the last month.

“You planned this” Peter says to Tony. “This is why I get to see mom tomorrow, isn’t it?” He can feel a small part of his heart break at the thought. That the kind gesture was just another manipulation by his father.

“No” Tony says, causing a bit of relief in Peter’s chest. “It just worked out this way. I didn’t know Kate would find this guy as fast as she did until after I made the promise to you about Pepper.”

Another strike against that girl. She did this. She’s the one who found this guy. She’s the reason Peter is stuck in this room right now. And Harley had helped her. He had gone with to go catch the guy. Did they know about this? Fuck those two.

Taking a step back, Tony asks “What do you want to start with? Fist, knife or bat?”

Peter’s not allowed to leave until the man is as bloody as Ben was. That’s what Tony’s instructions were. “Knife” Peter answers. That way the guy will bleed during the hitting. Hopefully enough to satisfy Tony.

A small switchblade is handed to Peter by Barnes. It’s less than a pound yet feels extremely heavy in Peter’s hand. He looks down onto the blade and see’s his reflection. The image is similar to how he looked the night Ben died. While screaming on the street, Peter had caught a glimpse of himself in a shop window. The only difference from then and now is the bite Peter has on his lip. His eyes hold so much fear and sadness.

“What were Ben’s last words” Tony says. “Think those over in your head.”

‘Peter’ Ben wheezed, his eyes glassy. ‘Run home.’

‘No’ Peter had cried.

‘Before the police…’ Ben didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, his head lulled to the side. Eyes open looking at nothing. Peter felt the heart below his hands stop.

Raising his head to face the man who caused that death, Peter meets those brown eyes again. Ben was handing over his wallet when they guy panicked and pulled the trigger. It was aimed at Peter initially because he had told the mugger to leave them alone. Then Ben had put himself between the two when the gun was raised. It was so quick, and the shot was so loud.

“Was sixty dollars really worth it?” Peter asks before plunging the knife into the man’s chest.

A muffled scream of pain comes from the man’s mouth. It sends shivers through Peter’s system. He caused that. His actions caused somebody pain.

He leave the knife in and takes some steps back, away from the man who is still whimpering. His heart pounds and breathing labored. Tears prick at his eyes as Peter listens to the man’s suffering. The lights are getting bright. The tingle in his neck aches.

“Four more Peter” Tony says.

“I…” Peter grabs the back of his neck. “I…”

The ringing.

Not knowing or caring about who caught him, Peter lies on the floor with his eyes shut. He stays like that for a while. Trying to block out the man’s cries bouncing off the walls. When the sensation in his legs and arms are back, Peter gives himself an internal pep-talk.

‘Just get through this and you get to see mom.’

Getting up from the floor, Peter slowly walks back to the man. All the Avengers around him have their eyes locked on him, neutral expressions all around. There is a hint of something in Tony’s eye that Peter can’t make out what it is.

Putting his hand on the knife’s handle, Peter does a quick yank to get it out of the man’s chest. Blood begins oozing out of the wound. A deep breath and Peter stabs the man again. This time the knife doesn’t get as far in.

“All the way” Steve says behind him.

Pushing on the handle, Peter shoves the knife to the hilt. A long whine sounds from the man. Peter closes his eyes again and tries to make his mind go blank. As fast as he can, Peter pulls the knife out and hurtles it back in three more times. He doesn’t allow himself to think about what his actions are doing. Only focusing on his arm movements.

After the last one, Peter steps away. The man’s shirt is pooling with blood, just like Ben’s did.

He lets the knife fall out of his hand. A small clatter as it hits the floor. Nobody moves to pick it up.

A small proud smile is on Tony’s face. “Next?” he asks.

Taking a deep breath, Peter says in a quiet voice “Just hand me the bat.”

Barnes does as requested. Using the same technique as he did with the knife. Peter focuses on the physical action rather than the result. He does his best to ignore the screams. He must have accidentally used his spider-strength on the last blow because he hears a crunch from the man’s arm. One that sounds exactly like his arm did when Steve broke it.

His memory of the pain of that resurfaces. So does Peter’s dinner. He stumbles over to the corner of the room where he pukes out the contents of his stomach.

He did that to somebody. That fiery searing pain that he experienced only weeks ago. Peter did that to another human being. The muffled sobbing from the man in the chair ring in Peter’s ear. He’s sure he would have sounded like that if he had been gagged. God. He can only imagine how that man feels right now. How much agony he must be experiencing.

“I’m done” Peter tells the group. He can’t look at them.

“Five punches” Tony argues.

“No. Please, just let me go upstairs.”

“Five. Punches.”

“Please!” Peter turns to Tony. Maybe if his father sees how much he’s struggling, he’ll take mercy.

“You saved the easiest for last” Tony says instead. “You’re almost done.”

“No.”

“C’mon, show me what Scott’s been teaching you.”

“No!”

“What was it like when you realized he was gone for good?” Tony asks, his tone changing to a more serious one.

‘Uncle Ben?’ Peter pleaded for the man to respond. To do anything. To breathe, blink, move his hand. ‘Oh god.’ He realized then that for the second time in his life, Peter has watched someone take their last breath. ‘Uncle Ben.’

“May was working at the hospital. Did she even get the chance to see Ben on his last day alive? Were you the last person Ben ever laid his eyes on?”

“Stop” Peter pleads. He knows tears are running down his face.

“Why were you in that alley in the first place? Were you two on a little walk? Maybe to an ice cream shop?”

“Stop!” How does Tony even know that?

“He just wanted to give you a little treat and this son of a bitch” Tony gestures to the captive, “killed him because of it. Ben was even complying. This idiot just got spooked and trigger happy.”

“STOP!” Peter covers his ears. The lights once again are burning his pupils.

After the ringing clears his senses, Peter still feels numb. No not numb. Hurt. But not hurt exactly. No, he’s sad. Very sad. But that’s not right either.

Tony crouches down next to him, “Five punches Peter. Think about Ben. Think about what this asshole took from you. Think about your grief and every emotion you felt that day. Now is your time to make this man pay for what he did.”

Taking a shaky breath, Peter looks up at Tony. Hatred and anger fill his chest at the sight of the man. To think only twenty-four hours ago Peter was cherishing their last moments together in the Hamptons.

He gets off the floor, rejecting the helping hand Tony offers. Peter goes to once again stand in front of Ben’s killer. He despises this man. He despises everyone in this room. He despises his own existence. He puts all that fury into his fist as it strikes across the man’s jaw. Not only the sound but the feeling of the bone breaking makes Peter freeze.

He let Tony get him to this point. His father was able to work Peter up into exactly what he wanted. All the taunts and all the training leading up to this moment has been working. Peter has to admit that because for a moment there, the punch feels good. It feels good to take his anger out on this man. This worthless piece of crap that took Ben away. It feels rewarding to hear the cry of pain from the mouth that had fueled so many nights of sorrow.

“Oh my god” Peter whispers to himself.

“That’s what I’m talking about” Tony cheers on. “Little weak on the form Scott.”

“He can do better” Scott replies. And just like that, Antman is now on Peter’s list of untrusted adults. Another person lost.

“Again Peter” Tony instructs.

A deep breath. He can get through this. Just four more. With a lot less willpower, Peter hits the man in the chest.

“Nuh uh” Tony chastises. “That one doesn’t count. Put some effort into it.”

Another hit with a bit more strength, but not much.

“Again, not good enough.”

Fuck Tony. Another hit.

“Come on Spiderling. Use that strength you have. 17,911 pounds. Why are you holding back? This guy didn’t when he shot Ben.”

The image of Ben’s bloody body fuels Peter’s next hit. This earns another cheer from his father.

“That a boy. Three more like that.”

Peter puts all his emotion into the next three punches. All his hurt. All his sorrow. All his anger. For those three punches he allows himself not to feel the guilt. For those three punches he ignores his morals. For those three punches he allows himself to believe this man deserves it.

Once he is done, the room applauds. It’s so sick and wrong. Everyone in this room deserves a place in hell.

“Good job Pete” Tony says, grabbing a gun from a table. Peter doesn’t move from his spot, frozen staring at the mess of a human he’s made. Tony stands next to him, this time he speaks to the man “This is for aiming a gun at my kid.”

Up close Peter sees a bullet go through the guy’s skull. It’s not the closest he’s ever been to a death. That was Ben.

A hand is placed on Peter’s shoulder that he immediately shakes off. Storming to the door, Peter yanks on the handle, only to find it still locked. “LET ME OUT!”

“JARVIS, unlock.”

A click and Peter is out of the room. Never has he walked down a hallway with more gumption. The shame of his actions is starting to cripple in. Speedily the overwhelming sense of remorse is filling his mind. He wants to get away. Needs to get distance from the human being he just tortured.

He gets to the elevator and is shocked by his appearance in the metal doors. Again, just like the night Ben died, he’s covered in blood and looks so scared. Just like that night he feels guilty. He had blamed himself for Ben’s death. Today he not only holds the blame for another person losing their life, but also their pain and suffering.

Off in the distance, the sound of sirens rang down the street. Ben had told him to run and Peter wasn’t going to put the man’s last words to waste.

‘I love you’ he had whispered to the corpse.

Standing up, Peter saw a figure off in the distance. A shadow of a person watching him. He ran in the other direction. He didn’t stop until he was in his mother’s arms, sobbing his heart out and covered in his uncle’s blood.

He watches himself break down in his reflection. What did he just do? How could he do that? Why didn’t he fight Tony harder?

The doors open and Peter scurries into the elevator. Never more has he wanted a shower. Something to make him feel clean. Maybe the water will also wash away some of his agony. Once he’s in the penthouse, Peter runs as fast as he can up the stairs.

His bedroom doesn’t supply the seclusion he was hoping for. He is halfway to the bathroom when he spots a person on the balcony.

Harley.

The teen is watching him with big eyes. He timidly gives Peter a small wave which sends another round of loathing. How dare this kid invade his personal space like this. The one place Peter is supposed to be able to escape to.

“You are out of your mind if you think I want anything to do with you right now” Peter yells as he marches onto the balcony.

“We didn’t know what they were planning.”

“I don’t care! Get out!”

“Look, I just want to talk.”

“How did you even get up here?”

Holding up his hands, Peter sees some repulsors on Harley’s palms. “Flew from another floor.”

“I told you already not to break into people’s homes. Why do you think you have the right…”

“I don’t. But I know what you’re going through right now. I’m here…”

“The last thing I need right now is another one of Tony’s yes men telling me it’s going to get better” Peter snarls.

“Well then you’ll be happy to hear that I’m telling you the exact opposite” Harley says with the same intensity.

“Get out!”

“It’s going to get worse Peter. It may feel like it’s getting better, but it’s not. Every time you allow yourself to think thing’s are getting easier, they come up with something worse for you to get through. Right when you think you can handle everything, they make you go through an entire new trauma.”

“Get out!”

“It’s a fucking cycle that goes round and round, over and over. You think today was bad? Wait until they make you singe someone’s skin off.”

“Fuck you!”

“Then that gets easier, so they come up with something worse for you to do.”

“GO AWAY!”

“Then one day you stop feeling at all.” Harley says. Peter takes a deep breath and listens because right now he wishes he didn’t feel anything. “It just doesn’t bother you anymore. Then you feel sick with yourself and have to live with the guilt of the monster you’ve become. That you allowed them to turn you into. It’s not until that goes away that things get better. That’s finally when you start understanding. It takes so long and Peter…you are only at the beginning. I was alone when I went through it, there was nobody around who was going through it with me. The same goes for Kate. That doesn’t have to be the case for you.”

Peter stops him, “I can’t fucking stand either of you.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Peter shakes his head. “Fuck you that why?”

“Yeah okay” Harley shrugs. “Fuck me. Why though?”

“Because you’re a piece of shit.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Peter…”

“Get off my balcony.”

“Look…”

“Now before I throw you off it.”

Harley challenges him, “Do it then.”

“God” Peter falters. “FUCK YOU!”

“Scream at me all you want. I can take it. I've gone through this. I understand how you're feeling right now. What I don’t understand is why you’ve decided to hate Kate and I.”

“Seriously? Were you not the ones who found that guy?”

“We…” Harley deflates. “We didn’t know they were going to make you do that to him. We thought we were doing you a favor finding the guy who killed your uncle. Kate thought she was getting you justice. She feels horrible by the way. You’ve been here a month. I trained with Rhodes for two years before they made me do that. Kate flipped out when they told us their plan. She yelled at Steve so bad that they called Clint who sent her back to Ohio. We’re sorry.”

“Sorry? For what exactly?” Peter growls. “For putting me through that or for bringing a man to his slaughter.”

An uneasy look crosses Harley’s face. “For being the reason you had to do that so soon. That’s why I’m here.” He grabs a tablet that was sitting on a table. “Kate found out a lot about the guy’s background when looking for him. You think I’m a piece of shit, read up on him.”

Harley hands out the tablet, which Peter takes. Instead of reading it, Peter looks Harley in the eye as he snaps the device in half. Harley again deflates “Peter…”

“Get out.”

“It helps.”

“GET OUT!”

“BEN WAS THE THIRD MAN HE KILLED” Harley yells back before lowering his voice. “Police could never get anything to stick. There’s other things too. Domestic violence, drug trafficking. He beat up a prostitute one time for some cocaine.”

“I don’t care about…”

“You were just preventing another Ben Parker.”

“That isn’t…”

“Stopped another innocent man from dying because of that jackass.”

“Are you done?” Peter snaps.

“JARVIS has the rest of the data Kate collected. Read it. It helps.”

“I…” Peter glares at him. “I said are you done?”

Harley hesitates. His voice is low as he says “There’s one more thing. It’s not in the data. Kate and I left it out. There was enough evidence at the crime scene, the police could have arrested and convicted Marko if they wanted to. Somebody stopped them.”

“What?” That can’t be true. Harley’s a liar. Ben was a police officer, his own brothers in blue wouldn’t hide his murderer.

“Somebody stopped their investigation and hid Wells. Kate figured out Ben’s murderer in less than a day, that’s how much evidence there was. It was tracking him down that was the hard part. A group was hiding him.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“It’s not.”

“Then why did you leave it out of JARVIS?”

“Because” Harley whispers. “We think it’s the same people hiding May Parker.”

Peter’s blood freezes. The microphones. He realizes why Harley was on the patio and not inside. May. “You know where she is?”

Harley shakes his head. “No, it’s just a theory. Look was…is there any chance May and Ben were a part of a secret group? I know the Hydra story is bullshit, but could they have been a part of something else?”

“Fuck you” Peter snarls. “How dare you. How dare you talk about the Parkers like that. May and Ben were good people. They would never…”

“Somebody is hiding May just like they did this guy.”

“You’re full of shit.”

“I’m not…”

“Get out.”

“Why would I lie to you?”

“Because you’re just like the other Avengers.”

“They're Tony's team. I'm here for you.”

“Sure you are.”

“I am.” Harley asserts.

“You were here to replace me. Isn’t that right, short stack.”

“I…” Harley frowns. “Is that what you think?”

“That’s why Tony trained you. Needed someone to fill in.”

“That was never the case Peter. Tony never got over you. He doesn’t think of me as a son. Believe me, Tony has made that very clear over the years.”

“I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”

“It’s true Peter. He was so broken without you. When we met, Tony was an absolute mess. Only a few of us saw how bad it was. I was no where close to ever filling that role for him.”

Rage fills Peter’s chest as he growls “Well maybe if you were better, then I wouldn’t have to be here right now.”

“Peter…”

“If you were better, Tony could have forgotten about me and Mom.”

“He was never going to forget. I know you don’t want to hear this and probably don’t believe it, but Tony loves you. More than anything on earth, he loves you so much. Nothing else compares, not even your mom.”

“That’s a load of utter crap” Peter storms back inside. “JARVIS GET SOMEONE UP HERE TO GET RID OF THIS KID.”

Having followed Peter, Harley argues “You don’t have to be alone Peter. I’m here for you. Kate’s here for you. They aren’t around that often, but Clint’s kids Cooper and Lila are here for you. My sisters…”

“I DON’T CARE!”

“I know we aren’t Ned and MJ.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP! DON’T TALK ABOUT THEM!”

“We’re here and we know exactly what you’re going through.”

“FUCK YOU! YOU ARE HERE FOR YOURSELF!”

“Read Kate’s report Peter.”

“NO!”

“That guy was scum.”

“ALL OF YOU ARE.”

“I know that’s what you think…”

“GET OUT!”

“Trust me. Scott will be here any minute to beat my ass for coming up here. I did it anyway to give you the data. Please Peter. You don’t have to believe anything else I’ve said but please listen to my advice. Read the report.”

“I don’t care’ Peter can’t take it any longer. He breaks into sobs. “None of that matters. He could be the worst person alive and it wouldn’t matter. Nobody deserves that. Who are the Avengers to decide who lives or dies? Who am I? I just mangled a man because I was too much of a coward to fight Tony.”

“It was seven against one and the guy was a monster.”

“Shut up!”

Grabbing a tablet of Peter’s coffee table, Harley begins scrolling.

“Get your hands off my stuff.”

“November 2018” he ignores Peter’s demand. “Arrested for domestic abuse on Thanksgiving. Guess he didn’t like the stuffing his sister-in-law made.”

“Stop!”

“May 2019 stole a car. Not the worst thing if a homeless guy wasn’t living in it.”

“Shut up!”

“May 2019 again. Charges wouldn’t stick but Marko got revenge on the homeless guy for ratting him out to the cops. Beat the shit out of him.”

“Go away.”

“August 2019…”

“HARLEY” Scott yells, slamming the bedroom door open.

Letting out a huff, Harley finally puts the tablet down. He ignores Scott and looks at Peter “Read the rest.”

“GET OVER HERE” Scott has never been this angry in front of Peter.

“Trust me, it helps.”

Storming over to the kid, Scott grabs his arm. “What did I say about coming up here?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m going back to San Francisco” Harley snaps back. “He needs someone here for him.”

“He has people…”

“Like who? You? As if you have any idea what…” Harley doesn’t finish his argument as a hard slap goes across his face. Peter’s never seen this side of Scott before.

“I’m so fucking sick of this attitude” the step-father hisses through clenched teeth. “C’mon” he yanks Harley towards the door.

Even in his last few seconds in the room, Harley is desperately calling out “You aren’t alone in this Peter. You don’t need to push us away. Read the report. Please, read the report.”

The two disappear out the door. Scott slams it closed behind them.

Finally, Peter got what he wanted. Harley out of the room.

Only now he wishes the kid would come back.

Chapter Text

“Do you have any fours?”

“Go fish. Do you have any sixes?”

Pepper gives her son a fake frown and hands over two cards. The newly four-year old smiles and accepts. He places all four of the sixes down on the table. “Threes?”

Pepper hands over another card and Howie gleefully sets down all his cards. “I win!”

“Yes you did. Want to play another round?”

“Hmm” Howie ponders. “Can we go to the playground?”

“Howie” Pepper sighs. “Not right now. When it’s dark outside okay? Then there won’t be any other kids there.”

“But I want to play with other kids.”

“I know. I’m sorry sweetie.”

“They won’t tell daddy…”

“It’s not the children that I’m worried about, it’s their parents. I’m sorry baby but it’s too risky, especially today.”

“But it’s my birthday” he whines. "Birthday's are supposed to be fun."

“Your father has your picture everywhere. It was all over the newsstands when I went to grab us breakfast this morning.”

“It’s boring in here.”

Pepper can’t argue that. The days of sitting around in these motel rooms became monotonous weeks ago. Now with her new nose, Pepper is hoping to find a job somewhere, but the problem of childcare is still something she needs to figure out. Howie is very bright for his age but nowhere near mature enough to be left alone for long periods of time.

“I’m sorry baby.”

“Daddy said we could go to Disneyworld on my birthday.”

“He did promise that. Howie…we can’t go to Disney. It’s far too expensive.”

“But…” the little boy pouts. “It’s not fair.”

Pepper knows Howie understands everything going on. She has spent many nights over the past three months explaining their situation. It’s been so hard and for the most part her son has been patient. As patient as a boy his age can be. However, he has his bad days. Days where he is unhappy with his new life and Pepper can’t help but feel guilty. There have been moments where she considers calling her husband to come get them. Then the memory of washing blood off her son’s body resurfaces in her mind. Howie still has nightmares.

“We can play something else. How about we open Candyland?” Pepper had bought and wrapped a few presents for her son to open. They aren’t nearly as nice as the ones she was planning on giving him months ago.

“I want Daddy.”

The confession brakes Pepper’s heart. This isn’t the first time Howie has admitted to missing Tony. Just like Pepper, the tiny boy’s feelings are so mixed on that man. It must be extremely confusing for him. His little mind has to process so much emotion. He’s only four and has experienced an immense amount pain and heartbreak already. More than any child should.

“Howie…”

“Can we call him? I won’t tell him where we are.”

“We can’t baby.”

“I just want to talk to him.”

“If we call him, he’ll track our location.”

“But…” Tears begin to form in Howie’s eyes, that he immediately begins whipping away.

“You can cry Howie” Pepper says, tears forming in her eyes also. She looks over at the clock. It’s almost one o’clock. Tony has a press conference starting soon. “Daddy’s going to be on TV in a few minutes. Do you want to watch him?”

“Is Uncle Rhodey going to be on too?”

“Maybe.” Another person both Pepper and her son miss. She knows Rhodes well enough to know he is tearing himself up about all this. He was the last person to see Pepper and Howie before they left. The guilt of leaving them alone at the mansion is probably eating him alive. She hopes her friend isn’t suffering too badly right now.

Gently nodding his head, Howie says “Yeah.”

They get up from the table and sit on the bed. Pepper lays her back against the headrest as her son cuddles into her side. She turns on the television and flips to one of the news channels. Already, before Tony has even started, the program is talking about Pepper and Howie. Multiple pictures that Tony has released slowly scroll on the screen as the anchors talk about the disappearance.

Eventually Tony walks onstage. A sober feeling is already present in the room.

“As you all know, we are here to talk today about my wife and son. Specifically on Howard, or as many of us here call him Howie.” Tony doesn’t look good. He’s dressed well and groomed, but Pepper can see the grief in his eyes. Just like she could never hide her emotions from Tony, he is an open book to her. “Today…today we were supposed to be celebrating his fourth birthday. Pepper and I were planning on a Disney trip. What was supposed to be first of many. Howie was especially excited to meet Buzz and Woody from Toy Story.”

A picture of Howie wearing a cowboy hat similar to the film character’s appears onscreen behind Tony. This is much more difficult to listen to than Pepper was expecting. Tony isn’t holding back the sorrow in his voice. Looking down, Pepper can see tears running down Howie’s face. She rubs his back, hoping to bring him some comfort.

“There are no updates on the case. We investigated the claims that came out of Cincinnati. A DNA test concluded that the little boy is not Howard. As you all know, this is not the first false claim. I encourage others out there giving fake tips to really think about what they are doing. To think of the pain that comes to me and my team with each instance of this. The hope we get being demolished with every negative DNA test.”

A pan shot of the Avengers. They are all standing to the side in a line. Many have neutral expressions, keeping a strong front. Looking closely, Pepper can see Clint and Rhodey struggling to keep it together. Rhodey and Peter were very close. Clint has children of his own, she can’t imagine how he is feeling right now. Even Thor appears a bit worse for wear.

“We all have worked tirelessly trying to find Howard and Virginia. Not just I, but my team cares deeply for both. But they don’t need me to speak for them.”

Each Avenger takes their turn at the microphone. All telling stories and explaining their relationship with Pepper and Howie. Even Happy does a small speech. Pictures of Howie and Pepper appear behind them. A few moments stand out to Pepper.

“I’ve known the Stark family since the forties” Steve says solemnly. “Howard was one of my best friends. I was the one to suggest naming Howie after his grandfather. Not being able to find the boy, I feel like I’m letting down three generations of a family that literally made me the man I am today. Howard looked for me till his dying day, I will do the same for his grandson.”

“Howie is my godson” Rhodey nearly breaks. “Pepper is like my sister. I’ve known Tony since he was fourteen. I more than anyone knows how much he loves his wife and son. I love them too. I’ve been there for everything. When Tony and Pepper met, the day they got married, the day Howie was born. I’ve never seen Tony happier than he was holding his son for the first time.”

“I never told Howie to call me Uncle Happy. He decided to on his own. I nearly swerved into traffic the first time he surprised me with it. Pepper had laughed at my shock and said I had earned the title. That little boy knows how to tug on the heartstrings and didn’t even realize he was doing it.”

“I met Virginia before I met Tony.” Bruce says, sadness prevalent in his voice. “Back when she was his assistant. Before my job interview, she greeted me outside his office. I was extremely nervous meeting with the Tony Stark. A bumbling mess. Pepper could tell and took the time to calm me down. Told me how impressed SI was already with my background. Gave me a cup of water. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that interview without her.”

“I can’t have children of my own” Natasha admits. “That choice was taken from me long ago. I’ve never really wanted them. Not until I saw Tony with Howie. That little boy brought out a side of him I would have never believed was real. Howie would just enter the room and Tony would light up. The second Howie was born, Tony couldn’t stop talking about him.”

Finally, Tony takes the mic again. His speech is longer than everyone else’s. He talks about how he isn’t the only person to lose somebody that day. He is one of thousands that lost a loved one.

“There was a moment in the battle where I gave Pepper a call. That’s when my AI told me about the kidnapping.” He has to stick with the lie that the government took Pepper and Howie. “I…I was beside myself. I couldn’t celebrate our victory. None of the team could after I told them. There was no relief. No moment to rest. We all got to work immediately on the investigation. I didn’t sleep for days. Couldn’t. Bruce made me swallow some pills so I could finally close my eyes. Even then, my mind was still reeling with all the horrible possibilities that I could imagine Pepper and Howie going through. There are dozens of emotions that I’ve had about all this. Fear for their safety. Concern for their wellbeing. Angry…for obvious reasons. But most of all” Tony looks directly into the camera. Pepper feels like he is staring at her. His eyes full of mourning. She knows his words are true. “I just miss them so much. I miss their laughs. I miss eating breakfast with them every morning. I miss hearing my wife hum along to music while she puts make-up on. I miss having my son chatter along next to me in my lab. I miss having them in my arms. I want them home and I’m not giving up on finding them until they are. I don’t think either of them realize how much I love them or how much they mean to me.”

It’s as if her heart is being shredded apart. Pepper can’t stop herself from quietly sobbing. For a moment she wants to pick up the phone next to her and call her husband. Tell him exactly where to find them and go home.

But then she forces herself to remember their last days together. All the yelling. The arguing. Howie’s crying throughout the nights. She remembers her anger at Tony and his unwillingness to see the damage he was doing. She’ll never be able to forgive him for the suffering he put their son through.

Said little boy is clinging to her. His head buried into her stomach. “I want to go home” he sobs.

“We can’t Howie” Pepper tells him. Maybe watching the press conference was a bad idea. “I’m sorry baby. We can’t.”

Peter didn’t sleep last night. His guilty conscious didn’t allow him a moment of peace. All he can think about is the muffled screaming of the man he mutilated. The feeling of his fist shattering the man’s bones. The smell of the blood Peter caused to leave the man’s body.

He watched the sun come up on the balcony. He was there for hours. Had gotten up in the middle of the night to look at Queens. It was still dark so he could see the lights coming from that part of the city. He thought of the streetlights hanging above him the night Ben died. They were so ominous. Like spotlights highlighting the dead body of that beloved man.

Checking the time, Peter decides to get dressed. Tony had told him that Pepper would be in the penthouse at eight. Peter already took a shower. A few actually. Multiple times throughout the night he felt disgusting. Like the man’s blood was still on him. Peter gets dressed but hesitates at his bedroom door.

He wants his mom so bad. But that means seeing Tony again. And he never wants to see Tony again. Never wants to hear his father’s voice. That too haunted his thoughts all night. All the taunts. Everything he said about Ben. His admission that in Tony's eyes Peter isn’t enough. His words last night hurt. Every statement cut into Peter’s soul.

Timidly, Peter makes his way to the stairs. On the upper landing, he peers down into the living room. There is a large pile of presents on the coffee table. Tony is talking to a woman with dark red hair. That must be mom. The fear of what her face looks like fills Peter’s chest. He needs familiar right now. Not a face from ten years ago.

Tony notices Peter and waives him down. Peter doesn’t move, stands in place. Pepper looks up and their eyes meet. Relief. Her face is slightly different but not completely. Her jaw is more slender and eyebrows not as arched. It looks like she hasn’t gotten the nose job yet. And her eyes…the ones full of love and compassion. Those are still the same.

Tears threaten Peter’s eyes. He fights them down. When he and mom are alone. Then he’ll let them flow. Not with Tony here.

“Happy Birthday” Tony calls up. “Come on down.”

Again, Peter stays still. His feet glued to the floor. He sends a spiteful glare at his father who sighs at the sight.

“C’mon Pete.”

“Tony” Pepper turns her attention away from Peter. “Just give us some time…please.”

Tony glances back and forth between his wife and son. “Fine” he says. “I’ll be back at six for dinner. You have until then.” He turns and heads to the elevator. It’s silent as Peter and Pepper watch him go. They are frozen in place until Tony disappears behind the elevator doors.

The second Tony is out of sight, Peter runs down the stairs. His mom too dashes towards him. They meet at the bottom of the staircase, wrapping their arms around each other. Once safe in her hold, Peter breaks down. They fall to the floor together, both holding on tight. For a long time, Peter sobs in his mother’s embrace. The familiar feel of her hold that brings him a lot of comfort and relief. How he’s missed her.

Long after their initial reuniting, Peter is finally able to pull away. Not a word has been spoken yet so much has been said. Looking up into his mother’s eyes, he can see how much she has also missed him. An enormous amount of love is pouring out of her expression as smiles down at him.

“Hi” she says softly.

Just the sound of her voice makes Peter want to cry again. “Hi” he says back shakily.

“Come on, let’s go eat some breakfast.”

Neither is ready to leave the other’s embrace yet. They hold onto each other as they get up off the floor.

“Kitchen is this way” Peter says, pointing in the rooms direction.

His mom chuckles as they begin walking, “Peter, I designed this place. I know my way around.”

“You did?”

“Well, there was a team of course. But I lead the project.”

Pepper directs Peter onto a barstool at the kitchen island. She then goes to the fridge and begins grabbing ingredients. Every year on his birthday, his mom makes French toast and bacon. She looks so natural in here. Like she belongs in this space. Just her presence makes the penthouse feel a bit like home.

“Happy tells me you like your tutors.”

“Yeah” Peter nods, feeling grateful to the bodyguard. He tells Pepper about Peter too. “They’re all really great. The block schedule was weird at first, but we get through a lot of material every session. It’s been nice.”

“He also said you like working with Antman on combat training.”

Peter frowns. The memory of how Scott acted last night resurfaces. “Not anymore.”

Pepper pauses. “Oh…he was there last night. Wasn’t he?”

Taking a deep breath, Peter doesn’t want to break down again. He’s exhausted and is tired of spending energy on crying. So, Tony told Pepper about last night. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Baby…”

“Mom please…not now.”

Giving him a sympathetic smile, Pepper returns to her cooking. “What else have you been up to?”

“Um…” There are so many things he could answer with. Nothing he wants to discuss. “I’m building an AI.”

“Oh. That’s exciting. What will it do?”

“I’m starting off on a drone. I built a little one, just a simple design since I’m focusing more on the code. I’m trying to make it voice activated. After that, maybe try to get it to pick stuff up. That way it could go fetch things from other rooms or hand me tools in the lab.”

His mother’s smile turns into one of joy. She’s always loved listening to him talk about his projects back in Queens. “Any chance I could see it.”

“Yeah, it’s up in my room. I can go get it.”

“No, no. We can look at it later. I’d like to see your bedroom anyway. I’m sure it’s got every bell and whistle.”

“Yeah” Peter says. He realizes she is trying to avoid bringing up Tony. “It’s got everything.”

“Anything else you do for fun?”

Biting his lip, Peter admits “I don’t really get a lot of time for fun.” This brings back his mom’s sad smile. He changes the subject, “How about you.”

“I have to admit, life was pretty boring the first couple weeks. Mostly just working out and reading.” Peter notices that she has lost some weight. Not that his mom was ever big. She continues, “Lately I’ve been helping design a new compound they’re building upstate.”

“A compound?”

She nods, “For the team. The tower is too crowded. Construction has already started. We’re remodeling an old SI warehouse. It’ll have plenty of room for training, equipment, vehicles. It’s been fun to work on.”

“So, you’ve…you’ve been helping them?”

Pausing again, Pepper looks up from her cooking. “Peter…”

“You’ve actually been helping them. After everything…”

“Honey, why does that bother you?”

Peter can’t believe she just asked that. “They’re evil Mom. All of them. How many people do you think they’ve killed? How many lives have they ruined? How can you help them? After what they’ve done to you, after what they did to May, what they are currently doing to me.”

“Baby” Pepper comes around the counter. She pulls Peter into a hug. “Are you okay?”

“I…” Peter breaks down once again. “Mom, this is so much worse than I ever thought it would be. It’s so much harder than I imagined. He’s terrible. Absolutely horrible. The things I’ve seen him do…the things he’s made me do…I hate it here.”

“I’m sorry baby” His mom cries. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry for Oscorp. If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Hey” Pepper pulls away and cups her hands around Peter’s face. It feels wrong after Tony did the same last night but Peter want’s her comfort. “I’m the one to blame. It’s my decisions that lead us to this situation. I held you back for so long. I can’t blame you for being curious.”

“I…I…I want to go home.

“Peter” his mom gloomily looks down into his eyes. “Honey, this is home now.”

No. No, no, no. She couldn’t have given in so soon. “Don’t say that.”

“There’s no going back. It’s too late. The sooner you accept that, the easier it’ll be going forward.”

“Stop!”

“I know you don’t want to hear this…”

“No! Stop!” Peter jumps out of his seat, away from her. “How can you say that? Did Queens mean nothing to you? Did Ben and May mean nothing?”

“Of course not. It all meant the world.”

“Then how can you just throw it all away?”

“Because the sooner we accept this new life, the sooner we get to be together again.”

He wants nothing more than for their reuniting to be permanent. But Peter knows what the cost of that is. Harley’s speech from last night rings in his head. ‘Then you feel sick with yourself and have to live with the guilt of the monster you’ve become. That you allowed them to turn you into.’ If Peter wants to live with his mom again, that means giving into Tony. Becoming the one thing that Peter doesn’t want to be anything like, his father.

The worst part is…Peter can already see the changes within him. He’s angry, all the time. Because it’s easier to be angry than it is scared. Tony is using that, and in the moment, Peter is never able to stop him. His father is a master at manipulating Peter’s emotions to do his bidding. Last night was a perfect example. Peter fought him at first. But bringing in Ben’s memory and the man who caused his death brought out a side of Peter that he wishes didn’t exist. Tony knew exactly what to say. Exactly how to trigger Peter.

Then those punches. The image of Ben’s body. The horrible taunts from Tony. Those pilled onto weeks of endless fear and rage released into a fist that brought pain to a man whom Peter has hated for over a year. It felt good, and that is what scares Peter the most. The fact a part of him enjoyed it.

His mother finishes cooking while Peter thinks all this over. They keep up a delicate conversation of Peter trying to work through his thoughts. Pepper doesn’t hold any judgement which makes Peter even more confused about all this. Why isn’t she worried? Why isn’t she horrified?

They eat in a somber atmosphere. Eventually Peter asks, “How are you okay with this?”

Putting her cup of tea down, Pepper asks “With the training?”

Peter nods.

“I” Pepper sighs. “I’m not surprised by it.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Tony…we had met when I was eighteen. The day after I graduated high school, Tony moved me into his mansion. He spent three years explaining his childhood and what he went through with your grandfather. At first, I was appalled. But Tony always made it seem like a positive. Said it’s what made him strong and prepared him for running SI. Rhodey and Happy agreed. Then Steve unfroze and he backed Tony up. Clint and Nat joined the team and…everyone just described it as necessary. Slowly, I started to believe them.”

“Tony spent the first year of our marriage preparing me. We went over his plan, and he explained everything that would happen and it’s purpose. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. We were so happy when I got pregnant. Tony was elated when we found out you were a boy. He was different after you were born. He fawned over you. Wanted you around everywhere he went. Tony had always described his relationship with Howard as being so cold. Nothing like how he was with you. I thought there was no way a man who loved you that much would put you through anything that traumatic. I thought the training wouldn’t be so bad.”

At this point in the story, Pepper is barely holding it together. “Then you turned three. It started off that you just weren’t allowed to cry. It broke my heart the first time he hit you. I wanted to intervene, but I was scared Tony would take you away like he did before. It was so hot and cold. Most days good, some days bad. Everyone kept telling me that it would get better, which it did. You adjusted. It was difficult to watch. But through all of it…you loved Tony and always wanted to make him proud. That’s the only reason I was able to keep it together. You flourished in that lab of his and Tony enjoyed having you down there with him.  Then there was the day he made you watch that interrogation. Seeing you covered in a dead man’s blood broke me. I felt so hopeless and so guilty. But most of all, I was so mad at Tony. He just wouldn’t budge; I couldn’t reason with him. And there was nobody around who would entertain the idea of...”

Tears run down his mother’s face as she tells him, “I’m sorry baby. I…I never wanted you to get hurt. It’s my fault you’re going through this.”

“Mom…”

“I…I thought I was protecting you by taking you away…If I had known he’d eventually find us…”

For the first time today, Peter comfort Pepper rather than vice-versa. “You didn’t know” he says. Just like Peter, his mom was also manipulated by Tony. Peter will never blame her for any of this. She tried to give him a better life. “You did your best.”

It’s an emotional breakfast to say the least. Peter didn’t know what to expect from their reunification, but he didn’t want it to be this sad. After they finish their food, both are ready to lighten the mood. They go up to Peter’s bedroom where he shows his mother the drone he built. She is impressed which doesn’t surprise Peter. It could be a pile of scrap metal and his mom would be proud. That reminds him of something.

Going into his closet, Peter opens the cabinet hiding his mother’s belongings. He tries not to look at the AT-AT when fishing around the box. Returning to the bedroom, he hands Pepper the little 1^st grade statue that says ‘Mom.’ It’s small enough that she will be able to sneak in downstairs in her jacket pocket. “Tony let me go through some boxes from the apartment” he explains. “I didn’t know if he’d let you do the same so I grabbed a few things. If there’s something else you’d prefer…”

“This is exactly what I want” she stops him. They exchange a warm smile as Pepper slips the little model into her jacket pocket. “So, you haven’t told me about you new powers. Everything okay with the mutation?”

“Tony hasn’t told you anything?” His father wouldn’t at least update Pepper on Peter’s condition. Has he told her anything?

“He just said you were fine. He wouldn’t give me any specifics.”

“Well…” Where should Peter even start? “I’m stronger than Rogers?”

“Oh? By how much?”

“When they tested me, I lifted almost eighteen thousand pounds.”

Pepper’s eyes nearly pop out of her head. “What?”

“17,911 to be exact.”

“Oh my god! That’s…that’s…”

“I know” Peter blushes. He continues, “I can also climb walls.”

“What do you mean?”

Walking over to an empty section of wall, Peter begins climbing. He’s gotten a lot faster over the past few weeks. Scott had him work on it every day during training, trying to figure out how the powers actually work. Reaching the ceiling, Peter glances down to see his mother awe-struck. He smirks and moves onto the ceiling.

“Peter, get down from there” Pepper says worriedly.

“I’m fine. I’ve done it before.”

“Oh my god.”

“I’m…” He spoke too soon. Having Pepper there as a distraction made him lose focus. He falls from the ceiling down to the floor below. He lands on his butt, his arm slamming into the coffee table. “Ahh” he groans.

His mom rushes over, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah” Peter says. He hurts, but knows it’ll only a bruise. He grabs his arm.

“Oh my god.”

“Mom, it’s fine.”

“How hard did you hit it?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Peter…”

“Mom” He stops her. “I’ve got superhealing. The bruise will be gone by morning.”

“Super…” Pepper runs a hand over her face. “Ugh, this is going to take some getting used to.”

Peter giggles, “You’re telling me.”

“How did you figure out the healing?”

His heart skips a beat. Peter doesn’t want to tell her about the gym. He doesn’t want her to worry. “Combat training” he lies. “Bruises kept disappearing overnight.”

Pepper believes him, “Anything else?”

Peter debates telling her about the tingle. But that too, she’d be concerned. He is still nowhere near getting a handle on that ache in his neck. The best solution anyone has come up with so far is the paralyzer. That would horrify her to know Peter was getting close to knocked out sometimes multiple times a day.

“Heightened sight and hearing. That’s it.”

“That’s it” she chuckles. “Those sticky hands…I thought you were an escape artist when you were a tot. You could climb out of anything. I can’t imagine what Tony and I would have done if you had those powers back then.”

Climbing.

Glancing to the balcony, Peter gets an idea. It’s just him and his mom right now. She could grab onto him, and he’ll climb their way out of the tower. If he’s fast enough, maybe the Avengers won’t notice until it’s too late.

“Let me show you the hot tub” Peter says as he gets up. No need to alert the building’s AI of his plans. Getting to the door, Peter is confused when they won’t open. “JARVIS, unlock the door.”

“I am sorry Young Sir, but Mrs. Stark is not allowed onto any outdoor areas at the moment.”

A few thoughts go through Peter’s mind. Disappointment that his plan is foiled. Embarrassment because it was foolish to begin with. He literally just fell from the ceiling, as if he could get down the side of a skyscraper safely. But more than that, anger.

“He doesn’t even let you have fresh air?” Peter turns to Pepper.

“Peter…”

“He’s that much of an ass…”

“Hey” Pepper steps closer and runs a hand through Peter’s hair. “It’s just until after my nose is healed after the surgery.”

“When is that?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I thought…Tony said when we first got here it would only be a couple weeks.”

“We pushed it back so I wouldn’t be all bruised up when I saw you.”

“So, I’m the reason…”

Pepper cuts him off, “Being here with you today is worth so much more than a couple weeks of outside.”

Not being able to look her in the eye, Peter wonders what else Tony is keeping from his mom. He doesn’t give her information about Peter, doesn’t allow her outside, it sounds like she doesn’t even really see any people other than Tony and Happy.

“Tony said you have an apartment somewhere in the tower. What’s that like?”

A small frown appears on his mother’s face before disappearing. “It’s nice. It’s a bit bigger than the one in Queens. Nice appliances, big bed, lots of books. Not as nice as up here but is more than enough for just me.”

There’s something she’s not telling him. “I’ve noticed Tony has spent a few nights with you.”

Pursing her lips, Pepper says “Yes. A couple times a week.”

“He’s not…” Peter doesn’t know if he wants an answer. “He’s not forcing you to…”

“No” Pepper stops him.

“He’s not…” Oh, God. Here comes more tears.

“Peter, Tony isn’t forcing me to do what you’re thinking.”

“Have you two…” he trails off. Peter can’t tell if she’s lying or not. Just like he’s protecting her from the knowledge of the gym, he knows she would do the same for him.

Pepper leans down to look him in the eye. She wipes away one of his tears and says “You don’t worry about me. Tony and I…it’s just complicated right now. I’m fine where I am. I spent years handling Tony. You focus on yourself. Don’t waste any energy worrying about me.”

“But…” It’s just complicated. Tony had said the same thing at the beach house when Peter asked why mom couldn’t live with them. But what is so complicated? Happy makes it seem like they’re getting along and if his mom is telling the truth…Tony said he still loves her. He said that he missed them for ten years. That it was the hardest thing he ever went through. Then why is he keeping them separated? Doesn’t he want a unified family?

“Do you love him?” Pepper doesn’t answer. Her gaze goes to the floor, no longer looking at Peter. “Mom…after everything he has done…”

“I don’t understand it either Peter” she woefully confesses. “There’s just…the two of us have been through so much. So many extreme events that tethered us together. It’s not right and it’s not fair to either of us. We’ve both hurt each other in so many ways. I am not blameless, and I think you give me more credit than I deserve. I worked for Tony for three years before we got engaged. I knew who he was and what he was capable of. Yet I still…” she doesn’t finish her last sentence. Just stares down at the floor.

Peter doesn’t know how to feel about her admission. All these years he thought she despised Tony. Now, after all this time, she confirms that she’s always loved the man. Just like Peter, her feelings are complex, and she clearly struggles with them. A part of Peter is happy to know he isn’t alone with his internal battle of emotion. To know he isn’t a freak or hypocrite for not being able to shake his inner desire for his father’s affection.

“Tony and I spent the weekend at the Hamptons” he tries to break the sorrowful tension.

“How did you like the house?” Pepper gives a small smile. They go to sit down on one of the couches.

“It was amazing. Reminded me of you. I picked the room overlooking the pool and ocean.”

“That’s the one I used to sleep in before Tony and I were engaged.”

This brings a warm feeling in Peter’s chest. “There’s a painting in there. Tony said you bought it on your honeymoon.”

“Yeah” Pepper’s smile widens. “It was by a street artist in Venice. Tony and I had collected quite a bit of high-end art that just sat in storage. He laughed when he looked at the price tag and it was less than a hundred dollars. We still bought it.”

“Oh my god, he took me shopping…you wouldn’t believe what we spent at Gucci.”

“Oh, trust me I’d believe it. The day I moved into the mansion, he took one look at my closet and drove us straight to Rodeo Drive. I think he let me keep a few school t-shirts but replaced everything else. When I tried to argue, he said to either pick stuff I like, or he’d have a stylist do it. Took me to a professional hair salon. It was overwhelming. Every place we walked into, the staff would just swarm. I think he spent over half of a mil at least.”

“He’s insane.”

“It’s how he shows he cares. Tony isn’t the most vocal when it comes to emotions.” Pepper tells him. “Did you have a good time at the house?”

Nodding, Peter admits “Yeah. It was really fun…a lot of fun. He…was better there.”

Tony was so different at the beach house. He was laid back, happy, and kind the entire trip. Peter doesn't remember him ever being like that. Even in the lab, Tony has a concentration and seriousness that he never shakes. As much as Peter enjoys getting lost in engineering, there is a pressure to succeed whenever he’s in Tony’s lab. He can always sense Tony’s eyes watching him. In the Hamptons it didn’t feel like Tony had any expectations. No standard that Peter had to meet. Even when Tony was teaching him to drive the boat, there was no pressure on Peter to do well. All his father had cared about was that he had a good time.

It makes everything that Tony did last night so much worse. To know that he was just buttering Peter up for the blow of that…it wasn’t even an interrogation. They would have needed to get information out of that man for it to be an interrogation. Last night was a torture session.

Another one of his tears must have fallen, because Pepper wipes it off Peter’s face. “Honey” she asks, “what’s wrong?”

“Last night…it was terrible.”

“Baby…”

“It was the man who killed Ben.”

Pepper freezes, shock across her face. “They found him? How?”

Peter doesn’t answer her at first. He can’t tell her about what Harley said. Not with JARVIS listening. Besides, Peter still doesn’t know if he believes the kid. He’s still trying to process everything that happened in the basement. He hasn’t even scratched the surface of what happened with Harley yesterday.

“There are these two kids around my age that the team is training. Kate trains under Clint and Natasha, Tony had her track the guy down. Harley trains under Rhodes but is Antman’s step-son…but he’s worked with Tony…I don’t know…He helped Kate go get the guy.”

“So, they knew…”

“I…no I…maybe…” Harley seemed genuine last night. Peter picks at his fingers as he recounts their conversation. “Harley told me they didn’t know Tony was going to make me do it. Kate thought she was getting justice for Ben. They…” he trails off. He can’t decide how he feels about the two now.

Pepper watches him for a moment. “How well do you know Kate and Harley?”

“I’ve only met Kate once for a few minutes. Harley…it’s…he’s…”

“You said he’s worked with Tony?”

Peter lets out a breath. He was so mean to Harley last night and the kid just took it. Now both he and Tony have denied the relationship Peter has been fearing. “I can’t figure out what his place is here. Tony said he brought Harley on to be my number two. Last night…I don’t know mom. I’ve only met him twice and both times he wasn’t supposed to be up in the penthouse.”

“What do you mean?”

“They…I was avoiding meeting him and Kate. Then on Friday Kate and I accidentally ran into each other. That night Harley snuck up with the food so he could meet me. Last night, I got up here after the basement and he was standing on the patio. He told me that he and Kate didn’t know and that they were sorry. Some other stuff too. I kept yelling at him to leave but he wouldn’t. Just kept trying to give me advice and…”

“Peter” Pepper’s eyes are soft. “It sounds like Harley wants to be your friend.”

“I know.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have somebody to talk to about all this?”

“Yeah, but…”

“He probably understands…”

“He’s not Ned” Peter states. “And Kate’s not MJ.”

Pepper is quiet for a moment. “Have you talked to Ned and MJ?”

Peter nods. “Barton and Romanov talked with their families the day of the spider bite. Ned’s family just…rolled over. MJ’s fought a bit until Natasha started threatening them. The next day I called and…Mom they were so scared. Ned thought I would be mad that he didn’t know what to call me. We’ve known each other since we were five and he…he was at least nice. MJ just screamed. Her dad took over the call at one point. MJ called me a liar. She said that I intentionally put both Ned’s and her families in danger. Which…”

“Hey” Pepper grabs his hands, stopping the fidgeting. “You know that’s not true. That’s just the Hydra story.”

“It is true though,” he argues. “Maybe not in danger of Hydra, but Tony.”

“Did Tony do anything to them?”

A small shake of Peter’s head. “No. He…he tried to bribe their parents to join SI. To keep them in my life. Both said no.”

Another pause from Pepper. “I’m sorry baby. But...but maybe it is for the best. I don't know how well Ned and MJ would have done here.”

Peter doesn’t respond, just frowns down at his hands. This is the first time he’s been able to talk about what happened with somebody. With Tony he was embarrassed and wanted to move on the conversation quickly. The pain of losing his two friends was fresh and he just forced it down. Saying it out loud helps him grieve the death of those friendships. At least Ned and MJ are safe. Maybe it’s good they said no? Peter would have felt guilty if they were forced into this prison with him. If they had to go through the same trauma Peter is experiencing. He would have never forgiven himself. They are far away in Queens, safe from this cruelty. That knowledge brings a big sense of comfort. That heavy weight of the break-up’s emotional baggage releases. He finally feels like he can bury his loss.

Pepper continues, “What advice did Harley tell you?”

“Um…” Oh his head is so much clearer. While there is still all the confusion about Harley and Tony, Peter can at lease see past his comparison of the boy and Ned. “He…” Peter doesn’t want to tell Pepper about most of the things Harley said. The cycle of training he explained, the accusations about May and Ben, even the interaction with Scott. It would all just upset his mom. “Kate had made a report on the man who killed Ben. Apparently, he has a really bad rap sheet. She dug up a bunch of information and compiled it to JARVIS. Harley told me to read it. Said it would make me feel better.”

“Have you read it?”

Peter stays quiet, which is enough to give Pepper an answer.

Looking around, Pepper grabs Peter’s tablet off the coffee table. It’s still in the same spot Harley had left it. “JARVIS can you bring up Kate’s report?”

“I believe it is already open on the tablet” the AI says.

“I don’t want to read it” Peter says.

“How about I read it out loud and you just listen?” Pepper offers.

A part of Peter still doesn’t want to know what is inside the report. But if his mom thinks it’s a good idea…he’ll try. He gives her a nod.

“Flint Marko. Age 28.” She scrolls a bit. “March 2015. He shot a man on the sidewalk. He was aiming for a rival drug dealer. Missed and hit a pedestrian. The victim’s name was Timothy Rush. He had a wife and new baby only four months old. He was walking back from the bus stop after getting off a shift at a grocery store. The bullet went through his neck. He bled out on the side of the street. It wasn’t a quick death.”

Ben’s death wasn’t quick either. He had laid on the street gasping for air for at least a couple of minutes.

“Police had no evidence at the time. It looks like Kate was able to connect the murder with ballistics of a gun from another crime. She notified Rush’s widow. So, at least his wife and child finally have closure.”

Closure. More than just Peter and Pepper get closure about a loved one’s death from this. He wonders how Timothy’s family must have felt finally having answers after seven years.

“April 2016. Marko was arrested for assaulting a woman. The altercation started because of a dispute over payment for some cocaine. Police let the case go because the woman was a prostitute. He had stabbed her two times.”

“Harley told me about that one” Peter says quietly.

“There are some pictures” Pepper turns the tablet. A picture of a young woman with a big wound on her stomach is on it. Pepper scrolls through a few similar images. “He did that to her and nobody did a thing.” She moves onto the next date. “May 2016. Domestic violence arrest. He beat up his girlfriend during an argument about cheating. Oh my god”

Pepper again turns the tablet for Peter to see. Pictures of a woman in her early-twenties with deep dark bruises on her face, arms and stomach. A split lip is very prominent. Pepper continues to read, “She dropped the charges the next day. Police visited the residence six more times the following two months until they broke up. No arrests. No charges.”

For the next hour Pepper reads off everything in Kate’s report. Some parts are worse than others. Some have pictures. At the end, Peter comes to the conclusion that Harley was right. The guy was a monster. Ben was far from his only victim and not even close to the worst of his crimes. Still though, does that justify what Peter did?

No. It doesn’t.

“How are you feeling?” his mom asks after she lets him think for a while in quiet.

“None of that matters” he answers. “It doesn’t make what I did any less bad.”

“Would you rather Marko still be out in Queens?”

“No but…” he trails off. There were many times in that report where charges were dropped or reduced. Law enforcement just couldn’t pin this guy.

‘You were just preventing another Ben Parker.’ That’s what Harley said last night. Was he? Maybe. This guy wasn’t an angel, but is it really up to the Avengers to decide that he should die? And in such a brutal way.

“Do you want some lunch?” Pepper asks.

“Umm, sure.”

It was also a yearly tradition to get subs from Mr. Delmar’s shop on his birthday.

“When Tony told me I’d be able to visit you on your birthday, I started practicing that sandwich you’d always get. Looked it up on Delmar’s website. Number five with pickles, right?”

“Smush it down flat” Peter smiles at her. “Yeah.” She’s always known how to make him feel better. Of course she knew he would be missing that. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you” his mom pulls him close. She places a kiss on his temple, “I love you sweetheart.”

Chapter Text

With his next suit…if he has time to make another…Tony is definitely making sure it has better balance. The clunky metal doesn’t help him stand upright as he sways and dances around the DJ booth. He grabs another bottle of champagne before grabbing the DJ’s microphone. The girls in the crowd go wild when they see he is about to speak. Before he can, Tony stumbles into a nearby display case of booze. He laughs and gets himself back up. All these people are here for him, he should put on a show.

“You know the question I get asked most often is” he mumbles into the mic, “Tony, how do you go to the bathroom in the suit?” He takes a breath and releases his bladder. “Just like that.”

Tony nearly topples over laughing at his own joke. A light pull on the microphone in his hand causes Tony to look up.

Pepper.

God she’s gorgeous. Stunning in every way. The most beautiful woman on the planet. She’s so young, just turned twenty-one. They were supposed to start their life together soon. He had so many plans for them. A lifetime of adventure and romance. Their children would have been brilliant. Absolute treasures to the earth.

With a fake smile, Pepper says to the crowd “Does this guy know how to throw a party or what?”

“I love you” he says, leaning forward so the mic would pick up his voice.

“Unbelievable.” Pepper doesn’t realize he said it directly to her. Not the crowd. Pepper. She has no clue how he truly feels, and she might never know. “Thank you so much Tony. We all thank you so much for such a for such a…wonderful night and we’re going to say ‘Goodnight’ now and thank you all for coming.”

She’s here to put a stop to everything. Pepper’s always there to clean up his messes. He’s not ready though. This is his last birthday, Tony’s not ready for it to end. The crowd isn’t either, all giving a moan of displeasure.

“No, no, no, no” Tony protests. His booze-filled mind tries to come up with an argument. “We can’t. Wait, wait, wait. We didn’t have…the…the cake. We didn’t blow out the candles.”

“You are out of control” Pepper says seriously, staring him in the eyes. Those ocean-blue eyes he’d love to drown in. “Okay…”

“I’m out of control” he reiterates her words, too lost in Pepper’s eyes to hear her next statement. “You’re out of control gorgeous.” She isn’t listening. Softly he again admits “I love you.”

Leaning forward, Tony closes his eyes “Give me a little smooch.” She is arguing something while leaning her head back, avoiding the kiss. “C’mon you know you want to.”

“You just peed the suit” Pepper words break through the hazy cloud in Tony’s head. Okay, yeah. That would be disgusting to her.

“I know” he tries to explain himself. “It has a filtration system.”

“Not sexy.”

“You could drink that water.”

Her eyes hold disappointment. “Just…just send everybody home. Okay? It’s time to…eh”

Deflated, Tony says “If you say so.”

“Okay, I’ll take this” Pepper grabs the champaign from out of Tony’s hand and replaces it with the microphone. “And you take that.”

Tony only has a couple weeks left of life. A month if he’s lucky. And he’s spending it disappointing the woman he who means everything to him. He’s taken so much from Pepper. Her future, her family, her sense of identity. Tony had traded those in for her so he could give her the world. Every wish her heart desires. Now all that has all gone to waste. Rearranging the company and updating his will, Tony has made sure Pepper will be taken care of once he’s gone. He also knows Rhodey and Happy will step up to ensure her comfort and safety. He doesn’t even need to ask them to. His brother’s too have no idea what is to come either.

How he wishes Pepper had agreed to go to Venice with him. Tony should have been honest with her on the plane. She has no idea of what will happen in only a few weeks. They could have spent the rest of his short life indulging in each other in Italy. Or Spain. Or France, Pepper loves Paris. Tony doesn’t care where as long as she’d be there. A part of him wants to whisk her away upstairs and not let her leave his bed until he breathes his final breath. Maybe leave Pepper with a baby that could inherit everything.

But that wouldn’t be fair to Pepper. To give her a glimpse of the life he had planned for them only to then leave her either all alone or with a responsibility she isn’t prepared for. He also couldn’t do that to his child, hypothetical or not. Tony always planned on having a better relationship with his children than he had with Howard who did the bare minimum at most. It would be selfish of Tony to do that, and he’s already been so selfish when it has come to Pepper. It’s good that he’s disappointing her right now. Then the loss won’t hurt her as bad when he’s dead.

“Pepper Potts” Tony grumbles to the audience. “She’s right. The party’s over.” If he’s going to leave a failure, then he’ll go all out. Leave little for anybody to miss. “Then again, the party was over for me like an hour and a half ago. The afterparty starts in fifteen minutes.” Turning he can see the frown on Pepper’s face. “And if anybody…Pepper…doesn’t like it. There’s the door.”

Raising his arm, Tony doesn’t realize he drunkenly sent off his blaster. Glass shatters. Well, at least nobody got hurt.

The crowd cheers. A game ensues. Girls from the crowd toss objects into the air for Tony to blast. Mostly bottles. One gets brave and tosses a watermelon. Even while stumbling over himself, Tony hits each target. Everyone cheers Tony on. Until a voice cuts through the noise.

“I’m only going to say this once” Rhodey directs the crowd. He’s standing in the back wearing one of Tony’s older suits. Tony had programed JARVIS to give Rhodey access if he asked. Another thing he planned for after his departure. “Get out” Rhodey says before the faceplate lowers.

The guests flee the house. As they run around him, Tony grabs a bottle from one. He knows Rhodey is pissed. Rightfully so. His friend has stood by him through everything, and Tony has been difficult the past few weeks. Tony’s put Rhodey in such a hard spot with the military. Rhodey has been fighting with the government to keep them from taking the suits and Tony hasn’t made that an easy task. Once he is gone, Rhodes will see that SI is his. Then Rhodey won’t need the military. Then Tony’s friend might forgive him. For now, Rhodey’s in the dark on all that.

“Tony” Rhodes steps forward once they’re alone. “You need to stop. Shut it down.”

“Goldstein” Tony turns to the DJ booth.

The DJ timidly peaks out from his hiding spot. “Yes Mr. Stark?”

“Give me a fat beat” Tony laughs the last part, “to beat my buddy’s ass to.”

‘Another one bites the dust’ begins playing. Tony only has a second to sway before Rhodey grabs him from behind. “I told you to shut it down.”

The ensuing battle is fun. At least to Tony. He taunts Rhodes who only gets angrier. Tony does this on purpose, testing to see how fierce Rhodey can get. Just like Howard would rile up Tony during training, he does the same to Rhodes. Tony knows what buttons to push. What to say to get his friend furious.

They burst through multiple rooms, neither caring about the damage. They destroy the gym, Tony’s bedroom. At one point they fall through the floor to the lower level of the house. While Tony is getting off the floor, he hears Happy yell “Pepper!” The bodyguard runs into the room, grabbing Pepper and ushering her to safety. Tony is so grateful to his other dear friend. Always there to ensure the love of Tony’s life’s safety.

Rhodey and Tony fight for a while longer. The crowd of guests watch from outside. During a lull, Tony screams at all the observers who immediately run away. Then Rhodey returns, tossing Tony into the fireplace. Both know the suits are fireproof.

Tony turns and raises a blaster at Rhodey who does the same in response. “Put your hand down” Rhodey demands.

“You think you’ve got what it takes to wear that suit?” Tony mocks. This is Rhodes’ final test. Tony knows his friend is worthy and more than deserving, but Rhodey needs to prove it. He needs to earn the respect of Tony’s world.

“You don’t need to do this Tony.”

“You want to be the War Machine, then take your shot.”

“Put it down!”

“You gonna take a shot?” Tony taunts. C’mon Rhodey. You can do it.

“PUT IT DOWN!”

“NO!”

“DROP IT TONY!”

“TAKE IT!” Tony means it. Rhodey can have the company and the suits. Pepper and Happy are getting enough money that they will be set for life. SI needs a leader once Tony is gone, he wants that to be Rhodes.

At the same time both of their blasters go off. The streams hit each other dead on, causing an explosion. Both Tony and Rhodey go flying backwards.

Tony crashes back into the fireplace he had pulled himself out of moments ago. He rests against it, catching his breath. The palladium poisoning has made it difficult to recover quickly. He’s in so much pain.

JARVIS takes a second to reload. Once the suit’s vision is working again, Tony see’s Rhodey standing next to him looking down. The face plate on his suit is up. Tony can see the worry in his friend’s face.

“Tony” Rhodey sounds desperate. “What is going on?”

Retracting his suit, Tony exhaustingly looks up to his friend. Slowly, he lifts his shirt revealing the dark lines of the poisoning. Only days ago, he had lied to Rhodes about it being road rash.

“I’m dying.”

“You said…”

“I lied.”

Neither says anything for a while. Both just staring at each other, Rhodey trying to process the new information. He sits down next to Tony and both observe the damage around them.

“That’s why you’ve been so…” Rhodey somberly begins.

“Insane lately” Tony offers.

“I was going to say unpredictable.”

Tony lets out an amused huff.

After another moment of thought, Rhodey asks “How long?”

“Don’t know exactly. At the rate the palladium poisoning is going, maybe a couple weeks.”

“Palladium…that chip you replaced in the arc. The one that was smoking…”

“I haven’t found a replacement. I’ve tried everything Rhodey.”

“Why didn’t you tell anybody?”

“And what? Let it leak so Wayne can come in…”

Rhodey interrupts, “I meant Happy, Pepper and I.” Tony knows those three would have kept his secret. They were never a worry.

Tony hesitates, “I’m telling you now.”

“Tony…”

“The company is yours.”

By Rhodes’ expression, Tony can tell he is more than shocked. Speechless. Tony continues, “So are the suits. Nobody deserves them more than you. You’ve proven yourself. That promotion I gave Pepper, it’s to assure she’s taken care of. Same goes for Happy. But you’re in charge. They’ll be able to more than help you run the company. Just…take care of them.”

“Tony…”

“It’s already arranged. I adjusted my will weeks ago.”

“No.”

Turning to face his friend, Tony frowns “What do you mean no.”

“You’re not giving up” Rhodey asserts.

“Rhodey” Tony sighs, letting his head fall back against the fireplace. “I told you. I’ve tried everything.”

“Well, there’s an answer out there and if anybody can find it, it’s you.”

“I…”

“Let’s go upstairs and see if any of the bedrooms are still habitable. In the morning, we’ll call Banner, Cho, anyone with a medical background…”

“I told you, I’m not letting this leak.”

“Tony, this is your life.”

“No…I…I can’t worry Pepper.”

Rhodes pauses. He knows how much Tony cares about his now former assistant. Rhodey could tell the day Tony met Pepper, how deeply he had fallen. Both Rhodes and Happy have helped Tony protect her. They stepped up during his disappearance in Afghanistan. They’re the only reason Tony can accept leaving her behind.

“Let’s go get some sleep” Rhodes says. “Tomorrow, we’ll get breakfast somewhere then get to work.”

“I’m so tired…”

“Then shut up and get your ass into a bed. We’ll figure something out Tony. You’re not giving up. Not yet.”

Tony let’s himself sadly grin. He lulls his head to look at his friend…his brother. “You’re the best friend a guy could ever have.”

“Oh, don’t I know it” Rhodey returns the smile.

“It’s not fair.” Tony confesses, allowing himself to open up to his best friend. Rhodes has never judged him. “I thought once I got out of that cave it would be smooth sailing, then Obadiah showed his true colors. Thought building the suits would give me an advantage, then Wayne came out as Batman. Now this…it just never ends.”

“Well, thank God you’re the strongest man I know. You’re right, it’s not fair. But life never is.”

“Isn’t that the truth.”

Dinner hasn't been as big of a disaster that Tony was expecting. When arriving back to the penthouse, he found his wife and son in Peter's bedroom. Pepper was trying to learn some video game Peter had picked. She wasn't very successful in her efforts. Tony had offered to order them some take-out for dinner, to which Pepper brushed him off. Instead, Peter had requested one of his favorite dishes Pepper used to make back in Queens. In the kitchen, Peter sat silently at the island as he watched Pepper cook and Tony attempt to help. Only being trusted to peel potatoes and roll the meatball's Pepper prepared the meat for, Tony smiles at being ordered around the kitchen by his wife. The back and forth between them feels natural, like they are back in the early years of their relationship. He notices Peter watching them, trying to hide his fascination of their interaction.

"Those are way too big" Pepper chastises from the stove where she is making a sauce. "Make them about half that size."

"Do you see how much meat is in this bowl" Tony playfully argues. "That will take forever."

"They are better smaller."

"Why does it matter?"

"They won't cook as well if they're that big. You like the taste of raw pork?"

"Just fry them a bit longer."

Pepper rolls her eyes, "Peter, help your father before he poisons us all."

For a moment Peter remains planted in his seat. He sends Tony a glare before reluctantly joining him in rolling the meatballs. He doesn't say a word, his silence sending a clear message Tony's way.

Pepper tries to keep the mood light. Most of the conversation is just between her and Tony. Peter only speaks up when directly addressed. Otherwise, he remains quiet. Tony can feel his son's anger rolling off the boy's body towards him as they finish their chore together. They both know Pepper did this on purpose to get them interacting again.

Tony's grateful for his wife's efforts. They had a long talk yesterday before everything went down so she would be prepared for today. Throughout the day, Tony had Jarvis watch the two to make sure Pepper did her part. Checking in every once in a while, Tony was pleased to see her performing her role correctly. While still being honest with the boy, Pepper didn't go against Tony. She didn't admonish the events of last night, only attempted to help their son cope with his guilt. It was difficult for Tony to hear his son openly discuss his hatred of him, but was glad to hear how much Peter enjoyed their trip over the weekend. The chat between Peter and Pepper clearly did a lot for the boy. Considering Peter didn't even want to be in the same room as Tony this morning, him silently helping him with this small task is progress. Progress that wouldn't have happened without Pepper. She even was able to get Peter to warm up to the idea of getting to know Kate and Harley. Although, both teens are in enough trouble with their mentors, Tony isn't sure when they will be back in New York.

The second the last of the meat is rolled, Peter is back in his seat, away from Tony. The awkward atmosphere continues through the meal. They sit in the dining room, keeping up a conversation proving to be difficult. Peter won't even look at Tony. He barely says a word and is only pleasant when talking to Pepper. When they finally finish the meal, Tony is relieved when they move to the living room for a movie. At least then the silence from his son is more appropriate. Pepper sits in between them, Peter curled up to her side. Tony lets them be, not wanting to push his son too far. For now he is content that Peter is at least accepting of his presence in the penthouse.

"Do you want to open any of your gifts?" Tony asks when the film is over.

"No" Peter states, sending a spiteful side-eye to the stack of presents.

"Well" Tony sighs. "Then I guess the night's over. Pep, lets head..."

"Wait" Peter stops him. Not wanting to lose his mother just yet, Peter begrudgingly begins opening the presents. He takes his time, drawing many out much longer than needed. Tony doesn't mind. Pepper sits next to their son, trying to get him excited for each gift. Peter clearly doesn't care for most of them. Not necessarily because of the contents, but because of who they are from. His nostrils have an extra angry flare when he picks up Rhodes' gift. Tony won't be surprised if he finds the little Star Wars figurine broken in half tomorrow morning. The only presents Peter seems actually pleased to open are from Pepper, Happy and Strange. Which irks Tony considering Strange just gave the boy a plain sweatshirt. At least Happy put a bit of effort and picked out a book about how they made the Jurassic Park films. Tony does take note that Peter was quick to push Scott's gift to the side. Apparently that relationship soured last night too.

A big smile appears on Peter's face when he open's Pepper's gift. It's a box of about ten different hot sauces. When she ordered it a couple weeks ago, Tony had been perplexed. But judging by Peter's reaction, the mother was right in her judgement.

"Are these from the newest season?"

"I believe so" Pepper answers. "At least the latest one the website offered."

"Remember when MJ nearly started crying after round six last year?"

"I don't blame her" Pepper laughs. "I had to call it quits after four. Did anyone even make it to ten?"

"Ned did" Peter smiles down at the bottles. "Although he barely took a bite of the wing. We had been debating whether it counted for months after."

Tony asks, "What are those from?"

Looking up from the box, Peter only answers with a glare. Pepper rubs a circle on the boy's back as she calmly explains, "There's a YouTube channel where celebrities answer questions while eating chicken wings. As the interview goes on, the sauce gets spicier. Last year for Peter's birthday, everyone did the challenge."

"It had been Ben's idea" Peter remarks with a great amount of snark.

So now the kid is back to comparing Tony and Parker. Fabulous. Fucking great.

"How about" Pepper tries to divert the conversation. "Next family get together we do the challenge with the new box? Maybe invite Happy up? Rhodey has a pretty high tolerance for spice. I'm sure he'd..."

"No" Peter snaps.

"Peter..."

"I don't want to do anything with them" Peter growls, his eyes meeting Tony as he says it. Tony knows Happy isn't included in that 'them.'

"Hey" Pepper whispers, pulling her son closer. She begins whispering in Peter’s ear.

Pretending not to notice, Tony shifts his gaze to the fireplace allowing the two a moment. He returns his attention to them when Peter sneers

"How do we even know there will even be another family night?"

"There will be Peter" Tony answers.

"Really?" Peter doesn't believe him. "When?"

"That's up to you and your behavior."

"My..." Peter shakes his head in disbelief. "Behavior?"

"Yup."

"How exactly am I not behaving?"

"Well this attitude for one..."

"God, you're an asshole."

"Okay" Pepper intervenes before Tony can say anything. He takes a deep breath, letting Peter's words wash off him. The kid has said a lot worse over the past month. Pepper tells Peter, "We've had a good day, let's not argue with each other."

"Why not? It's not like he listens to us anyway?"

"Honey..."

"Bastard doesn't care about anything we have to say."

Tony stands up, "That's it. We're done for the night. Pep, time to go."

His wife looks up at him with sad eyes, "Tony..."

"Now."

Peter is visibly enraged. Letting out a disheartened sigh, Pepper pulls him in for one last hug. Their son clings to her. As she pulls away, Pepper brushes a hand through Peter's hair. "I love you" she whispers before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Tony can see Peter fighting back tears. Pepper too. He holds strong, not letting either see him backing down from his decision. If Peter's going to act this way, he has to deal with the consequences.

Obeying Tony's command, Pepper stands from her spot on the couch. She sends one last pleading look to Tony before heading towards the elevator. Peter stays in his spot, glaring at the floor.

"Wait for me at the elevator" Tony tells his wife who nods in response. Turning back to his son, Tony demands "Go upstairs and get that box from your closet."

Both Peter and Pepper freeze. They must just be realizing that Tony was keeping an eye on them. "You" Peter's stare moves to Tony, "You were spying on us?"

"JARVIS was keeping me updated. You two haven't earned unsupervised visits yet."

"Tony..." Pepper starts. She stops with one warning glance. "Peter, go get the box."

"Mom" Peter wants to argue.

"It's fine honey. Go get the box." Just as they discussed yesterday, Pepper backs Tony up.

Peter struggles with his thoughts for a moment before defeatedly making his way upstairs. As he goes, Tony calls out "JARVIS will let me know if you try to take anything out." The boy doesn't respond before disappearing into his room.

Tony and Pepper wait in a heavy silence for Peter's return. Less than a minute later, their son slowly makes his way back, box in hand. He gloomily stares down into it when he reaches the bottom of the staircase. "This is mom's stuff. You can't just..."

"Hand it over" Tony cuts him off.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Why do you..."

Pepper interjects, "Peter. Hand him the box."

Letting out a sigh, Peter grumbles "Fine" before giving Tony the box. Tony takes it and tells the kid, "Scott flew back to San Francisco today. Clint has to take care of some family matters in Ohio and won't be available for the next couple weeks. Who would you like to train with?"

"Nobody."

"That's not an option."

"I don't want..."

"Remember what I said about your attitude?"

Peter huffs. After a long moment of their son not answering, Pepper offers her opinion instead. "I think he should work with Steve."

Thank god she is playing her role. Tony has wanted his best soldier to work with the boy since he got the cast off. Peter isn't pleased with his mother's statement, "Not Steve..."

"There is nobody who understands training people with the serum's abilities better than Captain Rogers" Pepper explains. "Honey, you need somebody who is going to help you learn to control those powers. Please, just give him a try."

Again, wrestling with his own thoughts, Peter begins to pick at his finger. Tony knows his son is still struggling with the events of the gym. Especially when it comes to dealing with those who were involved. Finally, Peters says quietly "Fine."

"Good" Tony says. "I have to go to DC on Thursday. I'll most likely be gone for about a week. Rhodes is going to be staying with you."

Slumping his shoulders, Peter argues "Not Rhodes. Why can't Happy..."

"Happy is coming with me."

"I'm fourteen, I don't need a babysitter."

"I need someone here to make sure you go to your lessons and training."

"Why can't mom..."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't earned that yet."

"Why do you want to keep us separated so bad?" Peter asks, anger dripping from his voice.

"Once I can trust you two together..."

"To what? Behave?"

"Precisely."

"So you just want us to put on an act?"

"No, I want you to listen and do as your told. Learning to be a bit more respectful would also help your case."

"Respect" Peter sneers. "Doesn't that also need to be earned?"

"Your mother is doing her part." Tony can feel his irritation growing. "You want her up here permanently, then grow up."

"God" Peter buries his face in his hands. When he looks up again, his glare is locked on Tony. "You said you waited ten years to find us and all you have done since is keep us separated. Don't you want us to be a family?"

"I'm not the one who broke up the family Peter" Tony remarks, his voice hard. That shuts the boy up. Behind him, Tony hears Pepper shift her weight. He knows that accusation probably hit her hard. Still, she says nothing. She knows better than to argue against Tony's point. As if there is anything she could say. All three of them know the truth. "Have a good night" Tony tells his son, "I'll see you in the morning."

Turning, Tony sees his wife staring at the floor. A few tears have fallen from her eyes. She silently follows him into the elevator. Before the doors close, she calls out to Peter "Happy Birthday. I love you."

The ride down to the basement is quiet. Tony knows Pepper is crying next to him, but can't bring himself to comfort her. He's so fucking angry. He can't look at her. Yes, she did her job today. However that doesn't change the fact that they are in this mess because of her. One day of playing her part doesn't excuse the ten years she screwed up. When they get to her apartment, Tony places the box of items onto the table.

"You did good today" Tony states, trying to keep his fury out of his voice. "What did he give you?"

"What?" she asks tearfully.

"What did he hand you earlier. I know it's in your pocket."

Reluctantly, Pepper fishes the item out of her jacket. She hesitates before handing it over, "What are you going to do to it?"

"Just let me see it."

"Don't..." she pleads. "Don't break it."

"I'm not" Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. "God Pep...I'm not going to fucking break it. Just let me see it."

Taking a deep breath, Pepper hands over a small clay structure. It spells out 'Mom' and was clearly made when Peter was very young. "How old was he?"

"Six" she answers. "He made it in first grade art class."

"He told me he hated first grade."

"He...he was bored."

"Of course he was" Tony scoffs. "He needed a challenge Pepper. Peter deserved better."

"Do you think I feel good about any of this? What do you want me to say Tony? I was desperate."

"You should..." Tony lets his thoughts trail off. He runs a hand through his hair and places the little sculpture next to the box on the table. "I am trying to be understanding Pepper. I really am. I know I wasn't perfect back then either, but Jesus Christ! Ugh...like I said before, you did good today." He picks up an item from the box, a seashell. "What is this from?"

"We went on vacation in Florida when he was eight."

Placing that on the table next to the 'Mom' figurine, Tony grabs a vase from the box, "This?"

Pepper apprehensively answers, "May gave that to me when Peter and I moved into our own apartment. A housewarming gift." That goes back into the box. Before he grabs another object, Pepper is about to speak "Tony..."

"Nothing from the Parkers belongs in my tower." He holds up a stack of three books. "These?"

"I just bought them at a bookstore."

They go through the box like this. Tony forcing Pepper to explain each item. Anything that has a connection to May or Ben goes back into the box. It takes everything in Tony not to smash the Parker's gifts to pieces in front of his wife. Once they are finished, Tony grabs the box before heading to the door. Pepper calls out after him,

"Tony, Ben and May were a huge part of our lives. You aren't going to be able to erase the memories by doing this."

"Oh, I know" Tony turns to glare at her. "I am well aware the special hold the Parkers have on you two. Everyday I am reminded of the two assholes that kept my kid from me. Three if I include you in the equation."

"That's not fair. I was scared. Howie was miserable. There was nobody I could turn to. May was the first person who made me not feel crazy for being concerned for Howie."

"You had me."

"You wouldn't listen to me! You kept brushing me off!"

"So you're best solution was to just take off?"

"I just wanted my baby to be safe. That's all I have ever wanted. For him to be safe and happy."

"Well he's just doing great now isn't he?" Tony sarcastically remarks. "Fucking fabulous. Wonderful. Stupendous..."

"He's so lonely Tony. Can't you see that? And confused. Keeping us apart isn't helping..."

"I can't trust you with him" Tony bellows. "God, Pep. You don't think I want us all together? Nothing more do I want the three of us up in the penthouse. It's all I've thought about for ten years. But I can't trust you to be with him yet. How do I know you won't try to turn him more against me? How can I possibly believe right now that you wouldn't try planting thoughts in his head?"

"I did everything you asked of me today! Followed all your rules."

"Really? That little art project in your pocket tells a different story."

Pepper takes a deep breath, "I had nothing down here Tony. Nothing that reminded me of him."

"You had fourteen years of memories."

"I just wanted something to hold onto. You know how hard it is to be away from him?"

She did not just seriously ask him that. "I know exactly how hard it is. I could write a fucking book, do god damn lecture series and master classes on that pain. You want me to feel bad about you not having him for a month? Try multiplying that time by 122, then we'll be partially even. At least you know where he is. At least you know he's alive. At least you know I'm not replacing you with some twit from Queens."

"Tony..."

"What you said earlier. You're right, it's not fair. None of this is fair. It's not fair that Peter looks at you like some angel being manipulated by his devil father. You clearly never told him about your time in SI. If you did, he wouldn't think you're as innocent as he believes. How about your best friend May? Were you honest with her? Did you tell anybody about your role in everything? Or did you just like being the sweet little mother who somehow kept her hands clean in one of the world's biggest gangs. You know what else isn't fair? The fact Ben Parker got eight birthday's with my son when I've only gotten four. Three and a half really, considering I was in my lab for most of the day. It's not fair that I have to compete for my child's affection with that dead oaf. It's not fair that Peter has to go through years of training in such a short amount of time. He was supposed to have breaks. I was supposed to be able to spoil him in between. Give him everything he's ever wanted. Rebuild our relationship after each downfall. I tried so hard not to turn into Howard only for Peter to now hate me more than I ever did my own father."

"He wants a relationship too."

"Fuck he does."

"He desperately wants..."

"Me dead in a ditch."

"That's not true..."

"What the fuck did you tell him over the past ten years? The kid couldn't even look at me the first week he was here."

"It was difficult Tony" Pepper cries. "He remembered the interrogation and you hitting him. He had nightmares for years."

"So instead of you trying to explain the training to him, which you agreed to before he was born, you just let him believe that I was irredeemable scum."

"When we were living with May and Ben…they didn’t understand..."

"Great!" In his anger, Tony chucks the box of items across the room. He and Pepper hear the vase inside smashing apart. "Another thing I can thank those two for!"

"May and Ben took care of us. They fed us, gave us shelter. Doesn't that count for anything to you?"

"No! It doesn't!"

"Well, it should!"

"HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT I WOULD EVER FEEL GRACIOUS TOWARDS THOSE TWO?"

"BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY REASON I AM ALIVE RIGHT NOW!"

"WHY? BECAUSE THEY LET YOU SLEEP ON A COUCH AND LET YOU EAT A SANDWHICH?"

"NO! BECAUSE I WAS ON THE VERGE OF KILLING MYSELF!"

Tony can feel his body jolt back at the comment. His mind blanks for a second, processing what his wife just admitted. In front of him, Pepper breaks down into sobs. She crumbles to the floor, her arms wrapped around herself. Without even thinking, Tony drops down next to her. He pulls her close, as tight as he can. He doesn't want her out of his grip. Not after she confessed that he could have lost her permanently. That there was a chance she would never have returned to him.

"Pep...I..." Tony's at a loss for words. He remembers the weeks during the Stark Expo years ago. The time period when he had accepted his own death. The dark hole he had buried himself into feeling lonely and a burden on the people he cared about. When Tony didn't think it would be so bad to leave the world behind. Life had felt like one catastrophe after another. Death sounded to him like an appealing break from the chaos. He had lost hope of finding a cure to the poisoning and had given up. If it wasn't for Rhodey and Steve...there is no chance he'd be here today.

How had he fucked up this bad? How didn't he see how hurt Pepper was? The answer is, he did. Tony was a coward who ran away to New York thinking his wife and son would heal without him. All of this is his fault. Pepper was such a strong woman that he completely destroyed.

"I'm sorry" he whispers. "I'm so sorry."

Pepper cries into his shirt, her hand clutching the fabric with the same intensity as his arms around her. She doesn't want him to disappear either. Tony realizes now how much pain they have both hidden from each other. Pepper didn't know about the palladium poisoning until after Tony found a cure. Now, just like he had, she hid her dark thoughts and inner demons that were haunting her mind. Instead of protecting each other, they were only hurting themselves.

After a long period of sobbing on the floor, Pepper's sorrow eventually subsides to just sniffling. Tony waits for her to be ready to talk.

"I felt like a failure" she admits softly. "And a monster. And such a horrible mother...Howie was so scared at times he couldn't breathe...I wasn't even thinking when I packed our bags. It's like the thought came to my mind and my body just started moving. It wasn't until we were driving through Bakersfield that I realized what I had just done. I must have been in a trance or something because Howie kept asking me if I was okay from the back seat...I didn't want to worry him, but I had no clue what to do..." She takes a labored breath. "We came across this abandoned motel. I figured we could stay the night so I could clear my head...Howie woke up almost every hour with a nightmare...I couldn't take it...I felt so guilty...I couldn't bring him back Tony...he was suffering..."

Remaining quiet, Tony fights down his own sorrow. Hearing how much his family was hurting...he was an asshole for leaving.

"I thought eventually I would be able to figure out how to give him a normal life...one free of terror...it was the least I could do for him...and I just kept failing...We were miserable. Howie kept getting recognized, so I had to keep him hidden all the time. I couldn't let him play with other kids or even be outside during the day. He hated it...and we both missed you so much...but every time I thought he was healing, Howie would suddenly have another round of nightmares. I was so angry at you and hated myself for agreeing to any of that...Then Sharon Carter found us and I thought we were done for. All...that was all such a mess. Everything that went down with SHIELD, it was...Howie and I got out of there but...then money started running out...I was terrified the first time we spent the night in the car. Couldn't sleep a wink...I felt like no matter what I did, I couldn't protect my little boy. I couldn't make him happy. When he got sick...God...I had a complete breakdown when Ben showed up with that police car to the hospital. I didn't know what to do and was so drained. The Parkers took us back to their place so Howie could recover. It was the first time in months I felt like he was in good hands...and they weren't mine."

There is a long pause before Pepper continues again. "May knew something was wrong. She and Ben never let me out of their sight. It took a month of them building me up before I was finally functioning again. They helped me get a job, looked after Howie for me...I couldn't have done it without them. I never tried anything but...I was on the brink of just ending it all. I know you hate them...I really understand why you do Tony...but May and Ben saved me. Can't you...can't you at least forgive them enough to see that?"

The question is difficult for Tony to answer. He sees Pepper's side, but also can't help but think of all the other ways the Parker's could have helped. Even if they didn't notify Tony the night they found his wife and son, they could have done it later. When Pepper wasn't as distraught. Or they could have reported her state of mind. Tony would have gotten Pepper all the help she needed. Howie too. The image of his four-year-old son in a feverish sleep in the back of a used car haunts his mind. How could May Parker, a nurse, have seen that and thought it was okay? How could Ben Parker, a cop in the capital of Tony's empire, break dozens of laws just to keep the family separated from each other?

"Pep...they hid my baby from me" he says. "For ten years, they kept my son away. Not only that but they..."

Tony can't finish that sentence, it would hurt Pepper too much. The Parker's fucked them up so bad. There is a reason Tony's world keeps so much hidden from the general public. They don't understand. Just like the Parkers, the public thinks everything is black and white. But in reality nothing is. Everyone wants peace and control as long as it's within their little box of acceptable sacrifice. As long as they think they are always on the right side. It takes years of experience and a willingness to do anything in order to see the bullshit in the idea of 'taking the high road.' The world loves superheroes until they realize what it actually takes to be one. The hardened mindset that allows you to continuously put your life at risk and stand up against the impossible.

After the Chitauri attacks, both Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises began lowering the curtains on all that. Only for their citizens to freak out. Still, ten years later, Tony and Bruce are trying to find ways to soothe the public with their new reality. It's a complicated balance, maintaining control while giving the people the belief in freedom. While the shift in public opinion has definitely swayed more and more in their favor, there is still a massive amount of people who only fear SI and WE. And of course, two of them found Pepper and Howie.

"I can appreciate the fact they kept alive" Tony tells his wife. "But I can never forgive them."

Pepper rests her head on his chest. They sit in quiet for a while, still not letting each other go.

"You need to slow things down with Peter" Pepper says. "He's under so much stress, he doesn't have time to think."

"One year."

"What?"

"Years ago, the team and I came up with a plan for his return. One year of speeding though training. Once Peter is caught up, we can slow down."

"It's only been a month..."

"And he's done better than any of us were expecting." Tony states. "He's been amazing Pep, but that doesn't mean it's any less difficult. The sooner we get over this hump, the sooner life can go back to how it should be."

"Tony" Pepper looks up into his eyes, hers still glassy and red. "You need to give him more time to rest. More time to experience the softer side of you. I saw in his eyes how much he loved being in the Hamptons with you, only for you to turn around the next day..."

"I know. I know." Tony still hasn't decided if he made the right decision about making Peter participate so soon. It hurt to watch his son go from smiling and enjoying their time together to glaring and despising Tony's presence. But the team was right about the boy needing Pepper after. She did a lot today. Tony could see the tension and grief in his son melt away as he and Pepper talked about everything throughout the day. "Once he's back on track. It would be too painful to have such highs and lows all the time. I'd rather he just hates me now so we can get to a better place faster. It'll be less confusing for him that way."

"He's already confused."

"He just won't listen..."

"Wonder where he gets that from."

A small smirk forms on Tony's face. "Not funny."

Pepper waits a moment before asking, "Who is Harley to you?"

"Rhodes' protégé."

"Tony..."

"He isn't what you and Peter think. He's..." How can Tony explain Harley to her? The kid who practically held his hand while Tony was spiraling his way around Tennessee. "He's a good kid. Helped me out during the Mandarin and I thought he deserved a better life than being in hickstown Tennessee. I knew Howie would need somebody, a friend, when I finally found him. He's here to be Peter's Rhodey."

"Nothing more?"

"No" Tony says. He isn't lying. Not really.

"Peter said you've worked with him in your lab."

"Just to see what his capabilities were. Since then, he has basically done everything with the team. I just check in every once in a while."

Peter and Pepper don't need to know about the last night Harley spent in Tony's lab. The five minutes Tony let himself slip into pretending the boy was Howie. He still holds a lot of guilt for that.

"Any other questions while we're at it?" he asks.

Pepper thinks for a moment. Her face grows grim,

"Marko." Parker's killer. Tony should have expected her to ask about him. He can see the hatred in his wife's eyes for that man. The bastard who held a gun at their boy. "Did he suffer?"

"Not as much as I would have liked. But Peter did quite a number on him."

They hold each other's gaze, Pepper nods her head a tiny bit.

"Good."

Chapter Text

“Cerium and Dysprosium” Rhodey says after swallowing a bite of his donut.

“Tried it, failed” Tony answers. He leans back into the giant structure shaped like the breakfast they are eating. Not that he was ever one for following rules, but his impending death has really made it so Tony doesn’t care about getting in trouble anymore. Especially with a donut shop owner. Surely being on the shop’s roof is some form of trespassing. He’s actually surprised he could convince Rhodey to join him up here.

“Um…”

“Rhodey, I have already tried every element and every combination of them.”

“There has to be something…”

“What the hell are you two doing?” A familiar feminine voice calls out from down below.

Glancing at the sidewalk in front of the shop, Tony spots both Pepper and Happy staring up at them. Thank God Pep is okay. Tony had trusted that Happy would get her to safety during the fight yesterday. He was too much of a coward to check in this morning.

“Breakfast” he tells her before taking a bite of his donut.

“You nearly destroyed the mansion last night and now you’re just buddies again?”

“We got over it.”

“What is wrong with you?”

“How did you find us?”

Rolling her eyes, Pepper retorts “Two men in metal armor sitting in a giant donut. Not very conspicuous.”

“Hey, we bought a dozen” Rhodey calls down. “Either of you want one?”

“No, get down from there” Pepper demands.

At the same time, Happy calls up, “What kind?”

“Glazed or coconut.”

“I’ll take glazed, who the hell eats coconut on a donut?”

Tony tells his friend, “Told you nobody but you likes that.” Rhodes sends him a playful glare before tossing down a pastry to Happy who doesn’t catch it. “Oh, nice job you two.”

“For the love of God” Pepper is getting more frustrated by the second. “Get down here and explain what the hell you two were thinking last night.”

“That’s in the past” Tony says. “We’re moving forward.”

“Tony” Rhodes lowers his voice for only him to hear. “You should tell her.”

His friend is right. Pepper deserves to know what is going on with the palladium poisoning. Tony owes her the truth. But looking down at her now, he can see her concern underneath her annoyance. He doesn’t want her to worry about him. It’s selfish, but he can’t tell her.

“Gentleman” a stranger wearing a baseball hat walks up next to Pepper and Happy. Great, he’s probably the owner. “I’m going to have to ask you to exit the donut.”

“We’ll be done in a minute” Tony says.

“Mr. Stark” the man takes off his cap to reveal a head of blonde hair. “I don’t think your father would approve of this.”

“Holy Shit” Tony curses. He recognizes the man. A ghost from the past before he was born. Howard’s biggest obsession. But that’s impossible. He’s gone. Dead somewhere in the ocean.

“Language” the guys chastises.

Next to him, Rhodey asks “You know this guy?”

“That’s Steve Rogers.”

After talking with his mom yesterday, Peter feels a lot better. Talking through all the pent-up stress and sorrow he’s been harboring the past month has taken a load off his shoulders. He still misses Ned and MJ but is now content with their decision to stay away. Also finally having a proper update on his mother’s living situation has relived a lot of anxiety. Hearing from her own mouth that Tony has her set up in a nice apartment and she’s for the most part okay eases his mind.

He still feels a lot of guilt for Marko. However, both Harley and his mom were right about the report. Knowing the man won’t hurt another person brings a sense of peace. Peter still remembers the man’s cries of anguish. They rolled around in his head as he laid in bed. It makes Peter feel queasy knowing he is the one who caused that.

Luckily the tutors he had today were for math, chemistry and Spanish. It was easy forget everything while focusing on the quadratic formulas and atomic structures. Just like Happy had said his first day of tutoring, Camilla his Spanish tutor is awesome. Upon seeing how quick Peter was catching on, she instilled a rule today that they only speak the foreign language to each other. The new challenge also helped Peter keep his mind distracted throughout the day.

The lessons also helped him forget his dread of the upcoming training session with Rogers. Just the thought of being alone with the super soldier causes Peter’s heart to race. A part of him wishes he never agreed. A big part of him. Not just because of the gym, but Captain America has been the least pleasant Avenger to be around since Peter has arrived. Every time he is in a room with the man, Peter notices eye rolls and judgmental glances coming from him. Peter isn’t sure what the guy’s problem with him is, but he's sure he’ll find out today. No doubt today’s training session will differ greatly from the ones with Scott.

Tony said Antman flew back to San Francisco. Peter is partially happy to see him go. Yet the memory of Scott and Harley’s interaction brings a sense of unease. The kid clearly does not care for his stepfather. After seeing Scott during that interrogation, Peter can relate a bit more to the boy. Both Tony and Harley said the kid has gone through the same training as Peter, now he really believes it.

The same goes for Kate. Although Peter still can’t believe the nonsense about the Parkers, he at least believes the two teens had good intentions. Tony had also said Clint had to take care of family matters in Ohio, surely that has to do with the freak out Harley said Kate had. Both teens got themselves in trouble for Peter’s sake.

And he’s been nothing but nasty to them.

Especially Harley.

His behavior two nights ago was atrocious. Calling the boy names and cursing up a storm at him. Harley was just trying to be nice and help. Peter feels horrible thinking about the way he treated him. Surely one day he’ll see the two again. He’ll apologize, once he gets the courage.

With a great amount of trepidation, Peter steps into the training gym. To his surprise Rogers isn’t there yet. Scott was always a bit early, either talking on his phone or getting a few reps in on one of the machines.

Peter takes the time alone to rest. He hasn’t been alone since before breakfast. He and Tony had eaten in a heated silence, Peter glaring at him and Tony not pushing any conversation. Pancakes and coffee never tasted worse than when having to share it with that man. The lab is going to be miserable later.

To pass the time, Peter scrolls through his phone. Birthday posts dedicated to him still haven’t calmed down on social media. It’s weird how celebrities and people he’s never met dedicate entire posts to him turning a year older. Especially from the Justice League who Peter knows are just doing it for publicity. As if Aquaman cares Peter ate some cake or not.

Tony had created an official account for Peter, not that Peter has access to post on it. Apparently, all the kids on the League get social media accounts on their fourteenth birthday. There are only two posts so far. One from yesterday just introducing the account and one today thanking everyone for the birthday wishes. What a joke.

“What are you doing?” A voice pulls Peter’s attention from his phone. Steve is staring at him disapprovingly from the gym entrance.

“Just scrolling through twitter.”

“If you’re here before me, I expect you to be warming up not playing on your phone.”

Already this is off to a bad start. “Okay.”

“We’re starting off over here” the captain says, walking over to some punching bags. “Tony was right, your form a couple nights ago was weak. I want to see if Lang actually taught you anything.”

Peter follows instructions but keeps his distance from Rogers. He doesn’t trust the soldier. Not after everything he has seen the past few weeks.

“Seriously kid, what do you expect to accomplish over there.” When Peter hesitates, Steve gets louder. “I’m not wasting my time with this shit. Get over here.”

Huffing, Peter relents and stands in front of the bag. He plants his feet and takes the form Scott taught him. Before he takes a punch, Rogers instructs “Half a step back.”

Frowning, Peter turns to the soldier. “I won’t be able to reach the bag.”

“Have you seriously been stationary while using this the past two weeks?”

“We’ve only used the bag once for like half an hour.”

“What the hell have you two been doing?”

“Um…a lot of things. Mostly hand-to-hand training…”

“You lifted almost nine tons in weight and Scott had the bright idea to start off with hand-to-hand.”

“What’s wrong with…”

Rogers cuts him off, “Two nights ago you shattered a man’s jaw with a single punch. Let me guess, that wasn’t exactly intentional, was it?”

Shifting his weight, Peter awkwardly answers “No.”

“That’s what’s wrong. You have absolutely no clue how or when you engage those powers you have. And strength like that going unchecked, that’s dangerous. Being incompetent with abilities like yours is how people get hurt.”

“Tony was the one…”

“Tony was just riling you up so you could get through that. If we had all sat around waiting for you to be ready by yourself, we’d all probably still be in that room right now. You’re the one who let your anger get the best of you. You’re the one who used that spider-strength without meaning to. Tony didn’t need you to demolish the guy, just put in a bit of effort. His little teases weren’t serious.”

“Oh really…”

“What else did you and Scott go over?”

Taking a breath to calm his irritation, Peter answers “Like I said, mostly just basic moves for combat. We did a bit of endurance training and wall climbing.”

“How is that going?”

“I’m getting faster, but it still takes a lot of concentration. Fell off the ceiling yesterday when I was talking to my mom.”

“Considering you started off struggling to get that bottle off your hand, I guess that’s progress. How about the neck tingle?”

Said tingle has been going off since Rogers entered the gym. It never really stops, always irking at the back of Peter’s mind. He got a lot of relief from it yesterday while with Pepper. It was the first time in a month that Peter didn’t have that itch in his neck that constantly puts him on edge. He also didn’t notice it much in the Hamptons. Although now that seems silly after Monday.

“I’ve just learned to live with it.”

“Have you even attempted to null the effects?”

“Should I?”

“Do you like being knocked out by that little buzzer every day?”

“No.”

“Then we should figure out a way to control that. Or at least try to separate it from your senses.”

“I guess.”

“You guess or yes that’s what you want to do.”

“I don’t know…sure?...I guess.”

“You don’t get to guess when you can lift a car with one hand. You’re a suped-up fourteen-year-old. Being indecisive isn’t cute or an option anymore.”

This guy is almost a bigger asshole than Tony. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what?”

Peter can’t take this, “What the hell do you want me to say?”

Rogers sends a smack across Peter’s face. As his cheek stings, Peter hears the captain sneer “Do not talk to me that way.”

“Jesus Christ” Peter mutters under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

“Watch your tone.”

“What is your problem?” Peter all but yells. Steve has been nothing but a jerk since the spider-bite. He doesn’t remember the soldier that much from when he was little, the two didn’t interact much. Has he always been this much of an ass? It’s like everything Peter says is the wrong answer.

“My problem?” Rogers gives him a harsh stare. “Is your attitude since the second you walked into this tower.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly want to be here.”

“Tough shit, get over it.”

“What happened to ‘language’?” Peter mocks. That earns him a slap upside the head. “Knock it off!”

“Ugh” Steve rolls his eyes. “You remind me of Tony when I first met him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Immature, selfish, you spend more time wallowing in self-pity than trying to fix any of your problems. Unworthy of the brilliance and prestige your bloodline worked hard to give you. At least Tony wasn’t a cry-baby when we met.”

Everything that comes out of the soldier’s mouth is a shock to Peter. It’s not very surprising to hear Steve talk about Peter this way after all these weeks of disapproving glares. But he has never heard anybody talk about Tony this way. Not even MJ or Mr. Jones. They always talked about the corruption of SI. Not once has Peter heard so many personal insults hurtled towards the man in under a minute.

“If you think that way of Tony, why do you work for him?”

“He’s not that way anymore” Steve explains. “I made sure of that.”

“You?”

“Has Tony ever told you how we met?”

“Mom said you broke out of Shield and joined SI right before the Stark Expo battle.”

“Figures she would downplay that” Steve huffs. “How do you think Tony figured out the palladium poisoning?”

“Grandpa had written down the structure of a new element. Tony figured out how to synthesize it…”

“Wrong already.”

“What?”

“When I met Tony, he had given up.” Another shock to Peter. Steve continues, “He had just accepted the fact he was dying. He promoted Pepper and Happy to job positions that would keep them living comfortably without him. Rearranged his will. Had offered up the company to Rhodes to run after he died. Gave him access to the suit designs. God, I was so pissed when I read SHIELD’s file on him. Howard would have been ashamed.”

Peter just stares speechless at Rogers as the soldier goes on.

“Which is what I told him when I found him whining to Rhodes on top of a donut shop. JARVIS” he calls out. “Do you have the video footage from Tony’s suit that day?”

The AI answers, “I do Captain.”

“Play it.”

A hologram showing video footage of Steve sitting in a booth at a restaurant pops up. The angle of the camera is chest level from the person across from him, that must be Tony. Video Steve takes a sip of coffee before asking

“You just going to stare or ask me a question?”

Tony’s voice offscreen says, “Honestly, I’m a bit hungover. I’m not sure if you’re real or if I’m…I’m having a…”

Past Steve cuts him off, “Oh, I am very real. I’m the realest person you’re ever going to meet.”

“Just my luck. Where’s the staff…”

“That’s not looking so good” Steve points to something on Tony.

“Just” a hand pushes Steve’s away. “Rhodes, Happy, Pep. Go take care of everything at SI.” Offscreen both Rhodes and Pepper are heard objecting which is quieted by Tony. “I need to figure out…what the hell is going on with this guy. Go prepare for the Hammer presentation or something. I’ve got this handled.”

There is a bit more back and forth, but eventually it is clear that Tony and Steve are alone.

Steve is the first to speak. “So…I wake up from a seventy-year frozen coma to find my former friend’s son giving away half his stuff, promoting his twenty-one year old girlfriend into an executive position at SI, and handing the greatest armor ever created over to his college buddy. If I didn’t know better…”

“You don’t know better. I didn’t hand it over. He broke into my lab and took it.”

“And then twelve hours later you’re both chummy and eating donuts.”

“What do you want from me?”

“I want you to be the man I know Howard trained you to be.”

“Oh, great…”

“He’d beat the shit out of you right now if he was here.”

“Well, he’s not. If you haven’t heard, he’s dead. Left me with this giant fucking mess of a company and a psychotic business partner when I was twenty-years old.”

“So, he wasn’t perfect, get over it.”

“I have” Tony snaps.

Steve argues “Sounds to me like you still hold a lot of resentment. After everything he’s given you…”

“Look. You’ve been gone for seventy years. I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but um…he wasn’t my biggest fan.”

“What do you remember about your dad?”

“He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me, he never even told me he liked me.”

“Howard made the atomic bomb.” Past Steve rolls his eyes. “What, did you expected him to read you bedtime stories and skip through meadows together. That was Maria’s job. Howard…”

“I know what Howard’s intentions were. That doesn’t change the fact that he did only what he had to when it came to me. Which is fine. He needed an heir but didn’t want a kid. I’ve accepted that. We’re talking about a guy whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to MIT.”

Mom had said yesterday that Tony and Howard’s relationship was cold. Hearing it from Tony himself hits differently. The past month Tony has told Peter multiple times that he loves him. Peter’s gotten hugs, praise, more attention from his father than he wants. To think Tony didn’t have that with Howard is a strange revelation.

“That’s not true.”

“Well, clearly you know my dad better than I did”

“As a matter of fact, I did. We were both founding members of SHIELD.”

“What?” Tony sounds disgusted.

“It’s how Howard got government funding for his projects during the war. One of them being the super-soldier serum. How do you think he solidified all those government contracts back then?”

“That man seriously told me nothing.”

“Of course, he didn’t. You were still a kid when Howard died.”

“Would have been nice to know…”

“SHIELD also helped him fund the technology inside your chest that’s currently killing you.”

There’s a long pause. “How do you know…”

“You haven’t asked how I got out of the ice.”

“What…SHIELD?” Rogers gives a small smirk before taking a sip of coffee. Tony growls “Give me one reason I shouldn’t blast a hole in your head this second.”

“Howard quite literally made me into what I am today. If it weren’t for him, I’d have stayed a scrawny twig in Brooklyn getting into fights with guys twice my size. For that and two other reasons, he has my loyalty. The least I can do for him now that he’s gone is to make sure his son isn’t some weakling ready to throw in the towel.”

“I am not…”

Steve harshly asserts, “Then get it together Anthony. Live up to the Stark name. Stop letting this palladium nonsense steamroll you and fix it.”

“I have tried everything. Every combination, every permutation of every known element.”

“Well, I’m here to tell you. You haven’t tried them all. That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology.”

“No” Tony argues. “It was finished. It was…never been particularly effective until I miniaturized it and put it in my…”

“No. Howard said the arc reactor was a stepping stone to something greater.”

“How would you know? He came up with it after you disappeared.”

“Nick Fury told me.”

“Who?”

“Current director of SHIELD.”

“You’re working for him?”

“No” Rogers chuckles. “He’s just an idiot who thought that because they were the ones to find me that I’d just blindly follow. They thawed me out a couple months ago. I stuck around to gain some intel. Specifically, about you. I helped Howard build up Stark Industries. I’m not letting you be its downfall.”

A grown from Tony. “Rhodes will be able…”

“You’ve already messed up. That little assistant you hired after Virginia.”

“Natalie?”

“More like Agent Natasha Romanoff. SHIELD shadow tasked to you by Fury.”

“Huh…well she’s…fired.”

“Not yet.”

“Why wouldn’t I…”

“Fury has her working off red on her ledger.”

By the sound of his voice, this intrigues Tony. “Huh. Go on.”

“She grew up part of a Russian group called the Red Room. Was trained to be an assassin since the day she was born. Another SHIELD agent, Barton, offered her a deal. Help kill off the Red Room leader and she can work off her debt with SHIELD.”

“How much red does she have?”

“Dozens of pages. If Howard taught, you anything, I hope…”

“It’s that you never want to trust soldiers there against their will. They’re easy to flip.”

The statement is ironic in Peter’s ears. Neither he nor his mom want to be here. If Tony and the Avengers really believe that statement, why are they fighting so hard to keep Peter and Pepper here?

In the video, Tony continues. “What could she do to help with the poisoning?”

“SHIELD has a lot of Howard’s old notes and research. Vanko gave it to them before Howard had him deported. They didn’t trust me enough with it, but I’m sure Romanoff could get her hands on it. Apparently, Howard was onto something big. Something that would kick off an energy race that would dwarf the arms race. SHIELD has gone over everything multiple times and can’t figure it out. I only got a glimpse of one of his notebooks. In my opinion, SHIELD’s, and Howards, you are the only one who could pick up where he started. So, let me ask you. Are you that guy? Hm…are you? Because if you are, then you can solve the riddle of your heart.”

There is one last long pause before Peter hears Tony say, “My car’s out front. Natalie is supposed to be helping Pepper at headquarters today.”

The video ends. It leaves Peter with more questions than answers. “Why did you show me that?”

“Because I wanted to show you, that I’m not here to hold your hand.” Current Steve answers, his arms still crossed, and a judgmental frown directed towards Peter. “Your genealogy gets you my loyalty, but you have to earn my respect. Just like Tony did. Luckily at the time, it just took that little kick in the ass for your father to get into gear. Unlike you, when Tony was at his lowest, he brushed himself off and got to work. He recruited Romanoff who got Barton on board. Went through Howard’s research, rediscovered a new element and then proceeded to lead charge in taking down Vanko’s drone army. That’s how Tony formed his team, by being somebody we want as a leader. He takes his role in life seriously, something you have yet to show.”

“What more do you people want from me?” Peter snaps. “I have done everything you have asked.”

“While crying and moaning the entire time.”

“Do you realize how awful this has been? How horrible Tony has been…”

“Please” Peter receives his second eye-roll of the day from Rogers. “Tony’s been soft.”

“You cannot be serious…”

“Believe me, if it were Howard in his place, you wouldn’t have this attitude right now. Howard would have knocked that out of you immediately. Ask Tony or Rhodes, he wouldn’t put up with half of what Tony lets you get away with.”

“Like what?”

“Like calling your father names, throwing tantrums, disrespecting staff that is there to help you train. How about completely disregarding the fact that you are being handed half of the most powerful country on earth and instead spend your complaining about how you want to go back to that puny apartment in Queens with your pathetic little friends.”

“Ned and MJ aren’t…”

“They’re weak and have convinced you that it’s okay for you to be mediocre.” Peter feels his mouth drop open, Steve continues before he can say anything. “Your mother holding you back all these years has made it, so you don’t think you have to try. Everything has been easy. You think that because you’re naturally smarter than everyone you grew up around, that automatically makes you great. Well guess what, you’re not. Tony, Happy, all your tutors telling you how brilliant and wonderful you are. I don’t see it that way. You’re a Stark, I expect you to be intelligent. What makes Tony great, what made Howard great is what they did with their intellect. Relying on what Howard built him is what got Tony screwed over by Obadiah. And right now, you are on that same path to failure. The difference is that there is an entire League being lead by the bats that is ready to annihilate you when the opportunity arises. And if they pounce, unlike Tony you are not getting a second chance.”

Peter’s throat is dry. Steve’s words wrack through his body. They are harsh and a gigantic pill to swallow. As much truth as some of his statement holds there is also a great deal of unfairness. Peter never asked for this life. He was forced into it. He didn’t decide it was his duty to take on the Stark legacy.

“You talk like all this is a blessing.”

“It is” Rogers snaps at him. “How privileged can you be not to see that?”

“This is hell!”

Before Peter realizes what is happening, Rogers has him pinned to the floor. The breath is knocked out of his lungs. His arm is painfully twisted behind his back. The same arm the soldier broke less than a month ago. Peter’s heart races, remembering that pain.

In his ear, Steve seethes “Do. Not. Talk. To me. That. Way. I work for Tony, not you. I’m not here to be your friend. If you want someone who is going to put up with your petty complaints and try to make you feel better, go to Rhodes. I don’t play that game. We are not equals. You have a long way to go before I view you as anything more than a brat that Tony has spoiled rotten. Now, get up.”

Peter does get off the floor the second Steve is off him. He stands and starts making his way to the door. Fuck Rogers.

“What, giving up already?” Steve calls out. “Why am I not surprised?”

“You’re a jerk.”

“I’m honest. You just can’t take it.”

Turning before he’s out of the room, Peter glares at Rogers. “In that video, both you and Tony said you shouldn’t trust people that are here against their will. How hypocritical can you two be? Both my mom and I are prisoners!”

Steve lets out an amused chuckle which only enrages Peter. “Tony really has been so soft when it has come to you two. I told him he needed to break Pepper in more before knocking her up.”

The blood in Peter’s skin begins boiling. Running at Rogers he has every intention to hit the man. The captain easily dodges every attack. It’s infuriates Peter more. No matter what he tries, he can’t land a hit. A small prickling feeling goes through his arm as he sends a particularly hard throw. The momentum causes him to stumble a bit forward. After that, Peter finds himself again pinned, this time against the wall.

“Two weeks and that is the best Scott could teach you. What, were you two just goofing around the entire time?”

“Let go of me” Peter growls through clenched teeth.

“That last punch you threw, what was different?”

“What?”

“You heard me, what was different?”

“Let me go!”

“Take a breath” Steve asserts. Peter bites his tongue and inhales deeply. “Now, tell me what was different about the last punch.”

“I…I don’t know. My arm tingled.”

“Like your neck?”

“It…a bit.”

The pressure on Peter’s back releases. Rogers makes his way over to the punching bag, “Hit this.” Peter doesn’t move, just glares. Steve gets louder, “You want to hit me? Do it to the bag.”

Fists clenched, Peter stalks over to the station next to Rogers. He raises his fist and punches the bag. It sways slightly.

“That wasn’t it” Steve says. “Again.”

Another punch.

“Dammit kid! Put some effort in!”

Peter realizes what Steve is doing. Just like Tony a couple nights ago, he’s egging Peter on. The taunts, the insults, it’s to get him angry. And it’s working.

This time the bag swings a bit more with his hit.

“Bucky was right, you’re hopeless.”

The bag swings higher.

“So undeserving.”

Again.

“Lazy.”

Another.

“No wonder Pepper took you away. She knew you were weak.”

The prickling feeling in his arm returns. With a swift move from his arm, Peter’s fist sends the bag flying on impact. It makes a giant clang sound as it speeds into a mirror which shatters.

“Yeah!” Steve exclaims. “The tingle?” Peter doesn’t answer. He’s too preoccupied staring down at his arm, not believing he just did that. He hears Steve go on, “That’s what I’m talking…”

Peter’s neck flashes. He looks up just in time to block a barbell weight flying in his direction. Grabbing it in midair, Peter again is amazed at how easy it is. The tingling feeling in his body is still there. He takes a gulp of air, trying to comprehend what is happening.

Roger’s voice catches his attention. “Frisbee it back!”

Looking up, Peter sees the mischievous grin on the soldier’s face. “C’mon” Rogers makes a beckoning motion with his hands. “Let me have it.”

With his arm still buzzing, Peter tosses the circular disk through the air. Instead of catching, Steve steps out of the way. The weight lodges into the wall behind where he stood. The drywall gives and Peter can faintly hear the sound of tile breaking on the other side.

Blinking, Peter can’t believe what he’s seeing. He did that. Not on accident. He was able to hone in the spider-strength long enough to do that. Staring down at his arm, he’s in disbelief. It looks so normal for something that just sent heavy equipment soaring. Smirking, he looks up at Rogers whose previously gleeful expression is now serious.

“Good thing nobody was on the other side of that wall.”

Peter’s heart drops. What is this guy’s problem? Didn’t Peter just do exactly what he wanted? He was just following Roger’s directions.

Steve walks over to Peter. “Arm still tingling?”

Nodding, Peter looks down at it again. This tingle is like the one in his neck, but a lot more pleasant. It feels natural. Like it’s here to help not warn.

Out of nowhere a cuff is wrapped around Peter’s wrist. He recognizes it as the one Tony put on him the day he broke his arm. Within seconds, the tingle disappears. “What the hell!” Peter exclaims at the soldier. After a slap across the face, Peter asks “Why did you do that?”

“There’s a reason we don’t give children superpowers Peter” Steve answers sternly. “Because you don’t take it seriously.”

“I was doing what you told me to.”

“And look how much it took to get you there. It’s not safe for you or those around you to let you walk around having no clue how to turn those powers on and off. From now on, you keep that cuff on except for training.”

“Why am I being punished?”

“Why do you look at everything that doesn’t go your way as a punishment?”

“How is this not?”

“Until I think you finally understand the seriousness of that serum running through your veins, you’re keeping that on. It’s not a punishment, but a lesson. Unlike you, everyone else who has taken that serum has had to earn it. I threw myself on a grenade to protect my fleet before I was chosen.”

“It’s not my fault…”

Steve stops him, “Yeah, you just wandered around a science lab you had no business being in.”

“I was on a fieldtrip.”

“That your mother didn’t sign off on. Then when you were on said fieldtrip, you snuck into a restricted area.”

“I…”

“We’ve seen the tapes.”

That sends an icy feeling through Peter. He remembers seeing the sign that said no entry. A couple of the kids that he was with did. Their tour guide was new and not keeping a close eye on everyone. It was easy to sneak in, especially when Peter had seen a scientist punch in a code to get through the door.

Steve says “Tony Stark’s son got bitten by a genetically mutated spider and you don’t think he had any of us investigate? It wasn’t that difficult to figure out what happened. I must say, Tony was actually quite impressed that you were able to break in. Even convinced your teacher it was fine. What, did you think you were just going to outsmart the scientists in the lab, just like you had been with everyone at Midtown?”

Yes, that is exactly what Peter had thought at the time. He and the few classmates who participated in the trespassing thought they could lie their way out of it if caught. Mr. Harrington saw them go in, but didn’t realize the lab was restricted. They thought they were so clever. Flash was the one to hide the sign. He had egged Peter to open the door. For once, Peter gave into the jeers. He too wanted to see what was hiding behind the door.

“Imagine if it was one of your classmates that got bitten. The only reason you survived is because you already had a variant of the serum in your blood. If it was someone else in that group, they would have died. That death would have been on you.”

Not being able to look Rogers in the eye, Peter picks at his fingernail. He knows the soldier is right. If anyone else had gotten hurt, Peter would be the one to blame.

Rogers allows Peter to sit in his thoughts for a while. Letting the guilt of what could have possibly been sit in Peter’s head. When he does talk again, he changes the subject.

“Tony told me you were interested in patrolling.”

“Yeah.”

“You are a long way from ready.”

“I see that.”

A moment passes. “Has Tony told you why we are speed-running all your training?”

“I mean…no, its…it’s because I’m behind.”

“Has he explained why we are going so fast?”

The talk with Harley pops into Peter’s head. He and Kate were both shocked when they found out Peter was participating after only a month. Tony too had said he was at that stage when he was ten. That means…that means Peter is only three years behind at this point. Not as far back as he was imagining. He knew they were going fast but this…

“Why?”

“Because the quicker we have you up and running, the less enemies there will be gaining courage to go against you.”

“Wha…what?”

“The longer it takes for you to get your head in the game, the weaker you will appear to the rest of the world. Not just the bats want your thrown Peter. There are others. Plenty of others who would love to take what you have. The longer you're down, the more courage those people will get to plan an attack.”

During his time in Queens, Peter rarely thought about this. Tony was always the scariest thing he could imagine. Sure, he knew the bats were after him. But they always seemed so distant. Almost like the monster under his bed. Make believe. Now to finally realize how many people out there would like him dead just because of his bloodline…it’s gut wrenching. Terrifying.

“How long do you think it’ll take?” Peter hates the training. Absolutely adorns it. But if it’s what’s going to keep him alive…he guesses it’s his only option at this point.

“We had it planned for a year” Steve answers. “You’re already a month ahead of schedule. Every year there’s a big gala on the anniversary of the day we won against the Chitauri. The anniversary of you and your mother disappearance. Almost every celebrity, public figure and influential individual shows up. So does the team and Justice League. Tony has always skipped out, using you and Pepper as an excuse. The bats go every year. It would be a big deal for your first official public appearance to be the next one. I think we could have you ready by then.”

Biting his lips, Peter gives a nod and thinks this over. He really doesn’t want to do this. He doesn’t want to go through everything Tony has planned for him. Nine months. That’s how long he would have. He can only imagine what the Avengers have planned for those nine months. Especially if they are already ‘ahead of schedule.’

“Why do you want to patrol?”

Pausing his finicking, Peter thinks the question over. He comes to a simple conclusion,

“I just want to do some good with all this.”

“While I don’t agree with the sentiment that everything else you are learning here is bad…I can work with that” Steve says. “But I’m going to need your commitment.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you want to go out there and risk your life, you’re going to have to prove to your father that you’re ready. Not just ready but unbeatable. He lost you for ten years, he’s not going to risk you again if he doesn’t think you are prepared. I can get you there. But it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be fun. As I told you earlier, I don’t hold hands. I’m not your friend and frankly I don’t care if you like me. From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t really like you. But I have enough respect for both your father and grandfather that I’ll get you to where you need to be.”

“You said grandpa earned you’re loyalty for three reasons. He gave you the serum. Is another one the fact he never stopped looking for you before he died?”

“Yup.”

“What’s the third?”

“You’ll have to earn my respect first, then maybe I’ll tell you that.”

They hold each other’s stare.

“So kid, what do you think? Can you handle it?”

…

…

…

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

The room is tense as Pepper watches the drone battle from behind a computer screen. The robots are destroying everything at the expo. People are fleeing in all directions. Tony, Rhodey and Steve Rogers who Pepper still can’t believe is back from the dead, are trying to stop all the droids. Clint Barton, some SHIELD agent, and Justin Hammer keep arguing back and forth trying to take control of computer at the expo. Finally, Natalie, or Natasha now, who the hell knows, has finally broken into Hammer’s mainframe.

This is all so confusing. Pepper’s going to kill Tony when she sees him again. God, that hell happened back at that diner?

“Well done with the new chest piece” she hears Agent Romanoff say. “I’m reading significantly higher outputs in all your vitals all looking promising.”

What is that supposed to mean?

“Yes” Tony replies. “For the moment I am not dying. Thank you.”

Pepper’s heart skips a beat. Did Tony really just say that? Jumping onto the call, she asks into the mic

“What do you mean you’re not dying? Did you say you’re dying?”

“That you?” Pepper can hear Tony’s panic. “Uh…no. I’m not. Not anymore.”

“What…What’s going on?”

“I was going to tell you, I didn’t want you…”

“You were going to tell me? You really were dying!”

“You didn’t let me…”

“Why didn’t you tell me that!”

“I was going to make you an omelet and tell you!”

An omelet? The one he made on the plane? Tony has known that long he was dying, and he didn’t tell her. Pepper can feel her pulse racing. How could he? After everything they have been through.

“Hey” Natalie…Natasha cuts them off. “Save it for the honeymoon. You got incoming Tony. Looks like the fight is coming to you.”

“Great” Tony remarks. “Pepper…”

“Are you okay now?” Pepper lets her annoyance be clear in her voice.

“I am fine. Don’t be mad. I will make a formal apology when…”

“I am mad!”

“When I’m not fending off a hammeroid attack.”

Jesus Christ. How has her life before such a mess? What the hell is even going on anymore? It’s felt like years since she found Tony and Rhodey on the top of that donut shop. Now suddenly there’s all these people…

“Fine” she seethes.

“We could have been in Venice.”

“Oh please” she scoffs. How can one man can find new ways every single day to drive Pepper absolutely insane? Since the moment she met Tony, her life has been nothing but one surprise after another. It’s too much. He requires an impossible amount of tolerance from her.

She watches as Tony and Rhodey take care of a bunch of drones in the atrium. Rogers is rounding up the police, trying to get citizens to safety. At one point during a pause in the battle, a group of officers enter the room and come for Hammer. Clint helps them get the CEO under arrest. The former SI enemy doesn’t go down without a fight.

Hammer sneers at Pepper. “I get it. I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to pin this on me? That’s good. That’s good. You’re starting to think like an exec. Fitting right into Stark Industries, aren’t you? Taking out the competition. I like that.”

As Clint hauls the man away, he continues taunting Pepper. “You think you’re making a problem for me? I’ll make a problem for you. You and that boytoy of yours. I’ll be seeing you two again, real soon.”

Pepper walks with another group of officers outside. Hammer’s words reeling around in her head. Everything she has done for Tony the past three years…was it worth it? All the cover ups she took care of, the crimes she helped hide. Only for Tony to lie to her. Not to tell her the biggest secret he ever could hide. No wonder he has been a trainwreck the past few months. He’s had to have known. Pepper can see now the reasoning for all the changes he has made in the company the past few weeks. Tony was saying goodbye. Her heart wretches at the thought. To think only hours ago he was preparing to leave her alone. The man she’s dedicated her life to. Who she has changed so much of herself to fit into his world. The person she leaned on and thought she had his absolute trust.

She needs to be done. Pepper has to go. Now before Tony can hurt her like this again.

“Have city busses there to ferry people to operating lines” Pepper instructs the officers as they leave the building.

“Alright” he says. “You coming with us?”

“No, I’m going to stay until the park is clear.”

This is it. The last mess of Tony’s she will clean up before being done. As she watches the busses fill and people clear out of the Expo, Pepper takes a moment to observe the place. The company she has done more than manage for Tony the past three years. The group she sold her soul for.

Pepper thinks of Tony. The thought of leaving him is painful, but she can’t keep going like this. She can’t watch as his life spirals over and over again. It hurts too much. Pepper admitted to herself last year her true feelings. The second Tony and her locked eyes when he got off that plane from Afghanistan. He owns her. Her heart belongs to him. Tony stole it long ago. How such a man was able to claim it, Pepper will never know. When he first hired her, Tony all but repulsed her. But now…

A faint beeping breaks Pepper out of her pondering. Looking around, she realizes it is coming from one of the defeated drones laying on the steps in front of her. As she watches, the beeping grows louder.

Suddenly a giant figure is before her. Before comprehending what is going on, two arms wrap around Pepper and pull her up into the sky. Below her feet she hears a giant explosion. She screams as she and the figure soar through the air. During her panic, Pepper realizes whose clutches she is in.

Tony lands the two of them onto some rooftop. The Ironman suit he’s wearing begins glitching. Pushing herself away, Pepper feels like her heart is about to leap out of her chest. It’s hard to breathe. Tony won’t let go.

Finally, Pepper is able to get herself out of Tony’s grasp. The suit is obviously malfunctioning. Tony struggles to get the mask off. When he does, Pepper begins vocally panicking.

“Oh my god, I can’t take this anymore.” Her hands cover her eyes.

“You can’t…”

“I can’t take this.”

“What are you…” Tony exclaims. “Look at me!”

“My body literally cannot handle the stress. I never know if you’re going to…kill yourself or…or…wreck the whole company…”

“I just…I think I did okay” Tony says pointing to the wreck of an expo they just left.

“I…” this is it. “I quit. I’m resigning.” Pepper takes a deep breath. “That’s it.”

A look of anger takes over Tony’s expression. Shit. “What did you just say?” Oh no. “You’re done?” Pepper should have known he’d be upset. Nobody leaves SI. She’s too close to everything.

Then Tony’s demeanor settles. “That’s surprising. No…not surprising. I get it. I…uh…you don’t have to make any excuses.”

“I’m…I’m…I’m not making any excuses…” she argues. How can she explain this to Tony? How would he react if she spilled the secret she has been holding? For him to find out their playful flirts meant much more to her than she knows it meant to him.

“But you actually were just making excuses…”

“No, I wasn’t making an excuse.”

“I’m telling you, you don’t have to. Listen…”

“I am actually very justified…”

“Hey, hey, hey” he cuts her off. Taking her hand, he says “You deserve better.”

Her heart skips a beat for the thousandth time tonight. “Well…”

“You have taken such good care of me.” Pepper can tell he is sincere when Tony says this. He looks into her eyes and continues, “Been in a tough spot and you got me through it. So…right?”

“Thank you.” He’s really letting her leave. She’s done. A part of Pepper is overjoyed. Finally, she can leave this horrible dark world her father and brother dragged her into. She can start a new life. One with far less complications.

But that also means Tony is letting her go. And that breaks her apart inside. Because she knows she’ll never be able to get over him.

“Thank you for understanding” she struggles to get out.

“Yeah, yeah let’s…let’s talk clean up…”

“I’ll train Natasha until she’s ready…”

“No, no…Romanoff doesn’t want to be an assistant…”

“Well then, whoever you hire…”

“Plus, your current position. Although you’ve only had it for a week…”

“Well with you it’s like dog years…”

“I know…”

“I mean it’s like the Presidency…”

Pepper can’t continue her sentence when her lips are suddenly captured by Tony’s. It’s a shock to say the least. One that sends her stomach fluttering. Is this really happening? After all this time…does he feels the same way? Caressing the side of Tony’s head with her hand, Pepper can feel him deepen the kiss on her lips.

Before Pepper wants him to, Tony pulls away. His dark chocolate eyes gaze down on her in a way Pepper has never seen from him before. There has always been a hint of lust in Tony’s stare when he has looked at her the past three years, but this is different. His expression holds passion, desire and…love. Tony’s gaze holds Pepper in a trance that makes her weak at the knees and her heart soar.

“Pepper” his voice is soft. It’s filled with a tone of both humor and possessiveness. “You can quit. But there is no way I am letting you go.”

Blinking her eyes open, Pepper is met with soft sunlight coming in from the window. Immediately, she is aware of the gauze and tape on her face. She forgot how clogged her nose felt last time she had this surgery. Eating is not going to be fun the next few days.

It appears that the medical team set up her bed next to the window. Just as the surgeon had recommended, her torso is elevated so she is sitting up. As her eyes adjust, Pepper smiles looking down into the city. As she becomes fully conscious, Pepper realizes she isn’t alone. Tony, Rhodey and Steve are standing around a table discussing some notes they have pulled up on a hologram.

After a while, Tony glances over towards her. Their eyes meet.

“Pep” he stops what he’s doing and rushes next to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine” she answers groggily. “A bit cold.”

Right away Tony grabs a blanket. As he drapes it over her, he says “Sounds like you’re fully with us this time.”

“Huh?”

“You woke up a couple hours ago and let’s just say you were a lot less cohesive. Kept saying there were bugs in your nose.”

Pepper gives him a small smile, “Well now it just feels stuffed.”

“Any pain.”

“No. How did the surgery go?”

“Good. Good.” Tony lets out a heavy breath. “Dr. Carter was pleased with how it went. I had Strange watch to make sure he didn’t mess it up. Everything went smoothly.”

“Great.”

“Are you hungry? Want anything to eat?”

“Maybe in a bit. I’m still tired.”

“Okay, just let me know. Thirsty?”

“Tony, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes” Pepper chuckles. “How was Peter after breakfast?”

Frowning, Tony answers “Haven’t seen him, been here all day. He did shape up for tutoring and training.”

“How did it go with Steve?”

Turning, Tony looks to said man. Steve goes on to explain, “Didn’t start off great, but we came to an understanding. Should be better going forward.”

Gently nodding her stiff head, Pepper glances at the holograms of what the men were going over before. “Still working on the trade agreements for next week?”

“Yeah” Tony nods. “Everything is all squared away, just making sure Rogers is ready.”

“Rogers?”

Steve speaks up, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Tony has decided to sit Washington out.”

“Tony…”

“I’m needed here” Tony states, his gaze fixed on Pepper.

“It’s important that you go. If you don’t, Wayne will completely take over the trade agreement. You know how Bruce can be.”

“Steve can…”

“It won’t look good for you to not go.”

“You and Peter…”

“We will be fine. Rhodey will be here…”

“Yeah, well that’s what I thought ten years ago.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper can see Rhodey slightly flinch at the statement. There is a harshness in Tony’s tone that even the most socially inept would be able to pick up on.

“Tony, this isn’t then. You have important responsibilities outside of Peter and I. Go to Washington. Get the deal negotiated with Wayne and the representatives so that you and Bruce are on the same page for when you present it to the UN.”

“No” Tony is firm. “You just had surgery. Peter’s a mess…”

“That doesn’t stop the rest of the world from turning.”

“I’m not leaving you two behind again. Not when you need me.”

“The country needs you.” Pepper insists. “You sitting next to me won’t make my nose heal faster. Peter…he…Honey, it’s just going to take time. He’s upset. You skipping out on your SI duties isn’t going to change that. We understand that there are times when you’re needed elsewhere. Especially when it is something this important.”

“Nothing is more important than you two.”

Steve again interjects. “This trade deal affects our relationship with all of Europe.”

“Peter and I will be here when you get back” Pepper insists. “I promise.”

“Pep” Tony’s eyes are filled with concern. “Last night…”

“You can call us everyday. JARVIS can give you minute by minute updates. We’ll be fine. We’re not going anywhere. Really honey. We’re okay.” Pepper puts a bit of emphasis on ‘we’re.’ After their argument last night, she and Tony were able to get on some common ground. Apologies and forgiveness were sent both ways. They still aren’t fully recovered but are on the right track.

Reluctantly, Tony nods. “If you’re sure…”

“I am.”

“Fine then.”

Behind Tony’s back, Steve appears relieved. He mouths a ‘thank you’ in Pepper’s direction before saying “We should call Wayne to let him know you’re going again. He wouldn’t be happy with a surprise visit in his territory if he wasn’t expecting you.”

“I’ll be right back” Tony says to Pepper. He gives her a quick kiss before heading to the door. To Rhodes he says “Stay with her” then leaves with Steve.

The atmosphere in the room is awkward. Rhodes had visited Pepper a couple times when she first got to the tower, but Happy was there both times. This is the first time they are alone. Pepper finds the uncomfortableness quiet odd. She and Rhodey were close years ago. He and Happy were like older brothers to her. It took a while, but Pepper and Happy have bounced back to their previous comradery. However, Rhodes won’t even look at her.

“Rhodey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what you mean” Rhodes says, staring at the holograms still.

“You don’t seem like yourself.”

“A lot has changed in the past ten years Pepper. You aren’t exactly the same as you were back then.”

“I’m not. Why does that upset you?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Then what is upsetting you?”

“Who said I’m upset.”

“Rhodey, come on…”

“What were you expecting Pepper?” Rhodes finally turns his gaze to her. “That you could just show back up and everything would be how it used to be?”

“Clearly, nothing is how it used to be. Pretty much everything has changed.”

“That’s what happens when aliens attack the planet and the country gets a new government. We all had to change to do that. Me, Tony, Happy, Steve, everyone. We suddenly had a literal world of responsibility put on our shoulders.”

“Tony chose that…”

“And we were there to support him because we believed in him. Unlike you.”

“I was doing…”

“What was best for Peter. Yeah, Tony’s told me about your new little catchphrase.”

His voice is full of malice. Pepper has to admit it hurts to hear him speak to her this way. “Rhodey…”

“Unlike you, we all had to face the consequences of our actions. You know how much fortitude and mental endurance it took to not only rebuild half the country but get the citizens to want us in control. We’re still fighting that battle. And you just missed it. All of it.”

“You don’t think I’m facing the consequences of my actions? Look at my face.”

“Ten years” Rhodey is seething. “That’s how long Tony spent thinking about you two every single day. All the while you were running around without a care in the world.”

“I do care…”

“No, you don’t! You don’t care! How could you possibly? After all the shit you put us through? It nearly destroyed Tony losing you and Howie. Us here were keeping him together with tape and glue. He was miserable. After risking his life fighting that army, he went home to an empty house. How could you do that to him Pepper?”

“I…”

Rhodes doesn’t allow her to talk He’s too far gone to stop. “It was awful Pepper. He was a wreck. For years Tony was barely able to function and he wouldn’t let us help him. It was worse than when he came back from Afghanistan. He buried himself so far inside that head of his that I didn’t think we would ever get him back. It was like he was a robot. Like the Ironman suits had completely taken over. And you weren’t there.”

“Tony…”

“It was tech, the company and the investigation for you and Howie. That is all he could think about. He wouldn’t allow himself to feel. He forced his brain to compartmentalize. I don’t think Tony asked a single personal question to anybody for five years. He couldn’t. Because that would lead to him having to talk about himself and that would bring up you two! Nobody could get through to him. He pushed us all away.”

“Rhodey…”

“Then you come back, after ten years of hell and worry and he just forgives you.”

Pepper can feel her eyes watering. The pain in Rhodey’s voice…it’s heartbreaking. Her intentions were never to hurt Tony or any of them. It was an unavoidable symptom of her departure. One Pepper never felt good about.

Rhodes continues, “You did the absolute worst thing you could have done and he forgives you. It’s like you have him under some spell. You bat those eyes and Tony just crumbles at your feet. You who caused all this shit. Then Steve thanking you…for what? For being the reason Tony’s unable to focus on his responsibilities. For being the root cause of everyone here’s suffering. It’s been what, a month? You caused ten years of panic and misery and you’re forgiven after one month of being back. When the rest of us, who strained ourselves and put up with so much misplaced anger, had to fight for years.”

Oh Rhodey, “Tony blamed you…didn’t he.”

“Fuck you, Pepper. Fuck you!”

“Rhodey…”

“Do not call me that!”

“I…”

“No! You know what, you don’t get to call me that Virginia. Not anymore. God!”

“I’m sorry!”

“I don’t give a shit!”

“Please Rhodey. Believe me…”

“I said not to call me that. You don’t deserve to call me that. I’m Rhodes to you now. You don’t get to call me a nickname after all the crap I went through…that I’m still going through. You don’t get to call me Rhodey. You who did this. You who nearly destroyed everything. You who caused all this pain and are still Pepper. You who lied for ten years and are still Mom.”

Yesterday, Pepper noticed Peter’s underlying hatred when Rhodes was brought up. Throughout the years, Peter always spoke fondly of his godfather. How has that changed so quickly? “What happened between you and Peter?”

“I did what Tony asked of me. Which is all I’ve done for the last ten years. Because of you, I am now in a spot where I can’t win no matter what I do. You’ve put all of us in positions where we have to pick a side. Tony or Peter. At least that’s what the kid thinks. It’s not right that you don’t have to face any repercussions for what you did. That after all this, you are still harbored as…” Rhodes is too lost to care about cohesive thought. “The punishment doesn’t fit the crime, Virginia. Out of all of us, you should be the one suffering Peter’s loathing. Instead, you’re the only one the kid cares about. You and maybe Happy. Tony’s not dad. Bruce isn’t Hulky. I’m not Uncle Rhodey. But you…of course, you still get to be Mom.”

Pepper should have seen this coming. She saw how lonely Peter felt yesterday. While she expected her son not to be ready to trust any of the Avengers, she didn’t realize he would grow to despise them so quickly. He’s fine with Happy. She thought Peter would at least have Rhodey too. But he doesn’t. Because of her, Peter feels at odds with everyone he used to consider family. When he was little, Uncle Rhodey was one of his favorite people on earth. Pepper is the cause for the wedge between them.

“Peter just needs time to adjust. We missed all of you while away. We really did Rhode…” Pepper stops herself from saying the nickname. “Peter wants relationships with all of you again. He’s struggling with his feeling about everyone. That includes me.”

“No. Not by a long shot are we competing on the same playing field. To Peter you are this pure idol that he has unwavering adoration for. Even Happy, Peter only likes him because he takes care of you. Everything to Peter is about you. The rest of us have to pine and jump through hoops for just a tiny bit of acceptance from the kid when you don’t even have to try.”

“Talk to him. Explain that you are still the same Uncle Rhodey from years ago.”

“He won’t even talk to me when we are in the same room.”

“Let me talk with him then.”

“The last thing I will do right now is go against Tony. I’m not risking losing my brother again. Not after all I did to get him back.”

Throughout the years, Pepper watched every interview and press conference the team did. There were times when she could see how much Tony was struggling. She could read through his tough exterior. Rhodes too. She thought that at least they had each other. Never in a million years did she think that friendship was breakable. To hear just how truly lonely everyone she had loved was…all because of her. Because of her anger and rash decision making.

“How long did it take?”

“Five years” Rhodes is finally calming down.

“The Mandarin…”

“Is finally what snapped him back.”

Watching all that go down from behind a television screen had Pepper terrified. Tony going off on reporters and revealing the address of their Malibu home. Happy getting hurt. All the attacks. Then Tony going missing and presumed dead. For years she could only make assumptions about what was happening behind the scenes.

“What happened during all that?”

“You would know if you were here.”

“I know he decided to get the arc removed…”

“He finally wanted to be human again, not a machine.”

“And he also met Harley…”

“God Harley” Rhodes takes a deep breath. “That kid…”

“Peter’s concerned by their relationship. Did Tony…”

“No. He…Harley’s the only reason Tony is alive. I don’t know how exactly, but the kid was able to pull Tony out of the hole he dug himself into. He…Harley’s only a few months older than Peter. Tony hadn’t realized how much time had passed until…Tony never gave up on finding Howie. But meeting Harley made him realize just how much of Howie’s life he had already missed. After Harley…Tony stopped wallowing about all the time lost and started preparing for when he finally found his son again.”

“You should explain that to Peter.”

“He won’t…”

“He’s so confused about his relationship with Tony, Peter can’t wrap his head around anyone else. You know Tony better than anyone, even me. You help Peter understand his father and then you can work on becoming ‘Uncle Rhodey’ again. I saw it in his eyes yesterday. Peter misses all of you. It’s my fault and for that I am sorry. But you can get him back. I know you can.”

Rhodes stares at the hologram, but Pepper knows he isn’t reading a word. He is lost in thought.

“When your nose is healed, Tony’s letting you out into the world again. Right?”

“Yes.” Already, they have a few public outings planned. Last night they had discussed how to integrate Pepper back into the public spotlight. They have also discussed moving her out of the basement. While Pepper still won’t be allowed in the penthouse or anywhere she could run into Peter, she will have more freedom to move about the tower. Before her surgery this morning, Tony showed her an apartment on the eightieth floor she’ll be moving into once discharged.

“You plan on making a run for it again?”

“No.” Never again. Pepper can’t do that to them again. For the sake of her son, her husband and all the friends she hurt for so long, Pepper is staying put. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“It would destroy Tony…”

“And I’m sorry. To all of you. I really am Rhod…I’m sorry I hurt you.” Pepper begins tearing up again.

They sit in silence. Rhodes once again can’t look at Pepper.

Eventually, Tony and Steve return. With one look at Pepper’s red eyes, Tony is by her side.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Nothing…”

Turning to Rhodes, Tony growls “What did you say?”

“Tony…”

“Rhodes!”

Grabbing her husband and getting him to turn back to her, Pepper says “Honey. I’m fine. I had sneezed earlier and it hurt.”

“Do you need some meds?”

“No, no. I’m fine now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes” Pepper gives him a small smile.

Tony doesn’t look convinced. He sends a glance towards Rhodes and asks, “You sure it was a sneeze?”

“Yes” Pepper lies. “Rhodes didn’t do anything Tony. It was me.”

Behind Tony who turns his attention back to her, Pepper sees Rhodes shift his weight. Steve is watching the room with an eyebrow raised. He seems to understand the true meaning behind Pepper’s words. She wonders how much the soldier endured of Tony’s wrath after she left. Was it as bad as Rhodey?

“How did the phone call go with Wayne?” Pepper changes the subject.

Tony’s concern immediately turns to annoyance. “Ugh.”

Steve speaks up, “At least this time they both kept the personal insults to one each.”

“Honey…”

“I know Pep” Tony says.

“You shouldn’t let him get under your skin.”

“He just knows the exact thing to say…”

“You two really bring out the best in each other, you know that?”

“He’s such an ass.”

Smiling, Pepper tells him “One that you’ll be working with for about a week. So, play nice or at least be professional.”

“I would much rather be here with you and Peter.”

“I know. We’ll be here when you get back though. I promise.”

Chapter Text

“The sandwich was fair, the springs were a little rusty, the rest of the materials I’ll make do. By the way” Tony adds, holding up the Dora the Explorer watch he is wearing. “When you said your sister had a watch…”

“Yeah” Harley says.

“I was kind of hoping for something a little more adult than that.”

To Tony’s annoyance, the kid laughs, “She’s six! Anyway, it’s limited edition.” As if that makes it better. “Anyway, when can we talk about New York?”

“Maybe never.” Tony has already told the kid no. “Relax about it.”

“What about the Avengers? Can we talk about…”

“Later!” God, this kid is annoying. Harley doesn’t need to know about any of that. Tony doesn’t have the time to explain or the desire to talk about it with the boy. “Later, give me some space.” A part of Tony just wants the kid to go away, but he needs him for now.

They finally get to the bomb sight. Harley explains the story about the event. They sit next to each other while Tony tries to think of what to do next.

“You know what this crater reminds me of?” Harley asks.

“No idea. I’m not…I don’t care.”

The boy continues, “That giant wormhole in um…in New York!” Why won’t the kid let up! “Does it remind you?”

“That’s manipulative, I don’t want to talk about it.” This kid better shut up.

Harley doesn’t. “Are they coming back? The aliens?”

“Maybe” Tony’s heart begins racing at the thought. That plus the memory of going through that wormhole. The call Pepper didn’t pick up… “Can you stop? Remember when I told you I have an anxiety issue?”

“Does this subject make you…make you edgy?”

Stupid question.

“Yeah. A little bit. Can I just catch my breath for a second?” Tony tries to get himself under control.

“Are the bad guys in Rose Hill?” How would Tony know? “Do you…do you need a plastic bag to breath into?” Plastic bag? Idiot. child “Do you…do you have medication?”

“Nope.”

“Do you need to be on it?”

“Probably” Tony exhales. The image of Pepper packing those suitcases flashes through his mind.

“Do you have PTSD.”

“I don’t think so.” A nightmare of Howie being picked up by one of those aliens.

“Are you…are you going completely mental?” Tony can’t breathe. “I can stop.” Please do kid. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Remember when I said stop doing that? I swear you’re going to freak me out!”

Harley stares at him, eyes wide. His mouth is hanging open and his tongue moves a bit. Howie once made that face at Tony. Only a couple weeks before…before….

“Ah man, you did it didn’t you!” Tony stands and begins walking away from the crater. “You happy now?”

“What did I say?” the kid calls out.

Running over to the street, Tony rips off his jacket. He needs air. He needs to breathe. He needs the image of his son out of his head. The one he is about to miss another Christmas with. Falling to the ground, Tony grabs a handful of snow and buries his face in it. The cold helps him regain his composure.

“What the hell was that?” Harley had followed Tony down the alley.

Looking up at the kid, Tony chucks the snowball at his face. “You’re fault. You spazzed me out.”

The boy just smiles. “Sorry” he says. “I’m just curious. I was really little when it happened.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah, I had just turned four. I barely remember it.”

Four…four…Howie was three during the attack. Only a few months away from four. But…but…Harley couldn’t have been four. He’s what…

“How old are you now?”

“Nine.”

Shit! No, no, no, no. He can’t be. Because that means Howie…Howie would be nine now. It’s really been five years. Five years and Tony…his son has been gone for five years. That’s two years longer than Tony got to spend with him.

“Mechanic…” Harley begins.

“Shh” Tony cuts him off. Howie has been gone five years. Five never-ending and excruciating years. All the while Tony has been…how has so much time passed? How has he been looking for five years and still have no idea where his son is? Or if Howie is even…don’t think that way Tony. Howie’s alive. He has to be. If he wasn’t, Tony would have found a body by now. Howie is somewhere out there alive. He can’t be…don’t even think the word, Tony.

“Are you okay?” Harley asks.

“Yeah” Tony lies and takes a deep breath. He looks at the kid. God…Howie is almost the same age as this kid. What does he look like? As a tot, Tony saw so much of himself in his son. Does he still bear a similar resemblance? “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I am…”

“Do you not like thinking about…”

“God kid! I said stop!” Tony says with a harshness he hasn’t used on the boy yet.

Harley’s eyes go wide and fill with fear. “I…I…” he gulps and takes a step back. “I’m sorry” he whispers.

One of the last things Howie ever said to Tony was that he was sorry. He also wore a similar expression of terror when he said it. He was scared…scared of Tony. “Don’t…don’t say…”

“I…I…um…”

Not the stuttering. Not in the way Howie did their last night in the lab.

“Stop…I…I just…” The arc reactor in his chest has never felt so heavy. “Howie…don’t say…”

Knitting his eyebrows together, Harley’s head tilts to the side. “Mechanic?”

“I…I…” Breathe Tony, breathe.

“Is Howie your son?”

Not being able to look at the boy any longer, Tony buries his head directly into the snow pile. He needs something to get him to calm down. The image of Howie having a panic attack on Tony’s workbench is hardened into his mind. It is taking everything inside of Tony not to break down.

For the first time since they met, Harley stays quiet. He waits until Tony gets his head on straight. When Tony finally comes back around, he finds the boy silently sitting next to him on the ground. Once Tony’s breathing is back to normal he leans back against the building they are next to.

“I’m sorry” Harley repeats.

“Don’t…” Tony huffs. “You didn’t do anything.”

“I’m still sorry…”

“Did you break into my home and take my son away?”

“No, but…”

“Then you don’t apologize for something you didn’t do.” One of the last lessons Tony taught Howie before the interrogation.

Harley tilts his head again. “I guess…you really don’t know where he is?”

“No.”

“I don’t know where my dad is. It…it sucks.”

“Yeah” Tony sighs. “It does suck.”

“Probably not as much as it sucks for you to not know where Howie is.”

“It’s similar…”

“At least you know Howie wants to come home. Unlike my dad.”

Does he? When they finally meet again, will Howie want anything to do with Tony? If it’s been this long and neither his wife nor son have made any attempt to contact Tony… “That isn’t a guarantee.”

“Because of the FBI?”

“Um…yeah.” Tony lies.

“I’m sure he wants to go home” Harley states. “Even…even with everything…I hate him. But if my dad ever came back…even after what he did…I’d be happy to see him. I…I really miss him. I’m sure Howie misses you…a lot.”

For the first time in years, a small warmth of hope grows in Tony’s chest. Grief that he has been pounded down for a long time releases from behind the walls Tony had put up. It diminishes and begins being replaced by optimism of Harley’s words. “I miss him too…a lot.” More than his son will ever know. Tony misses Howie with every fiber of his being.

Tony and Harley wallow in their sorrow for a while longer. Two victims of broken homes that just want their families reunited. For the one person who broke them to return.

“Okay” Tony puts his hat back on. Bury it Tony, bury it. It’s time to get back to the mission. “Back to business. Where were we?”

Grabbing a quick snack from the cupboard in his bedroom, Peter scarfs a granola bar down before heading back downstairs. He and his tutor lost track of time going over the new Portuguese vocab. When Peter finally looked up at the clock, he only had ten minutes to change clothes and get to the gym. Not wanting Steve to get upset, he rushes through changing into work-out attire and is now booking it back to the elevator. Rogers had made it clear day one that it is better to be on his good side during training.

Peter makes it to the gym with only a minute to spare. He’s out of breath. The cuff on his wrist has really brought down his endurance. To his surprise, it isn’t Steve who walks in only moments later.

“Why are you here?” Peter asks Rhodes.

“I told Steve to give you the day off.”

“Why would you do that?”

Shrugging, Rhodes answers “It’s Friday. Most kids are starting summer break. Thought you could use a night off. Get an early start on the weekend.”

“Did Tony approve this?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Well great” Peter sneers. “I’m going to get blamed for this.”

“You won’t…”

“Yes, I will. Tony told me before he left that I had to attend all tutoring and training sessions. Now because of you, I’m going to get in trouble.”

“I’ll take the blame.”

“It won’t matter. I’ll still be the one who gets punished.”

“We’ll just tell Tony that you trained with me today.”

Scoffing and shaking his head, Peter says, “I don’t want to train with you.”

“Look” Rhodes sighs. “I know you are upset about the gym…”

“What a detective you are.”

“Peter…”

“I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!” Peter doesn’t hide his anger. He’s had to put up with Rhodes for a day and a half alone and is already sick of the man. A part of him wishes Tony would return just so Rhodes will go away.

Another sigh from his godfather. “I know…”

“WHY WON’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE? CAN’T YOU TAKE A HINT?”

“Because whether you want me to or not, I still see you as my little nephew. One that I spent ten years worrying about.”

“You’re unbelievable” Peter snarks. He heads to the gym exit.

“Peter, I know you are angry.  But please, hear me out. I don’t know what you remember about me. But I’m still Uncle Rhodey. I’m still…”

“NO!” Peter turns back around, glaring at the man. “You are not Uncle Rhodey. I remember Uncle Rhodey and you aren’t him. I don’t know who you are anymore. Because Uncle Rhodey, the one I remember, would have never done what you did.”

“I…”

“Uncle Rhodey protected me. He cared about what I wanted. Uncle Rhodey never let Tony get away with his shit. I told Uncle Rhodey that I didn’t like tutoring every day, he made Tony drop it down to a few times a week. I told Uncle Rhodey that I never get to go swimming anymore and he took me to the beach. I told Uncle Rhodey that I didn’t like when both my parents were gone and suddenly Mom would stay home next time Tony had a work trip. He told Tony no when I couldn’t. You are not him. You don’t deserve to be called Uncle Rhodey, not after the gym.”

“Just…”

“Because you want to know what I kept thinking to myself the thirty minutes I sat alone waiting for the suppressor to wear off? The one thing that wasn’t sending me into a panic attack the entire time I sat there dreading what was to come. It was that as long as Uncle Rhodey was there, I would be fine. That Uncle Rhodey wouldn’t let Tony do anything horrible. He would stop Tony before things got too far. But instead, you not only fed into him but you…you…”

Peter can feel his eyes burning. “That was the worst moment of my life. The absolute worst moment of my life. And that is a lot to say after some of the shit Tony has put me through. I thought I was going to die. That Tony had finally pushed me to my death. At that point I had already seen two people die and it was...You know how fucked up that was? To think that my own father…how could you?”

“I was following Tony’s orders…”

“Exactly! What the hell happened to you? When did you become this yes-man that just blindly does what Tony asks?”

“I had to…”

“NO, YOU DIDN’T.”

“Yes, I did.” Rhodes is holding back his own emotion. “You’re right Peter, I’m not that Uncle Rhodey anymore. Because for a long time I wasn’t even Rhodey. I was Colonial. I was War Machine. If I was lucky that day, I was James. I was the man who lost the two people Tony cares about most.”

Peter is silent, just glaring at Rhodes who continues.

“Pepper wasn’t here for the fallout. She wasn’t here to accept any blame. You know who was? Me. The person who let the love of Tony’s life walk out the door while taking the one thing Tony couldn’t live without. You. It didn’t matter that Tony was the one to tell me to suit up and go. It didn’t matter that I did everything I could before leaving to make sure you and your mom were safe. I was the last one to see you two, so I held the blame. By looking at us now, you would think Tony and I were the same as we were ten years ago. But we aren’t. It took five years to get back to something that even resembled the friendship we once had. It took me that long to get my brother back.”

“And look who he turned you into.”

“I had to change Peter. I lost the right to say no to him the second your mother took a step outside the mansion. I couldn’t. Even now, I can’t. Because I lost Tony ten years of your childhood, and I can never forgive myself for that.”

“So, all you care about is him…”

“I care about all three of you” Rhodes asserts. “You and Pepper weren’t just Tony’s family; you were mine too. I think of Pepper as more of a sister than I do my biological one. It wasn’t just Tony who missed you two. We were all hurting. Especially Tony, Happy and I.”

“Yeah right…”

“It’s true. Tony kept me around but believe me, he did not want me here. If there is one thing you should appreciate about your father is that he is loyal to those who are loyal to him. I along with a few others were allowed to stay as long as we accepted responsibility for actions we did not take. Tony even blamed JARVIS. He made new AI’s just so he didn’t have to rely on the one that Pepper tricked into letting you two leave. He was so angry, and we all just had to take it.”

“He seemed to be doing just fine from all the interviews I’ve seen. You were all very chummy when spewing that bullshit about us getting kidnapped.”

Pulling something from out of his pocket, Rhodes puts on the BARF glasses. “Want to see what it was like behind the scenes?”

The gym begins filling with Rhodes’ memory. They’re back in Malibu, Tony is working in his lab. He looks nuts. His hair is all over the place, he’s unshaven and clearly hasn’t taken a shower in a few days. His eyes are practically bugging out of his head as he works on one of his suits.

Rhodes enters. Tony doesn’t acknowledge him. Getting closer, Rhodes begins “Tony…”

“What do you want?” Tony growls, not looking up from his work.

“You…”

“You’re really asking for your access privileges to be revoked. Now spew it out.”

“I…”

“NOW!”

“WAYNE AGREED TO GIVE UP THE CAROLINAS FOR TENNESSEE!” Rhodes yells back.

“Great. Anything else?”

“No, but…”

“Get out.”

“Tony…”

“I said get out!”

“When was the last time you slept?”

“I’m fine” Tony takes a large gulp out of a coffee cup next to him.

“JARVIS, when was the last time…”

“I turned him off.”

“Tony…”

“Wasn’t doing much good now, was he.”

“You need sleep.”

“Leave me alone.”

“It’s not healthy…”

Glaring from his workbench, Tony sneers “When I sleep, all I see is one of those aliens holding my dead child. So, until I am ready to see that again, I’m staying awake.”

“You need…”

“Go away.”

“Tony…”

“HOW ABOUT YOU LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE YOU DID THEM?”

The veracity in his tone makes Peter jump. He has seen Tony sleep deprived before, but never like this. Even during their own arguments, Tony has never spoken to Peter with this much fury. He’s never appeared so…disheveled. Unstable even. How long after the attacks did this happen?

The scene dissolves, leaving just Peter and Rhodes. “So, he talked shit to you.” Peter says. “Not my problem you put up with it. It’s your fault for allowing him to do that.”

“He was hurting Peter” Rhodes says. “He was in unimaginable pain. I couldn’t turn my back on my little brother. Not when I felt partially responsible.”

“He’s just an ass…”

“There are so many sides of Tony you haven’t seen yet.”

“Oh, so he just saves the abusive monster for me?”

“He…he loves you more than anything on earth.”

“Stop saying that! I’m so sick of everyone lying about that! You, Happy, Harley, even mom…”

“Because it’s true…”

“Really? Because what Ben taught me was that love is unconditional and you don’t hurt the people you love. What has Tony done since finding me but beat me and try to change me?”

“Steve explained the training to you, right?”

“It’s all just excuses…”

“There is not a thing you could say or do that would make Tony not love you. He has to be tough on you, but to the rest of us see he is nothing but proud.”

“Proud” Peter rolls his eyes. “From what Rogers says, all you people think is that I’m some pathetic kid. You’re all just embarrassed that I’m not some psychotic weapon that Tony wants. That’s why he’s making me go through this. He said it himself that I’m not enough.”

“Peter, that’s just not true. You’re taking Tony’s words the wrong way. Steve knows just as much as the rest of us how delighted Tony is with you. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect so much out of you.”

“Yeah right.”

Another memory begins forming. This one looks recent. Tony, Rhodes and Rogers are sitting around a desk. Tony has a hologram of the arc reactor up. The newest one he has been working on. Rhodes appears amused by whatever Tony is talking about while Steve looks annoyed.

“Then he asked why I looped the base wiring rather than send it straight through. I explained the reaction to the core and he asked if it would be more stable if I used copper wire instead. I had used some in old models but had switched a few years ago. I think he might be onto something though, if I could just figure out the heating…” Tony goes on.

In a low voice only Rhodes was paying enough attention to hear, Steve mutters “I forgot how much he goes on about that kid.”

Peter realizes this is the day after his and Tony’s first night in the lab. The morning of the gym. Tony is completely unaware of his employee’s comments and continues discussing the lab.

Rhodes chuckles, “Be nice, he’s excited.”

“Has the kid even been back forty-eight hours?”

“Around that.”

“I don’t even understand half of what he’s saying.”

“Yeah, but Peter does. And that’s what Tony cares about.”

Tony continues being oblivious. “Then we moved onto the new phone coming out. You two should have seen how quick Pete took that thing apart and put it back together. He was flawless. Not one stumble or mistake. When we got to the code, I noticed there was a bug report.”

“Yeah, a three days old. Right?” Steve comments with little enthusiasm.

“Four” Tony smiles. “Kid figured it out before I even had read that far into the code.”

“I know, you told me that this morning.”

Pausing and raising an eyebrow at Rogers, Tony asks, “I’m sorry. Do I once again have to explain that in under a minute of looking at this code for the first time, my son solved a problem dozens of college-educated engineers couldn’t. Do you not understand how impressive that is.”

“No, this is the third time you’ve told me today.”

“Rhodey hasn’t heard it.”

“The kid is a thirteen-year-old physics nerd. Excuse me for not thinking he’s Einstein yet.”

“From what I’ve seen so far” Tony brags. “Einstein wishes he was that smart.”

It feels good to hear Tony talk this way and Peter hates how nice it is to hear. After everything Tony has put him through…why can’t he just be like this? Why does Tony save the better side of himself for everyone but Peter. Even seeing how he interacted with mom on Tuesday…he’s so much less intense. Less harsh. Less like he’s looking for the next moment to teach a lesson on cruelty.

Steve argues, “We are supposed to be discussing your call with Wayne last night.”

“That can wait” Tony scoffs.

Rhodes speaks up, “It can. Go on Tones.”

Going right back into his ramblings, Tony doesn’t hear Rhodes and Steve whispering.

“Don’t encourage him” Rogers says.

“He’s waited ten years Steve. Give him a break.”

“He’s going off so much about last night, you should have seen the kid this morning. Weak little mouse…”

“That’ll change once he gets more comfortable here. Can’t you just be happy to have the boy back finally.”

Rogers watches Tony for a bit before agreeing, “I guess it’s nice to see a genuine smile again.” Genuine? Peter saw multiple times over the years Tony smiling and grinning on camera. What does Rogers mean by genuine?

“Look at you going soft.”

“Shut up. If I have to hear that bug story again, I swear I’m going to go delete that entire program myself.”

As the scene dissolves, current Rhodes says “A version of this has happened almost every day since you’ve been back. He was so worried about how far behind you’d be when we found you and all you have done is exceed past his wildest expectations.  Clint and Nat were almost relieved to go to Africa just so they wouldn’t be constantly bombarded with Tony’s bragging. The only ones of us that even slightly understand half of the tech jargon are Harley, Scott and I”

Harley. Even after listening Tony go on so long about how smart he thinks Peter is, the thought that he had once replaced Peter with another kid still eats at him. Even if everyone has denied it, Peter can’t help but believe it true.

“Why did he replace me?”

“Harley isn’t a replacement.”

“The fact you know exactly what I’m talking about…”

“Of course, you think that, Peter. We all did at one point. Harley included. But it’s not true. Tony and Harley are close, but only because Harley gave Tony hope again in finding you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was on the brink of losing it. For five years he buried so much pain and sadness it was driving him crazy. Not Pepper, but you all but consumed his every thought. Every holiday you were gone, every birthday Tony missed, caused him to drown further and further into the dark hole in his head. Then the mandarin happened. When the Malibu house was attacked, Tony jumped into a suit and didn’t stop flying until he crash landed in Tennessee. That’s where he met Harley.”

“What?”

“He ran into a kid with some engineering skills that could help Tony get around town. Honestly, Harley annoyed Tony more than anything. He wouldn’t stop talking and kept sending Tony into panic attacks.”

“Panic…”

“Tony lost his parents. His godfather had betrayed him. He lost you and Pepper. And Happy was in the hospital in a coma. It was too much, even for Tony. Then he’s met a kid who does nothing but ask about the worst day of Tony’s life. Just when Tony is about to ditch him, Harley tells him that he was four during the attacks, only a few months older than you were. So now Tony is faced with a nine-year-old that represents all the time Tony had lost with you. That he was continuing to lose. He still had to wait another five years after before finding you.”

“So, he did think of Harley…”

“As somebody who would go to hell and back for you.”

The crumbling debris of the Malibu home forms around them. The giant structure that has turned into a complete wreckage. Tony is standing in the middle of it, staring at the ocean. In his hands is a pile of metal smashed together.”

Past Rhodes approaches apprehensively. “Tones…”

“This was a little car he made.”

The statement sounds so broken. Peter can hear the grief inside Tony clear as day. He’s never heard such emotion from his father. Never has Tony shown any weakness.

“You have other projects…”

“He’s not going to be the little three-year-old in my head, is he?”

Rhodes deflates, “No…no he isn’t.”

“And the last memory he has of me, if he has any at all, is going to be…” An incredibly pained look crosses his features.

“I’m sure Pepper…”

“Don’t” Tony cuts him off, again sounding heartbroken. “Just…who knows what she’s telling him.” Looking up to the sky, Tony takes in a giant breath. Peter knows why, he himself has done the same many times the past month. Tony’s holding back tears. “He probably hates me, and I don’t blame him. It’s been five years and I still can’t find him.”

“We’re all…”

“Stop.”

The sight tears something inside of Peter. To see this human side of his father is unbelievable. It's almost too much to bear. That the mere thought that Peter hates him causes the man this much grief. Peter’s probably said ‘I hate you’ a thousand times since returning. Has it hurt Tony this much each time? In the heat of the moment, Peter wanted his words to hurt. But now watching this…this shouldn’t affect him this much! Why should Peter feel bad for Tony? The person who has put Peter through so much distress and suffering. Tony should be hurting. Peter is. Tony has said some vicious things. What he says about the Parkers, Ned, MJ, Pepper. All of that hurts Peter and Tony doesn’t seem to care.

Yet standing here, watching his father nearly break down is a sight that rips Peter up inside.

“There’s a boy” Tony says. “I met him in Tennessee.”

“Don’t give up Tony” Rhodes implores.

“The day I give up on Howie is the day I bury his dead body” Tony huffs. “It’s not that. The kid is smart, good in emergencies, has some engineering potential…”

“Tony…”

“He reminds me of you” Tony turns to his friend. “He…he’s loyal. Brave. There were a few moments I…I…I was spiraling, and he talked me down. He’s a few months older than Howie.”

“We will find Howie one day.”

“I know. And who knows when that will be. He’s going to be so far behind and I don’t want him to feel alone. Harley…I want you to train him. I want Howie to have a you when the time comes for them to meet.”

Past Rhodes is giving Tony a questioning look. “You want Harley to be me?”

“Howie isn’t going to have any siblings to lean on. I remember what that was like. To have nobody who understands what you are going through. Wayne was the closest thing I had and look how that’s turned out. Howie deserves someone better. Somebody who can help him get through…what will be a terrifying change. Somebody who will be able to take the brunt of his anger and still stand by him.”

“Tony…”

“I’m sorry Rhodey” Tony apologizes. Rhodes’ eyes nearly pop out of his head. Is this the first time Tony called him that again? Rhodes said earlier it took five years. “I’ve been horrible to everyone, but you especially. It’s…Pepper ran away from me, not you. This is my fault…”

“It’s not…”

“Yes, it is. Everything is. You all…you and the team have spent the past five years holding me up and I’ve treated you like dirt. It’s time I step up and get my head out of my ass. I don’t know when I’ll find Howie, but I need to start preparing for the day instead of focusing on the past. Harley…if you train him, Harley will be the one thing I can give to Howie to apologize for everything that will happen. I can at least make sure he won’t be alone like I was.”

A gift. That’s what Tony thinks of the boy he moved out of Tennessee. A gift for Peter just so he wouldn’t be lonely. The thought while comforting also brings a sense of guilt. Peter’s the reason Harley got dragged into this, the exact fear he had with Ned. And just like Tony had wanted, Harley took every single hurtful word Peter screamed at him and still tried to be there for support.

Tony continues, “We need to come up with a plan for when we find them. How to speed up the training, what to do with Pepper, how to help Howie begin forming his own team. It’s time everyone else stops putting their lives on hold just because mine is. Tell Steve to start looking for that friend of his. There’s a new memory program one of the engineers at SI wrote a proposal for. I think we could use it to fix the brainwashing.”

“Even after the video? He…”

“He didn’t have control. And if he means that much to Steve…”

“But…”

“Nat too with her sister. Whatever help she needs she can have. They’ve tried to reunify my family, I need to do the same for them. Harley can be the start of that. So…will you prepare him?”

Past Rhodes takes a moment before nodding his head. “I’ll make him what Howie needs Harley to be.” Another pause before he adds, “Welcome back, we’ve all missed you.”

Much to Peter’s surprise, Tony takes a step forward and pulls Rhodes in for a hug. The two are silent as the image dissolves. Peter gets one final glimpse of his father’s fragile side before it disappears. Again, why can’t Tony be this way towards Peter. Only in small short hints has Peter seen Tony be a tiny bit like this.

Rhodes doesn’t let Peter keep to his thoughts for long. “Losing you broke him. Pepper did damage but you were the loss that destroyed Tony. When we all tell you that Tony loves you more than anything, it’s true.”

“This is just making everything worse” Peter can feel his eyes begin to water. “The fact that he can be this and chooses not to be. I want this Tony. The one from the Hamptons. I…I…I want my dad.”

He does. Since the day he and his mom left, Peter has wanted his dad. He had thought he could fill that void with Uncle Ben, but that is all he really was, an uncle. Not dad. The moments in Tony’s lab that Peter’s mind clung to had left their mark. He missed the good, fun side of his father. A part of Peter that he hid and shoved down his entire life wanted so badly to have his dad back in his life. Even now, he wants that version of Tony back.

“You’ll get him one day” Rhodes says.

“Why not now?”

“With all the wealth, fame and privilege that comes with being Tony’s son, there is also a heavy weight of responsibility. One Tony feels guilty about putting on you but can’t avoid. All the lives of half a country will be on your shoulders one day and Tony needs to prepare you for that.”

“But why…”

“He has to be tough on you until he knows you are back on track. Trust me, the second he knows you can handle the burden of being his son, you get the other side of Tony back. Once he has built you up enough so that you’ll be able to take on anybody and win, life will go back to how it should be. When he knows…”

“That I’m unbeatable” Peter finishes. Steve had said that. That Tony isn’t going to risk losing Peter again. Rhodes nods a confirmation. Peter asks “How do you know he’ll actually go back to normal?”

The room changes into a new memory. Tony is in a shooting range with Steve, Barnes and Romanoff. They appear to be testing some new guns.

“The weight is a bit heavy on this one” Natasha says. “You can’t make it any lighter?”

“Not without sacrificing the strength of the shot” Tony answers. “Although…”

“Tony!” Past Rhodes shouts, running into the room. He looks frazzled.

“Careful” Tony chastises. Steve adding “We are in a shooting range. What if we had been…”

“We got a hit from a hospital. DNA matches Howie.”

Unlike what Peter was expecting to see, Tony seems to deflate at the news. “Send Banner to double check. Let me know when it comes back negative.” He turns back to the targets.

“I already did. Bruce had the nurse do a fresh swab and ran the test three times. It’s him Tony. It’s Howie.”

Tony whips his head around, eyes wide and full of disbelief. All the Avengers appear shocked. “It’s…”

“Yeah” Rhodes smiles. “It’s really him.”

“He’s…okay, okay um…where’s…”

“He’s a ten minute flight away in Queens.”

“Queens? He’s been that close the entire time?”

“He’s been going by the name Peter Parker. His mother Mary just arrived to the hospital. Bruce only got a glimpse, but he thinks it’s Pepper. She looks different, but sounds just like her.”

The tension in Tony’s shoulders lightens, “Pepper…she’s…oh my god” Tony runs a hand through his hair.

Steve tells Bucky, “Let’s go get the quinjet ready. I’ll dispatch Happy.”

Natasha is next, “I’ll grab Clint and start looking into where the names came from.”

“Wait…wait” Tony is still processing. “Hospital…you said they’re at a hospital. Is he hurt?”

“He’s…” Rhodes hesitates. “Tony take a breath.”

“Why is he in a hospital?”

“Howie…he was apparently on a school fieldtrip to Oscorp. He had somehow broken into a restricted area and…and came into contact with the super-soldier serum. He’s…he’s mutating.”

“Shit” Steve cusses, everyone else is frozen in place.

Again, Tony doesn’t react the way Peter expects. Tony was so excited by the spider-powers in the gym, Peter thought he’d jump for joy at hearing about the mutation. Instead, a look of dread fills his father’s expression.

“He’s…he’s…No, no, no, no, no. He can’t be!” Tony panics.

“Tony…”

“He’s thirteen! He’s not ready for that! He’s…” burying his face in his hands, Tony is reeling. “Shit! Shit! Fuck! No, no, no…”

“HEY” Steve shouts. He grabs Tony’s hands and rips them off his face. With a harsh slap across the face, Steve asserts “Get it together.”

“Howie’s…”

“Thirteen I know. Remember the plan? What we’ve discussed? That starts now and you aren’t allowed to breakdown. Especially now that we have to deal with whatever effects the serum will cause in the kid. You’re going to have to be tough on him more than ever. Now that he’ll be enhanced, we have to get him in line real fucking quick.”

Taking a huge breath, Tony says “Okay…okay. We…fuck okay. Get the quinjet and medbay ready. After we pick them up, I’ll head over to their apartment…”

“Let me take care of that Tony” Rhodes says.

“But…”

“I’ll call you if there is something important. We don’t know how they were doing financially, if they were in squalor…You don’t want to see them like that Tones. Just focus on bringing your family home.”

Peter and his mom were doing okay the past few years, but there were times when they weren’t. When they slept in cars and struggled to find cheap food. Does Tony know about that? If he does, Peter is sure he’d freak out.

Nodding his head, Tony says “Call me if there is anything wrong.”

“Go get your kid” Rhodes smiles. “It’s about time Howie comes home.”

The scene dissolves, leaving Peter with Rhodes again. Compared to how Tony acted at the hospital, this was so much better. Tony seemed actually happy to find them. At the hospital he was just angry. The way he insulted and ordered Pepper around. The way he nonchalantly brushed over Peter’s condition. Then ripping mom out of the room and separating them. If he was so happy to have them home, why couldn’t he have just been calm and shown a bit of concern? Within a minute of them reuniting, Tony had smacked Peter across the face. It was terrifying and horrible.

Everything that first week was. Waking up with powers, the gym, the interrogations.

And just when things started getting better, Tony made Peter participate. Just like Harley said, right when Peter thought life was getting easier, it took a worse turn.

"Tony's teachings are extreme. We all know that Peter. None of us envy your position in this mess you didn't create. It was never anyone's intention for you to be forced through this process so quickly, especially Tony. But there are so many dangerous people out there wanting to hurt you and none of us would forgive ourselves if that happened. Every year that passed without finding you just made the sense of dread rise for what was to come. I know Natasha had a conversation with you when you first arrived about how Tony doesn't enjoy this part of raising you. None of us like this. The gym, Marko, keeping you and Pepper locked up and apart. You have it the worst, but please believe that this isn't easy for us. This isn't how Tony wanted to raise you."

The next few memories are short. Just tiny moments in time over the years of Peter's infanthood. First Tony and Rhodes are going over some schematics in the Malibu lab. A bassinette is off to the side. The two men are focused on the plans in front of them until a coo echoes, capturing Tony's attention. The father smiles and walks over to the bassinette and picks up a small baby.

"Someone's up from his nap. Hey Dum-E, start preparing a bottle." Walking back over to the plans, Tony presents them to the infant. "What do you think How, should lasers or missiles shoot out of the wrists of the new suits. Squeak for lasers, kick for missiles." Another small coo. "Lasers it is."

"Tony" Past Rhodes says in an annoyed tone. "You can't be serious."

"Fuck you, he's a genius" Tony says before returning his smile to the baby. "Isn't that right?"

The scene blurs to the house's pool. Peter looks to be around one and a half. Tony is waist deep in the water while Pepper is squatting next to Peter by the pool's ledge. Rhodes is sitting in a lounge chair next to Happy.

"Come on Howie" Tony smiles encouragingly. His arms up towards the boy.

"Daddy will catch you" Pepper says. "Just jump in."

Peter can see his former self is nervous. The tot eyes the water with a weary look. Past Rhodes calls out, "You can do it Howie!"

The boy takes a deep breath before leaping towards Tony. As promised, Tony catches him. The other three adults cheer and start clapping. A proud grin is plastered on Tony's face.

"That's my brave boy. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Tiny Peter shakes his head and wraps his arms around Tony's neck in a hug that the father gladly returns.

The scene shifts to the living room at the former home. It's dark outside, must be nighttime. Tony, Romanoff, Rhodes and Barton are looking over some documents, deep in discussion. Tony's face turns sour before he curses "Shit."

A soft voice says from the stairs. "Shit."

The group of adults turn in surprise. Amused smirks take over their faces when Tony asks "Howie, what are you doing up?" He makes his way over to three-year old Peter who is sitting on the stairs.

"Shit" Howie repeats, earning an amused chuckle from some of the team.

"Nope" Tony says. "We don't say that. Only Mommy says that word. She coined it, it belongs to her."

"Why you up?"

"Because I have some important shit going on here. What do you think?" Tony answers, to which Howie gives a confused frown at the word. "No, I got...I got some stuff to take care of with the team. They have a problem and thought I'd have a solution."

"Is it juice pops?"

Tony pauses in thought. "Sure was. That's extortion, that's a word." He holds out a hand that Howie grabs. As they head towards the kitchen, he continues. "What kind do you want? Great minds think alike. Juice pops. Exactly what I was thinking."

A few more memories go by. Each one pulls at something in Peter's chest. The softness Tony speaks to Peter's younger self, the playful tone he uses, the proud smiles and words filled with love. Its almost hard to watch, yet Peter can't look away. What makes it even harder is that Peter remembers some of these. Only a few. Memories that Peter forced his mind to forget begin rematerializing in his head. It was easier to be away from Tony when he didn't have many good memories growing up. It was easier to just forget the positive all together. That way Peter didn't miss his old life or at least convinced himself he didn't. And these are just the moments Rhodes was present for. Many more memories begin running through Peter's mind. Tony tickling Peter in the lab, them having a spirited sparing match with a couple plastic lightsabers, Tony giving him ice cream while telling Peter not to tell his mom. Warm tears begin gliding down Peter's face as he watches everything Rhodes presents in silence.

Peter remembers the last memory Rhodes shows.

He's pushing a LEGO nightbus around Tony's office. His father's secretary is watching while trying to get through some paperwork in her lap. It's the morning of that first interrogation years ago. Rhodes and Tony enter. Howie grabs the nightbus and runs up to Tony, holding the toy in the air for his father to see.

"You finished that already?" Tony smiles. He grabs the project and begins examining it. "Some of your finer work, I must say." He hands the toy to Rhodes and crouches down to Howie's eye level. "Did you finish the worksheets I gave you?" Howie nods.

"They're on your desk" the secretary says. "I already checked his work, 100%."

"Just like last night. You are just on a roll, huh."

The small boy blushes and shrugs his shoulders.

Tony's smile warms even more. "Well guess what, Daddy also got all his projects done this morning. So he gets to spend the rest of the day with you." That earns a grin ear-to-ear from the little boy. "Anything you want to do?"

"Can we..." Howie thinks out loud. "Can we visit Hulky."

Tony frowns a bit. "Sorry Buddy, Hulky is in New York right now. But how about...since you already finished your homework and Miss Silvia said you got a hundred, how about we go to the playground and have some pizza?"

"Yeah!" the boy cheers.

"Okay, okay. What toppings do you think? Your mom says we both need to start eating more vegetables, so how about some carrots or celery."

"No" Howie whines.

Tony continues his light teasing. "Or some yummy mushrooms. We could do something like bananas or shrimp. I hear there's a place that'll put octopus on your pizza."

"Daddy, that's gross."

"Fine, fine. What would you like then."

"Pepperoni."

"Sounds good." Tony turns to the secretary. "Order a large." She nods and exits the room.

Howie runs up to Rhodes. "Uncle Rhodey, are you coming to the playground?"

"I'd love to, but unfortunately I have some work I need to get done."

"What?" Tony opens his arms in offense. "Am I not enough?" Instead of answering, Howie giggles and runs into Tony's arms. The father wraps the boy in a giant hug and says "That's more like it." A kiss in Howie's hair. "That's my favorite buddy."

The scene dissolves, leaving current Rhodes and Peter in a emotional quiet. Rhodes doesn't say anything. Nothing about the memories, nothing about the tears rolling down Peter's face, just nothing. He lets Peter sit in his thoughts which are all over the place. A thousand questions are wracking through Peter's mind, but there is only one that he really wants an answer to.

“Once I’m caught up, I really get him back?”

“You get this Tony, Pepper in the penthouse, slower training, freedom to go around the city. You'll get every spoil and indulgence Tony has wanted to shower you with the past ten years. You thought the beach house was fun, that was only a taste of the vacations he has planned. But first, Tony needs to know that you are prepared to take on this world. Not only for your safety now, but in the future.”

Only a taste. That dream of a weekend was amazing. The only way Peter can imagine it being better was if his mom was there. Watching all moments from the past, Peter wants that version of his dad so bad. The moments where Peter felt overjoyed to have his father's attention. When Tony wasn't trying to break Peter apart and put him back together in such a harsh manner. Peter remembers how it wonderful it felt in those moments when Tony was proud or just happy to see him. Even now, the moments with Tony that are good are really good. The Hamptons, their first night in the lab, even moments Peter finds himself laughing at one of his father’s jokes. Those moments are amazing, fun, magnificent. When Tony isn’t putting on his tough skin and is just being his good self. Peter wants him that way all the time.

It’s only been a month, but has felt like a lifetime. Peter's so exhausted emotionally and is tired of fighting. He hates feeling like he is at odds with everyone around him. Maybe if he just gives in…it’s inevitable. Even mom thinks so. The desire to fight this process dwindles with every day that passes. Steve said that he could be caught up in nine months. If Peter is, and this is the Tony he’ll get...

“Okay” Peter deeply inhales. “Then what do I have to do to get there?”

Chapter Text

These congressional sessions are as boring as they are frustrating. Tony thought SI meetings were dull, this is just mind-numbing. All the stupid state representatives asking pointless questions that they could find answers themselves by putting in a bit of effort in reading. Wayne has been worse than usual over the last week. There’s a cheeky aura of mischief about him. Might be because of Richard and Jason being here. At least Tony and Bruce were mostly on the same page when it came to the trade agreement and a few other bills that they've gone over. Only a bit of back and forth on some minor details.

“Well,” Wayne tells the room of representatives. “I thank you all for your input. I think Tony and I can handle the rest on our own. You’re dismissed.”

Thank God. A week of endless droning will end with one last meeting. Tony and Bruce can get quite a bit done when it’s just them and they aren’t having to put on a show for the public.

Moving into a smaller boardroom, everyone quickly takes a seat. Next to Tony is Natasha, Vision, Barnes and Strange. Tony would have preferred to have Rhodey and Steve here, but Peter is more important. Wayne for his crew has Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow. His two boys sit next to him, they are only here to observe. Them along with Clark’s kid Chris and Diana’s sister Donna. Hopefully by next year, Peter will be ready to sit in on these. It would benefit him and the other kids to learn how these meetings work.

As they are all getting comfortable, Tony checks his phone. JARVIS has sent an update. Pepper is reading in her new apartment and Peter just started working with his Spanish tutor.

“Checking to make sure your little boy hasn’t disappeared again?” Wayne taunts from across the table, a smirk on his face. His boys look like they are about to laugh.

Kent sends a side glare in his boss’s direction. “Bruce…”

“I’m just kidding” Wayne waives him off.

Richard is next to speak, “I was disappointed you didn’t bring Peter. I was hoping to meet the kid.”

“Maybe next time” Tony says.

“He at decathlon practice or something?” Jason asks with a shit-eating grin. Of course, they know about Peter’s former school activities.

“Not that it is any of your business, but he's with his Spanish tutor actually.”

“Didn’t he take like three years of that in school? How isn’t he fluent yet?”

“Richard” Bruce’s voice is fake chastising. “Be nice. Just because it only took you a year…”

“I’m just curious.”

Cutting in, Tony says “His schoolmates held him back. His tutor thinks he’ll be fluent in a couple months. Now, how about we get back to business?”

“Why the rush?” Bruce smirks. “It’s big news. Long lost prince of New York is finally home.”

“Helsie loves that musical by the way” Jason adds.

“Where is little Helsie? I saw Selina with Timothy and Stephanie in the lobby. Helena stayed behind in Gotham? I'm guessing you didn't want her saying anything that would embarrass you boys.” That little girl isn't one to hold back demonstrating her heightened intellect when compared to her brothers.

Bruce answers with annoyance, “She’s taking summer classes at the Gotham Ballet. Didn’t want to miss the first week for this.”

“Uh huh.”

“How’s Peter’s training going by the way?”

“Yeah” Jason adds. “From what we saw, he could barely do a push up at midtown.”

Chris Kent elbows the boy. “Dude” he hushes. “Cool it.”

“Teaching your sons to outright insult people they haven’t met Wayne?”

“Please” Bruce rolls his eyes. “It was an observation. You can’t blame my boys for being curious Tony. They will be working with your son in the future.”

“I’m just itching to meet him” Richard says. “There’s a few ideas I’d like to toss his way.”

“I’m sure there are a lot of things you’d like to toss at him” Tony seethes.

“Woah, woah, woah” Strange puts up a hand to put an end to this. “Let’s just move on and get back to the trade agreement. I’m sure you all want to get home just much as we do.”

“Fine” Wayne says amongst a litter of comments from everyone around the room. Tony picks up a few.

“I need a drink” Oliver Queen mutters.

“This is so dumb” Barnes says to himself.

Jason snickers to his friend, “I wonder if the kid is as big of a wimp as Cleaner.” That spikes another shot of annoyance through Tony’s system

“Tony” Natasha whispers at him. “Stop letting them get to you.”

Taking a breath, Tony calms himself back down. Pulling up the agreement, he says “I think we are on the same page when it comes to taxes on imports and exports.”

“Yeah” Bruce nods. “Stays the same for at least the next five years.”

“Great. I think our first hiccup wasn’t until distribution methods.”

With both Tony and Bruce finally focusing on their task at hand, the meeting goes by fast. They make necessary changes where they need to and are both happy with it by the end. After they finish that, they move onto discussing other matters such as other organizations that keep crossing territory lines. Wayne is taking care of a situation with India. He also has some information about a resistance group forming in Alaska that Tony assigns for Barnes to take care of after they’re done here.

“There’s one last thing” Tony says. “Romanov and Barton found some tech in Wakanda.”

“Wakanda?” Bruce frowns. “What could possibly be coming out of there?”

“This” Natasha pulls up a hologram of an electric spear.

“What the fuck?”

“A handheld sonic cannon that has enough power to stop a tank.”

“Jesus” Oliver Queen says in a hushed tone.

“They have millions of those” Tony explains.

“Wakanda? They can barely afford…”

“It’s a lie. There’s an entire city hidden in the mountains. Barton and Romanov found it while looking into the son of the leader. T’Challa, he’s next in line for the thrown.”

“What’s his deal?”

“From what we can tell, they want peace. Both him and his father aren’t too keen on war. But…”

“That could always change” Bruce goes through some of Barton’s notes. “I want a copy of all this.”

“Nat will send it over.”

“Diana, I’m putting you on this.”

“Sounds good” Wonder Woman nods. Good call, her and Natasha have worked well together in the past.

Natasha tells her, “I’ll get you linked with the AI Tony made for this. It’ll make transferring information back and forth a lot easier.”

“I’ll read up on everything this week and see what I can find out from my end. My mother once told me a legend about Wakanda. The Black Panther. She might know something.”

“Both of you keep us informed” Bruce demands. He looks up to Tony. “If they are this advanced and strong, we can’t fuck around on this.”

“Noted” Tony says. “Again, it sounds like they want peace. But if that changes we need a plan.”

“Let me read up on everything you’ve already found. Once my head is wrapped around all this, I’ll start coming up with both a plan of defense and one for if we need to go in ourselves.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“You have one of those spears in your possession.”

“No but I could get one.”

“Do, analyze it and figure out how it’s so powerful. We need to understand their technology so we know how to fight it.”

“Will do.”

With that, the meeting is over. Both teams pack up their stuff getting ready to leave. Walking out with Bruce still discussing the possible power sources Tony observed in the footage Clint got of the spears, Tony is cut off by a little voice “Daddy!” A blonde little girl around the age of three runs up to them. In a second, Bruce has her swept up in his arms.

“Hey Stephie, where’s mom?” Bruce smiles at her.

The sight would be heartwarming if it didn’t hurt to see. Tony pauses and watches the two in a jealous trance. When was the last time Peter was that happy to see Tony?

“What did I say about running ahead?” Selina appears from around the corner. Next to her is a seven-year-old Timothy.

The little girl coyly grins at her mother and cuddles into Bruce’s hold. Selina gives her a warning look before moving her attention to Tony. She gives him a genuine smile, “Tony, how are you.”

“Fine, yourself?”

“The manor has been busy lately with school ending. Congratulations by the way. How is Peter doing?”

“Great” Tony lies. Peter was struggling last he saw him. “Started combat training with Steve this last week. Tutors have been impressed with his progress.”

“That’s good. And how about Pepper?”

“She’s been doing a lot of reading.” Tony and his wife are doing better recently. “She’s also working on the plans for a compound we’re building.”

“Oh, she must love that” Selina is truly happy to hear. While Bruce and Tony have spent the last twenty years at each other’s throats, their wives have somehow managed to have a friendship since Pepper's first year as Tony's assistant. Selina had been really helpful during Pepper’s pregnancy. “I was so happy to hear they were finally home. You must have been so excited.”

“I was, still am.”

“Tell Pepper I say hi. Next time please bring her with. I’d love to get drinks one night.”

“I’m sure she’d love to.”

“Great. I hope you have a good trip back to New York” Selina then turns to her two oldest sons. “Did you two behave during the meeting?”

“Mom” Richards smiles. “Since when do I not behave?”

“It isn’t you I’m worried about.”

Taking fake offense Jason’s mouth drops open. “Why me?”

“Truth hurts Jay” his mother chuckles. “C’mon, Dinah is downstairs with the kids. We thought we could do dinner together before we leave.”

“I’ll grab Oliver” Bruce says. “See you downstairs” he gives his wife a quick kiss before heading back into the boardroom.

“It was nice seeing you Tony” Selina calls out, directing her children to the staircase. Moments later, Bruce is back with Oliver in tow. He calls out for them to wait up while still carrying his younger daughter. When he catches up, he wraps his free arm around Jason who appears overjoyed with the affection.

It’s a tough sight to see. Jason is Peter’s age and almost the same height. Yet Tony gets a finch from his son whenever he does a similar action. Not a smile of adoration.

“You’ll get there again Tony” Natasha is suddenly next to him.

“I don’t know what you’re…”

“It doesn’t take a genius to know what you’re thinking right now.”

“Let’s…” Tony sighs. “Let’s just go.”

The trip back to New York is quick. When they get back to the tower, everyone retires to their respective rooms with the exception of Natasha who immediately heads back to Wakanda to collect some of their tech for Tony to study.

Checking in on Pepper first, Tony is happy to see the nose healing quite nice. Before he checks on Peter, he meets with Steve and Rhodes to get a rundown of the week with the kid.

“How angry is he?” Tony asks. He wants to know what to expect walking into the penthouse.

“Very, but handling it well.” Rhodes answers. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

“Peter and I had a talk.”

“We both did” Steve interjects.

“Oh?”

“He wants to negotiate with you.”

“If he’s trying to get out of training…” Tony begins.

“He’s not” Steve explains. “He’s willing to get onboard but has some conditions.”

“Hear him out Tones” Rhodey implores. “He’s talked about it with both Steve and I, it’s a good plan. Fair on both sides.”

“I still think he’s being a bit dramatic” Steve argues.

“You really need to get a grip on how to handle teenagers” Rhodes tells the soldier.

Rolling his eyes, Steve looks to Tony again. “There is one thing he’ll ask that I already know you will say no to. Don’t let that get in the way. Just move on and really consider the rest. It’s progress.”

A small window of hope opens in Tony’s head. Progress. The kid has made a ton over the past month. But for Steve to admit that, Peter must really have had a big change during Tony's absence.

“JARVIS, where is Peter right now?”

“He is in your workshop working on his drone.”

“I didn’t give permission…”

“I did” Rhodes says. “He promised not to do anything dangerous, just wanted to work out a kink in the wiring. He’s mostly been working on the code when I’ve checked in on him.”

“Fine” Tony exhales. “Well, minus well get this over with.”

Entering the lab, Tony is still nervous on what he’s going to get. A calm Peter who is willing to talk or his furious son who keeps saying ‘I hate you’ on repeat. Whatever it is will be a big contrast to how he saw Wayne and his kids today.

“Up” he hears Peter say. Walking around the corner, Tony sees his son testing out the drone. “Left” Peter says before the drone goes right. He lets out a disappointed sigh before turning back to the computer he has been using for coding. He must have seen Tony out of the corner of eye, because he pauses his work to look.

“Hey” Tony greets.

“Hey.” Calm, even, no anger or fear.

“I hear you want to talk.”

“I…” Peter takes a deep breath. “My first day here, you told me you want to work with me.”

“I also told you that in order to do that, I need you to not fight me.”

“I won’t anymore.” Surprising. “But that means some things need to change.”

Tony gives the kid a once over, looking for any red flags, before saying “Go on.”

“First” Peter takes another deep breath. “I need to know what you’re plan for training is beforehand. Going in blind makes it a lot worse. You keep tossing me into the deep end and expecting I know how to swim already. If I know what I’m getting into, I’ll have time to prepare myself. I won’t argue or fight you, I just want to know.”

“Okay” That seems fair. “You promise you won’t fight?”

“I…I can’t promise that I won’t be hesitant and sometimes in the moment…struggle…but no I won’t fight."

“Then deal, I’ll let you know what the next step is beforehand.”

“Also…I decide when I take the next step.”

“Peter…”

“Just listen, please.” Peter pleads. Tony pauses to let the kid talk. “Come up with a list of goals, maybe three to five and I’ll decide when I’m ready to take them on.”

“How do I know you won’t just avoid them forever?”

“Because after I complete each list, I get a weekend with mom.” Huh, a reward system. “If I know I get to see mom after, I’ll be able to get through it. But never knowing when the next time I’ll see her again isn’t helping. So, every time I finish your list, you mom and I go to the Hamptons for the weekend. No lessons, no tricks. Just a weekend away as a family.”

That is something Tony would look forward to also. “Deal. Anything else?”

“No more using your team against me” Peter asserts passionately. “This is all hard enough as it is. The gym, Marko. The last thing I need during that is to feel ganged up on and judged by a room of adults who I either don’t know or barely remember and half of whom are at most ambivalent about me. It’s one thing when it’s you or Rhodes and even I’ve come to an understanding with Steve. If I promise not to fight, you don’t need the rest of them there.”

“As long as you won’t fight…”

“I wont and…Steve made me put this on” Peter holds up his wrist to reveal the suppressor cuff. What? Tony didn't approve that.

“I’ll take it off if you’d like.”

“No, I…at first I was upset but…it’s nice not having to deal with the tingle all day. It makes it easier to sleep and clear my head. Yesterday…yesterday I asked Steve if I could wear it during one of his interrogations and it was a lot easier…a lot. So from now on whenever I have to do something new or see something…I want to start off wearing this. Then once it gets easier, I’ll take it off to figure out how to handle the new lesson with the tingle.”

The fact Peter went out of his way to ask for training is a shock to Tony. He really is jumping on board. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”

Nodding his head, Peter says “I want to work with you too. I’m tired of every day being a fight.”

“Anything else you want to discuss.”

Peter is hesitant to answer, “No more going after May Parker. Call off the search.”

“Absolutely not” Tony says with a fierceness.

“She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Peter, she hid you for ten years. I’m not letting her get away with that.”

“Fine” Peter sighs, he must have known Tony would say no to that. He moves on, “No more bringing her and Ben up then. No more insults or calling them names.”

“Then you stop comparing me to them” Tony rebuts.

“Deal.”

This is good. If all he has to do is pretend the Parkers don’t exist while around his son, Tony is more than happy to know Peter won’t use Ben Parker against him anymore.

“Is that all then?”

“Yeah, for now” Peter looks relieved. He’s happy with their compromise too. After a moment of awkward silence, he asks “How was DC?”

“It went well” Tony can feel his body relax. A pleasant conversation with his son, he wasn’t expecting this but is more that welcome to it. “Glad to be home though.”

“Yeah” Peter bites his lip and looks down at his drone again. “It’s nice to have you back.” A statement that makes Tony’s heart skip a beat. “How was Wayne?”

“He’s…” Tony is still in disbelief of Peter’s admission. “As he always is. Kept asking about you. Both him and his boys.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That you’re doing well.”

“Did they believe you?”

“I don’t think so” Tony lets out a breath. “Bruce and his boys can be…a bit offensive when they want to be. I think Jason and Richard dug up some of your school files.”

“How much do they know about me?” Peter looks worried.

“I’m not sure but probably quite a bit. I’m sure the second I announced your return they began digging up everything they could find about you.”

“Did you tell them about my powers?”

“No” Tony shakes his head. “I think we should keep specific details of those to just the team for a while. When you do go out on patrol, we’ll give you an alter ego to keep your identity hidden.”

“Why?”

“So that you don’t have that many eyes on you when you start off. It'll gives you wiggle room to learn and make mistakes at first. If everyone knew who you were at the start, you’d have a lot more pressure not to mess up.”

Nodding, Peter agrees “That would suck. Steve thinks I’d be ready to patrol in a year. What do you think?”

“I think we can get you there.”

“He said my first official public appearance should be the Chitauri gala next year.”

“That would make a big story for the press.”

“Once I’ve done that, can I go on patrol?”

“I…it depends Pete” Tony admits. “I’m not comfortable with you going out there with that neck tingle. If you were in a fight and that sends you into an episode…”

“That would be bad” Peter frowns. “So I have to get that under control first?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Peter thinks for a while before turning back to his computer. He begins typing away.

Taking up residency at the next table, Tony begins going over the Wakanda reports. They both work in quiet. A quiet that Tony appreciates. To finally after all these weeks be in a comfortable spot with his son. A smile forms on his face before he looks over to the boy who is frowning at his code.

“Any problems?”

“Yeah” Peter says in a frustrated tone. “I can’t figure out why it keeps going in the wrong direction half the time.”

“Mind if I take a look?”

“Please” Peter takes a step back for Tony to slide in. He begins reading and smiles again. Damn. This kid is good. The program overall is excellent.

“This line right here” he points. "Let me show you a trick I figured out a few years ago." Tony goes over the coding method, Peter hangs onto each word. It's a quick fix, the program not needing much tinkering.

“That’s it?” Peter asks in disbelief, clearly thinking the problem was bigger than it actually was.

“Yeah, otherwise it looks great buddy.”

"Thanks" Peter says, taking his spot back at the screen. "I've also been trying to figure out the best way to have it pick stuff up."

"Does the drone even have anything to grip with?" Tony asks, eyeing the little device on the table.

"No um...I was waiting for you to get back before doing a major upgrade." Peter explains. "Um...I've come up with a couple of designs...want to see them?"

The surprises just keep coming. Tony's heart feels light at the question. "Yeah" he says. "I'd love to."

Peter pulls up the two designs he came up with. One is more of a claw hanging underneath the drone. The one that intrigues Tony more has legs on the side. He pulls up and enlarges that one to get a better look. As he is going through it, Peter tells him

"I thought that one could eventually also use the legs to walk."

Smirking, Tony agrees "There's a lot of potential with that."

Together they move forward with the design. Allowing Peter to take the lead, Tony watches and gives suggestions every once in a while. Nothing major, just different techniques and going over engineering concepts Peter doesn't know yet. While the kid has learned a lot over the past month, there is still a long way for him to go. Once they are happy with the schematics for now, Peter gets to work on the physical upgrade of his drone. Tony gets back to working on the Wakanda intel, keeping an eye on Peter's progress. After about an hour, he notices the boy gloomily staring down at his invention.

"Not happy with the new design?" Tony inquires.

"How do you deal with the guilt?" Peter's question is soft. He looks up at Tony, his eyes full of sadness. "When you were going through this...how did you handle it?"

"I..." Tony's takes a heavy sigh. A wave of shame goes through his system realizing that he's never had any form of this discussion with Peter so far. Even if they boy hasn't wanted his advice, Tony should have tried harder to help his son overcome the naïve morality that was instilled in him by the Parkers. Unlike how Tony grew up, Peter's conscience was nurtured to hold unneeded guilt and empathy for those undeserving. Something that should have been redirected and squashed during the boy's early years. In their world, Peter has the emotional maturity that Tony did at the age of maybe seven. Of course he needs help understanding how to unlearn the Ben and May's teachings. "I struggled, just like you are. But it was different. I didn't have the giant break like you. I was younger and had both my parents on the same page. Not as many mixed signals. As for the guilt...nobody that we put in that chair is innocent Pete. They all have done things to hurt people for their own selfish reasons. Also, if roles were reversed, they would do the same thing to us that we did to them."

"Like Marko?"

"Exactly like Marko. It's better to stop bad seeds before they grow bigger. Before they become out of control."

"But...but Marko was just one guy..."

"Who had already murdered three people and a did a bunch of other shit. One being point a gun at a twelve-year-old."

Biting his lip, Peter ponders Tony's words.

After letting his son think for a while, Tony adds "Did you learn about some of Gotham's history before Bruce took up the mantle of 'Batman'?"

"Um...a bit. I know there was a lot of crime..."

"Not just crime but pandemonium. During the period between Thomas Wayne's murder and Bruce's return, other groups started growing their own followings. Lucius Fox and Gotham PD tried their best to keep it under control, but people saw an opportunity to take the thrown Thomas had left to a ten-year-old. Maniacs like the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler were at WE's neck trying to gain control. They were all...horrendous. Blood in the streets, buildings blowing up, the entire city was constantly in chaos. So many people trying to get a piece of the pie. Your grandfather included."

"Grandpa?" Peter frowns. "He..."

"Was foolish...and greedy...and had his ass handed to him. He thought he could swoop in with his shiny advanced weapons and take over the city, but Thomas Wayne had already made a plan for incase that ever happened."

"But...he was dead?"

"Remember when I told you that Wayne intelligence is different than Stark?"

"You bring the tech, Wayne brings the strategy."

"Bruce doesn't just think one step ahead, he thinks several. And with each step he has multiple plans of action in case anything goes wrong. Thomas and Howard were friends and Thomas knew what kind of man your grandfather was. He knew that if given the opportunity, Howard would strike if he thought he had a for sure win. So, Thomas studied him. He learned how Howard thought. He figured out his weaknesses and made not just one but multiple plans of defense in case your grandfather ever came after Gotham. When the day came, all Lucius had to do was open Thomas's files and he knew exactly how to drive Howard out."

"Is that why you two hate each other? Because of grandpa?"

"Not necessarily" Tony admits. "We were actually friends for quite a few years. Just...both too competitive to get along for long. Always have been. School, girls, even going through training growing up. It didn't help when Batman and Ironman came along. Just another way for everyone to compare us. Then when we both had kids...you boys gave us ways to directly hurt the other. One jab at the other's son would send us both off the deep end. Especially as you grew older and it became clear that while Richard and Jason are smart, they were nothing compared to you."

Peter stares at Tony for a bit before saying "Then mom left?"

"Then mom left. With you. And ever since, those Wayne kids have spent their entire lives training and preparing themselves to take over. The longer you were gone, the more confident they have become that you will never be on their level. And unlike you, they have already spent years helping Bruce clean up Gotham. Bruce isn't preparing Richard to become him, he is preparing all those kids to be more. Richard, Jason and Helena are already playing the role assigned to them at birth. The other three are still too young, but at least Timothy will be up and running in the next few years."

"And all six of them will be after me."

"Plus many others out there." Tony reroutes the conversation back a bit. He sits across from Peter and looks him in they eye. "When Bruce took up his father's mantle, all he saw around the city meant to be his was anarchy. Murders everyday, drug and arms dealers controlling the streets, and a police force that was still trying to be the 'good guys'. Every time they caught one of those psychopaths, they would just send them to Arkham Asylum where they would break out months later with an entire new plan of terror. He knew he had to be more. Something bigger than just Bruce Wayne, Thomas's son. So he became Batman where instead of letting those monsters off with a slap on the wrist, he took care of them permanently. It took years and a lot of effort but eventually he wiped them all out. The Joker had an unbelievably high body count of thousands of innocent people. Bruce put an end to that."

"What about you?"

"I'll admit, Ironman was for more selfish reasons at the start. After Afghanistan and figuring out what Obadiah had done, I knew I needed to step up and reclaim my family's legacy. Then along the way I too decided I wanted to be more. Something, bigger than SI. My own inventions were used against me, I never wanted to lose that control again. Never wanted anyone to ever even think about challenging me like that. The military kept trying to take my suits, but I wouldn't let them. Other countries were attempting to replicate my designs and were failing. Still are. Because of me, the country felt safe. America's enemy's were too afraid to attack. I didn't even mean to, but suddenly I was America's savior. The person keeping everyone protected from nuclear attacks. The person willing to do everything in my power to keep peace. A lot of what you see of me today, I did because it needed to be done. Even forming the team was out of necessity, not planning. Believe me, some of us did not get along at first. But we saw the world for what it was. A fucking mess that needed somebody to clean it up."

"And that somebody is you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

Peter huffs, "Back in Queens...people like Mr. Jones and...they always said the government should be a democracy. That the people should chose their leaders."

"That's what the government before was and it didn't work."

"But..."

"That government was a disaster. Laws were ludicrous. People were in jail for half their lives for bullshit reasons. Politicians were selfish and idiotic. Every branch of government had more problems than it did solutions. Elected officials spent more time insulting their opposition than working together. All the while, citizens couldn't afford housing, health care, even food. And all people like Mr. Jones did was complain on the internet and sometimes hold up a sign outside of some offices. Unlike everyone in power before Wayne and I, we are honest. We are both arrogant and harsh and have bad tempers. But we can both put our shit aside in order to do what is best for the people we rule. You like to think I'm this evil madman who is power-hungry. But neither Bruce, nor I, ever planned on overtaking the entire country. But after we saw the absolute shit show happening during the Chitauri attacks, we stepped up. Don't get me wrong, we wanted the power. But it was also a heavy obligation. We rebuilt the country, restructured the political entities to be actually efficient instead of money-guzzling pits. We provided people with basic human rights that they had been missing for decades. We stopped dozens of countries from invading. Ended pointless wars. You may not like how we do it, but Wayne and I get results."

"All the while bringing you own reign of terror" Peter argues. "People are afraid of you two. Of all of you. And for good reason."

"They have nothing to fear as long as they don't step out of line" Tony asserts. "I'm not asking for citizens to be perfect. All I expect is that they go about normal, non-problematic, everyday existences. If you haven't noticed, it's not school teachers and dog-walkers I'm going after Peter. It's murderers, weapons dealers, people who are actively trying to hurt the society I am trying to keep safe. That's why my conscious is clear. Because every scum I take out is one less person causing pain and destruction to my country. As I told you last Monday, every person who finds themselves in front of my gun have made decisions that earned them a spot there."

"Why can't you just send people to prison?"

"I do. All the time. Petty crooks or people who just need a bit of a time out. The police do and poorly use it. Look at what happened with Marko."

"I just" Peter buries his head in his hands. "It's just still not right."

"I know you think that" Tony says. "One day you'll see."

After a few minutes of thought, Peter returns his attention back to Tony. "When...when do you think you'll have my first list?"

"Let me think it over tonight, I'll have it ready for you tomorrow."

Chapter Text

Tony clings desperately to the engine in his arms as the asshole terrorist practically drags him through the cave. The constant yanks on his arm is not helping with balance. Neither is the bag over his head. The unrelenting pain that has accompanied his recent heart surgery also is hindering things. God…what the fuck has he gotten himself into.

Finally, they make it outside. Tony can see the area around him is a bit brighter. He is practically blinded when his captors rip the bag off.

Once he regains control of his sight, Tony takes a survey of the camp around him. Soldiers carrying familiar looking guns surround him. Another familiar sight is the logo on nearly every box they pass.

‘Stark Industries’.

How the fuck did all this get here? How did these assholes get their hands on so many of Tony’s weapons? Millions and millions of dollars worth.

The group walks up to a man Tony recognizes from earlier. They’re leader he thinks. Yinsen is with. The leader says something that Yinsen translates.

“He want’s to know what you think.”

“I think you got a lot of my weapons.”

The leader goes into an overdramatic speech.

“He says um…they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make a list of materials.”

Oh hell no.

Not one chance is Tony making that for them. He’s already told them no.

Another demand from the leader.

“He says uh…for you to start working immediately and when you’re done he will set you free.”

Tony is far from an idiot. He has dealt with men like this before. Grew up in a house with one. They won’t set Tony free. The second they have what they want, he’s a dead man.

The leader holds up a hand for Tony to shake.

Tony smiles at him and begins making a list in his head. Only it isn’t of materials for the missile. It’s what he needs to do to save his ass.

Step 1. Convince this guy that Tony is onboard and get a better workspace.

Step 2. Find a better solution for this car battery in his chest.

Step 3. Figure out how to create a weapon that’ll get him the hell out of here.

Step 4. Build it

Grabbing the guy’s hand, Tony tells Yinsen “No he won’t.”

“No he won’t.”

Step 5. Leave with a bang

Rereading the list he’s made for Peter, Tony is still contemplating whether it’s enough, too much or just right. His son’s proposal is more than reasonable and something Tony wasn’t expecting. He had thought it would be months before Peter would get on board this much. Tony had been prepared for at least half a year of forcing the kid through the training. The boy is still hesitant, that was clear, but he’s at least willing to give it a go. This first list feels more important than all the ones to come. It’s setting the precedent going forward. Tony wants to push his son but doesn’t want the list to be too big of a hurtle. Peter deserves a fair hill to climb, not a mountain he has to struggle his way up. However, he also wants Peter to have to put in more than a bit of effort to get his prize.

As he gives the list one last review, Tony hears his son enter the kitchen.

“Morning” he says.

“Morning” Peter repeats. “Coffee ready?”

“In the pot.”

“You order breakfast yet?” Peter asks pouring himself a cup and grabbing some creamer out of the fridge. Kid still needs flavorings to help him drink the brew. Tony has been trying the past few weeks to not make such strong pots.

“Not yet. What are you thinking?”

“Um…a few days ago Rhodes did a chefs choice and they sent up some omelets that were really good.”

“JARVIS?”

“I’ll have the kitchen send up a few chicken avocado omelets as well as some side dishes.”

“Chicken avocado?”

Shrugging, Peter takes a seat at one of the stools. “It was good. Something different.”

“Huh” Tony takes a sip of his drink. “How did you sleep?”

“Um…pretty good, I guess. Still had a nightmare but didn’t wake up.”

Gosh how this is such a change from last week. The day Tony left for DC, Peter had spent all of their breakfast silently glaring at Tony. To go from that to this simple yet pleasant conversation is mind blowing.

“That’s progress.”

“The suppressor really helps. Although” Peter makes a face. “Could we work on this in the lab later? It’s so bulky it gets in the way when I’m trying to type and write sometimes.”

“Yeah” Tony nods. Kid’s actually asking to spend time in the lab instead of Tony coercing him. “We should be able to slim it down in no time. Anything else you want to work on?”

“Um…it depends…do you have the list?”

Turning the tablet Tony had been using, he pushes it Peter’s way for him to read.

1. Watch ten interrogations with no suppressor or paralyzer needed.
2. Master activating spider-strength without assistance.
3. 30 hours of target practice with either Clint or Natasha outside of training with Steve.
4. Be able to properly demonstrate 25 self-defense positions up to Steve’s standards.
5. Participate in 5 interrogations with suppressor. Five punches, five bat swings, five stab wounds.

Peter reads it over a few times. After a while, Tony asks

“Seems doable?”

Biting his lip, Peter nods his head. He reads the list again with a bit or worry. “I think I’ll be able to do the first four pretty quick. But the fifth…”

“That’s why I designed it that way. If this is the way you want to do it, not every bullet point is going to be a walk in the park.”

“I get it” Peter says quietly. He takes a sip of his drink. “Um…later today. Could we get one of the interrogations done from number one?”

“Maybe” Tony is a bit shocked that the kid doesn’t want to start with 2-4. “I’ll see if Wilson or Rhodes can round anyone up. If not today, they could probably have someone for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday.”

“Yeah…”

“I…” Peter takes a breath. “Maybe if it was combat or shooting practice, or even the lab, but…I still want weekends off from interrogations. If they don’t have anyone today, can we push it to Monday?”

“That’s fine.”

“When do Clint and Natasha get back?”

“Clint is spending some time in Ohio. Natasha should be back in a couple days. If they’re both too busy to fit in the thirty hours, I’m willing to let you sub in Barnes.”

Peter doesn’t look pleased with that.

“You still not over everything in the gym?”

Picking at his fingers, Peter nods.

“You seem fine with Steve and Natasha.”

“Steve’s a jerk, but at least I understand where he’s coming from. Natasha…I don’t know. I guess I’m not exactly excited to work with her but…she’s how I remember her to be from when I was three. So, I wasn’t surprised by anything she did. Barnes, I don’t know basically at all outside of what happened down there.”

“What about Banner?”

“He’s…” Peter frowns. He doesn’t say anything more.

“You really liked Bruce when you were little” Tony tells him. “Whenever you came with me to work, you’d want to visit him in the chem labs. You used to call him Hulky.”

“That’s why it sucked when he acted…when I woke up in the medbay and then the gym…I don’t recognize that Banner. He’s…” Peter’s frown grows a bit deeper. “It’s almost harder to talk with the Avengers I remember rather than the new ones. Some of them are just as I remember, like Clint and Happy. But then…I don’t know if I just never saw this side of Banner and Rhodes…or if I was too young…but it just sucks. The ones who joined when I was away…it’s almost easier since I have no expectations going in. I’m not so sure about Vision or Wilson, but Strange has been cool. Same with when I met Wanda a few days ago…I don’t know about Scott anymore.”

Oh kid. “I thought you liked Scott.”

“I did.”

Tony takes a heavy sigh. “Peter…all those people want what is best for you. Every single one has put a great deal of effort into looking for you and all went into overdrive when you were found. Literally every single one dropped what they were doing…”

“Yeah, because they’re your team.”

“They also…”

“They did that because of you Tony” Peter asserts. “Which is fine, that’s why they are here. For you. So of course, they dropped everything to help with your wife and son. They also will do anything you say when it comes to our care and training. But at least most of them are doing it for you, not me.”

“They…” Tony see’s where Peter is coming from. He does. Most of his team have little interest in getting to know the boy. More because of their indifference to kids. Barnes, Wilson, Strange, even Rogers to an extent. With Harley, Kate and Clint’s kids, the group of men only interact with the teens if needed. “They would all put themselves in harms way to protect you.”

“Again…because of you. And again, that’s fine. They aren’t my team, they’re yours.”

Is it too soon to bring up Harley and Kate? Tony had listened to a small portion of what went down between Peter and Harley. While the boy may have had good intentions, Harley did not choose a good time to make that big of an impression. Especially when Tony thinks about his and Peter’s conversation before the Hamptons. That interaction was doomed from the start.

Taking a chance, Tony asks “Have you thought about starting your own team? I’m not sure if you know this, but for a few years we’ve had a program set up in schools to make profiles on students…”

“The Young Avengers Initiative” Peter finishes. “I know. I…” he doesn’t look at Tony. “Midtown had been bugging me for two years to let them submit a profile about me.”

A slight blow to the chest Tony wasn’t prepared for. Although he isn’t surprised. With Peter’s brilliance, it is not a shocker that the school would try to get him recruited. Peter had mentioned his first day back that he and Pepper actively avoided recruiters. Still, it hurts to know another way his son avoided coming home.

“I’m not ready yet” Peter admits. “I need to be alone for a while…just think of myself. Not be a leader for a group I’m not…comfortable being a part of let alone in charge of yet. That I don’t really know if I…want yet.”

The kid is trying. Tony can see that. At least Peter is being honest rather than keeping all his thoughts to himself. Some of his admissions are tough to hear, but it’s better for Tony to know what is upsetting the boy than have to guess. To understand Peter’s true feelings on certain topics.

“Sir” JARVIS alerts, “Your breakfast is coming up the elevator.”

“I TOLD YOU I DON’T KNOW” the jackass shouts at Tony from the metal chair. Another swing with the bat. “FUCK YOU!”

“How about you watch your language and tell me where they are hiding the girls?”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

From the corner of the room, Peter is taking deep breaths. Tony’s noticed him cup his neck a couple times, but nothing more than that.

Getting into the asshole’s face, Tony growls “Three witnesses have identified you and we have you on video. Now tell me. Where. Are. The. Girls?”

“I” the man’s mouth drops open. They’ve been going round and round for about half an hour. “Let me go!” he sobs.

“Eh” Tony walks over to his table of supplies. Grabbing a knife, he shows it off to the man before plunging it into his leg.

“FUCK!”

“Want that again?”

“No” he cries.

Yanking the knife out, Tony repeats the same action in the other leg.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck…”

“Again?”

“Dean’s taproom” the man admits finally. “Dean’s taproom in downtown Boston. I swear.”

“JARVIS?”

The AI announces, “Dean’s Taproom, 422 Columbus Avenue.”

“They move the girls with a blue box truck.”

“Now” Tony smirks, pulling the knife out of the leg. “Was that so hard?”

Glancing at Peter, Tony is glad to see the boy still keeping it together. He watches as Tony plunges the knife into the asshole’s throat. Listening to the pained gurgling, Peter remains calm. He takes a few labored breaths, but is still present in the moment.

When Tony knows there isn’t much left to see, he gestures at Peter letting him know they can leave. Rhodes is in the hall waiting for them. He looks to Tony, a look in his eye silently asking how it went. Tony gives a nod back, letting his friend know it went well.

“No paralyzer?” Rhodes asks out loud.

Peter exits the room and stands a bit to the side. He isn’t looking at either of them, instead picking at his fingernail. A look of struggle written across his face.

“None” Tony answers. “How you feeling, Pete?”

Taking in another breath, Peter for the first time answers Tony’s question. Usually, the kid can’t utter a word after an interrogation. “Fine” he says in a whisper.

“That’s one down for number one.”

A small nod.

“You…you want to head back to the lab?”

Shaking his head, Peter instead answers “I want to relax for the night.”

“That’s fine. You can head back upstairs.”

Turning and still not looking at the two other men in the room, Peter begins heading to the elevator. After a few steps he comes back “Can I have the cuff back?”

“Oh” Rhodes grabs the new and improved suppressor bracelet out of his pocket. “Refilled it for you.” Having taken out most of the features of the old model such as the taser, Tony and Peter were able to shrink the cuff down to the size of a slim watch. The only drawback is that it’ll need to be refilled more often. Which won’t be an issue with Peter voluntarily wearing it.

“Thanks” Peter accepts it and begins heading back to the elevator.

Once Tony hears his son disappear behind the elevator’s closing doors, he asks Rhodes “What the hell did you and Steve say to him?”

“We just…a lot. I thought you said your talk with him last night went well.”

“It did” Tony says. “That’s why I’m confused. I was expecting World War III coming back here. We went back and forth a bit last night but nothing too bad. Then this morning was good. He’s the one who asked for the interrogation. What did you do?”

“Why are you so freaked out?”

“I just…” Tony admits, “I don’t want to get my hopes up in case this comes crashing down. If this is only going to last for a short bit.”

“I don’t think that’s the case Tony. He’s serious about this. Talked with both Steve and I a long time trying to come up with his plan of how to approach you with it.”

“He called Steve an jerk this morning.”

“Yes, but he respects his advice” Rhodes explains. “Steve…I’m not going to get into the exact details with you. That’s between Peter and us. I don’t really know specifics about what went down between Peter and Steve, I just know it was a bit of a tough love conversation. Steve apparently knocked the kid down a few pegs and made him think over some of his behavior. As for me…Pepper gave me some advice and I used it. Please, don’t make me tell you what it was. It would only make Peter feel embarrassed. Just…just be happy he’s turned a corner.”

"I am." Tony is happy to see the change in his son's attitude. However, he still can't help but be cautious about things going forward. This sudden change feels out of nowhere and Tony doesn't feel prepared for it. "Will you at least tell me what motivated this?"

Rhodey thinks for a moment before admitting. "I explained what life will look like once he's caught up. Training slowing down, Pepper back in the penthouse, you easing off of him. Gave Peter something to strive for instead of the kid going through the training aimlessly. Peter's like Pepper in that way, does better when he has something to work towards."

What life will look like. Tony himself doesn't really know what that will be. Just the idea of him, Peter and Pepper together in the penthouse seems so far in the future. Sitting down together for dinner every night, vacations, holidays. After Peter's birthday, Tony was struggling to even imagine their reunification ever going well. But now...with Peter finally willing to change...it seems like a possibility. The hope that they can be a family again is almost overwhelming. The fact Peter too wants them all, Tony included, to be together.

For the first time since finding Peter, Tony feels like the truly has his son back. He finally has back that little boy who sought Tony's approval and wanted to make him proud. He's had glimpses over the past few weeks, but this is a different level.

"Peter's finally seeing the full picture Tony" Rhodes adds. "He'll get to where he needs to be, just be patient."

"I...I know. Just..." As happy as Tony is that Peter is opening up, the conversations between them become difficult to bear. "You should hear him talk Rhodey. He's so lonely and I just can't get him to trust anyone. Now even Scott is on his shitlist. I...I never wanted him to feel this alone."

"I know. Again, be patient. Peter will warm up to everyone eventually."

"Have you two..." Before even finishing the question, Tony can see in Rhodes' expression that the answer is no.

"Like I said, eventually he'll warm up to everyone. Just give him time."

Chapter Text

“Sir, it appears there is somebody trying to gain access to my system who is unauthorized.”

“Got their location?” Tony asks his AI while still working on his newest car.

“Living room Sir.”

“What?” Tony glances up and sees JARVIS has brought up video of Pepper and the woman from last night in his living room. The reporter is wearing one of Tony’s shirts that he better get back. Pepper is handing over the woman’s dry cleaning. That was fast. What time did she get up? “Not exactly a threat JARVIS.”

Before the video goes away, Tony hears Pepper tell the woman “I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires…including occasionally taking out the trash. Will that be all?”

Smiling, Tony thinks to himself ‘That’s my girl.’ That reporter wouldn’t be so cocky if she knew who Tony was thinking about last night when they were having sex. Only a couple more years, then Pepper will be ready for his bed. She’s twenty, a teenager only a few hours ago. A bit more maturity and molding, then Tony will finally be able to put the ring he bought the day they met on her finger. Over the past two years she’s already blossomed into such a remarkable woman. Strong, smart, organized. The first few months of her employment were a bit rocky. Her father Christopher obviously hadn’t prepared her for their world.

Christopher. How happy Tony is to have that idiot out of the picture. He all but banned the man from the mansion. Having Pepper living with him meant that on occasion her father would visit. Not being able to stand more than ten minutes listening to the man babble, Tony would usually greet him then disappear into his lab. Two months ago, he finally had one of his guys take out the bastard. Luckily, Pepper was too grief stricken to look further into the death. Happy was quick with the cover-up.

Pepper doesn’t need to know the truth of her father’s death. She forgave SI for her brother’s killing since he had gotten himself into that mess with Wayne. But she wouldn’t be so understanding with Christopher. Even when knowing what idiots they were, Pepper still loved her family. Tony was doing her a favor getting rid of them. They would have just held Pepper back.

Suddenly the music in the lab cuts out. Tony hears the door open.

“Don’t turn down my music.”

“I’ll keep you posted” Pepper says into her phone before addressing Tony. “You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now.”

“How’d she take it?”

A huff, “Like a champ.”

“Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?”

“Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.”

“It’s funny, I thought with it being my plane and all that it would just wait for me to get there.”

“Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple of things before I get you out of here.”

Turning to face her, Tony says “I mean doesn’t it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive.” Just like every day, Pepper looks beautiful. Usually, he prefers her more casual attire where he can see the shape of her body more. But even in a suit, she is stunning. It reminds Tony of her intelligence, professionalism, and work ethic.

A pleasant surprise when she first started was how quickly Pepper adjusted to the job. Obadiah was pissed when Tony had hired a high-schooler for such an important position. Lately he’s been trying for months to get her more involved in the company. Tony, Happy and Rhodes have all blocked promotions and other offerings Obadiah has tried to give Pepper. Tony isn’t letting her stray away. In a couple years it won’t matter anyway. They’ll be married and Pepper’s focus will be on their children. Tony wouldn’t be able to prepare her for that if Pepper and him didn’t work and live together.

Pepper doesn’t need to know about that plan. Tony knows her well enough to know she’d feel manipulated and used. He’s kept up a good front in not letting her know his true feelings or intentions. When they first met, Tony could tell she wasn’t his biggest fan. He’s pretty sure she was even disgusted with him a bit. But slowly over the last couple years, he’s seen the change in her. Just as he had planned, Pepper gradually began coming around. Especially after their trip to the Hampton’s house for her nineteenth birthday. Tony had caught her staring when he was lounging in the pool. She had blushed when he gave her a small tease about it. Ever since, their interactions have been full of gentle flirts and small smiles. After Christopher’s death, Pepper has been especially keen to spend time with Tony. He’s noticed a passionate glint in her eye whenever they are in one of their amorous back-and-fourths.

“Larry called” Pepper reads off her list. “He’s got another buyer for the Jackson Pollack in the wings. Do you want it yes or no?”

“Is it a good representation of his spring period?”

Before meeting Pepper, Tony had little interest in the art world. Still does, yet it’s now one of his favorite things to collect. After discovering his assistant’s passion for researching artists and finding deals, he has been more than happy to have her build him a collection.

“Um…no the springs is actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked not…”

“So?”

“…spring like the season. I think it’s a fair example um…I think it is incredibly overpriced.”

Tony sees the hint in her eye. Pepper had been excited to find this piece, she’s just trying to keep her cool. “I need it.” Immediately, Pepper looks down at her notes while trying to hide her smile. “Buy it, store it.” Tony walks past her to the coffee bar to hide his own grin.

“Okay, the MIT commencement speech…”

“Is in June. Please, don’t harangue me about this stuff it’s way, way down…”

“Well, they’re haranguing me so I’m gonna say yes.”

“Well, deflect it and absorb it. Don’t transfer it back to me…”

“I need you to sign this before you get on the plane” Pepper opens her folder.

“What are you trying to get rid of me for? What do you have plans?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

This catches Tony off-guard. The rule is he has to know when Pepper is either having someone over or planning to leave the mansion. It is her home too, so she can have whoever she’d like visit. But if she is leaving Tony needs to know so he can have a scout follow. Not that Pepper knows that. She doesn’t need to know that he has somebody keeping an eye on who she meets and interacts with outside of the mansion. She doesn’t need to know that the few times she has gone on dates, that one of Tony’s men has made sure to scare off those suiters afterwards.

“I don’t like it when you have plans.”

“I’m allowed to have plans on my birthday.”

“It’s your birthday.” Tony knows that, he’s just pretending he doesn’t. They’ve been getting close recently, he needs to divert her away from any suspicion of his hidden love for her.

“Yes.”

“I knew that. Already?”

“Isn’t it strange?” Pepper teases. “It’s the same day as last year.”

“Well, get yourself something nice from me.”

“I already did” There’s that glint.

“And?” Tony smiles.

“Oh, it is very nice.”

“Yeah?” he wonders what she purchased. He’ll look it up when he gets back from his trip.

“Very tasteful.” Tony hopes not. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

The smile on her face holds a warm glow. One Tony hasn’t seen before. It’s more than just a flirt. Deep in her eyes Tony can see the affection he’s been trying to facilitate in Pepper. Tony’s plan is working. Even sooner than he expected, the love of his life is beginning to fall for him.

One more year he decides. One more year and he will claim her. She’s already his, the world just doesn’t know yet.

“Does it have anything to do with tonight?”

“Oh no. Much too fancy.”

“Huh. Mind I ask what these plans are?”

“They’re…” a sad wave goes over her face. “Visiting dad and Peter’s graves.”

What a mood killer. “How are you doing today?”

“Good just…” Pepper takes a breath. “First birthday without him.”

“I get it” Tony remembers that feeling. He was only a year older than Pepper is his first birthday an orphan. At least he was twenty-one and got to forget that fact with endless drinks at a bar. “Anything for after?”

“Girls night with Dinah, Emily and Selina.”

That earns an annoyed groan from Tony. Not the fact Pepper is going out, but the company she keeps. Norman’s fiancé Emily is one thing, but Dinah Queen and Selina Wayne are another. Especially Wayne’s wife. Only a couple years ago did Bruce finally get that one in line. How Pepper can keep a sociable relationship with either of those two, Tony will never know. Why the women have any desire to keep up a friendship, he’ll never know. Both Selina and Dinah are around Tony’s age, not Pepper’s. She’s a kid compared to them. Tony would put his foot down if it wouldn’t make him look bad. Bruce and Oliver also don’t approve but have allowed it. Tony would appear petty if he didn’t.

“Don’t Selina and Dinah have babies at home they should be taking care of?”

“They also have husbands and nannies who can take care of them for one night.”

“More than a night if they’re flying in.”

“My point still stands.”

Nannies. Tony had plenty of those growing up. He practically saw them more than his parents. That won’t be the case with his and Pepper’s kids. Maybe a night nurse for the first year, but otherwise Pepper will be there to raise them. The reason Tony will make her quit once they’re engaged.

“Take Happy for the night” Tony tells Pepper.

“We’ll be fine…”

“I insist. He’ll be able to get you into some clubs, bribe some bartenders, make sure you get home safe. Twenty’s a big year.”

“It is” Pepper’s smile returns along with that passionate glint in her eye. “Again, thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re welcome Ms. Potts.”

One day Mrs. Stark.

Cuddling herself further into her husband’s arms, Pepper rests her face on his chest. Her right hand is lightly brushing over the center. The place that held the arc reactor for the first years of their marriage and engagement. This is the first time she has really taken a close look at the restructured torso and skin. A slight indent and a faded scar are the only indicators that there was once something there.

A calloused hand drapes over hers. Pepper didn’t realize Tony had woken up. His other hand begins gently rubbing her bare back. Looking up, she exchanges a drunken smile with him. “You like what you see?” he asks.

“It’s weird” Pepper looks back to the little indent. “Never thought I’d see you without the little glow.”

“Recovery was a bitch. Don’t know what hurt more, getting that thing put in or having it taken out.”

“Well, I hope the second surgery wasn’t also in a cave.”

“No” Tony chuckles. “It’s actually how I found Cho. She made this technology that grafts skin. She had me stitched up in a day.”

“Amazing.”

“Yeah.”

“Remember…” Pepper chuckles. She is still tipsy from the restaurant. The bruising and swelling in her face had gone down enough that she and Tony felt comfortable with her going out in public. For their first date in ten years, Tony took her to a wine tasting. Having not drank much the past few years, Pepper’s tolerance is no where near as high as her husband’s. Not that it has ever come close. “Remember when you had me pull that wire out of there.”

“How could I forget that shock to the chest” Tony grins at the memory.

“You didn’t warn me ahead of time.”

“I didn’t.”

“Oh, that smelled so bad.”

“After all these years you still remember?”

“I could never forget.”

“Well,” Tony runs a hand down Pepper’s back. “Now that’s not an issue anymore.”

“Sir” Jarvis speaks up, ruining the mood.

“What?” Tony snaps, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

“Your son is trying to gain access to your lab.”

Letting out a groan, Tony tells Pepper “Not a word.” He then tells Jarvis to voice chat with Peter. “Kid what are you doing?”

“I…” Peter’s voice fills the room. It makes Pepper’s heart squeeze. It’s only been three weeks since she saw him, yet it’s felt like years. Tony has allowed her to bring video of Peter up and gets updates from Jarvis. While its better than being completely in the dark, the access to only observe her son from afar is painful at times. She desperately wants to call out to Peter this moment but doesn’t dare go against Tony. For now, just hearing him has to be enough. “I was thinking over the design for the drone’s legs and think I figured out how to expand it’s range of motion. I just wanted to try it out.”

“It’s two in the morning” Tony chides.

“It’s Saturday, I don’t have anything going on tomorrow.”

“Go to bed.”

“C’mon…”

“We’ll spend some time in the lab tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

Letting out a defeated sigh, Peter grumbles “Fine. See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight” Tony says, the call ending. Turning back to Pepper, Tony must see the tears forming in her eyes. “Hey” he pulls her closer, again gently rubbing her back. “You’ll see him again soon.”

“I know” Pepper tries not to cry. “I know.”

Tony had explained the deal him and Peter had made. Completing a small list of goals made by Tony and the three of them go away on vacation. Pepper has been keeping track of her son’s progress. He quickly knocked goals out one, two and four on the list. He’s also been trying to get as much time in as possible with Natasha and Clint for goal three. Whenever the two spies have availability, they bring Peter to the shooting range. Pepper watched one of the sessions with Clint, Peter actually has pretty good aim naturally. As for goal five…Peter hasn’t touched it yet.

“Has he asked to participate yet?” Pepper asks. She knows her son will struggle through that. She also knows the weekend at the Hamptons won’t be nonstop fun. Peter will most likely need some comforting and advice. Just like she did for his birthday, Pepper is preparing herself for some difficult discussions.

“No” Tony frowns. “He’s working up the nerve. When…he’s still just watching interrogations, trying to get used to it. He…he’s getting better Pep. He’s trying.

“I know.” Her little boy is trying so hard. Peter’s always been a hard worker when with Tony. Even as a small child, Peter always tried to surpass his father’s tests. In Queens, Peter wasn’t challenged like he was in Malibu. Always exceeding academically with little effort. Pepper had tried to get her son into some sports to at least give him involved in something that Peter wasn’t naturally gifted at. Soccer, wrestling, football. But every time Peter showed a bit of competitiveness or aggression, Ben would convince the boy to refocus on something softer like band. It annoyed Pepper, but since she relied on the Parkers heavily those first few years, she didn’t argue. Then by the time she and Peter were on their own, Peter had little interest in anything where he’d have to be a bit hostile.

Tony adds, “Not that I’m happy it happened, but at least with Marko Peter had some personal reasoning to beat the shit out of him. By any chance is there another piece of crap Peter would be happy to take a swing at?”

“Nobody over the age of eighteen” Pepper thinks about some of the kids from Midtown who always gave Peter a tough time. She was about ready to smack that Thompson boy herself the last time she got pulled into a meeting about an altercation between him and Peter.

“Well, I don’t usually go after minors…”

“No Tony.” Pepper knows her husband is joking, but that doesn’t make it any more appropriate.

After a moment of pause, Tony asks “What was the little shit’s name?”

“There were a few. As you know, being the smartest in the class, especially in a school of geniuses, brings out a lot of ugliness from kids. The worst one by far was Eugene Thompson.”

“Remind me to blacklist his name.”

“Tony, don’t do anything rash.”

With a huff, Tony asks “Please at least tell me the kid got in trouble.”

“His parents were one of the biggest donors to the school.”

That earns an eye roll. “Bet he had quite the surprise when he found out who Peter really was.”

“I’m sure all of Midtown did” Pepper adds. “Although probably not as big of a surprise as you’d think. Peter was clearly the brightest one there.”

“He told me the admin kept asking to submit a profile for the Young Avengers.”

Pepper’s body freezes. Slowly she looks up into Tony’s eyes. Instead of the anger she was expecting, Tony’s gaze only holds sorrow. “I’m sorry” Pepper whispers.

“We’re moving on.”

Nestling herself back into her husband’s side, Pepper sighs. After a bit of quiet Tony inquires, “There wasn’t anything in Peter’s record about bullying.”

“He was on scholarship, didn’t want to risk getting kicked out. Thompson did stuff, but Peter never fought back.”

“Did you tell him…”

“The one time I suggested he could punch back, Ben and May quickly argued against it.” Pepper explains. “They…especially Ben, always said to never use violence. I…didn’t necessarily agree but bit my tongue to not cause waves. Ben and Peter were close, Peter believed almost everything he said. I…I tried Tony, but they always tried to undermine me.”

A small kiss is placed in Pepper’s hair. By his expression, Pepper knows he is pondering her words over. As he does, Pepper glances out the window. This apartment is extremely better than the last one. It has a gorgeous view of the city’s lights at night. Pepper’s been enjoying having her morning coffee on the balcony ever since taking the bandages off her face.

“How’s the planning for the compound going?” Tony asks.

“Good, got a meeting with the design team on Monday.”

“Want to go visit the site next week? It’s only an hour long flight with the quinjet, we could do a daytrip.”

“Sounds good. It would be nice to see.”

“I got notified that the area by the lake got plotted out for all the homes. We could go pick out which one we’d like for ourselves before the rest of the team.”

“I’m almost surprised you’re letting them choose. I thought you’d be picky about who you’d like next door.”

“Maybe I should rethink that.”

Pepper chuckles. “I’d like the most private one anyway.”

“Clint said Laura is actually considering moving the kids up there. Especially if it means Clint would be home more often.”

“That’s great.”

“Have you looked into any architects for the houses yet?”

“A few” Pepper answers. “There are some good ones out there. I’m debating this one firm out in Wisconsin. They specialize in cabins. I thought that would fit nice for being next to the lake.”

“I’m surprised. When building the tower, you were so focused on modern.”

“That’s because the tower is meant to be impressive. The houses at the compound are only for the team to enjoy. They should feel comfortable. Sure, they’ll be highly updated, but should still feel normal.”

“Sounds…perfect” Tony replies. “Remember when we first turned the tower on?”

“I remember twelve percent of it.”

Tony lets out a laugh. “I really am never going to live that down.”

“You called it my baby then gave me twelve percent credit.”

“Well, I already gave you fifty percent for Howie.”

“With your logic I should get more than fifty. What were your words? I did all the heavy lifting. Literally grew and carried him for nine months.”

“Fine, fine” Tony grins. Leaning his head forward, Tony’s lips capture Peppers. Not only does she reciprocate, but Peppers intensifies the kiss. The taste of wine on his tongue and Tony’s usual musky scent sends a wave of heat through Pepper. After a moment, Tony whispers “Ready for round two?”

Tony goes to roll them over, but Pepper beats him to it. She pulls herself on top of him, reclaiming the kiss during the process. Immediately, she feels Tony’s arms grasping her sides. Both still being inebriated; they are a bit clumsier than usual when Pepper lowers herself onto Tony. Once he is buried inside her, their thrusts become a lot more balanced. One positive of Tony’s playboy days was him gaining expertise on just the right places to rub and caress on a woman’s body.

“Pep” Tony huskily huffs, sending another flush through Pepper. “God, you feel better than I remember.”

“Same for you.”

Out of nowhere Tony begins chuckling. “What’s so funny?” Pepper asks, slightly annoyed.

“Just thinking about your dressing room after our wedding.”

Pepper too laughs at the memory. They had wasted no time consummating their marriage that day. Pepper had gone to change into a simpler dress for the reception. Unbeknownst to her, Tony had followed. After nearly ripping her gown off, Tony had propped Pepper up on one of the dressing room’s tables. Being enhanced, Tony hadn’t realized how hard he was going when one of the table legs broke.

“Not as bad as when Rhodes walked in on us in your lab.”

“The perv, I swear he knew.”

“I don’t think he was expecting that when walking in.”

“The lab is where I do my best work” Tony smirks at his own joke.

“I can think of a few other places.”

“Really?”

“Paris comes to mind.” Their first vacation as a couple. A much needed break after the Hammer fiasco. Tony had booked the trip the next day. Tony spent a week teaching Pepper, who was new to sex, everything possible to do in a bed. Thinking back on those days, Pepper grinds her hips down onto her husband who moans.

“That was a great trip. Much better than Monaco.”

“Monaco was fun until the race.”

“The race” Tony pauses to give her a kiss before stating. “I was about ready to bash Happy’s head in when I saw he brought you out there.”

“I could handle myself.” Pepper feels Tony pick up the pace underneath her. The familiar tightness in Pepper’s stomach begins growing. “Besides, somebody needed to be there to toss you the suit.”

“It only took you a year.”

“That’s an overstatement.”

“I’ve been letting Peter study my old suits. I forgot how bulky those first few were. It’s almost embarrassing.”

“At the time it was state of the arc. Besides, none of them could be as bad as Obadiah's.”

“That was an ugly piece of shit. Glad it basically what killed him in the end.”

“Um, excuse you. I was the one who killed him.”

“I was the one who told you what to do.”

“Yeah, but I was the one to hit the button.”

“With my coaching.”

“More like your pleading.”

“I do not plead.”

“Really?”

“Never.”

Pepper stops her movements. She stills on top of Tony, smirking down at him. When it is clear she is waiting for him to say something, he surprises her. Instead of begging for her to resume, Tony flips them so he is above her.

“Like I said Pep” Tony says in her ear as he realigns himself to enter her. “I don’t plead.” He pushes forward and teases “Not even for a cold-blooded killer like you.”

They don’t say anything after that. Too busy gasping for breath as Tony slams in and out of Pepper. Just like back in the day, he knows exactly what to do. Exactly where to kiss, grope, squeeze. Pepper too remembers everywhere Tony likes to be touched. In no time they both reach their climaxes. Tony collapses on top of Pepper, burying his face in her neck as he catches his breath. Coming down from her own high, Pepper relishes the warmth from his body.

With a soft kiss on Peppers cheek, Tony rolls onto his back and pulls Pepper to his side like they were before. They lay in quiet, the only sound being their breathing. Tony gently begins running his hand up and down Peppers back. Exhausted, Pepper feels herself beginning to doze off. That is until Tony asks,

“Did you ever tell Peter about Obadiah?”

“Yeah. He asked about it when he was seven I think. I told him about the Ironmonger suit and the weapons.”

“No. I mean did you ever tell Peter that you were the one to kill him.”

“Oh uh” Pepper hesitates. “No.”

“Why?”

“I…I didn’t want May and Ben to find out. I was…afraid about what they would do if they knew I had killed someone. I was also nervous about what they would have said to Peter about it.”

Tony thinks this over. He stares at the ceiling pondering something over in his head. Returning her hand to the center of his chest, Pepper begins caressing the scar.

“I’ll tell him if you want me to” Pepper says, feeling guilty. She had let Peter think all these years that she was completely innocent. If she has to face the music for her lies, she’ll do it.

“No” Tony declines. “Peter doesn’t need to know. Let’s just…let him think all the blood is on my hands. Keep yours clean. He already feels alone, I don’t want him feeling like he’s lost you too. Besides, it’s not like the truth will ever be brought up.”

Only Tony and Pepper know what actually happened that night. They had told everybody else that it had been Tony to cause the explosion. It looked better that way, for Tony to be the one that took down Obadiah. That he reclaimed what was rightfully his. The press said it was an accident, but rumors in their world spread that Tony had done it purposefully.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. It’s better this way.”

Chapter Text

“Your aim is getting better” Clint compliments.

“Romanoff said the same yesterday. I’m still struggling with the recoil though.” Peter tells him.

“That should get easier without the suppressor.”

“I could take it off now.”

“Nah” Clint shakes his head. “We only have about ten minutes left. Next time. I’ll let Nat know.”

“Cool.”

“Want to try the sniper next?”

“Umm” Peter eyes Clint’s personal set of weapons. “Can I try your bow?”

“My bow?”

“I saw Tony upgrading it last week in the lab. That and some trick arrows.”

“Well, I don’t think your father would be too happy if I let you test out explosives, but you can certainly try the bow with some regular arrows.” Clint grabs the weapon. He demonstrates the proper stance and how to hold it correctly. Peter tries it out. It’s a lot more fun than the guns in Peter’s opinion.

“I get why you prefer this” Peter says, while prepping his last shot of the day.

Smirking, Clint adds “It’s a hit with my kids too.” After Peter’s arrow hits the target, he compliments, “Nice job. I’ll let Kate know you’re eating at her heels.”

Peter frowns at the statement. Clint has only brought up Kate a few times during their training sessions. Each time, Peter has tried to skirt around the subject. Unlike Scott though, Clint is more keen to bring up his kids in conversation. So far Peter has learned that Kate’s favorite color is purple. He and Lyla used to play with legos together when they were little, although Peter doesn’t remember that. Cooper is the oldest but apparently not as responsible as Lila and Kate. Nathanial just started learning how to use a real bow. Also, that the family has movie night almost once a week. Clint is flying back to Ohio tonight so he can be there.

“What’s the movie tonight?” Peter asks, trying to be polite as they both begin cleaning up.

“Well, Nathanial gets to pick, so I’m guessing something Disney.”

“I thought he chose last week.”

“Cooper and Lila got themselves grounded.”

“What for?”

With a sigh, Clint asks “You really want to know?”

Strange. Why won’t Clint answer. “Yeah.”

“They got mad at me for keeping up Kate’s punishment. Started arguing that she was right to be upset about Marco, which I don’t disagree with but that doesn’t excuse her behavior towards Steve.”

Kate’s still being punished for that? And now Cooper and Lila are too? Harley had said Kate freaked out, but it couldn’t have been that bad. Could it? Peter has only met Kate once and it didn’t go well. She couldn’t be that concerned about him.

“That happened a month ago, why is she still grounded?” he asks.

“Because every time I tell her to apologize to Steve she refuses.”

“Why?”

“She’s still mad at him. I don’t know if you know this, but it was Steve and Bucky’s idea to have you participate on Marco.”

He didn’t know that but also isn’t surprised. Steve has spent the last month pushing Peter. At first it sucked, but he’s slowly gotten used to it. The soldier can always tell when Peter isn’t giving a hundred percent and doesn’t settle for less than that. Peter’s learned a lot in a short time with Steve’s teaching. Way more than he did with Scott. He now understands what Harley meant when saying Scott has a tendency to goof off. There is none of that with Steve. Every second of training is utilized. Same goes for when he’s working with Natasha. Clint has also been good but is a lot more laid back in his style.

“Tell Kate to just apologize. I’m not angry about it anymore, no reason for her to be.”

“You could tell her yourself, I’m pretty sure Tony put her number in your phone.

Hesitantly, Peter pulls out his cell phone. “She’ll know it’s me?”

“We all have your number in our contacts.”

Taking a breath Peter pulls up Bishop’s number. At first he thinks to call but instead settles on texting. He stares at the screen, trying to think of what to say. It needs to be short and to the point. He doesn’t want to spur on a conversation. He’s not ready for that yet.

‘Apologize to Steve. No need to be in trouble for me.’ Send.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Peter doesn’t want to see if she responds. He looks up to see Clint watching him. “Tony said you’re still not ready to meet any of the other kids.”

“No.”

“They’re all really excited to meet you. Cooper and Lila bombarded Kate with questions when they found out you two crossed paths.”

Whatever answers Kate had for their questions couldn’t have painted Peter in a nice light. He wasn’t as rude to her as he was to Harley, but he was far from nice. Most likely Clint’s kids are also in contact with Harley. Who knows what he told them about Peter. If Kate is still being punished, Peter can only imagine the world of shit Harley is having to suffer through. Guilt begins eating at Peter’s chest. Four other kids are in trouble because of him. Maybe not Lila and Cooper directly, but they wouldn’t be grounded right now if Kate wasn’t.

“Harley still grounded too?”

“Oh my god” Clint huffs. “Scott and him can really bring out the worst in each other. If it weren’t for Rhodes, I don’t think Harley would be allowed to take a step outside all summer.”

“So, Rhodes isn’t mad at him?”

“Rhodes has trained Harley for the last five years to have your back even when you don’t want him to. In his eyes, Harley was doing what he was taught to do.”

That concept is still so strange to Peter. That a kid who he’s only treated poorly is that determined to be there to support him. That Harley is specifically being trained to be Peter’s supposed future best friend. It just adds to the guilt Peter is feeling about how everything went down.

The phone in Peter’s pocket vibrates. A part of Peter doesn’t want to look at it. He does however and sure enough it is a text from Kate.

‘What they did was fucked up. Are you okay?’

She didn’t even address what Peter had told her. Still, her bigger concern is him rather than her own state. Why? He barely knows Harley or Kate. Why do they care?

‘I’m fine. Just get yourself ungrounded.’ He texts. After a moment of thought, he also sends, ‘The report helped, thanks.’

Within seconds of sending those messages, three dots appear showing Kate is texting back.

‘I’m glad. I’ll call Steve later today. We’re all going to be in New York in next month for training. We always go out to dinner and a movie on the last day. You should join us.’

Peter doesn’t respond, just stares at the message. The invitation leaves a sour taste in his mouth that he knows isn’t fair. What are the chances Tony would say yes to that. Peter still isn’t allowed to leave the tower in general, let alone without him. Although maybe Kate doesn’t know that or thinks Tony would make an acceptation.

Would he? Tony’s been encouraging of Peter to get to know the other kids. Maybe he would allow Peter to go with. But…does Peter want to go?

No.

Not yet.

He again slides the phone back into his pocket. Clint is putting the last of the weapons away. When he notices Peter watching, he asks “Today is the last of the thirty hours, right?” Peter nods. “So, number three is done?”

“Yeah, but I’m still going to keep up with the training.”

“Good. So…now you only have goal five left, right?”

That question gets a more timid nod. The only thing left on the list is Peter participating in five interrogations. He had left that for last, partly hoping that if he just ignored it, it would magically go away. He’s allowed to wear the suppressor bracelet during those, so Peter knows he won’t demolish the guy like he did Marco. It also won’t be as bad as knowing he won’t be dealing with the tingle, and it’ll just be Tony and maybe Rhodes or Steve with him.

“Have you done any of them?”

“No.”

Clint watches him for another moment. He then says “Cooper struggled a lot when he started too. He felt a lot of guilt just like you are. You do know that nobody in that chair…”

“I know. I’ve talked about it with Tony.”

Another pause. “There’s a perp I’ve been tracking down the past few days. Real piece of shit, makes child porn. I was going to go take him out before heading back to Ohio, but want me to bring him back here instead?”

“I…” Peter knows what Clint is offering. “I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“You can try” Clint offers. “This guy’s a one-man operation, so I don’t need any info out of him. You won’t have to ask him any questions. Just focus on getting through it.”

Thinking it over, Peter knows this is the best-case scenario for his first attempt at goal five. “Do you have a file on him?”

“Yes, but it’s not as extensive as the one Kate made on Marko. She had put a lot of work into that after finding out about Ben Parker. I’ll have Jarvis give you access to my notes.” As they head to the elevator, Clint also tells Peter, “I’ll bring the perp back tonight and have him locked up downstairs. When you’re ready, just let Tony know. Even if you don’t get through it, Tony would be appreciative if you attempted. Would make a great Father’s Day present.”

Father’s Day. Time has moved so abnormally here, Peter didn’t realize any important date was coming up. It’s not like he was looking out for the holiday. Peter hasn’t celebrated it in years. But now that he’s back with Tony…Peter guesses he should do something…right? If he’s trying to get on good terms with his father…

“Okay…thanks.” It feels weird to thank Clint for this. Many conversations Peter has had the past few weeks have felt strange and disturbing. Openly discussing torture and killing in such a casual way is a new norm Peter feels uncomfortable to get used to. Especially when implying it would make a great gift for his father.

They both get on the lift, Clint going to the Avenger’s floor and Peter going to the penthouse.

“You’re not going to the lab?”

“Tony has a meeting with Wayne about Wakanda. We’re pushing back lab until after dinner.”

“Ah.” Clint says. The doors to his floor open. Clint takes a step out but pauses before leaving. “Hey Peter” He turns around. “I know Tony doesn’t always show it, but he’s really happy with your progress lately. We all are, even Steve. You’re doing well.”

“Um…thanks.” Peter is unsure what else to say to that.

“And don’t feel pressured or rushed but…if you ever do want someone your age to talk to, reach out to any of the kids. I know mine would be more than happy to chat and Harley would be over the moon. Both he and Kate, when not grounded, visit the tower quite often.”

When not grounded. Again, Peter is reminded about the group of teens all in trouble because of him. He shouldn’t feel guilty since he didn’t ask anything of them, but he does. Instead of acknowledging Clint’s statement, Peter just tells him “Have a good trip back to Ohio.”

Giving Peter one last pitiful nod, Clint steps fully out of the elevator. During his ride up to the penthouse, Peter thinks over his situation with Harley and Kate again. In his pocket is the open invitation to go on a social outing with the group. However, his feelings on all the kids are still so mixed. Accepting the teens feels like that means Peter is fully accepting this life. He is finally comfortable with doing what Tony asks just so they can get to a good place and hopefully see Mom again. But accepting everyone else…that’s another story.

The training will change him, Peter already knows that. He already sees it happening. Watching interrogations barely affects him anymore. But there is still a part of Peter that wants to cling onto his former self. That still wants to be the quiet kid from Queens who doesn’t hit back.

“Welcome home Young Sir” JARVIS greets as the elevator arrives to the penthouse. “Your father is still in his meeting and said to go ahead and order dinner. He should be up in about an hour.”

Tony and Wayne must have a lot to talk about if they are going this late. “Um…some Thai sounds good. There’s a restaurant on the first floor of that, right?”

“Yes, Young Sir. I can have the staff bring some up if you’d like.”

“Some curry and fried rice would be great.”

“Your father also enjoys their spring rolls, should I also order those.”

“Sure.” Peter says, plopping himself on the living room couch. It’s rare that he has free time during the weekdays. He turns on the TV yet can’t find it in himself to pay any attention to it. His mind too distracted by the thought of the texts between him and Kate. The phone in his pocket feels like a heavy weight.

What exactly did Kate say that made Steve and Clint so angry? Harley wasn’t specific and neither was Clint. In fact, Clint even said he understands why she was upset.

“Hey JARVIS” Peter calls out. “Do you have any idea about what happened during Kate’s fight with Steve? When she found out about their plans for Marko.”

“I have security footage of the incident, would you like to view it?”

Grabbing a tablet off the coffee table, Peter says “Yeah, can you bring it up on this?” He turns off the TV when the security footage comes up on the tablet.

Kate and Harley are in the gym sparring. Steve is off to the side, calling out corrections. After a few seconds, Harley gets a good leg swipe in that sends Kate toppling to the floor. He is able to get her pinned down and starts laughing when Kate can’t get free.

“Shut up Keener” Kate growls.

“I haven’t said a word” Harley teases. “Why are you so upset?”

“Wipe that smirk off your face.”

“I’d ask you to do it for me, but considering you can’t move your hands…”

“Shut up!”

“Okay” Steve interrupts. “That’s enough. You two are done for the day.”

With one last chuckle, Harley gets off Kate and helps her stand up. He’s still grinning which causes Kate to send him a playful elbow nudge before she wanders over to a bench that has a couple of water bottles. She tosses one to Harley before taking a sip of her own. As both teens refresh, Steve tells them

“We’re moving training tomorrow to three o’clock.”

“I thought that’s when Peter trains with Scott” Harley inquires.

“He has the day off tomorrow.”

“Okay, but why are we moving to earlier?”

“Tony needs the team in the afternoon.”

“For what?”

Getting annoyed with Harley’s questions, Steve continues to answer with a less patient tone. “We’re taking care of Marko tomorrow night.”

“Oh” Kate appears surprised. Harley had been telling the truth, they clearly didn’t know. “I didn’t realize you were going to do that so soon.”

Harley asks, “Why do all of you need to be there? I thought Peter’s watched like a dozen interrogations already.”

“This is the first one he’s having to participate in.”

Both Harley and Kate physically jerk back at the admission. Looks of horror and shock cover their faces. In a disgusted voice Harley says “Seriously?”

Kate’s a lot less collected. She yells “IT’S ONLY BEEN A MONTH!"

“Do not raise your voice at me that way” Steve demands angrily.

“Steve please” Kate runs up to the captain pleading. “You have to convince Mr. Stark out of this. It’s too soon. If you all want Marko to be Peter’s first, fine, but just keep him on ice for a while.”

“Peter just got here” Harley adds. “For the love of god, give him some time to breathe.”

“Tony listens to you. If you tell him to lay off, he will.”

Cutting both teens off, Steve explains “Bucky and I were the ones to tell Tony it was time.”

Harley’s mouth drops open as Kate screams “WHY!”

A hard slap across her face sends Bishop back a couple steps. Just watching it causes Peter to flinch and the sound of the smack. Steve is fuming

“Knock it off, both of you and get a grip. Peter is thirteen, not five. He’s old enough…”

“I WAS THIRTEEN” Kate begins yelling again. “I WAS THIRTEEN WHEN I JOINED AND CLINT WAITED ALMOST A YEAR BEFORE I HAD TO PARTICIPATE!”

Another slap from Captain America. “Unlike you, Peter doesn’t have the luxury of taking his sweet time. The entire world is watching and waiting to see what he’s made of.”

Kate looks like she is about to scream again, but Harley gets between her and Steve. “Kate” he says gently. “Calm down, okay, calm down. Take a breath.”

Ignoring the boy’s instructions, Kate tries to get around him but is held back by Harley. She tells Steve, “It’s like you want him to hate it here. You want him to be miserable. You fucking asshole, what is wrong with you? One month, he’s been here one month."

“JARVIS call Clint” Steve looks up at the ceiling before addressing Bishop. “You better choose your next words very carefully.”

“Steve” Clint’s voice echoes through the room.

“Get your protégé under control” Steve snaps.

“Kate…”

“They’re making Peter participate on Marko tomorrow” Kate interrupts.

“Already?” Clint sounds surprised himself.

“He’s ready” Steve asserts.

“BULLSHIT” Kate yells. Harley again tries calming her down.

Clint chastises, “Do not speak to Cap that way.”

“Why does it have to be now?” Bishop argues. “Why can’t you all just wait? The poor kid just got thrown into this world, why does he have to do this now?”

“I must say Steve” Clint agrees. “I’d like to know why too.”

“It’s about timing” Steve explains. “He gets to see Pepper on Tuesday for his birthday. She’ll be able to comfort him.”

Again, both Harley and Kate have physical reactions of shock. Harley’s eyes grow wide and he’s speechless as he turns to stare at Rogers. Kate on the other hand begins screaming again,

“YOU’RE MAKING HIM DO IT THE DAY BEFORE HIS BIRTHDAY? YOU SICK BASTARD!”

“YOUNG LADY” Steve fumes as Clint chastises,

“Katherine Elizabeth Bishop-Barton. Do not speak to Captain Rogers that way.”

“Oh my god” Kate begins pacing, reeling in her own thoughts. “You can’t do this to him. Please! Not…not…oh my god.”

“Clint!”

“Steve, I’m handling it. Kate, listen to me…”

“He’s just a kid! Fuck all of you. I would have never agreed to find Marko if I knew you were going to do this.”

The hurt and panic in Bishop’s voice intensifies with each word. Harley is still frozen in place, horrified at what he’s witnessing. Hearing Kate’s admission that she would have gone against Tony’s orders for Peter’s sake begins shedding a new light on the two.

“That’s it” Clint is mad. “Katherine you are to be on the first available flight back to Ohio.”

“No!” Kate begins storming to the door, only to be stopped by Steve.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To warn Peter.”

“You aren’t allowed in the penthouse.”

“I’ll scale the building if I have to. The kid deserves to know what he’s getting into.”

“Absolutely not.”

“TRY TO STOP ME!”

“Katherine…” Clint begins but is interrupted by Steve.

“Peter and Tony aren’t even in the tower right now. You have thirty minutes to pack your stuff and I am personally making sure to get your ass on a flight out of here. It is not your place to get in the way of Peter’s training and I am not letting you hold him back. That kid has a lot to catch up on and no time to do it. The more we push, the faster he’ll go. Yes, it’s difficult and yes, he hates it. But it is what is best for him. The quicker we get him to where he needs to be, the better it is for everyone.” Kate is about to argue, but Steve doesn’t let her. “Do not speak another word. Be on the landing pad in thirty minutes or trust me you’ll be sorry.”

With that, Captain America leaves. Kate is breathing heavy and looks so defeated. She leans her head up to the ceiling, emotion filling her eyes. “Clint…”

“He’s right Kate. You and Peter are not the same. It isn’t fair, but the longer it takes Peter to get caught up the more danger he’ll be in. Already, Sam found and took out a group that were going to try to break into Tony’s vacation home to attack.”

That sends a cold flash through Peter’s system. Nobody has told him about that. When did…somebody tried to break into the Hampton’s house? Why didn’t Tony tell him? Peter then remembers his second morning there. Tony was up before him. That rarely happens unless Tony just didn’t sleep at all the night before.

“Nat and I are finishing up in Wakanda. I’m flying home in a couple days, and we’ll talk more. See you then.” The call ends.

Turning to Harley, Kate’s distress is prevalent in her voice. “Harley, I didn’t know. I swear to God I didn’t know.”

Breaking out of his trance, Harley gives her a sympathetic frown and pulls her in for a hug. “I know. Calm down…I…”

“How are you not upset about this?”

“I’m fucking furious” Harley pulls away. “But freaking out and getting kicked out of the tower isn’t going to help anyone.”

“He’s going to hate me” Kate is almost on the brink of tears. “He already doesn’t like us, after he finds out about this…I thought I was helping him. I thought I was getting him justice. I thought…God. I’m such an idiot…”

“You’re not…”

“I should have seen this coming…”

“Neither of us…”

“We’re supposed to be his team. And now these assholes have made us complicate in what will surely be the worst day of his life. God!”

“Hey” Harley grabs Kate by the shoulders and tries to comfort her. “I’ll…I’ll figure out a way to talk with him. Let him know we never intended…I’ll tell him about your report. You did a really good job on that. I’m sure it’ll help…”

“These fucking bastards. They don’t remember how hard this is, especially when you’re going through it all alone. Why can’t they just give him a break?”

“It sucks. But this is the way things are right now. All we can do is let Peter know we’re here when he needs us. I’ll…I’ll talk to him about everything. I promise. I’ll try my best to explain.”

“Tell him I’m sorry.”

“I will” Harley wraps an arm around Kate and directs her to the exit. “C’mon. Let’s go get you packed.”

The video ends. Peter stares down at the screen for so long it turns off itself. He sees his reflection staring back at him. Confusion is written all over his face. Like many things over the past couple months, Peter didn’t know what to expect out of the video. In some respects, it’s better than he was expecting, in some ways worse. But mostly he is just conflicted.

Just like Harley was the night of the Marko’s death, both teens seemed genuinely concerned about Peter. The video confirms everything Harley said about their intensions and knowledge of the Avenger’s plans. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they feel no remorse for what happened to Marco. They don’t care that they dragged a man to his death. All they feel sorry for is that Peter had to be the one to torture the man.

Studying his reflection on the dark screen, Peter thinks to himself ‘Is this my future?’ While Kate and Harley are not uncaring, they…are actually, for Marco. Completely unattached from any guilt about the man’s suffering. They…

How does Peter feel about it? He realizes in that moment that through watching the video and pondering about the two teens after, he himself didn’t give much thought towards Marco. He was focused on how Harley and Kate reacted about him…Peter…not Marco. Sitting here in this moment, Peter searches his mind for those feelings he had weeks ago. Only…the guilt is there but only a sliver of what it once was.

Now a new sense of shame takes over Peter’s mind. Here he’s been judging both Harley and Kate for their coldness towards Marko, yet here Peter finds himself almost just as disconnected from his former remorse. Maybe its because of how much time has passed or maybe because he's been so busy lately, but those feelings have diminished. Before, Peter could barely stand the memory of Marko’s screaming and cries. But now…whenever he thinks of the man all Peter remembers is Kate’s file. All the harm Marko caused. The beatings he did, the drug pushing…

…Ben Parker lying bloody in the street.

A cold wash runs through Peter’s veins because for the first time since Marko’s death…he thinks the man deserved it. In his mind, Marko lost the right to a happy life.

The realization doesn’t scare Peter. In fact, there’s a calm sense of ease that comes with the revelation. Digging even deeper into the new understanding of his changing mind, Peter finds a bit of hope which is surprising. He’s adapting. And for once, he isn’t wanting to fight it.

Tony’s list of goals come to the forefront of Peter’s brain and he asks himself if goal five is really that intimidating anymore.

“JARVIS, can you bring up the file Clint was talking about earlier?”

“Most of their tech is made of vibranium” Tony explains. Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Arthur Curry and Diana Prince are on a video call while Natasha, Steve and Rhodes are with Tony in his lab. “That’s how it holds such strong charges of kinetic energy. I’m already looking into potential weaknesses of the element. I think there is some potential with electrocution. I’ll be running tests over this next week. I’ve also reached out to Thor to see if there are any off-world elements that could be stronger.”

“Clark, you do the same,” Bruce makes a note. “Anything else you need that could help?”

“For now, no. I’ll let you know once I’ve run some of my experiments.”

“Great. Diana, Natasha anything else to report.”

“Not at the moment” Natasha states. “I’ve gone though all my findings already.”

Diana tells the group, “Mother is looking through some of her old texts. I will keep you all know if she finds anything of value. Otherwise, I have nothing else.”

“Great” Tony closes out of his notes. “I think we’re done for the day then.”

Everyone on the call agrees with much delight. It’s been a long meeting, especially for a Friday. They thought they were going to be done hours ago, but there was a lot more to discuss than either group anticipated. Glancing at the clock, Tony see’s it is almost eight pm. Shit, he was supposed to have dinner with Peter two hours ago.

“Hope you all have a good weekend” Rhodes tells the call.

The Leaguers nod while Kent says, “Have a happy Father’s Day Tony.” Clark has always been much more cordial than his best friend. Both he and Rhodes put in a lot of effort into keeping peace between Tony and Bruce.

Under his breath, Arthur snickers “Love you dad.” Both Clark and Diana try to stifle some laughs. At first Tony thinks the group is taunting him until he see’s Wayne’s annoyance.

Snapping at Curry, Bruce growls “I’ve told you to knock that off.”

“Jimmy Kimmel told me to do it.” That earns some more giggles from the Leaguers as well as Rhodes. Tony is still confused.

“Bye everyone” Diana says before ending the call.

Turning to Rhodes, who is trying to hide a grin, Tony asks “What was that about?”

“Bruce’s kids did a segment for Jimmy Kimmel in honor of Father’s Day coming up. Let’s just say Wayne didn’t take too kindly to it by the end.”

“Oh” Tony feels a pit in his stomach. He’s been dreading the upcoming celebration of fatherhood. Peter hasn’t mentioned it, although neither has Tony. Now with it only being two days away, there has to be little chance the kid has anything planned. If he even realizes the day is coming up. Tony doesn’t have his hopes up.

The group dismisses for the night. Tony stays behind in his lab, cleaning up a bit in case Peter still wants to spend a few hours down here. It isn’t uncommon for the two of them to go way into the night on Fridays and Saturdays.

Before heading upstairs, Tony hesitates. “JARVIS” he calls out, “Bring up that Jimmy Kimmel clip of Wayne’s kids.”

The video comes up on a hologram. The host is introducing the segment.

“Sometimes we like to give our audience challenges for holidays, including Father’s Day, where our viewers video themselves and upload clips to YouTube. This year the challenge is to just tell your dad you love them when you think is most appropriate. As some of you know, Richard Wayne called in for an interview a few weeks ago.” The crowd cheers. “And I thought, who better to demonstrate this challenge, than the son of one of our countries leaders?” More applause. “Little did I know, that not only Richard, but all the Wayne kids were more than happy to participate. So…” The excitement in the room nearly drowns Kimmel out, “let me present to you. Hey Jimmy Kimmel, I told my dad I love him, Wayne family edition.”

Richard is the first one to do the challenge. Bruce is in full Batman gear crouching on a fire-escape. In a hushed tone, Richard whispers “Dad…Dad…hey Dad…”

“What?” Bruce asks, a hint of concern.

“I love you.”

“Love you too,” There is a short pause. Even with the cowl, it is clear Bruce turns both confused and annoyed. “Was that it?”

“Yeah.”

“Richard, we are on a stakeout.”

“Yeah.”

“That means you need to be quiet!”

“I just thought you’d like to know…”

“Is that a camera?”

“Uh…”

Next clip is Bruce putting cuffs on some criminals. Jason’s voice calls out, “Hey Dad.”

“Yeah Jay?”

“I love you.”

Snapping his head up, Bruce heatedly asks “Does this look like an appropriate time…”

Helena is sitting in a boardroom, Bruce presenting at the front. Whoever is next to her is filming as Helena gives them a mischievous smile. Then she turns to her father and raises her hand.

“Helsie? You have a question.”

“No, just wanted to say I love you.”

“What are you three up to?” Bruce growls.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Timothy is being followed by a camera person sneaking into a bedroom. By the light coming from the windows, it is early morning. They make their way over to a large bed containing a sleeping Bruce and Selina. The young boy raises a megaphone and says loudly “Dad, I love you.” Selina startles awake while Bruce snaps, “What the hell?”

Stephanie is nearly bouncing for joy as she runs into a bathroom where the audience can hear water running. The camera person stays at the door and films as the girl runs up to the frosted shower door and starts banging on it. “Daddy!”

“Stephie?” Bruce's voice is shocked. “Why are you in here?”

“I love you” the little girl giggles.

“Love you but get out.”

Next, Richard is holding tiny Damian in his arms and can barely hold together his laughter along with the voice of Jason who must be filming. They are backstage of some auditorium. Wandering over to the curtains, the viewers see Bruce presenting something onstage at a podium. Richard whispers in the one-year old’s ear and points towards their father. The tiny tot stumbles his way onstage, clearly having just learned to walk. Awes fill the video and it is unclear if it is from Kimmel’s audience or Bruce’s. Either way, Bruce is not happy when he turns to see the stunt his son’s have pulled. He quickly scoops up Damian and rushes offstage. To the baby, he whispers “Love you too.” Handing him over to Richard, Bruce scowls at both his older kids “This needs to stop, right now.”

Bruce is sitting on an exam table, getting his arm stitched up by Alfred from a cut. He looks exhausted and obviously had a rough night of patrolling. Helena pops up behind from behind the table and enthusiastically yells “Dad, I love you.”

Too depleted to be surprised, Bruce gives her a fatigued smile. Alfred chastises, “Young Ms. Wayne, what if my hand had slipped?” The girl just smiles and cozies up to her dad. A move that Tony can only assume has gotten her out of trouble before.

“You know what honey” Bruce mumbles, wrapping his uninjured arm around her. “Love you too.”

The family is outside having dinner by the pool. All are dressed in semi-casual attire. Bruce is standing by the edge of the water, a drink in his hand as he watches what might be the sunset. A scream “Dad, I love you!” Jason runs at his father, arms stretched out about to push Bruce into the pool. Only Wayne is too quick and is able to swirl around, grab the young teen and toss Jason into the water instead. The rest of the group laughs, as Selina calls out “Okay, that was deserved.”

A Justice League meeting. Richard is in front of a PowerPoint presentation that is blurred at first. “And finally, I just want to bring some attention to…” next slide is only the word ‘Dad’. “Dad…I love you.”

The League, who must be in on the joke, all burst out into snickers except for Bruce who is fuming. “I told you to stop this three days ago.”

Richard feigns innocence, “What?”

“You know what. This has gone too far.” There is a time cut and now Bruce is glaring at the camera. “Jason you too. Put that away.”

“Jimmy Kimmel told us to do it” The teen argues while laughing. Next to Bruce, Clark is struggling to keep his composure.

Kent breaks when Bruce curses “’Bleep’ Jimmy Kimmel.”

The final clip is of Bruce sitting in a lounge chair, glass of scotch in hand. Selina can be heard giggling as the camera approaches. “Hey Honey.”

“God, not you too.”

“Was just wondering if you have any final words for Jimmy.”

“I do actually” Bruce takes a swig of his drink. “Stay in California.”

The angle changes so Selina and Bruce are sitting next to each other on a couch. The wife smiles, “Wasn’t it nice at least a bit to hear how much all of them love you.”

Still a bit annoyed, Wayne pauses before answering. “It was.”

“Do you want to wish the dads out there a happy Father’s Day?”

“No, I want this video to be a warning for them to watch out.” A sudden look of unease overtakes his face as Bruce turns around. Peering behind the couch, he then groans “Oh my god” before walking off camera.

All six kids, Damian and Stephanie being held by their older brothers, start laughing as they stand up from their hiding place. Another time jump and all of them plus Selina wave at the camera with cheeky grins, “Happy Father’s Day Jimmy!”

The audience ate the entire segment up. They were full of both laughter and awes, even the parts where Bruce was upset. In fact, they thought those parts were the funniest. The people were overjoyed seeing Bruce as a parent. Over the years, Tony has seen glimpses of Bruce interacting with his children in such casual ways, but the people of America haven’t. Tony want’s to believe this video was staged, but he knows Wayne well enough to know at least most of it wasn’t. Many of those clips were Wayne’s authentic reactions. So were his kid’s joy of filming this. Bruce is strict, much more than Tony, but still he has allowed a comradery to form between him and his children. Selina was a huge reason for that. After each lesson one of those boys went through, Selina picked them up, brushed them off and encouraged them back in Bruce’s direction.

The host is back. “I think I need to stick to Stark territory for a while” Kimmel jokes. “However, if anyone knows how to get ahold of Peter…”

A jealous part of Tony envy’s Wayne in this moment. Peter has yet to call Tony ‘Dad’ let alone say he loves him.

This video was how his family was supposed to be. Him and Pepper working together over the years. Tony and his son getting fun moments that don’t feel forced. Peter feeling comfortable enough around Tony to have back and forth conversations where he isn’t walking on eggshells. Hell, Peter was supposed to have siblings. During their first few years together, Tony and Pepper had discussed having three to four kids. The Malibu home was supposed to be full of tiny feet running around and childish giggles.

The last month has been better than the first of his wife and son’s return. Loads better. But watching a man who is considered Tony’s equal have such a different relationship with not just his wife and first-born, but a household of children brings a heavy load of self-pity into Tony’s chest. It just doesn’t seem fair.

Collecting himself first, Tony makes his way upstairs. When the elevator arrives, Tony spots Peter on the couch, tablet in hand. The boy glances up and greets Tony,

“Hey, you ran late.”

“A lot to talk about.”

“Oh…uh…I ordered some Thai from the restaurant downstairs for dinner. I put the leftovers in the fridge when JARVIS said it looked like you were going to be late.”

“Thanks.” Heading to the kitchen, Tony grabs the take-out containers and begins loading up a plate. After putting it in the microwave, Tony is surprised to turn around and see Peter has followed him. “Hey.”

“Hey” Peter isn’t looking at him, instead staring down at the kitchen island. There is a nervous energy about him. Again, Tony thinks of Wayne and how excited his boys always are to get his attention. Tony’s never seen them this anxious around Bruce. “Something on your mind Pete?”

“Um…” Peter bites his lip before saying quietly, “It’s Father’s Day on Sunday.”

His heart nearly skipping a beat, Tony nods “Yeah.”

“Um…I don’t…” Tony braces himself for a rejection, but it doesn’t come. “I don’t really know what to do for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, mom and I…for Mother’s Day…well Mom usually worked…but at some point during the week we would go do something like the have a picnic or go to a museum. And the last few years…well not this year…” That holiday fell in the first couple weeks of the boy’s return. “…but before that I’d get her some chocolates from a sandwich place we liked…so um…I…I don’t know what to…” the boy trails off.

That ball of pity that was sitting in Tony’s chest is now rolling around inside of it. He can barely believe his ears as he listens to Peter try to explain his predicament. A part of Tony was fearful that Ben Parker had commandeered the past ten Father’s Days of Peters, but if the boy doesn’t even know what activities would be appropriate…

“What would you like to do?”

Shrugging Peter admits, “I was barely three the last time I celebrated it.” A sentence that brings Tony a huge sense of peace. “What did you and Grandpa used to do?”

“Well,” Tony is still reeling over the fact this conversation is even happening. Luckily, there is a beep behind him alerting that the food is ready. He takes that as an opportunity to catch his breath. When he turns back around, Peter is still nervously fidgeting. “Howard never really made it a point to be around” Tony admits. “Not that he purposely avoided it, just…wasn’t necessarily a priority.” That brings a small frown to Peter’s face. “However,…the few times he was…we went to a baseball game.”

“Oh?” This intrigues Peter a bit. He at least looks up at Tony.

“Yeah, have you been to one?”

“I’ve been to a couple Mets games.”

“Really? Pep was never really much of a sports fan.”

Eyes diverting away from Tony again, Peter picks at one of his fingers. “Mom didn’t bring me…other people did.”

And there is the blow. Of course, Parker brought Peter to a baseball game. Just another first that man stole from Tony. The awkwardness from before, begins creeping back into the room until Peter speaks up again.

“I don’t really care what team we go watch” he says carefully. “Honestly, the couple times I went I was more excited about the hot dogs than the game anyway.”

Smirking, Tony allows himself to relish the moment. Not only is he planning a Father’s Day celebration for the first time in ten years, but his son actually wants to enjoy it with him. Peter is putting effort in to make sure Tony has a good day while also not being compared to Ben. “How about I get us a private suite at Yankees” Tony suggests. “Get a few options in for catering.”

“It’s not too late?”

“For me?” Tony scoffs playfully. “Never.”

Peter gives a small grin at that, looking up at his father once more. There is still something bothering the kid. They really need to work on his facial control.

“So, for a gift…”

“I’m a billionaire, Pete. You don’t need to get me anything.”

“I…” the kid takes a deep breath. After gaining up some courage, Peter turns on the tablet again. “Clint actually suggested an idea.”

“Oh?” Tony asks, intrigued. Peter slides the tablet over to show a picture of some middle aged man. What the hell?

“The guy’s a pedophile Clint tracked down. He’s downstairs.” Peter again hesitates.

After a while of quiet, still confused Tony asks, “Okay?”

“Um…” The finger picking intensifies. “I finished the thirty hours for goal three today.”

Realizing what Peter is trying to skirt around explaining, Tony raises an eyebrow. “JARVIS told me.”

“I…Clint said…” Oh kid. The boy is really trying. “I know it’s not really a gift per se…but um…he said you’d appreciate…if I made an attempt at goal five.”

About a thousand emotions run through Tony’s chest, but the one two that stick out the most are hope and pride. Pride in the progress Peter has made in such a short amount of time. It’s unfathomable how far the boy has come in just the last month. When his son first presented Tony with the idea of the list, Tony had been apprehensive. Especially when Peter was quickly completing all but the hardest goal. But now…the boy really has come leaps and bounds.

Then the hope. Tony knows he and Peter are far from a relationship resembling Bruce and his boys, but just to have this sneak peek brings a dream of what the future could hold. The prospect that this uncomfortable and difficult hump is only temporary is becoming a bigger potential reality.

“I’d be more than happy with that over any gift” Tony tells his son. Peter gives him a nervous glance. “Are you sure you’re ready?” A hesitant nod. “Is he downstairs?”

“I asked JARVIS to have Clint set him up in an interrogation room when they arrived. Barnes has been keeping an eye on him since.”

“Perfect” Tony gives Peter a grin. “Let me get some food in me, then we can head down.”

Chapter Text

Another finger slices clean off the bastard’s hand. It’s hard to tell at this point if it causes another scream or if this pathetic cry is just one of the many continually escaping moans out of the man’s mouth.

‘C’mon you fat pig’ Tony thinks. ‘Just fucking spill already.”

Glancing to the corner of the room, Tony see’s Howie is curled up in a ball. God, he’s been spectacular. While the three-year-old hasn’t been fully attentive, Tony has spotted the child looking up enough to be aware of what is going on. Whenever Tony catches a glimpse of the little boy’s eyes, he sees they are fearful, but no tears. Which for Howie’s age is way more than Tony could ask for.

His kid really is remarkable.

“Do you want the steel bar to the kneecap or to lose your thumb next?” Tony snarls at his captive. The goon just sobs. “Fine, I could go for a few more swings.” Tony stomps over to the table and grabs the bar from earlier. It’s already covered in the slimeball’s blood.

Turning back around, Tony sees Howie has peaked out from covering his eyes. His poor little body is visibly shaking, has been since almost the start of all this. A quick look at the clock and Tony realizes it’s been over two hours. God! This wasn’t supposed to take this long. PA’s are usually quick and easy. For the thousandth time, Tony debates calling Rhodes in to collect the boy, but…then Howie will just try to get out of training every time going forward. As much as it pains Tony to watch his son suffer, Howie needs to see this through till the end.

“Once again” Tony growls at the man in the chair. “Where. Is. Becken?”

“I…I…no.”

Fucking dammit!

Putting all his frustration and might into it, Tony lands a hard blow to the right kneecap. It doesn’t take superpowers to hear the crack. After the initial wail, Tony finally gets the answer he’s been seeking.

“His sister in law’s home!”

“We already searched there!”

“There’s a fake wall by the basement bar. He’s hiding in there.”

Thank God. It’s over. Tony can finally take Howie home. The boy deserves the night off after this. In fact, he deserves a lot more. Already, Tony is thinking about what special reward the boy will be receiving. Surely Howie will need at least a few days to recuperate. But maybe a nice trip to Legoland after Tony gets back from his New York trip. Let Howie pick as many new sets as he’d like. There is just one last step before they’re done here.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony makes sure the little boy is watching. Sure enough, with a look of relief, Howie observes as Tony places the bar down on the table. His son is smart enough to know Tony has gotten what he wanted.

‘This is almost over buddy’ Tony silently tells his boy. ‘Just one last thing.’

Quickly, as not to lose the tyke’s attention, Tony turns and shoots the assistant in the head. No fancy death, nothing dramatic or drawn out. Howie’s been through enough. Those lessons can come later.

A small yelp echoes from the corner of the room. The little boy’s eyes are saucers, filled with horror. A painful sight, but a necessary teaching. Tossing the gun back onto the table, Tony begins gently making his way to his son.

As Tony gets closer, Howie tries to squeeze himself further into the corner.

“Hey Buddy” Tony whispers, his voice soft. Instead of the soothing effect he was hoping for, the coo causes Howie to bury his face into his legs. The little ball he’s been wrapping himself in shrinks tighter. “Howie, you’re okay.” The shaking starts again.

Instead of trying to lure his son out of the protective position, Tony just gathers the small body into his arms. Howie’s breathing grows heavy.

“Hey” Tony begins rocking the boy. “It’s okay, you’re fine. Nothing is going to hurt you.” A panicked gasp. “Shhh” Tony runs a hand up and down the tot’s back. “It’s over. It’s all over.”

Maybe it will help if they get out of this room? Standing, Tony carries his terrified son out of the interrogation chamber. The hallway too is pretty sterile, so he makes his way back to the elevator. Rhodey and Steve who were waiting outside the door follow silently. It isn’t until they are in the small, closed space of the lift that Tony smells urine. Steve makes a disgusted face, but Rhodes only sends the father and son a look of sympathy.

Nobody pays the four much mind as they make their way to Tony’s office. The only one is Tony’s assistant whose eyes widen when seeing the state Howie is in. Before entering the private office, Tony tells her “Have Happy get the car ready. We’re going home.”

Steve closes the door behind them as Rhodes grabs a towel from a cabinet Tony keeps extra clothes and toiletries in. He lays it on a chair so Tony can place Howie down.

The boy is still curled up in the tight ball.

“Howie” Tony tries again to coax his son to look at him. “We’re back in my office. It’s all over Buddy.”

The shaking continues. Tony wonders if Howie is even hearing him or if he’s too far lost in his own head at the moment. Apparently, Rhodes has the same concerns.

Pulling on Tony’s arm, Rhodes ushers him back towards his desk. Steve too, encourages the distance. “Give him time Tony. That was a lot.” Steve says in a whisper, not that Howie is listening.

“How long did they go?” Rhodes asks.

“Almost two and a half hours.”

“Fuck. Really Tony? That's too...”

“I didn’t know the jackass would last that long” Tony runs a hand through his hair and watches as another shiver passes through his son. “Kid did amazing though.”

“That’s not what I smelled” Steve grumbles.

Sending the soldier a glare, Rhodes then asks Tony “He didn’t freak out?”

“Not a single tear. Didn’t even cover his eyes the entire time. Too curious on what was going on.”

The godfather lets out an amazed whistle. Even Steve appears a bit impressed. The three men watch the little boy. That amazing, brave little boy. While still concerned about his son’s current mental state, Tony’s chest fills with pride. He had been two years older than Howie and burst into hysterics after twenty minutes when Howard had made him watch for the first time.

This little boy is going to rule the world one day.

Tony can see it now. If his son is this strong at three, he’ll be unstoppable by the time he’s an adult. He’ll be ruthless, fearless, tougher than nails. That along with the intellect that never ceases to amaze Tony as the boy grows older, will give Howie everything he needs to defeat anything and anyone in his path. Not just defeat but conquer. Enemies will cower at the mention of his name.

A hand stops Tony from taking a step forward. Rhodes implores, “Let me talk to him Tones.”

“He…”

“Let me bring him back to earth, then we can go from there.”

Taking a breath, Tony nods for his friend to go forward. Rhodes makes his way over to Howie and kneels down in front of the shivering child. With gentle whispers and soothing pats, Rhodey slowly gets his godson to calm down. From the desk, Tony and Steve watch patiently.

“You’re going to have to stay firm on this” Steve tells his boss. “No backing down if he cries or throws a tantrum. He can do that with Pepper, not you.”

“I know.” Shit, Tony had been so wrapped up in the moment he forgot to warn Pepper. He pulls out his phone and sends her a quick text to be ready.

“He seriously didn’t cry at all?”

“Not a drop. A small gasp at the gunshot and I’m not sure when he wet himself, but overall he was silent.”

“Pretty good for three.”

“More than good” Tony smiles as his son finally looks up from his lap. No sign of tears still. Holy shit, this kid… “Fucking incredible.”

“Uncle Rhodey?” Howie whines.

“Hey Champ” Rhodes greets. Half a second later, the boy launches himself at his godfather.

“UNCLE RHODEY!” the tot screams, clinging to Rhodes. The hint of coming sobs on the tip of his voice.

“You need to stop this” Steve tells his boss.

Quickly dashing towards the duo, Tony pries his son off his friend. Howie fights, trying to his hold on Rhodes while pleading “NO!”

With a strong yank, Tony rips the boy off and places him back on the couch. “Howard” he says with a fierceness, demanding Howie’s attention.

Upon realizing who is now in front of him, Howie begins panicking again, crawling backward into the couch. “No! No! Uncle Rhodey!”

Tony is aware of Cap ushering a protesting Rhodes out of the office, leaving Tony and Howie alone. The little boy doesn’t notice, his eyes glued to Tony. Eyes full of fear but no tears.

“Howie, listen to me…”

“UNCLE RHODEY!”

A smack, not as hard as Tony would usually do goes across the boy’s face. “Do not yell at me.”

“I…I…I…” Taking in a huge gasp, Howie struggles to speak. “Uncle Rhodey.”

“Uncle Rhodey isn’t here.”

“Where…”

“I sent him away” Tony lies. “It’s just you and me.”

“Bring…bring” another gasp. “Uncle…” a harsh hiccup.

“Do not cry right now.”

“Uncle…”

“Howard James Stark” Tony makes the boy look him in the eye. “No crying. You are going to calm down this instant.”

Tossing his head back, Howie looks up to the ceiling with labored breaths and a distressed expression. With all his might, the little boy tries to get himself under control. With a beating chest, Tony watches. The boy is fighting so hard, and he is really is proud. Giving his son the time he needs, Tony doesn’t push Howie to recover quickly. It takes a long time, but eventually Howie regains most of his composure.

“I want Mommy” he pleads.

Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Tony tells his son “Happy has the car ready downstairs. We’re going to go home and Mommy is going to clean you up and we’ll have dinner, then do whatever you want the rest of the night. Sound good?”

A shaky and hesitant nod. Then Howie looks down at his hands and begins fiddling with his fingers.

“Howie” Tony returns to his gentle demeanor. The boy flinches and cowers away when Tony tries to get the tyke to look at him again. Using both hands, Tony holds his son’s face and attempts to make eye contact. It’s impossible as Howie is trying to look at everything but him. Settling, for just having his son’s attention, Tony says “I’m so proud Howie. You did so so good today, Buddy. Unbelievably good. Never in my absolute wildest dreams did I ever expect you to do that great. You’re so amazing, you don’t even realize just how much. I couldn’t be prouder. Not a single ounce prouder. I love you so much. I’m the luckiest dad in the world to have a son as brilliant as you.”

A mix of emotions takes turns running through Howie’s expression. Desperation, sorrow, panic, small hints of joy at Tony’s words, fear, agony, but mostly confliction. It’s difficult to watch, but this is why Tony is starting Howie this young. So he can teach the boy how to feel. So that Howie can overcome the grief and terror early, making the future lessons much much easier.

The boy freezes when Tony places a gentle kiss on his forehead. Tony picks Howie up and rubs his back while heading towards the door. “Let’s go see Mommy. She’ll make you feel better.”

Staring down at the weapons sitting on the table, Peter contemplates his first move. With Marko, Tony demanded the man be bloody by the end. With this guy, Tony doesn’t care. Five stabs, five punches, and five hits with a bat or steel bar. Order doesn’t matter, just whatever Peter can handle. Rogers is standing with Tony next to the scared pedophile. The creep is having a panic attack in the metal chair. Peter can sense their eyes on him, waiting for him to make a move. He’s stalling, everyone in the room knows that. But neither Rogers nor Tony is pushing Peter to hurry up. In the meantime, the perv in the chair is blubbering.

“What’s going on? Why am I here? Why won’t you people tell me anything?”

“Shut up” Steve growls. Peter hears a hard slap and the man hiss in pain. “You know why you’re here.”

“I don’t! Please, let me go!”

“Not a chance.”

“But why!”

Closing his eyes, Peter collects his thoughts. He thinks over Barton’s report which he had spent hours reading over and over before coming down here. At least thirty kids were victims of this man. Some were as young as five. Peter only caught glimpses of some of the photos and video the man sold. This man is sick in the head and so is everyone who bought from him.

“Please let me go! Please! I didn’t do anything.”

Whipping around, Peter glares at the bastard. Didn’t do anything wrong, seriously? “That’s not what your website showed” Peter growls through clenched teeth.

The man pales. “I…I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No!”

A spike of anger runs through Peter's veins. Not for himself, but for the dozens of children who suffered because of this guy. And now he sits here trying to deny it?

Taking a step towards the captive, Peter says “We have videos of you.”

“Those…” the bastard stutters. “You have to understand, it’s not what you think.”

“Try me.”

“They…the kids were okay with it. It was consensual.”

Before he even realizes what he is doing, Peter’s fist goes flying across the man’s face. How dare he? How dare this creep spout such nonsense. How dare those words leave his mouth. Nothing Peter saw in that file was consensual even if those kids would be old enough to give it.

Off to the side, Tony and Steve both have expressions of satisfaction. At first it sends a disgusted shiver through Peter’s system. The fact he has both of their approval feels wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Peter tries to calm himself. Or maybe he shouldn’t. Anger is what got him through Marko and it’s gotten him through his first punch with this man. That tiny sliver of guilt begins making it’s presence known and Peter immediately begins pushing back against it.

Remember Peter, this man deserves this. Just keep telling yourself that. He deserves it. He deserves it. He deserves it.

“Please” the man whimpers. “Let me go. I have a family that I support.”

Dammit, the guilt surges forward.

Something in Peter’s expression must have alerted Tony and Steve to what is going on inside his head. Rogers states “Over thirty victims Peter. Children.”

Forcing his mind to think over Barton’s file, Peter tries to remember everything he read. Clint was able to identify some of the children. Rose, David, Stella…there was a little boy named Edward. Ned’s full name. Peter imagines what he’d feel like to find out some asshole like this had hurt the boy who was his best friend for years. Ned who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Who felt guilty for making his sister cry once. Who found joy in cartoons, trying new sodas from Delmar’s, and every fact he could learn about space. What if some bastard had ripped the happiness out of Ned just like this man did to other children.

With that in mind, Peter gets through the other four punches. They aren’t necessarily that hard since Peter’s superstrength is currently unavailable due to the suppressor. But he’s built up enough natural ability the past couple months that the man is in a bit pain. Immediately after he is finished, Peter makes his way back to the weapons table and stares down blankly at it. He doesn't allow himself to think about his actions, clearing his mind of any emotion.

At least he doesn’t have to listen to any whimpering like he did with Marko. This guy babbles…a lot. Too much and it isn’t doing him any good. Behind him, Peter can hear the man beg Tony and Steve for forgiveness. Again, he asks why he is there.

“Kid needs practice in interrogations” Tony answers.

“I don’t know anything!”

“Precisely why you’re practice.”

Thank God for the suppressor. Peter has enough experience with the tingle to know it’d be going wild at the moment if active. Taking a deep breath, Peter closes his eyes and tries to refocus. He tries to block out the shame that wants to take over.

You can do this Peter. You’re one-third of the way done. Without looking, Peter grabs at the objects in front of him. His hand wraps around something metal. A crowbar. He can feel his arm shake as he picks the weapon up. Turing around, Peter opens his eyes and is met with those of the captive’s.

“There are stories about you Peter” the man says in desperation. “Whispers and tales from people who knew you in Queens. They all said you’re a good kid.”

“Shut up!” Tony snaps at the man.

“Your neighbor told the news you used to help her with her dog. Not only that but other things like groceries. She is now considering moving into a home because she doesn’t think she can live alone without your help.”

“I said shut up” Tony punches the man who just continues talking.

“They all said you’re kind. Your school, your neighbors, your classmates. They all said you are sweet, gentle and smart. Smart enough that you have to see what these people here are doing to you.”

Tony’s hand wraps around the guys neck, “I will shove a grease covered rag so far down your throat…”

Peter doesn’t hear the rest as Rogers puts himself between him and the two. Steve lowers himself to be at Peter’s eye level. “Don’t listen to him Peter. He’s just trying to save his own ass.”

Of course, he is. Peter knows the man’s intentions but that doesn’t stop the truth of his words from burning Peter’s ears. The guilt and shame he was trying to push down are surging through his chest. Not for the first time this past month, Peter regrets the deal he made with Tony. He despises the fact he’s decided to give in. Peter was proud of who he was back in Queens. Mrs. Montero wasn’t the only adult who used to gush about how much they adored and appreciated Peter for who he was back then.

But Peter knows he can never be that kid again. He’s already too far into this treacherous journey to go back to that boy from Queens. No matter how much he wishes in this moment he could. Biting his lip, Peter takes a shaky breath.

“Hey” Steve tries again to get his attention. He lifts the Starkpad in his hands. Barton’s report is pulled up for Peter to see. Some of the pornography the man took is on it. “This is who you’re letting get in your head right now. Is that what you want? To agree with a pedophile? Because that is what you are doing.”

“Get that out of my face” Peter pushes the tablet away.

“You are just making him pay for his crimes.”

“Stop.”

“You want to be a hero? Hero’s take down bastards like this.”

Steve’s words echo Tony’s from the night of Marko’s death, but a lot less harsh. Peter recognizes the manipulation of them. Unlike that night, Peter tries to force himself to believe what Steve is saying. Hero. Hero. Hero. Patrol. He’ll have to be willing to hurt criminals if he wants to patrol. Most likely he’ll get into fights at times. Or catch somebody doing something horrendous like what this guy has done. That’s how you protect the innocent, by stopping the guilty at any cost.

“I’m ready” Peter tells Rogers. The captain grins and steps out of the way.

Once again, Peter is faced with the man in the chair. This time he doesn’t say anything. Too petrified at whatever Tony threatened, the criminal is letting out labored breaths as his eyes fearfully watch Peter.

The swings with the bar are fast. Peter wants to get them over with as quick as possible. Just like with Marko, Peter tries to block out the screams from ringing in his ear. Again, he thanks the suppressor. This time is so much easier than with Marko. When finished with the hits, Peter takes a step back.

The man is crying in pain. “You’re allowing them to change you” he wheezes. “Don’t you see that? How would your friends from Queens react if they saw you now.”

That hits Peter harder than anything he has done to this creep. What would everyone he knew in Queens think if they knew what Peter was doing right now. Ned, MJ, Mrs. Montero, Mr. Harrington…May Parker. They would all be horrified and disgusted with him. He can imagine exactly how each would react. MJ would scream ‘What is wrong with you!’ Ned would cower in fear. Mrs. Montero would have heart attack. All his teachers from Midtown would gasp and try to make Peter stop. Then May…Peter doesn’t want to think of May’s reaction. She’d be so disappointed in him. Disappointed and appalled.

Not realizing his grip loosened, Peter jumps when he hears the metal bar clang to the floor. Loathing begins wracking through every cell of his body. How can he do this? Why is he doing this? How could he agree to this? He’s horrible. Awful. Peter should be the one strapped to that chair right now not only for what he’s done but for what he’s sat back and allowed.

A hand is suddenly on his shoulder.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Peter screams running to the side of the room. His breaths are labored. What would Peter from Queens think if he saw Peter now. That Peter was gentle, thought for himself, had empathy. How has he allowed himself to change so much in only two months.

“Pete…”

“GO AWAY!” Peter from Queens would hate this version of him. For ten years Peter did everything he could to not turn into his father, and now Peter is doing the exact opposite. How can he be such a coward and hypocrite? Everything he’s stood for the majority of his life is out the window being shredded apart in the wind.

The hand from earlier forces Peter to turn around. They cup the sides of his head and direct him to look Tony in the eye. A new type of anger runs through Peter’s mind at the sight. This is the person who’s changed him. The person Peter has finally given into and is turning into a monster because of.

“Don’t listen to him Peter” Tony says. Peter bites his tongue, knowing arguing would be useless. “Who you were back in Queens wouldn’t survive this world.” That is true. “You’re growing stronger. Just think of everything you have overcome the past couple months. All the fear you’ve conquered, all the knowledge you’ve acquired, how tough you’ve become physically and mentally. You were held back in Queens. That version of you wouldn’t be able to lead a parade let alone a country. He wasn’t able to protect those he loved.”

Ben. Tony doesn’t even have to say his name but Peter knows who he is talking about. Just with the month of training with Steve, Peter knows he’d be able to take out that mugger if put in that situation again. If he was as trained and brave back then as he is now, he would have been able to save Ben.

Seeing that his words are getting through, Tony continues. “You’re no longer an equal to those who knew you in Queens. You’re above them. To them you are now their future leader. That quiet, shy kid from Queens. They’re probably wondering how you’ll ever be able to take over SI. Imagine their surprise when you come out and are incredible. Strong, tough, powerful. They’ll be amazed. You’ll be the person they want in charge. You’re on your way buddy.”

Holding his father’s stare for a moment longer, Peter lets his words sink in. Peter from Queens wouldn't have been entrusted to be head of the marching band at school, let alone half a country. Tony’s preparing him. He’s building him up. Remember that Peter. Remember why Tony is putting you through this. Remember why you agreed. This is growth.

This is growth.

This is growth.

This is growth.

“You can do this” Tony tells him. The confidence in his father’s voice helps Peter believe it. You can do this Peter. You can do this. Watching the interrogations got easier, so will this. You just have to get through it.

Peter gives Tony a nod. His father smiles and hands over a pocket knife. “That’s my boy” Tony says before giving him a pat on the shoulder and stepping away.

Now Peter’s faced with the man in the chair again. He walks up to him. The creep begins pleading,

“Please don’t…”

The first stab stops the begging. Peter doesn’t want to listen to him. Doesn’t want this sick man to send him spiraling again. He ignores the screaming and quickly finishes up the rest of the stabs. After the final blow, Peter takes a couple shaky steps back and tosses the knife away from him.

“No more” the man cries. “No more!”

“Steve” Tony gestures towards Rogers before making his way over to Peter. He wraps Peter into a tight hug, rubbing circles on his back. Peter leans into the touch, desperately needing the comfort no matter who it’s from. “You did good Pete. Really good. I’m proud.”

“Please make it stop!”

“Don’t worry” Roges says nonchalantly. “It’s over now.” A gunshot stops the man’s pleas.

“You did good Buddy” Tony repeats. With one arm wrapped around Peter, Tony walks him to the door. “C’mon, lets go upstairs and get you cleaned up.”

Chapter Text

Peter wakes up Sunday morning with some new clothes at his bedroom door. A Yankees jersey and a hat to match. He puts both on as well as a navy undershirt and a pair of jeans before heading to the kitchen for breakfast. He is surprised to find Happy already there wearing a similar outfit.

“Hey Happy,” Peter greets. “You coming to the game with us?”

“Yup” the bodyguard nods with a smile. “Me, Rogers, Wilson, Barnes and Strange all volunteered for security. Rhodes wanted to come too but is taking care of the tower while Tony’s gone. I’d like to say you’ll hardly notice us, but Rogers can get quite heated if his team is losing.”

“He’s that into baseball?”

“Yup.”

“He really embodies the whole red-blooded American thing, huh.”

“That he does” Happy chuckles, handing Peter a cup of coffee. “I hope you don’t mind that we’ll all be there. We’ll be on rotation keeping guard during the game, so it won’t be the entire time.”

“I don’t mind.” Peter’s actually kind of pleased. He enjoys talking with Happy and Strange. Even Steve isn’t so bad when he isn’t pissed off. They’ve had some pleasant conversations during and after training sessions where Steve was satisfied with Peter’s effort and progress. Peter has hardly talked to Barnes and Wilson which makes him a bit nervous. Most of what he does know about them is what Steve has told him. Apparently the two don’t get along that well, causing Steve to begrudgingly mediate all the time.  “Isn’t five of you a bit overboard?”

“I don’t think most of them volunteered because they are planning on working very hard.”

“Who isn’t excited to work?” Tony asks, entering the room, also sporting a new jersey and hat. Happy slides him a cup of coffee he just poured for himself.

“The Red White and Blue brigade who you normally have to twist their arms to get them to volunteer for guard duty.”

“Ah” Tony says before turning to Peter. “You excited for today?”

“Yeah.” While he doesn’t really care about the actual game, it’ll be nice to get out of the tower. He hasn’t left it since the Hamptons trip.

“Don’t eat anything too big for breakfast. We’re having lunch at the stadiums Hard Rock for lunch.”

“I thought the game started at four.”

“It does” Tony explains. “When I had my secretary arrange everything, the stadium offered us a tour beforehand. We’ll be able to walk around the field, meet the team, there’s a history museum they’ll take us through. Sound fun?”

Peter shrugs, “Yeah.” He still isn’t used to the public catering to him yet. In the Hamptons, restaurants and stores went overboard to please him and Tony when they walked in. He’s guessing today will be similar. Especially since so many of the Avengers will be there too.

The three of them have a lighter than usual breakfast. After, Happy joins Peter to watch some television while Tony takes a few work calls. Around eleven they make their way down to the garage. The others are waiting by some cars already, all wearing jerseys. Although Barnes and Rogers’ look different and are slightly yellowed.

“What the hell are you two wearing?” Tony asks them.

“They’re our jerseys from the forties” Steve explains. “We wear them every time we go to a game for good luck.”

“You old men. As if two faded rags from the past have any effect on how the team plays.”

“You never know” Barnes shrugs. “It’s tradition.”

“It’s embarrassing is what it is.” Wilson says.

Tony asks, “Please tell me you at least wash those or are you some of those weird fans.”

“They didn’t used to” Wilson answers. “Then one day I threw those in the laundry without them knowing.”

“Sam, remind me to give you a raise.”

They begin splitting up into cars. While Tony goes over the route with Happy, Strange walks up to Peter. “Mind if I join your car. I’d rather not travel with the bickering musketeers over there” he gestures to the three soldiers who are heatedly discussing something.

“I mean, I don’t mind. It’s more up to Tony though.”

“Eh. Who cares what he thinks.”

Peter smirks. Over the past couple months, he’s picked up on the rivalry of wit between his father and the sorcerer. It’s one of the reasons he likes spending time with Strange when given the opportunity. Stephen knows how to get under Tony’s skin much to the entertainment of everyone around.

“I didn’t peg you as a baseball fan.”

“It’s not really my cup of tea” Strange admits. “But after hearing who the group going was, I figured Happy would need help keeping some sanity in the suite.”

That brings another smile to Peter’s face. Him. Strange is going so Peter would feel more comfortable around the group of men. He and Happy.

Strange hops into the front passenger seat next to Happy while Tony and Peter get in the back. The other three’s car follows them to the stadium. It’s a pleasant trip. Mostly the adults talking while Peter watches out the window. Tony and Strange get into a back and forth about some mystical creature thing they once came across.

“It had one eye” Tony states.

“It had multiple eyes that were close together to look like one.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Who is the one with a medical license here. I think I know how eyesight works more than you.”

“Clearly not.”

“How about you stick with your little toys and leave the anatomy to me.”

“You also thought it spawned something out of it’s stomach.”

“I saw it. It just popped out.”

Peter asks, “Like that old movie Alien?”

Both Tony and Strange let out pained moans as Happy laughs. The bodyguard says “Kid, I was in middle school when that came out.” At the admission, Peter feels his face heat up. He didn’t mean to insult them.

“Third grade” Strange adds.

“I think I was two” Tony chuckles.

“Well Tony” Happy says. “What’s the point of Father’s Day if your kid doesn’t make you feel ancient at least once.”

“I guess” Tony sighs.

From the rearview mirror, Peter makes eye contact with Happy. The man gives him a comforting grin and wink. That settles the nerves that had begun materializing in Peter’s chest. The last thing he wants today is to say something that will piss off Tony. Its nice to have both Happy and Strange here to help keep the mood light.

When they arrive at the stadium, the group first goes to eat lunch. The restaurant goes almost completely silent when they walk in. Every single person stops what they’re doing to look at them. It’s so awkward, but the rest of the group doesn’t seem to mind. Happy goes up to greet the hostess who shows them the way to a private room. As they walk through the restaurant, Peter is aware of people taking pictures and videos of them on their phones.

An arm wraps around his shoulders. Tony. He guides Peter to walk behind the three soldiers while trying to shield Peter from half the dining room. Strange comes up on Peter’s other side, blocking the view for the other half. Again, Peter feels grateful Stephen came.

The private room has one big table that they all sit around. Rogers, Barnes and Wilson sit at one end, wrapped up in their own conversation. Peter sits next to Tony across from Strange and Happy. Tony orders every appetizer on the list for them to munch on before their entrees come. Everyone gets a burger besides Strange who opts for a salad.

“Who the hell goes to a ballpark and orders a salad” Tony says.

“Someone who cares about their arteries.”

Happy redirects the conversation. “So, Peter, Camilla told me she might be out of a job by the end of the summer with how quickly you’re picking up Spanish.”

“Um…maybe. My grammar still isn’t great.”

“That’s not what she told me” Tony grins. “She said you’re having full on conversations.”

“Yeah, at like a second-grade level.”

“I think you’re coming along just fine.”

Peter tries to hide his smile at the compliment. They go on discussing some of Peter’s other subjects as well as some of the stuff he and Tony have been working on in the lab. Happy seems genuinely interested in what Peter has to say. Strange is at least feigning curiosity. Whenever something sensitive or uncomfortable comes up, both quickly change the subject. At one point Tony brings up the interrogation from a couple nights ago.

“Just four more to go. Wanda thinks she’s got a guy she can bring in a couple days if you want to try again.”

“Um…” Peter shifts awkwardly in his chair.

Happy steps in, noticing Peter’s discomfort. “I’ll let the cleaning crew in the Hampton’s know to get the place ready soon. Hey Stephen, how’s Christine doing?”

“Well…” the sorcerer clearly doesn’t appreciate the new subject but answers anyway. “I mean, she’s doing great according to her. Apparently, she doesn’t miss me at all.”

“Oh god” Tony chuckles. “What did you do this time?”

“Nothing but be myself.”

Both Tony and Happy playfully hiss “oooooo”. Happy adding, “No wonder she left you.”

“I’m glad my love life is so funny for both of you” Strange takes a swig of his beer.

“Who’s Christine?” Peter asks.

“His on-and-off girlfriend” Tony answers. “This is what, the tenth time she’s called it quits Stephen.”

“There is no need to keep count.”

The other three in the room must have overheard the new topic of conversation. Bucky says, “Why don’t you man up and put a ring on her finger already.”

Sam adds, “It won’t be as easy to leave your ass every time if there’s paperwork involved.”

Strange glares at them, “You know what. Offense to all of you except the kid, if I wanted dating advice on women I would go to Clint, Scottb or Bruce before any of you.” That earns some eye rolls and chuckles from the other men. Tony seems a bit miffed at the statement, taking a swig of beer.

“Banner is dating someone?” Peter asks, trying to avoid Tony’s irritated demeanor.

“Yeah, Natasha” Happy answers.

“Romanoff!” Peter exclaims maybe a bit too loud.

“You didn’t know that?” Tony inquires, now amused.

“When did that happen?”

The group thinks, all exchanging looks of confusion. Happy asks, “Was it the first Chitauri gala?”

“No, they were just flirting back then” Steve says. “Or at least Natasha was. I pointed it out to Bruce at the party and he nearly toppled over in shock.”

“Well, they were definitely official before I joined” Strange states.

“Same” both Barnes and Wilson say in unison.

“I think they were together for two years before their break” Steve says. “Because she kissed me when we were taking down SHIELD…”

“Whoa Whoa Whoa” nearly everyone in the room cuts Rogers off.

“You kissed Natasha?” Wilson asks.

“Well…she…” Steve is flustered at the sudden turn. Peter’s never seen the captain this embarrassed. “She kissed me…”

“She kissed you!”

“You slut” Bucky jokes.

“It was a mission!” Steve argues.

“You don’t see Bucky and I making out when we’re in the field.”

“Well…I…people look away from PDA. We were trying not to get noticed by the HYDRA agents.”

Tony laughs, “Does Bruce know about this?”

“I’m assuming not, and nobody tell him.”

“Don’t want to get thrown through a wall by the Green Giant” Peter says. He immediately regrets it, not knowing how the group will react. However, most of them laugh at the statement. The only one who doesn’t is Steve who downs his glass of beer. Peter feels a pat on the back from Tony. He relaxes at the touch. Nobody’s mad. He isn’t in trouble.

“You know” Tony chastises Steve. “You are technically on the job.”

“This isn’t going to affect me” Steve sets his glass down. “Maybe if I poured a shot of Bruce’s special moonshine in it.”

“Wow” Wilson jokes. “You better hope Bruce never finds out about that kiss or else you’ll never get drunk again.”

The rest of the meal flies by with ease. The group of men recount some stories of things Peter has missed over the past ten years all the while telling jokes and sending playful jabs at each other.

“And then Vision just picks the stupid hammer up without a second thought and just hands it to Thor” Tony mimes the action. “And we’re all standing back in utter shock. Speechless. Thor included. Because remember, every single one of us couldn’t lift it an inch two days before…”

“I got it to move” Steve interrupts.

“As I told you years ago Rogers. I don’t believe your lying ass…”

“Thor would back me up.”

“Bullshit he would.”

“Where is that oaf when you need him?”

"It has been a while" Happy says. "Has he checked in recently?"

"Last week." Rogers answers. "Something about something I can't pronounce that involves elves and a temple. I don't understand half of what he says about Asgard."

A timid waitress walks up to the group, checkbook in hand. They all pause to let her talk. “Will this be on one tab or many?”

Tony waives her over while getting his wallet out. The rest of the group makes sarcastic remarks. “You sure Tony?” “I think I left my credit card at home.” “I could maybe chip in.” “I only had the burger.”

“Ha ha” Tony says to them, handing the checkbook back to the waitress. “You’re all hilarious.”

Its fascinating to watch. At the tower the group never acts like this. They’re always so serious whenever Peter sees them. Happy and Strange have always tried to brighten the mood when talking with Peter, same goes for Tony sometimes. But Peter didn’t know Rogers, Wilson and Barnes could be this relaxed and…fun. Is this what they’re like on their days off? Tony, Strange and Happy also are never this spirited.

A part of Peter wonders if it’s just an act since they’re in public.

That theory is dissuaded when the group is lead through the history museum. It’s mostly just memorabilia and some old bats and balls. But the group takes pause when they get to a display of pictures.

Barnes is the first to spot it. “Steve, you’ll never believe what they have.” Everyone walks over to see Barnes pointing at an old picture from the forties. Steve in a dumpy looking Captain America costume is smiling in the middle of a group of woman posing. The old Yankees team is kneeling in front of them.

“Oh god” Steve hides his face with one of his hands.

“Who will indeed lead the call for America.” Wilson sings. A few others join in “Who’ll rise or fall give his all for America.”

“Stop” Steve says in an annoyed tone.

“Who’s here to prove that we can.”

Tony is chuckling next to Peter but joins in for the last lyric. “The star-spangled man with the plan!”

Even the tour guide appears confused by this. Tony explains to Peter, “It’s from his USO tour during the war. The government sent him around the country trying to sell bonds. He had to do a speech while those girls sang and danced around him.”

“Really?” Peter laughs at the thought.

“I’ll show you some of the old videos they took of him pretending to be in battle. They were corny, even for back then.”

“The kid doesn’t need to know about those” Steve argues, clearly embarrassed.

“Everyone needs to know.”

“I mean” Peter hesitates to say. “They can’t be much worse than those PSA’s they played at Midtown.”

Thank God the group laughs. Even Steve can’t stop his smirk. “I was doing it for the youth of America.”

“You lost a bet” Barnes argues.

“Hey Steve” Wilson is looking over the picture. “Which one of these girls was the one you lost your virginity to?”

“She wasn’t a dancer. We met at an autograph signing.”

Before heading towards the locker rooms to meet the Yankee’s team, Tony pulls Peter to the side. “They’ll probably let us try hitting some balls when we go on the field. Do you want to take the suppressor cuff off?”

“Um” Peter looks down at the cuff. “Are you sure that’s a good idea. I thought we were going to keep my powers a secret.”

“Happy brought some NDA’s we can make people sign.”

“I…” Peter is still hesitant. The few times he tried out batting cages or played baseball in gym class, he only was able to hit the balls maybe half the time. Just imagining him stepping up to the Homeplate and missing every pitch one of the professional players throws is mortifying. Then what if the tingle starts setting in? All those eyes on him would send it shooting pain through his neck, let alone make his senses go into overdrive.

Before Peter can say anything else, Strange interrupts the conversation. “Does anyone else think it smells in here?”

“Not one bit” Tony is clearly annoyed at the disruption.

“I don’t want to even imagine what the locker rooms will be like.”

“I was having a conversation with my son Stephen.”

Rolling his eyes, Strange says “What could be so important that it has to stay private?”

“None of your business.” As Tony says this, Strange gives Peter a questioning look. It’s hidden, but Peter can see the discrete message ‘Need help?’

“He was asking if I want to take the cuff off for when we go on the field. You know, in case they let us hit some balls or something.”

Without missing a beat, Strange tells Tony “That’s a horrible idea.”

With a hint of warning in his voice, Tony begins “Stephen…”

“There are hundreds of workers in the stadium. I thought the plan was to keep the details of the kid’s powers under wraps.”

“Happy brought NDA’s. It’s like you don’t think we come prepared.”

“It’ll take hours for us to get around to all the employees and then there is still a high chance that we’ll miss some of them. What are the chances that some teenager working concessions will get a video on his smartphone and upload it before we get to them.”

“I just want the kid to have a good time.”

“It’s okay” Peter speaks up, relieved Strange fought this battle for him. “I can just sit back and watch. It’s fine.”

“Peter” Tony looks over at him. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Strange is right, it’s more important to keep my strength a secret. Maybe next year.”

At that offer, Tony seems to lighten. He gives Peter a small grin. A second later the tour guide announces that it’s time to move onto the locker rooms where the baseball teams are getting ready. Most of the group goes with the guide except for Happy who heads to their suite to make sure everything is in order with staff NDA’s and security. They first meet the Giants team. The coach is the first to greet the group.

“Hello gentlemen. It is an honor to meet you all. Even though you are clearly rooting for our opposition, we are more than excited to have you in the audience today.”

“We have a few friends across the country rooting for you today” Steve tells them. That’s right, Scott and Harley live in San Francisco. Peter wonders if they are celebrating in any way today. From what he has seen and heard, those two don’t seem to have the best relationship. Although, neither does Peter and Tony yet here they are. Maybe Harley is with his biological father today? That would make sense. Or maybe Harley is with Scott celebrating with his other three siblings. Or maybe he is still being punished. God…Peter hopes Harley isn’t still grounded. He’ll ask Rhodes when they get back to the tower.

Peter is pulled out of his thoughts when the Giants’ coach walks up to shake Tony’s hand. His father’s left arm snakes around Peter in a protective manner as the stranger approaches.

“It is a complete honor to meet you Mr. Stark.”

“I’m sure” Tony smirks, shaking the man’s hand.

The coach turns to Peter. “Hello Peter” he smiles. “I must say, you are an incredibly brave young man.”

“Thank you.” Peter had prepared himself for this. The HYDRA story is still uncomfortable but unlike the Hamptons, Peter had readied himself to go along with it. “It’s nice to meet you” he shakes the coach’s hand. At the same time he feels Tony’s hand gently squeeze his shoulder as a sign of approval.

Down the line of Avengers, each baseball player and staff member greets and shakes their hands. Almost all of them have a similar reaction to Tony and Peter as the coach did. The others are almost too nervous to say anything. After that, the two groups talk for a bit. Well, mostly Wilson, Barnes and Rogers joke around and answer the athlete’s questions. Tony and Strange only chime in every once in a while, clearly ready to move on. After a while, everyone gets together for a picture that the team will post for social media.

Pretty much the same process happens with the Yankees. They greet each other, go down the line shaking hands, chat a bit then pose for a picture. This time though, the group follows the players out onto the field. Peter is even more relieved that Strange argued with Tony about taking the cuff off. The stadium had opened the gates to the public for them to begin filling in the stands. Not a ton of people, but more than Peter would have been comfortable with are watching as they make their way onto the diamond.

Rogers, Barnes, and Wilson head to the batting area while Tony, Peter and Strange stay hidden by the entrance. Upon recognizing the Avengers amongst the players, some of the onlookers begin shouting their names. The three wave before Rogers grabs a bat and positions himself at Homeplate. The Yankee’s pitcher appears both excited and nervous before throwing the ball. Rogers hits it with a thundering crack. The ball goes speedily soaring through the air, clear out of the stadium. The entire crowd is silent for a moment before bursting into cheers.

“Hey Strange” Peter turns to see Tony staring at his phone with a frown. “Happy thinks some reporters are sneaking around. He’s already caught one in a staff hallway. Can you portal us up to the suite?”

“No problem. Want to wait for those three?” Stephen points to their teammates on the field. The crowd cheers at another of Steve’s amazing hits.

“They’ll be fine, it’s what they’re here for anyway. I’d rather not have another run-in like Pete and I had in the Hamptons.” Remembering the man who had grabbed him in the Gucci parking lot, Peter frowns. In the moment, Peter had frozen, but looking back it doesn’t seem like a big deal. The guy was just asking some questions.

Strange nods. He lifts his hands before pausing in thought. He tells Tony, “You two want a picture first? One on the field.”

“Yeah” Tony is almost more surprised than Peter as he hands his phone over. Positioning themselves to have the stadium in the background, Tony wraps an arm around Peter for the picture. They smile and Strange quickly snaps a shot.

Peter watches in amazement as Strange conjures up a portal to their suite. He had seen the Avenger do it on TV, but never in person. With one step Peter is in completely new surroundings.

“That was so cool” he turns around to tell Strange who gives him a smirk.

Tony lightly scoffs “Don’t, you’ll make his head grow bigger than it already is.”

“Don’t be jealous Stark. It was just a bit of magic.”

“You know what’s a thousand times cooler than magic…math.”

“Thank god I’m great at both then.”

The two go back and forth with their bickering as Peter surveys the room. He takes note of the few seating areas, TV’s and private bathroom. Facing the field is a row of chairs with a ledge in front of them for snacks and drinks. But he mostly notices a countertop full of food. Chips, salsa, popcorn, hot dogs, and more cover the surface. Off to the side of the room is another counter with drinks on ice such as beer, sodas and some bottles of alcohol.

“Feel free to start snacking” Tony tells him as Strange leaves the room. “Some appetizers will be coming when the game starts then some more dinner appropriate items for the last few innings.”

“That’s a lot” Peter says grabbing himself a hot dog and begins putting some toppings on it.

“Not really considering there’ll be five enhanced stomachs in the suite, it might not be enough.”

“Five?” Peter knows he, Tony and Steve have taken the serum. Who else?

“Barnes was given a version of HYDRA’s formula when he was under mind control, Wilson took ours last year” Tony explains as he grabs himself a beer before joining Peter at the hot dog station, preparing himself one. “You having a good day so far?”

“Yeah” Peter nods, giving his father a truthful smile. “You?”

“So far, it’s been great. Although my burger at the Hard Rock was pretty mediocre.”

“I think it’s more about the experience at places like that. You don’t get the full effect being in private rooms.” Tony slightly frowns at that. Peter quickly adds, “I had fun though. It’s um…different seeing Rogers and all them so…laid back.”

“I’m sure it is” Tony smiles. They make they’re way over to some of the couches. “I don’t think those three are really considering this a workday. You’re getting a rare glimpse of them off the clock. Wait until you see Clint and Thor thrown into the mix with a few bottles of whisky.”

“Are they like this often?”

“They take turns in groups of about two or three. Everyone all together, not much unless it’s for a holiday or special occasion like the Chitauri gala. Both our team and the League get a bit out of control at that.”

“Really?” From what Peter has seen over the years, the gala always seemed so formal. All the heroes and celebrities dressing up in evening attire with many giving speeches. “I thought that was a really serious event.”

“The part the press sees is. After ten o’clock they all get kicked out for the actual party” Tony explains. “The team and League have a truce that day so everyone can enjoy themselves. I’ve never gone but have been told some wild stories.”

“Huh” Peter ponders. He forces his mind to skirt around the reasoning for Tony never attending the gala. “Don’t kids go to that?”

“Nobody under the age of ten and even then, most under thirteen get sent home at the same time as the reporters. The only exception I’ve heard is Helena Wayne and that’s just because Jason and his buddies behaves better when she’s around.”

“He seriously has to be babysat by his younger sister?” Peter jokes.

“Not so much babysat more shamed into not acting like a fool.”

They talk for a while longer in this pleasant manner. For about half an hour they are able to keep up a normal conversation much to Peter’s delight. No talk of killings or beatings or training. Just fun stories and easy topics such as movies and TV.

That changes when Barnes, Wilson and Happy enter the suite. The two soldiers grab some beers before digging into the snacks.

“Hurry up Buck,” Wilson complains as Barnes takes his time loading up a plate of chips.

“I’ve told you; you can’t call me that.”

“Why not? That’s what Steve calls you.”

“Steve’s known me longer and can actually hit a ball farther than second base.”

“Excuse me that I got about a third of the serum dosage that he got and don’t have an arm made of vibranium.”

“Even some of those wimps we were against down there got their balls farther than you.”

“You do realize that they’re some of the best players in the world.”

Barnes scoffs, “I miss the old Yankees that were hitting balls out of the stadium like Steve and I.”

Happy gets himself a soda and makes his way over to sit by Tony and Peter. As he does, he tells Barnes “Those Yankees were also on drugs.”

“Just steroids, nothing fun. Maybe some cocaine but who hasn’t done that.”

“Jesus” Happy scolds. “Peter’s in here.”

“He’s fourteen not four.”

Shifting in his seat, Peter tries to keep out of this conversation. Considering only three months ago he was watching a video of Captain America tell his class not to drink or do drugs, it’s awkward to hear the man’s best friend discuss cocaine use so nonchalantly.

“Kid hasn’t tried weed yet” Tony chastises. “Let’s lay off the hard stuff, yeah?”

Sam lets out an amused scoff, “The Parkers really were a couple of pussies. How did Pepper put up with them?”

A flash of anger runs though Peter. Luckily, he doesn’t need to say anything, Tony beats him to it. “Wilson!”

Sam jolts at the reprimand. He glances at Happy and Peter before rolling his eyes. “Oh yeah, kid’s here.”

Peter bites his tongue, not wanting to say anything that he’d have to pay for later. It’s clear that Tony must have extended their rule about not insulting the Parkers around Peter to the team. While he’s grateful for that, Peter still doesn’t like the fact that the Avengers must be doing it enough when he’s not around that Wilson would have this slip up so easily.

“How about you go relieve Stephen from his position” Happy orders the man.

“Fine, fine” Wilson holds his hands up in surrender and walks out of the suite.

With the Falcon out of the room, Barnes glances around and for once it isn’t Peter who feels out of place in the group. Happy and Tony exchange a look that Peter can’t read. Peter just now realizes that he’s picking at his fingernail.

“I saw you hadn’t ordered anything for dessert Tony” Happy speaks up.

“You should um…the stadium has these ridiculous looking milkshakes” Barnes offers up. “They’ve got candy and shit on top…”

“Happy, go arrange for those to arrive for the last inning” Tony instructs. “We can eat them while we wait for the stadium to clear out after the game. Barnes, go with him.”

The two nod and exit, leaving Tony and Peter alone again. There’s an awkward tension in the air. Still upset, Peter can’t find it in himself to look at his father. Tony is the first to speak, “I’ve told them not to…”

“I can tell.”

A pause, “He shouldn’t have…”

“I thought we weren’t going to talk about them anymore.” While not explicitly the rule they agreed on, Peter and Tony had mutually come to an understanding to just avoid bringing up May and Ben all together or at least not say their names if that’s unavoidable.

“They’re technically working” Tony suggests. “Those two plus Strange and Rogers were supposed to take turns on guard duty during the game. How about I give Steve and Stephen the rest of the day off, keep the other two out of our hair?”

That actually brings a smile to Peter’s face. Tony’s been chummy with the others all day, the fact he’d put an end to that just to please Peter is a nice gesture. Especially since that means Tony won’t get a break from Strange. “They’d be okay with that?”

“Barnes and Wilson? Oh, they’ll be pissed.”

Peter chuckles. Then a thought crosses his mind. Tony’s had a good time with his teammates today, will he be upset that they’re basically banished from the suite? “You won’t be mad?”

“Please” Tony scoffs playfully. “I had requested only two of them plus Happy to join us today. Somehow four leached their way into invitations. Let me just text Steve and Happy so they can break the news.” Tony pulls out his phone and does just that. Peter stops his nail picking, glad they’re back on track to a good day. Strange makes an entrance. Tony tells him, “Good news. Barnes and Wilson earned themselves guard duty the rest of the game, you’re off the hook.”

Glancing at his watch, Strange says “That was fast. I’d say Banner owes me fifty bucks, but I thought Rogers would also be booted at some point.”

“Well, the game hasn’t started yet, there’s still plenty of time.”

“I was going to cut myself off after lunch” Strange grabs a beer from the fridge, “but since I’m now off the clock, why not?”

“Want one Pete?” Tony asks.

“Um…is it any good?” Peter inquires. He had only been half-expecting Tony to ask if he wanted some alcohol. He had been nervous to say yes with the other Avengers around. But with Barnes and Wilson out of the picture, he feels a lot more comfortable with the idea. Strange and Happy have been great all day and even Steve has been a lot more enjoyable than usual.

“Take a sip of mine.”

Grabbing the can from Tony’s hand, Peter takes a sip and grimaces. “Oh my God, that’s disgusting.”

“Vodka soda it is” Tony says as both he and Strange let out a couple chuckles. Minutes later Peter has a much more agreeable drink in his hand. Tony had poured a can of Sierra Mist into a glass with the vodka so Peter could bring it to the game seats without alerting other audience members of its inebriating contents. He also didn’t make it as strong as what they drank in the Hamptons.

Happy returns to let Tony know he has been asked to throw the first pitch. With encouragement from Peter, Tony heads down to the field. Steve arrives a bit later with more food. Giant pretzels, a couple salads, fruit, chicken wings and fries. Everyone grabs a plate before taking a seat at the viewing area facing the field. Peter sits next to Happy as they watch the opening events. Eventually Tony makes his way to the pitcher’s mound. He puts on his PR smile and waves to an overeager crowd as the announcer introduces him.

A beep sounds from Peter's bracelet. “Shit” he curses under his breath. He had meant to bring some more suppressor but forgot it this morning. He can mentally picture the vials sitting on his bedside table back at the tower.

“Need a refill?” Happy asks, Steve and Strange are also looking at him with concern.

“Yeah, it just ran out.”

“I brought a few vials in my bag” Happy assures him. Peter’s shoulders relax.

“I got it” Strange, who is on the end of the row gets out of his seat. He takes the bracelet from Peter before heading into the suite.

Happy calls after him, “It’s next to the hot dog station, front pocket.” Peter and him watch as Strange looks through the bag, grabs the vial and begins refilling the bracelet.

“Can you get me a beer while you’re up?” Steve asks.

Strange scoffs, “I am not a waiter.”

“Shit!” Steve curses. A bit of an overreaction. “Kid, you’re on the jumbotron.”

“What?” Peter whips around and sure enough his surprised face is on full display on the giant screen. The crowd lets out a lot of laughs. Peter uses everything in his power to not let his embarrassment show. Once he is offscreen, he asks Rogers “Why did they all laugh?”

Running a hand through his hair, Steve explains “They were talking about how monumental it is that Tony is throwing the first pitch on his first Father’s Day with you back. Then said something along the lines of ‘Nobody is more excited than his son’ before switching the camera to you with your back turned.”

“Fuck” Peter slouches in his seat, covering his face with his hands.

A small tap on his hand. Peaking an eye out, he sees Strange is handing him the bracelet. As he accepts it and puts it back on, Happy gives Peter a pat on the shoulder. “It’s not a big deal. Just a little goof. Look, Tony’s laughing too.”

Glancing up at the jumbotron, Peter sees Tony coming down from some chuckles. He gives a playful shrug for the camera before positioning himself to do the pitch. While a part of him is still anxious that Tony is only putting on show for the cameras, Peter allows himself to believe Happy’s words for the moment. He sits up and watches Tony throw the ball. The pitch was strong enough that the catcher topples backwards when the ball hits him. Everyone, including Peter begins clapping. Tony raises his arms in accomplishment, egging on the cheers.

“What a showoff” Peter tells Happy.

Steve calls out “Jumbotron.”

Peter is on the big screen again. “Dammit” he says before he can stop himself.

The crowd laughs again this time with the Avengers. One of the announcers chuckles “Well, it’s good to know that even Ironman himself struggles to impress his own kid” as Tony runs off the field.

The nerves set in again. Peter turns to Happy, “He really won’t be mad?”

“He won’t be” Happy assures him. “Don’t worry about it. Just relax.”

He tries, but even the bodyguard’s assurance doesn’t put Peter at complete ease. Picking at the pretzel on his plate, he tries to distract himself from the nervousness of Tony’s reaction when he gets back to the suite. Eventually his father returns.

Tony’s smile when he spots Peter sends a waive of relief. He jokes to the group, “What? You all couldn’t pay attention for five minutes while I was out there?”

“Peter’s bracelet ran out of juice” Happy explains, much to Peter’s gratitude. He is finally able to relax when Tony’s face shows some concern at the news. Happy continues, “Strange was refilling it when the cameras flipped to us.”

“Ah” Tony nods. He asks Peter, “Everything good now?”

“Yeah” Peter answers.

The smile returns. “Yankees staff was getting a kick out of your reactions” Tony tells him as he takes the open seat next to Peter. “Said the clips will probably end up in a lot of highlight reels for the year.”

“Great” Peter doesn’t let his tone hide the slight embarrassment.

The game begins. While Rogers and Happy are invested in it, the other three in the suite have little interest. On more than one occasion, Peter finds himself forgetting it is even going on. Either he and Tony get lost in conversation in their seats or he finds himself getting distracted when grabbing another snack. Such as one moment when he and Strange are debating the best hot dog toppings as Peter prepares his second one for the day.

“What kind of New Yorker doesn’t like relish?” Strange teases.

“Well technically I was born in California…”

They’re conversation is cut off by an alert on Strange’s phone. As the man glances at the notification, Peter notices Happy and Steve do the same. Suddenly all three are sprinting out of the suite, Happy slamming the door behind them. What the hell?

Taking a step towards the door, Peter begins to follow them out of curiosity. He’s stopped by Tony. “Don’t worry about it Peter” his father says as he redirects them back towards the seating area.

“What was that about?”

“I’m not sure, but they’ll take care of it.”

“Why…” Realization dawns once they are sitting. “Someone tried to get to me.”

Tony doesn’t look at him, facing the field. “You, me….it’s probably just a few crazies. Don’t think about it. We’re fine.”

Peter tries to focus on the game. But the longer the others are gone, the more he can’t help but wonder about what they are doing. Who they are stopping? How many people are they taking care of? He remembers the video of Kate and Harley. Clint had said somebody tried to attack the vacation home specifically to get to Peter.

“The last day we were in the Hamptons” Peter sees Tony’s frown deepen a bit more. “You were up before me.”

“I was.”

“Someone tried to attack us that night. Didn’t they?”

Letting out a heavy breath, Tony thinks over his response for a bit. He wraps an arm around Peter and says, “You remember that guy who grabbed you outside of Gucci the day before.”

“Yeah.” The guy shouting weird questions at him. It almost seemed like gibberish. His words strung together in such a strange way.”

“You didn’t know at the time, but Wanda and Vision were following us that trip for safety. They looked into the man and sure enough he was a part of some conspiracy group. He…he thought HYDRA had planted some trigger in your head. That if he said the right word you’d wake up and attack not just me but the team.”

“That’s…” Peter is at a loss for how to respond. He stares at Tony who still can’t look him in the eye. He thought that man was harmless. That he was just some reporter who was bad at his job. “That’s nuts.”

“Yes” Tony smirks finally. “He was.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tony lets out another sigh. “You’re going through enough Pete.” He gives Peter a guilt-ridden look. “We were celebrating your birthday and you more than deserved some time to relax. It…I want you to just enjoy yourself when you have time off. You don't get a lot of it. So when you do, I don't want you to worry about everything else going on.”

“But…”

“There will come the day when you do have to think about these things. When you’ll have to be the one to plan logistics and security before walking out of the tower. But for now, just let me and the team handle all that. Now here” Tony grabs the bucket of popcorn Peter and him were snacking on earlier, “Eat up.”

Peter doesn’t respond, instead he just allows his body to relax into Tony’s arm. After months of feeling a world of burden is being pushed onto his shoulders, Peter finds himself weightless for once. He grabs a handful of popcorn and tosses a couple pieces into his mouth as he thinks. He wonders what else Tony has hidden from him. Have there been other incidents over the past couple of months? If so, how many? Do any of them tie back to the Waynes or have they all been nutjobs like the Hamptons? For once, Tony’s arm wrapped around him brings Peter a sense of safety. Like it’s there to protect him.

Thinking back on what Rhodes and Rogers had told him while Tony was in DC, Peter sees the truth of their warnings. People are really out there wanting to hurt him for the sole reason that Peter is Tony Stark’s son. He also remembers what Rhodes said about Tony’s guilt about that.

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter watches his father. His first month at the tower, Peter had spent a lot of time wondering what plans Tony had wracking around his brain, fearful of the implications for himself. Now he ponders what else goes on in Tony’s head. What other worries and concerns does Tony have to think about on a daily basis that never crosses Peter’s radar. Not just in regards to his own safety, but for Peter’s, his mom’s, the rest of the team. All of that is overwhelming enough, then add on the responsibility of half of America. Every time Peter has seen the public interact with Tony, there is always a sense of awe and high respect directed towards the man. A lot of fear, but it is clear that most people truly look at Tony as their leader.

God, that must be stressful. And here Tony is more concerned that Peter doesn’t feel burdened.

“Clint let me try out his bow on Friday” Peter says, changing the subject to something he knows Tony would enjoy.

“Really?” Tony raises an eyebrow. “What did you think of that.”

“It was fun, but kind of impractical I thought.”

“How so?”

“Well, it’s just so big and he can only carry so many arrows at once.”

Tony lets out a chuckle. “Kid, you and the entire internet think the same way.”

“Well, it’s true.”

“So, I take it you won’t go full archer.”

“Not likely.”

“Good, Clint already has his whole brigade. If there were any more we minus well change your name to Robin Hood to go with the merry men.” Tony tosses some popcorn into his mouth. “Damn, that’s good.”

“What did you order for dinner later?” Peter inquires.

“Um…a spread. Some sandwiches, pizzas, Mac and Cheese…”

“Mom was right when she told me your appetite never evolved past college.”

A giant grin overtakes Tony’s expression. “She knows me well.”

Rogers voice sounds behind them, “Jumbo screen.” When did he get back?

Peter and Tony take a quick glance to see the others besides Barnes and Wilson have returned. They then turn their attention to see both of them on the giant screen. Tony immediately goes into PR mode and waives, Peter does the same quickly after.

Once the camera cuts away from the two, Happy reclaims his spot on the other side of Peter along with Rogers and Strange. The rest of the game goes by without any more hiccups. The Yankees win, much to Roger’s delight. When the shakes Barnes had suggested arrive, Tony gets a picture of Peter’s eyes nearly popping out of his head when seeing them. They’re huge with tons of candy and other sweets sticking out of the top. Everyone picks at theirs until Happy has cleared them to head to the garage.

“Hey Happy,” Peter says to the bodyguard when he has a minute alone with him. “Everything okay? You know with…whatever you all had to take care of.”

“Yeah, yeah” Happy dismisses Peter's concern. “Don’t worry about it. Did you have a good day?”

Peter nods. “Thanks for…you and Strange…um with…everything.”

“Both Stephen and I joined this world when we were older” Happy gives him a comforting smile. “We remember how awkward and…uncomfortable the transition was. Just like with your training, you’ll get more comfortable with everything with time. All the talking about…you know. Tony doesn’t understand how jarring it can be at first. For now, Strange and I can handle a few deflections.”

Giving the man a grateful grin, Peter looks around and spots Tony talking something over with Rogers. “Do you think he had a good day?”

“I think I've seen Tony happier today than he has been in years…and it has nothing to do with the game or the rest of us being here.”

Everyone makes their way to the garage and split into their assigned car. Peter and Happy get into theirs first. Strange is about to open the door on his side when Tony stops him. Through the closed door, Peter has to strain his ear to hear what they are saying since he doesn’t have his enhanced hearing at the moment.

“Thanks” he hears Tony say in a low voice.

“I’m sorry” Strange’s voice is teasing. “What?”

“I know what you and Happy were up to all day.”

“Which was…”

“Ok, now you’re pushing it.”

There’s a pause before Stephen tells Tony, “He’s a good kid. Thought he shouldn’t have to face the goon soldiers alone when they’re at their most obnoxious. As for everything else…he’s trying his hardest. You should be proud.”

“I am” Tony states before sliding into the car. Peter does his best to pretend that he wasn’t listening in on them. As Happy is pulling the car out of the stadium, Tony turns to Peter. “So, I was thinking since it’s summer to maybe cut tutoring back to three days a week.”

“Oh” Peter’s eyebrows knit together. This is a surprise. “Why?”

“All your tutors seem happy with your progress, no need to rush through curriculum. I thought instead, you could start shadowing me around SI. Get a feel for how everything is run.”

“Oh um…” It would be interesting to know what Tony does on a daily basis while Peter is with tutors or training. “Yeah, that sounds good. Wait…does that mean I’m going to be stuck in meetings all day?”

The group of men all let out chuckles. “On occasion” Tony answers. “I’ve got my staff trained to only schedule me for those if I’m actually needed. They know better than to waste my time on small stuff. You want to join me on Friday? I have a press conference in the morning but will be spending a lot of time in R&D after. You can help me embarrass some PhDs like you did with Happy.”

Another round of chuckles, this time with Peter’s included. “Yeah” he says. “Sounds good.”

When they make it back to the tower, Tony lets Peter know he’s heading down to the lab to work on the Wakanda tech. Since he has tutoring in the morning, Peter knows he’s expected to sit tonight out since it’s so late. He plops himself on the couch, not ready to go to bed yet as Tony heads upstairs to change into something more comfortable for the lab.

Grabbing his phone, Peter sees there’s dozens of notifications. As he expected, pretty much every member of the Justice League plus their kids made Father’s Day posts. Pictures of the male Leaguers either with their arms wrapped around their children or them posing together flood Peter’s feed on every platform. The Wayne family seems to have spent the day on a farm along with the Kents. All have pictures of themselves posing by some corn fields and barns together. Richard posted a snap of him and Bruce grilling together.

Peter notices the SI's PR team had earlier posted on his official account. A photo of him and Tony in the lab that JARVIS must have taken. It’s honestly kind of an embarrassing photo of Peter, but he can see why the team chose it. Peter is goofily staring at a gauntlet Tony is showing him. His eyes are wide in amazement while Tony has a proud grin on his face. The caption reads ‘Happy Father’s Day @tonystark. The first of many to come.’ Even though he didn’t create the post, Peter finds himself happy with it.

“I’ll see you in the morning” Tony says as he walks back down the stairs and towards the elevator.

“Kay” Peter says, glancing up from the phone. Before Tony passes the couch, Peter calls out. “Hey Tony.” The man pauses. “Happy Father’s Day.”

With his thousandth smile of the day, Tony uses one of his hands to mess with Peter’s hair. “Thanks Buddy.” He then gets into the elevator, still grinning.

Another ping on Peter’s phone. He sees Tony had just posted something only a minute ago. Opening up twitter, Peter sees the photo Strange took of him and Tony earlier on the field. Tony’s caption reads,

‘For the first time in 10 years, I can honestly say Happy Father’s Day everyone.’

Chapter Text

“Ten more seconds” Steve says, looking at his stopwatch. Peter doesn’t think he’s ever heard such a beautiful sentence. His lungs feel on fire and his throat is searing for breath. The rest of his body isn’t doing much better. Steve is really pushing him on the treadmill today. While Peter has ran this fast before, he’s never done it for this long.

“Five, Four, Three, Two…” God dammit Rogers. “One.”

Jumping and landing his feet on the sides of the machine, Peter hunches over in exhaustion. God, he wants to throw up.

“Good job” Rogers says a rare praise. “You’ve earned a five-minute break. Then we move onto combat.

“Thanks” Peter gasps. He stumbles his way over to the bench with his phone and water and all but collapses onto it. His heart is still pounding, and his blood is warm. He puts the suppressor bracelet back on, not needing his powers for combat training. Last time they tried to do it without the suppressor, the tingle kept making Peter’s senses to go haywire.

There is a notification on his phone. Wally West posted a TikTok. Opening the app, Peter sees it’s another one of Richard. The group of friends is at some park. Richard yells “Parkour Parkour!” quoting ‘The Office.’ Next the teen begins running until he decides to start flipping. A long tumbling trick that stretches the entire length of the small park and into the parking lot. Richard flies over picnic tables, benches and cars with ease. At the end he sticks his landing with his hands in the air in triumph. He turns back to his friends who are all cheering except for Wally.

“Lame!” West calls out. Richard just laughs at his best friend and gives him two middle fingers.

Peter allows the video to play on repeat while he goes through the comments. ‘How are these people real?’ ‘So hot.’ ‘Dude didn’t sweat a drop.’ ‘I agree with Wally. Heehee.’ ‘I once saw him out as Robin, it’s so cool to watch him in person.’

“What the hell are you watching?” Steve asks after the third time of hearing the same audio.

“Richard Wayne doing an acrobatic trick in a park.”

“That kid shows off way too much.”

Smirking, Peter can’t help but appreciate hearing Steve complain about someone other than him. “It’s still pretty impressive.”

“Let me see.” Peter hands his phone over to Steve who watches the video. After, he remarks “Useless. Sure, it’s good that he can jump over a car and picnic table, but all those flips are worthless during combat. This is all just showmanship.”

“The comments seem to like it.”

Rolling his eyes, Rogers says “If he wants to show off and do pretty cartwheels all day, he should join the circus. Bruce should be refocusing that kid to skills that are actually useful.”

“You don’t think acrobatics is useful?”

“It can be, but not like in that video. For instance, Natasha uses it quite a bit. Has taught some of it to Kate and Clint’s kids.” Steve hands the phone back. “Why? You interested.”

Shrugging Peter thinks it over. He’s always wanted to be able to do a backflip. He had tried to teach himself once back in Queens but had to stop when the neighbor kept complaining about the noise from Peter landing on the floor. “It’d be cool to know.”

“I’ll let Natasha know. We can incorporate it into your combat training a couple times a week.”

“Awesome” Peter smiles at that. That actually sounds enjoyable.

“Just so you’re aware, she’ll be taking over during the week I work with the out-of-town part of the team. It’s easier to rearrange just your schedule rather than everyone else’s.”

Peter forgot that was coming up. The invitation to the movies Kate had sent him is still in his phone messages unanswered. “Did Kate ever call you to apologize to you?”

“Through clenched teeth, but yes…how do you know about that?”

“Clint told me about her punishment. I texted her to do it so she could get ungrounded.”

“I figured she was just trying to get out of trouble” Steve raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you were on speaking terms with the other kids.”

“I’m not really. Just…there’s no need for her to be in trouble for my sake.”

“She’s part of your team.”

“She’s not…” Peter stops himself. “I don’t have a team.”

Crossing his arms, Steve says “Really, then who are the whiny brats I’ve been putting up with the last how many years.”

“They…I didn’t ask for them.”

“Yet they’re here and they are waiting for you to get your head on straight.”

“That was their decisions.”

“Remember what we discussed about you being gracious about what Tony has built you.”

“I know…”

“Those kids are being molded to be the strongest support you could ever have.”

“I know…”

“Do you?”

“Yes!” Peter tries not to snap. Last thing he needs right now is an angry Captain America. “It’s just weird, ok? The whole…concept of all of them.” The idea that a group of teens are being trained to be so loyal to Peter is such a strange idea, especially when thinking of Harley. Steve is still disapprovingly staring Peter down.

Brats. That’s what Rogers called all of them. It’s the first time Peter has heard anyone speak negatively about the other teens. Tony and the others always try to talk the group up, trying to get Peter interested in meeting them. But Rogers is different. He clearly doesn’t have the rose-colored glasses Clint and Rhodes do when they talk about how they see the other kids.

“What are they like?” Peter asks.

Steve pauses, thinking his answer over. “Harley talks too much but is overall a hard worker. Kate is a lot more tolerable but has her moments. They both bicker back and forth a lot but at the end of the day have each other’s backs and are really good friends. Cooper has some growing up to do however Lyla seems to have herself together. I don’t know Nathanial that well. Same goes for Scott’s kids. Cassie is pretty goofy, takes after her father. She’ll be visiting along with Harley next week.”

“Anything else?”

“I don’t know, they’re teenagers. One minute they’re focused and at least pretend to have brain cells, next minute they’re testing to see how many marshmallows fit in their mouths.”

“That’s specific.”

“Yeah, well you didn’t see the mess they made in the communal kitchen downstairs when half of them choked and had to spit those out.”

The statement brings a bit of peace to Peter’s mind. He thinks back to when he did similar experiments with Ned and MJ. The hot wings on his birthday, some giant burgers from a local restaurant, he and Ned were dumb enough to try the cinnamon challenge when they were younger. Mrs. Leeds found them throwing and spitting up in their back yard. It’s nice to know that these kids find enjoyment in such ordinary things.

Steve is watching Peter, he continues “They’re more normal than you’re expecting Peter. We all are. I saw how you were looking at all of us at the baseball game. You’ve only seen the team when we’re working.  It’s my job to be tough and push you harder than you think you can handle. In this life we have to take everything seriously. You’ll understand that when you’re older. But for now, you’re a teenager who just needs to worry about getting caught up. Not on your level, but both Harley and Kate had to go through that also. That’s why they’re so protective. But when they’re not in training or doing some assignment, all those kids are just that. Kids. They do stupid shit, spend way too much time on their phones and obsess about movies and TV. Did you ever watch that ‘Tiger King’ show on Netflix?”

“Yeah” Peter frowns at the question, confused on why Steve is asking.

“The last time I had them all in the same room for training, they wouldn’t stop talking in that guy’s accent. The only thing that shut them up was when I made them all do thirty push-ups each time one of them goofed off.” Peter is silent thinking that over. After a pause, Steve continues, “They enjoy each other’s company. A lot of arguing since most of them either are or view each other as siblings, but overall they have a lot of fun together and always have somebody they can talk to when things get difficult.”

Steve leans down to look Peter in the eye. “You have a solid foundation with them. Once you’re ready to build your team, you can go scout all the schools in Tony’s territory and collect every smart, capable…fun teenager willing to join. Something the others are also looking forward to.”

The Young Avengers initiative. There is a literal archive of applications of teenagers wanting to join SI. All of them waiting to see if Peter will pick them. What should he even be looking for when going through all of those? Should he focus on intelligence? Athletic ability? Anyone with some form of superpowers? Probably a mix of everything.

“I don’t even know where to start with that.”

“Well good thing you won’t be doing it alone. Kate and Harley will help you find suitable applicants, Tony will guide you through recruiting and the rest of us will help with training.”

“I guess you’ve done this before.”

“Twice” Steve points out. “Helped Howard build up SI back in the forties.”

“You did?”

Nodding, Steve explains. “Helped him train his top men, gain a lot of allies, kept the government from going after him.”

“I thought you worked for the military.”

“Technically yes. But Howard and I always had an unofficial agreement. During the war I kept Stark Industries in the good graces of the military to keep them from looking any deeper into its practices, similar to what Rhodes did for Tony before the Chitauri. Then after the war I was supposed to join the company officially.”

“Instead, you got frozen in the ocean?”

“And awoke to your father letting the company Howard and I built up go to shit. Although we turned that around pretty quick. Tony got himself together after figuring out how to make Badassium.”

Peter smiles, “I still can’t believe he named it that.”

“Howard is still rolling around in his grave” Steve allows a small look of amusement to pass through his features.

“What was grandpa like?” Tony and Howard didn’t seem to have a great relationship from everything Peter’s heard. In the video Steve showed him weeks ago, Tony had described the man as cold. So did Pepper, although she never met Howard. Rhodes hasn’t said a word about him. The only other people who had met him are Rogers and maybe Barnes.

“A lot more like Tony than either would have or ever will admit” Steve answers. “Both had their playboy days, would flirt with any woman who looked their way. Although Tony’s was before we met. Confident. Tough. Charming. Howard was always a lot more serious than Tony. But just like your father he never passed up an opportunity to slide in a quick joke. Howard when off the clock was…fun. Unfortunately, Tony never really got to see that side of him. Howard was always frustrated by the limitations of our time. He wanted to build bigger and greater inventions, but was held back by the slow progress of everyone around him. From what I’ve gathered about him during my time in the ice, Howard didn’t have much patience left when it came to adults, let alone a kid. The only person who could keep up with him at the time was Thomas Wayne.”

“Tony said they were friends. Same with him and Bruce, which is hard to believe.”

“Name one person Tony could relate to more growing up.”

Peter has no answer for that. In fact, he can only find parallels to how he’s viewed Richard since living with Tony. Since following the teen on social media, Peter has come to wonder more and more what the Wayne heir is like. If his experiences with Bruce are similar to Peter’s with Tony. What Richard’s training is like compared to Peter’s. Logically thinking, Peter knows most of the things posted of or about Richard online are strategic. But still, he sees hope for his own future when looking into the boy who is supposed to be his rival.

“What are the chances you think Richard and I could ever be on good terms?”

“Slim.”

“But if grandpa and Thomas were friends at one point, and so were Tony and Bruce, couldn’t Richard and I at least come to some understanding…”

“Richard has an arrogance that Thomas and Bruce never had” Steve asserts. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but Richard tends rely on his family’s legacy and those around him holding him up. Yes, he’s good on patrol and Bruce has taught him well, but it’s been years since he’s really pushed himself. The public doesn’t see it, but those of us paying attention know he’s plateaued. You being gone for so long left him feeling too comfortable.”

This is news to Peter. Throughout his entire childhood in Queens, Richard was paraded as the hope for the county’s future. Intelligent, handsome, charming, strong were words always being used to describe the boy. In the media he’s made out to be nearly perfect, only having rare blunders while patrolling. But if that’s not true…

“So, you’re saying…I could potentially…”

Steve doesn’t let him finish that thought. “Don’t you make the same mistake as him by underestimating the other side. Just because Richard has let his guard down doesn’t mean the others have. Jason and Helena are more than solid. Both are clever, think on their feet and are hungry to surpass everyone’s expectations of them. Same goes for many others on that team outside of the Bats. Most likely, with your return, Richard will step into gear again. It’s in your best interest to think of him at the top of his game which means you will need to be on the top of yours.”

Peter lets Steve’s warning sink in. Rogers is right. He has no clue what to expect out of the bats, it’s best not to underrate their potential. Tony said weeks ago that it’ll take work to get them to think of Peter as their equal, let alone someone who could possibly be better than them.

“Speaking of being at the top of your game” Steve goes on. “Your five minutes are up, get on the mat.”

Part of the reason Tony prefers to be in his lab during calls with Wayne is so that he can break things without it being too obvious that he’s annoyed. He can just pretend to be in the middle of something while Wayne drones on. Tony wasn’t expecting to talk with Bruce today, but the man just had to have a meeting. So, with about a fifteen minute heads up, Tony gathered Rhodes and Banner and hopped on the video call. Wayne of course has Kent with him as well as Hal Jordan. Another character of Wayne’s posy that Tony doesn’t care for. Kent and Rhodes are trying to keep the peace as best they can. Banner too.

“I don’t see why this is an issue” Tony growls, “We’ve always traded information across boundary lines whenever a group moves. Why is this any different?”

“Richard and Jason have been following this group for over a month” Bruce is just as frustrated. “It isn’t their fault that it keeps hopping back and forth from New York and New Jersey. I’m not asking for them to have free reign in your territory. I am just pointing out that it would be much more efficient for them to just go in and take care of what they need to. One of your men can supervise if you want. But this group knows that they’re sending both my boys and your people in circles whenever they hop the border. Instead of Richard emailing your team all the information they’ve gathered just so your team can restart an investigation, let them continue their work.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Stark, this is ridiculous!”

“Your boys had a month before the group moved. I don’t want them in my city. Send the info over and I’ll have one of my people pick up where they left off.”

“You are being completely unprofessional.”

“What is unprofessional is allowing Jason to act as if he took the entire gang out for the media when in reality it was only a small drug branch of a bigger group. You were all too excited to make that big announcement and are now embarrassed to have the lie exposed.”

“It was a mistake. He’s fourteen, it happens.”

“And Richard’s excuse?”

“He was letting Jason take the lead. It was the kid’s first time.”

“Letting your boys slip up, huh.”

In a harsh whisper, Rhodes warns “Tony…”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you” Wayne snaps.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Bruce!” Kent snaps with the same tone Rhodes used a second ago.

“You let ten years slip by for your little spawn to be pushed into lockers while my boys were stopping bank robberies” Bruce seethes. Kent looks about ready to tackle the man while Jordan seems to be egging him on.

“Much good that did” Tony retorts. He hears Banner and Rhodes try to tell him something but ignores them. “An entire lifetime of training and they fuck up on a stupid arms dealer. How embarrassing.”

“You want to talk embarrassing. How’s the hunt for May Parker coming? Can’t find a little nurse?”

“You know nothing.”

“No, that’s your little boy who probably can’t tell the difference between a gun and a block of wood.”

“KNOCK IT OFF” Kent yells at his friend. At the same time, Banner steps in front of Tony, blocking his view of Wayne.

“Calm down Tony. He’s not worth it.”

“We are all going to take a minute to calm down” Rhodes tells the group.

“I don’t think…” Jordan begins in a taunting tone.

“One minute!” Clark growls, sending the group into a tense quiet.

Banner steps out of the way, allowing Tony and Wayne to exchange heated glares. Both take some breaths to regain some composure. Just when Tony is about to speak again, maybe the worst thing that could happen, happens.

The elevator doors ding open. A couple seconds later Peter comes strolling into the lab. Shit! Tony had told him this morning that he would be in the lab all day and to just come down after training with Steve. The boy doesn’t realize what he’s walking into until it’s too late.

“Hey Pete…” Tony starts trying to tell the boy to go upstairs but is talked over by Wayne.

“Well do my eyes deceive me” the bastard smirks. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you all shrunk Tony, not that there is much to shrink.” If looks could kill, Tony’s glare would be deadly. “You must be the one and only Peter.”

For half a second Peter’s eyes go wide, realizing what is happening. Better than he has the past two months, the boy hides his alarm as best as he can. “Hello Mr. Wayne” he says. Tony hopes Wayne can’t pick up on the bit of shake in the boy’s voice. Peter looks to Tony, “I didn’t know you were having a meeting.”

“I was a last-minute thing” Tony assures the kid. Next to him, Rhodes and Banner are also trying to hide their panic. “How about you go upstairs and order dinner. I’ll be up…”

“Nonsense” Wayne is loving this. “I’ve been waiting to meet your kid Tony. Frankly, it’s a bit rude you haven’t introduced us yet.”

“Now isn’t a good time.”

“Of course, it is. Peter, come here and tell me a bit about yourself.”

“We were just discussing…”

“What would you like to know?” Peter makes his way over to the computer. His head held high. Tony can tell the kid is trying not to come off as scared. The atmosphere in the room is anxious as Peter stands next to Tony. Oh God, how is this going to go?

Jordan looks to be just as amused as his boss. Kent appears conflicted. He is apprehensive of allowing Bruce to do this, but also has a hint of interest in his eye when Peter talks.

“Well first of all, how are you doing?”

“I am fine” Tony can detect a slight tremor in the boy’s voice, but nothing too bad. “How are you?”

“I’m doing great. Are you happy being home finally?”

“Yes” Peter lies. Or at least Tony guesses it’s a lie. He can’t exactly tell where he and his son stand currently.

“It must have been a difficult transition from Queens.”

“It was different. I wasn’t used to my bedroom being a hundred floors above the city street.”

Tony bites back a smile. The kid is holding his own although Wayne isn’t giving it his all. That is until the man says

“You must be so worried about May Parker.”

Peter doesn’t answer right away. He straightens up a bit before stating, “I prefer not to discuss the Parkers.”

“They were such a big part of your life…”

“They aren’t anymore” Peter is a bit too quick with that response. “No need to bring them up.”

The smile on Wayne’s face grows more sinister. He can tell he’s hit a nerve. Dammit. “To know she’s out there…”

“Move on Bruce” Tony cuts him off. His voice making it clear he’s not in the mood for debate.

“How is your mother doing?”

Fuck you, Wayne.

“She’s great” Peter says, his voice losing a bit of confidence.

“She happy to be home too?”

“Yes.”

“I found it a bit strange that you and your father went on vacation without her.”

Peter looks to Tony for help on this one. He took care of his second interrogation for goal five yesterday and has another one planned for in a couple of days. Tony’s team are trying to find perps where the boy won’t have to ask any questions. All wanting to help the boy get his prize.

Tony answers for Peter, “We have something in the works. Peter and I just wanted a weekend to ourselves. You know, make up for lost time.”

“You also lost ten years with Pepper Tony, you didn’t want to make up that time?”

“My marriage is none of your concern.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“None whatsoever.”

“A bit defensive…”

“How about we get back to the reason you called” Tony growls.

“We can discuss that later” Wayne doesn’t want to talk about his sons’ failure in front of Peter. “It didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere productive anyway.”

“Kind of like your boys’ investigation.”

“Tony” Rhodes warns.

Wayne is about to remark something but is interrupted by Clark. “I will check in with Richard and Jason and if they really believe the group has transferred completely over to New York, they will send you their notes.”

“Great, was that so hard?”

The dark knight isn’t pleased but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, Kent inquires “Any updates on the Wakanda tech?”

“Nothing useful” Tony can feel his shoulders slump a bit. “The kryptonian steel you sent still wasn’t as strong as the vibranium. I’m looking into a few more options.”

“That’s too bad.”

Wayne chimes in, “Would be easier to come up with a plan of defense if we could actually fight their weapons.”

“I don’t see you coming up with any solutions.”

“It’s not my responsibility to…”

“It was wonderful to meet you Peter” Kent tries to tie up the phone call.

“It was nice to meet you Mr. Kent” Peter nods, relieved that this will soon be over. “You too Mr. Wayne and Mr…um.”

“Jordan” Tony whispers.

“Mr. Jordan.”

“Pleasure” Hal isn’t too happy that the kid didn’t know his name. Tony can’t help but feel a bit of accomplishment in his son annoying the man.

“We will talk with you all soon” Kent says. Before he can end the call, Wayne chimes in

“I can’t wait to talk again Peter. We all really are so glad you’re home.”

Clark is quick to end the video feed. The second the call is over everyone in the room lets out a sigh of relief, especially Peter. The boy turns to Tony, worry in his eyes. Tony gives him a pat on the shoulder,

“You did good.” He did. The boy held his ground enough that Tony is happy with how it went. Bringing up the Parkers and Pepper were low blows from Wayne, yet Peter still answered the questions without giving too much away. “I told you he can be an ass.”

“Yeah” Peter lets out a half-hearted laugh. “What did he want except to piss you off?”

“Do you remember when we were in the Hamptons and it was announced that Jason lead his first drug bust?” Peter nods before Tony continues. “That was apparently only part of the story. Just as we suspected that group was a part of the Chitauri weapons gang. Richard and Jason now think the group has moved back to New York and want to continue their investigation anyway. Wayne was calling for permission for them to come into our territory to do so.”

“They” a perplexed look on Peter’s face slowly morphs into a calculating one. “They messed up on the investigation.”

“Basically.”

“Huh” the boy thinks this over but doesn’t say anything else.

While he contemplates, Rhodes tells Tony, “You need to stop letting Wayne get under your skin so much.”

“He was the one…”

Banner agrees with Rhodes, “Both of you said things that were completely uncalled for.”

“You know what” Tony fumes. “I’m done with talking about Wayne for tonight. You’re both dismissed.”

“Tony…”

“Pete, what do you want for dinner?” Tony redirects his attention to his son. Both Rhodes and Banner take the hint and head towards the elevator.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Peter says “Um…nothing particular comes to mind.”

“JARVIS, any interesting specials downstairs tonight?”

“Spaghetti bolognaise or wild rice stuffed fillets.”

“I could go for a steak” Peter suggests.

“Same” Tony nods, “JARVIS you know the drill.” The AI knows to throw in a couple appetizers along with the main dish.

Peter asks, “Are you going to be working on Wakanda stuff again tonight?” The past few weeks Tony has spent a lot of their lab time on his newest project, which means Peter is on his own to work on his AI. Since time is of the essence, the boy is only rarely allowed to join in. Usually only if Tony is running an experiment that could use a second pair of hands. The kid hasn’t said anything, but Tony can tell Peter sometimes itches to ask for more of Tony’s input on the drone or wants to assist Tony with something more advanced. He feels bad, but he can’t slow down his research on Wakanda’s weapons to let Peter join.

However, after his conversation with Wayne, “I don’t think so. I could use a night away from it.”

That brings a smile to his son’s face. “Wayne won’t be mad?”

“Fuck him. Besides, I could hear on the way to the Yankee’s game the car we took needs a tune up. We can head down to the garage after we eat. For now, how about you show me the progress on your drone.”

Chapter Text

The car ride is silent as Virginia listens to her heart pound inside her chest. The driver, Mr. Hogan, had tried to calm her nerves earlier but stopped when he realized his words weren’t helping. In fact, he had only been making her more anxious. To think, yesterday Virginia was receiving her high school diploma. Now she is on her way to move in with one of the country’s, no one of the world’s most powerful mobsters. She had practically begged Mr. Stark to reconsider giving her the job and her father was no help.

Virginia had never felt so trivialized than when she was practically handed over to Tony Stark. How the criminal’s gaze slowly studied every inch of her body as she stood there. She didn’t miss the moment when he lingered on her breasts. That was humiliating, but better than when he stared her directly in the eyes. He possessed her gaze, boring deep into her soul.

For the thousandth time in her life, Virgina curses both her father and brother. Her father for dragging them into this world and Peter for being so foolish. She loves them both with all her heart but damn, they really have gotten her into some shit. The thought of her deceased brother sends a wave of sorrow through her. That wound still being fresh. She understands Peter’s mistake and knows SI couldn’t risk keeping him alive. That doesn’t make her grief any easier or stop Virginia from missing her only sibling.

“There it is” Mr. Hogan says from the driver’s seat.

Off in the distance, Virginia spots a giant mansion. White marble covers the outside, ironic considering the darkness the structure houses. To the unwitting onlooker, you would have no idea of the monster that lives within it. Yes, the mansion is impressive, Virginia can acknowledge. But there is a sinking feeling in her stomach that drops more and more the closer they get.

She is practically shaking by the time they get to the gate. Mr. Hogan says something to the intercom before they are let in. As they approach, Virginia is still stunned by how big the building is. Surely, this isn’t all just for one man. There has to be others who live here. Right? She hopes so. Tony Stark notoriously doesn’t have a wife or children, preferring short-term female company. But maybe there are some friends or staff that live on the premises. Mr. Hogan has been kind as he’s monitored her during her last month of high school, maybe he lives here. That brings a bit of ease to Virginia’s mind. There is no way she’ll be alone. If Mr. Stark insists on having a live-in assistant. He most likely also has housekeepers, butlers, drivers. There’ll be other people.

Mr. Hogan opens the back door of the car to help her out. A small truck carrying Virginia’s belongings parks behind them. “Welcome to your new home” Mr. Hogan tells her. Virgina is speechless at the statement. He continues, “Don’t be too worried. Tony is excited to have you here. The place is really nice, you’ll like it.” He’s trying to be comforting, but there is nothing he can say that’ll tame the scorching fear coursing through Virginia’s body.

“Virginia!” a familiar yet unwelcomed voice cheers from the mansion’s entrance. Exiting the building is none other than Tony Stark. Virginia’s throat goes dry at the sight.

Somehow, she gets out “Hello, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re off the clock right now Potts” he smirks. “No need for the formalities, call me Tony.”

Just like the day they met; Mr. Stark’s eyes capture Virginia’s. She freezes, not daring to glance away. For some reason, the mobster finds enjoyment out of that, his smile growing. “Happy” he calls out, not looking away. “Go show the mover’s where to put all of Virginia’s items while I give her a tour.”

“Yes boss” Mr. Hogan nods. Silently Virginia pleads for the bodyguard not to leave her alone with this man. But just as instructed, he goes over to start directing the men in the truck to begin unloading.

“Follow me” Mr. Stark turns and walks back in the house. Virginia is still frozen in place, not moving from their stare down. A part of her contemplates making a run for it the second the man’s back is turned. Dashing down the driveway into the Malibu hills. But she isn’t stupid and has learned from her brother’s mistake.

“Virginia!” the mobster snaps in a more commanding tone. He’s reached the door and noticed she wasn’t behind him. “I said follow me.”

A hand gently encourages her forward. “Go on Ginny” Mr. Hogan uses her father’s nickname for her. “You’ll be fine.”

Taking a deep breath, Virgina makes her way to the door. Her heart begins pounding again. So hard that she hopes it isn’t audible for Mr. Stark who is now wearing a look of accomplishment at his command being followed. She trails behind him as they enter the mansion.

It looks huge from the outside, it appears giant on the inside. Mostly open space with minimal décor and expensive furniture. Marble floors throughout the entire space amplify the sound of their footsteps.

“Welcome home Ms. Potts” a robotic voice nearly scares the crap out of her.

“That’s Jarvis” Mr. Stark explains. “My AI. He runs the house. Better than any security money can buy, so know you’ll be safe while living here. He’ll help you keep track of my schedule, calls, emails, any household need such as groceries you can order through him.”

“Wouldn’t your chef do that?” Virginia asks timidly.

Turning to face her again, Mr. Stark is amused “I don’t have a chef.”

“Then who…” she doesn’t finish her question; his face says it all. “I’ll…I’ll be cooking.”

“I order out a lot, but it’ll be nice having something home cooked most days.” Virginia nods but must have given away her panic. Mr. Stark inquires, “You do know how to cook?”

“I…” When her mother was dying, Virginia did learn basics of the kitchen to help the family out. Christopher had just joined SI to help with her mother’s medical bills and Peter had to go to training everyday after school. A lot of the housework landed on Virginia’s shoulders, which considering what her father and brother were going though, she was more than happy to fulfill. “I know a few dishes.”

“Well, then one of your first assignments is to get some lessons to learn more. JARVIS, start researching some options.”

“I’ll have a list ready for Ms. Potts to look over on her first day.”

“That’ll be Monday” Mr. Stark tells her. “I wanted to give you a day off to get used to the place before you started working.”

She gives him quiet, “Thank you.”

“The kitchen is over here” they walk into a large room. Not as massive as the living room, but big and impressive none the less. A giant kitchen island with numerous cupboards for storage. Two fridges and multiple stovetops. The area that looks most used is a coffee bar and liquor cabinet. “Housekeeping comes twice a week. Don’t worry about dishes, just leave them in the sink. Laundry is done every Saturday with the exception of last-minute dry cleaning. That’ll be your responsibility to take care of.”

Mr. Stark goes on about more of Virginia’s responsibilities as they go through the house. There are too many rooms to count, and all are overwhelming. The gym has every piece of equipment you could think of and even has a sauna attached. There are multiple lounges and bars, this place was definitely designed for parties. Virginia has only been to a few, and that was with high schoolers. High schoolers with parents who work for SI and have access to alcohol, but teenagers, nonetheless. She can’t imagine what it’ll be like helping host actual adults with high tolerances and capacities for wilder shenanigans. Hopefully, Virginia will be able to hide out in her room if she gets overwhelmed.

“This is one of my favorite areas” Mr. Stark says as they walk onto a patio. A glittering pool catches the sunlight. The home is on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It’s an amazing view. The salty air hits her lungs differently. There’s a thickness to it. It’s not uncomfortable, just not what she’s used to. “Do you swim?”

Virginia nods.

The smile is still etched onto Mr. Stark’s face. “Great. I own the beach at the bottom of the cliff. You are free to use both that and the pool whenever you’d like as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. There is a path down that way” he points to a trail, “you can either walk down or use a vehicle. I have sensors around the property, so I know whenever someone is coming…or trying to leave.” There is a not so hidden warning to his tone at the end of that sentence.

“So…” Virginia gulps. “I’m not allowed to leave?”

“On the contrary,” Mr. Stark approaches. He places his hand on her shoulder to gain her full attention, not that he was lacking it before. “You can come and go as you please. I just have to know ahead of time what your plans are.”

“Wh…why?”

“So, I can have security go with you” he answers as if it’s obvious. “Living with me comes with its…safety concerns. You’ll need to be protected. Don’t worry, my men won’t interfere too much with your outings. Only if they have any concerns.”

It doesn’t take much intelligence to decipher his hidden message. ‘Don’t step out of line and they won’t force you back onto it.’ While it’s nice to know she will have access to the outside world, it’s unnerving to know she’ll never be free beyond the walls of this mansion. With security following her and the AI running the house, Virginia will never truly be alone again.

She nods, “I understand.”

The grin on her new boss’s face has a hint of satisfaction. He takes a step back, looking to the ocean. “What do you think of the view.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“I like to keep attractive things around the house.” Even if the comment is directly about her, a wave of embarrassment mixed with nausea passes through Virginia’s system. This man is eight years older than her, why would he say that? “Let me show you the bedrooms.”

With a deep breath to lighten the blush she knows is filling her cheeks, Virginia follows. They walk through the house again, this time she takes note of more of the décor. A painting in the living room catches her eye. “You’re a fan of Rothko?”

“What?” Mr. Stark pauses and turns to her.

Her nerves start up again. “Um…the painting” she points to a red and yellow artwork on the wall. “Ochre and Red on Red by Mark Rothko.”

“Oh” he glances at the painting. “I don’t know, my interior designer suggested it.”

“Is it…” upon closer examination, Virginia notices the brushwork. Unlike replicas she’s seen, this doesn’t look like a copy. “Is this real?” she asks in disbelief.

“Of course, it is,” Mr. Stark almost scoffs. “Why would I have fake art on my walls?”

Holy shit! “This is incredible.” For a moment Virginia is lost in the treasure in front of her. The only time she has seen works like this is in museums. Now she is living in a house with a masterpiece just casually hanging on the wall.

An amused chuckle sounds behind her, sending Virginia crashing back into the reality of her situation right now. A mobster, a cold-blooded killer is who she is now sharing a roof with. Well, not sharing. It’s his roof that she is now chained under. It isn’t the first time she’s lived with a murderer. Her father and brother had spent a year slowly hinting at what they did for SI. But Mr. Stark is on an entirely different level. He’s not only a murderer himself, but runs an army of them. Within seconds, he could have Virginia killed and her dead body cleaned up with not even an ounce of regret, effort or punishment for the crime.

“I take it you are a fan of art” he snickers.

“I” she turns to face him, hoping she’s hiding her fear. “My mother used to paint before she got sick. When she was too weak to do that anymore, we would research artists and their work together. Followed certain items at auctions, it…yeah, I’m a fan of art.”

“Huh” Mr. Stark is observing her inquisitively. After a while of thought he tells her, “I’ve always thought about getting an art collection together. Having the same pieces on the walls gets boring. It would be nice to have some in storage to switch things around every once in a while. Start researching some options and let me know what you find. Keep it a bit more modern though, nothing stuffy or goofy like ponds and trees.”

Virginia can’t respond, too shocked at the demand. Start an art collection? As in a…high art collection? Surly, there has to be someone more qualified. “I…I…I’ve never bought any art over fifty dollars.”

“Well then, this should be fun for you.”

“Mr. Stark…”

“Bedrooms are this way” he turns and walks. Somehow, Virginia’s feet know move even though her brain is still reeling. She barely notices they’ve made it upstairs until Mr. Stark says, “Here is my room.”

Now her feet come to a halt. Virginia stands in the hall, her heart pounding as Mr. Stark walks into his bedroom. From the doorway she can see the massive bed. Why are they going in there? Why does he want her in there? What is he going to do to her in there?

“Virginia” Mr. Stark calls out, his tone carrying a warning. “Come on.”

She stands still, her breath now shaky. There must be a look of terror on her face, because when Mr. Stark turns around, his annoyed demeanor fades. He walks back into the hall, up to her. Once again, he places his hands on her shoulders “Calm down. There is no reason to be scared. I just want to show you a few things. Nothing is going to happen.” He brushes a piece of her hair back behind her ear. “Unless you want it to” he winks then immediately retracts after her eye’s go wide. “Okay, not ready for those jokes. That’s fine. Let’s move on.”

With one arm behind her, Mr. Stark practically pushes Virginia into his bedroom. After catching her breath, Virginia takes the sight in. She tries not to look at the enormous bed and takes the rest of the room in. Again, it is giant yet has sparse furniture. They walk up to a wall of windows that looks over the ocean.

“Watch this” Mr. Stark taps the glass. The window turns into a computer screen. His emails, texts, messages, as well as some newspaper headlines pop up. Virginia stares in amazement at the advanced technology. “Your bedroom is equipped with the same” Mr. Stark explains. “Every morning Jarvis will have your daily updates available as well as any alerts you’d like to know first thing in the morning. Personally, I have mine set to weather and what is on my schedule that day. Any headaches or bad news can wait until I’ve got a cup of coffee in me.”

“Um…” Virginia tries to take everything in, but is so unsettled by being in this man’s bedroom. “Why couldn’t you show me this in my room?”

Mr. Stark smirks again, for some reason he finds her discomfort comical. “Don’t be so shy Virginia. Trust me, you’ll be spending more time in here than I think you’re expecting.”

“What do you mean?”

“JARVIS is pretty good at waking me up. But sometimes after a night out I need some…assistance for the morning after.”

“Like…from hangovers?”

“Sometimes. Only the really bad ones, otherwise I’ve mastered the minor ones long ago. I need more help with getting rid of late-night guests that like to stick around in the morning.”

Late-night guests…Jesus Christ. “You want me to kick out your one-night stands?” she can’t stop the disgust in her voice.

“Not kick them out, that’s cruel. Just gather up their clothes when they’re sleeping, get them either dry-cleaned or wash them yourself, then arrange for a car to take them back to wherever they came from.”

“What?”

“I don’t see anything confusing about those directions.”

“That is…” What the fuck is wrong with him? “That is completely…unprofessional to ask and…enethical…”

“Potts, you went to Thurgood. I know you understand that business ethics in our world is different than what is taught in most schools.”

“Still, this…this is ridiculous to ask.”

“I’m not asking” Mr. Stark snaps, putting an end to the argument. “Understand this right now Virginia, when I tell you to do something, it isn’t optional. Not when it is in private and definitely not when we’re in public. My orders are final. Got that?”

Another shaky breath. Virginia nods, unable to speak.

The smile returns to Mr. Starks face, “I want to hear you say it.”

“Ye…yes, Mr. Stark. I understand.”

“Good. Now it’s time for your room.”

Virginia’s stomach is in a bunch of twists and knots as they walk into a bedroom a few doors down. This room also has a great view of the ocean. It isn’t as big as Mr. Stark's but is at least triple the size of hers back home. A king-sized bed sits in the middle of the room with a giant television across from it.

“This isn’t the largest guest room” Mr. Starks says, “but it has the nicest view and closet.” He leads into a large walk-in where they run into Mr. Hogan and the movers. The three men are unloading all of her items into the multiple cabinets and dressers. “What the hell is this shit?” Mr. Stark looks around.

“I assumed you wanted us to help her unload,” Mr. Hogan answers.

Grabbing a pair of faded jeans, Mr. Stark asks Virginia with a look of revulsion “This is what you’ve been wearing?”

“Yes” she frowns. She didn’t think her taste in clothing is that bad. She’s never been one to show a ton of skin and likes more slender silhouettes. With the exception of some sweats she wears while lounging around the house.

“These are rags.”

“They…they’re my clothes.”

Mr. Stark does one more glance around the room before declaring. “Happy, toss all this out. I’m taking Virginia shopping.”

“What?”

Mr. Hogan says, “You’ve got it” before directing the other men to begin reloading all the clothes.

Virginia chases Mr. Stark out of the closet. “Sir…I…that…you…”

“I’m not letting you wear that crap anymore.”

“But…”

“What did I just say a minute ago about my orders being final” he turns to stare her down. She trembles under his glare.

“Mr. Stark, I…” What is she even arguing right now? What is even going on? In the last hour she went from a recent high-school graduate living with her father to now having a job, staying in a multimillion-dollar mansion, having to learn how to cook, organize a schedule for a billionaire, become an art collector, and escort every woman this man decides to sleep with off the premises. Now she’s losing her clothes too. He’s not only ripping her away from her life but is now shedding her of the last part of her previous identity.

“Hey” her boss’s voice becomes soft. It’s sounds unnatural coming out of his mouth. Virginia forces herself not to flinch as his hand wipes away a tear off her face. She didn’t even realize she started crying. “What’s wrong?”

“This…” Where to even begin? It hurts and it is difficult not to sob out “…too much.”

The thumb that whipped the tear is now caressing her face as the palm cups her cheek. “You’ll get used to it” he assures in the same gentle tone. “I know this transition will be difficult for a while. It’ll all be for the best though. Just follow my instructions and you’ll be fine. More than that, you’ll never want for anything again. I’ll take care of you.” He pushes her face to look him in the eye. “I am very happy to have you here Virginia.”

They hold each other’s stare for a minute. A minute where Virginia tries to stop her heart from leaping into her throat. There is no possible way that Mr. Stark can’t feel her pulse pounding right now. Eventually, he lets her go.

“Go through your stuff and keep anything nostalgic, but the rest is going in the trash. I’ll give you an hour to do that and get settled, then we’re heading to Rodeo. I’ll see you soon.” With that he exits.

Why does her chest feel so tight? Or is it her throat? Either way, Virginia suddenly finds it hard to breathe. She gasps as hot tears roll down her face that she has no way to stop. The giant bedroom suddenly feels so small. Constricting.

A pair of hands gently guide her to sit on the bed. “Ginny” Mr. Hogan’s voice says softly. “Take a deep breath.”

She tries. Through heavy and labored wheezes, Virginia tries to breathe. When she finally come to, Mr. Hogan is knelt in front of her with some tissues and a glass of water. She graciously accepts both with some embarrassment. Mr. Hogan’s face doesn’t hold any judgement or disgust. He looks at her with sympathy and a comforting smile while she is recovering from her breakdown. Once she is calm, he grabs a box on the floor by his feet and places it next to her on the bed.

“This one has a bunch of your school uniforms and t-shirts. I figured you’d like to keep some of those.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hogan” she quietly says, truly appreciative of his kindness.

“We’re coworkers now Virginia, Mr. Hogan feels a bit too formal. You can call me Harold, or if you’re more comfortable, Tony and everyone else calls me Happy.”

Since meeting the man a month ago, Virginia has gotten to know Mr. Hogan pretty well as he’s driven her to and from school. Happy isn’t necessarily a word she’d use for his constantly annoyed or disgruntled demeanor. “How did you end up with that nickname?" she asks as she opens the box.

“Tony. He has one for everybody. Just watch, by next week you’ll have one of your own.”

At the top of the stack of clothes is her senior year homecoming shirt. All the seniors wore white with only a small logo so that people could sign their names on each other, everyone swearing to never wash the garment to preserve the writing. It had been her idea. The teachers were appalled by some of what the students had written on each other, but the teens loved it. Virginia reads over the names of her friends that she will probably never see again. Either they will want to stay away from Virginia due to her proximity to Mr. Stark or the complete opposite where she’d only be used to get closer to their idol. Either way, all those peers are lost to her. They’ll all be going to college in the fall while Virginia will be stuck in this mansion having no control over her future.

“Why am I here?” she asks, on the verge of tears again.

Mr. Ho…Happy hesitates, struggling to come up with an answer. He settles on, “Tony sees a lot of potential in you.”

“For what?”

“For” he struggles even more, “for improving the future of the company.”

“How? I’m only eighteen. I have no clue how to be an assistant…”

“He’ll teach you…”

“Why doesn’t he want someone more experienced? There must be someone out there…”

“Tony has a knack for spotting talent. He knew from the moment you stepped into his office that you were the one he wanted for this roll. Looking over your school records only solidified his decision. You’re smart, you’re organized, you’re…”

“Something attractive to keep around the house?” she says with spite.

Happy is at a loss for words. Virginia can tell he knows she is quoting their boss. After a moment of thought he tells her, “You know Tony’s reputation…”

“Oh my god!” she panics.

“No, no, no” Happy tries to calm her. “It’s not like that, Ginny. Tony doesn’t view you like he does those women. You have nothing to fear. Tony would never in a million years hurt you. He want’s what is best for you.”

“I shouldn’t be here. I should be with my father getting ready to go to Yale…”

“You’ll learn more working for Tony than you ever would at school.”

“Most people with my job have degrees…”

“That isn’t important to Tony…”

“It’s important to me! I should be living in dorms with people my age, not a mansion with a man almost ten years older than me and his staff.”

Another hesitation from Happy. A look of remorse as he tells her, “Ginny…it’ll only be you and Tony living here.”

It’s as if the world is crashing down on her. Her and Mr. Stark…alone. In this giant house that she can’t escape from. This can’t be. This can’t…no, no, no. How could her father allow this? Does he know? Of course, not…right? She’ll be alone with Mr. Stark. The mobster. The murderer. The person running the company that killed her brother.

“Ginny” Happy cups her face. “You will be fine. I’ll be here almost every day. The maids will come through. Colonial Rhodes visits all the time as well as Mr. Stane. Besides, you have nothing to fear living with Tony. He’ll treat you so well and…and if you have any concerns, you can always come to me.”

“You?”

“I’ve known Tony for five years now. Rhodes and him met when Tony was fourteen. He trusts us and will listen if we tell him to back off. Tony keeps a close-knit circle; one you are now a part of. Think of yourself as lucky for that. Tony takes care of those close to him. He may be brilliant, but that idiot requires a lot of patience and babysitting.”

Virginia for the first time since entering the mansion, allows herself to let out a small chuckle. Happy’s words settle some of her anxiety.

He continues, “We’re all a team. Rhodes, Obadiah, you and me. It’ll take all four of us to keep Tony from driving himself insane. You aren’t alone in this. You have people you can lean on.”

She gives him a gracious smile before glancing down at the shirt in her hands. Again, she sadly surveys all the names of her now former classmates. People she has hundreds of wonderful memories with. All gone. Gone and replaced now with people she barely knows. She hopes Colonial Rhodes and Mr. Stane are as kind as Mr. Hogan has been. Maybe this won’t be so bad?

“As I said earlier, Tony wants what is best for you” Mr. Hogan says when he sees her woefully staring at her shirt. “That includes clothes. He…he’s trying to take care of you the only way he knows how. Pick out some of the things you’d like to keep, then just go enjoy the shopping trip. Let him shower you with designer bags and dresses or whatever else he plans on giving you. Believe me, this is only the start.”

Getting up, Happy makes his way back into the closet. Before he disappears into it, he tells her one more thing.

“Welcome home Virginia.”

“Good news” Tony’s voice says from behind Pepper. She turns and accepts the cup of coffee he hands her. “Barnes captured a guy for Peter to practice on.”

“What did he do?”

“Shot his brother for their mother’s inheritance.”

“Great guy” Pepper jokes before taking a sip. She makes a face. Construction site coffee is never the best. Especially when her husband must walk across half the compound lot to grab a cup.

“The best” Tony smirks. “He’ll do though. Peter will take care of him tonight when we fly back to the tower.”

“Wait…” Pepper realizes the importance of this. “That’s the last one for goal five.”

Tony’s grin warms. “It is.”

She nearly forgets to put her drink down first before wrapping her husband up in a hug which he returns. Finally. After six weeks of being apart, Pepper will be able to see her son again in person. And this time, not just for a day but an entire weekend. Three whole days she’ll be able to hold him and talk to him. Three days of meals, relaxing and much more.

“When…um” she pulls away. “When…”

“Happy is already having the Hampton’s house being prepped. Steve’s overseeing SI while I’m away. If everything goes as it should this afternoon, you, Peter, and I will be having lunch on the beach in two days.”

Tears of absolute joy prickle Pepper’s eyes. Two days and she’ll see her baby again. Although, he’s done a lot of growing up in the past few months. Pepper reminds herself that this weekend isn’t going to be a complete breeze. She’ll most likely be fielding difficult conversations and being the in-between for Peter and Tony. From everything she has been told and seen, the two’s relationship has slowly started developing again after Peter overcame the fiasco with Marko. But there is still a lot of rebuilding for them. It is only right for Pepper to help that process along since she is the one who broke them apart.

“Have you picked a design yet?” Tony asks after sharing a kiss. He then looks over to the plans laid out on a table. They’re at the lot designated for their future house. While the homes will be the last projects worked on for the compound, it’s never too early to start the planning. Besides, that the fun part in Pepper’s opinion.

“I definitely want the wrap around porch, like on this one” Pepper points to one design. “But the floor plan is a bit of a mess. I’m thinking about combining these three” she pushes two other outlines closer together.

“The architects are going to love you” Tony teases.

“Hey, I want to make it perfect.”

“I know, and you’re right.” He wraps an arm around her. “This is our home for the next how many years. Whatever you want, as long as you keep the alpaca barn.”

“Where did you get this idea of getting an alpaca? Because I’d like to give whoever put that in your head a talking to.”

“What’s with you being against alpacas?”

“I’m not against anything. Since when are you a pets guy?”

“I’ve never had one and neither has Peter. It’ll be fun.”

“And you want your first one to be an alpaca?”

“Yes” Tony shrugs. “More interesting than a dog or cat.”

“Oh, the horror of having something normal.”

“Never have been, never will be” Tony gives Pepper another kiss on the side of her head, arms wrapping around her. “Are you going to show Peter his bedroom design this weekend?”

Pepper frowns at the question. “He wasn’t too happy that I was helping with the compound when we talked on his birthday.”

Tony sighs, “He’s coming around Pep…”

“I know just…he’s worked hard for this trip. I don’t want to upset him. If he asks, I’ll tell him. Let’s let him lead what he wants to talk about. He…he needs me to be there to listen, not to bring more concerns or mixed emotions.”

“I really think you’re underestimating Peter’s progress. He’s been great the past few weeks. Pushes himself during training, hasn’t been picking fights, that drone he’s been working on has come leaps…”

“You” Pepper turns to face her husband, “are not the person he is going to go to with his problems.”

“He…”

“Peter is trying to impress you. He’s not going to let you know when he’s struggling. If anything, he’s going to downplay his feelings. I know he’s started opening up, but even then he’s only letting you see the surface. With me he can be completely transparent, with you he has to be strong. Just like you’ve taught him.”

By the look in Tony’s eyes, Pepper knows she’s won the discussion. Since Peter was young, Tony has taught him not to show weakness. Their son was always allowed to unload when alone with Pepper, but not with his father. From the updates she has gotten, Pepper has some idea of what to expect when Peter is finally able to unpack all the internal conflict that has been building up the past six weeks. But she still needs to be prepared for the unexpected. Who knows what struggles and dialogue is going on in Peter’s mind? It’s Pepper’s role to help him sort through his thoughts and prepare him for Tony’s next round of teachings. Unlike what she did ten years ago, Pepper has to steer her son back to his father instead of away.

“Are you ready for this weekend?” Tony asks, his eyes studying her.

Pepper nods. “I’ll do everything I can to help him, I promise.”

They share a long kiss, wrapped in each other’s arms. After, Pepper rests her head on Tony’s chest as they both look out towards the lake. They had picked the lot closest to the water, wanting to wake up to the view of the shimmering lake and wildlife.

“Just think” Tony says, “In a little over a year, we could be having family dinners on the dock down there.”

Smiling at the daydream, Pepper can picture she, Tony and Peter eating and laughing down by the water. Maybe after a long day of swimming or hiking. Unlike the city, there is plenty of room on the compound’s grounds for them to do outdoor activities like that. All the space they will ever need.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Stark.”

Chapter Text

‘Please, please, please stop’ the woman whimpers. ‘I’m sorry, I hate myself for it too. Please! PLEASE!’

Peter jolts awake, his heart pounding and ears buzzing. His mind replays the woman’s pleas over and over again. He can’t shake the sobs out of his head.

This nightmare isn’t the worst he’s had, but it might be in the top three. The woman’s crying still disturbs Peter every time the memory worms its way through his brain. The sounds she made when Peter hit her with the bat were heart wrenching. He sped through that interrogation not for just his own sake but so Clint would put an end to her misery.

A drug addict who crashed her car while high…killing her two-year-old daughter in the process. There were other things in the record Wanda had given him, but that is the main reason the witch brought the prisoner in. It was by chance that the woman even came across the Avenger’s radar. She had gotten mixed up in a guy Wanda was bringing in, so she took the opportunity to get two in one. The woman sat in a holding cell for almost a week before Peter was ready to take her on.

He remembers walking into the interrogation room and coming face to face with his next victim. With one look, Peter knew he was going to struggle. The woman was going through withdraw and was already in agony before he laid a hand on her. She was twitching and making sounds of misery, her body already putting her through hell. Peter almost turned around and exited the room. It took quite a bit of coaching from both Steve and Clint to continue. Tony was out of town for the day. Steve threatened to call him, which pushed Peter to move forward with the interrogation. He didn’t want Tony to be upset, afraid of the consequences.

‘They’ll kill her whether you do anything or not’ that’s what Peter kept repeating to himself. Once someone is strapped to the metal chair, there is only one way out for them.

Running to the bathroom, Peter splashes his face with cold water. Trying to freeze the heat of guilt that wants to set him aflame. He’s gotten better at pushing it down, but he still has to actively repress that emotion. It isn’t naturally going away as Tony and the Avengers would like. Whenever Peter lets his guard down, his mind rest, the shame and realization of his actions come back to haunt his thoughts and dreams.

It takes a few more splashes of water to regain control of himself. When Peter does, he turns and slumps his back against the bathroom counter to sit on the floor. He rests his head and lulls it to the side to look out the floor-to-ceiling window. The sun is just coming up, making the sky a shade of dark orange/red. A color that reminds him of someone.

Mom.

That’s what her hair looked like the last time he saw her in person, although now she looks a bit different. She and Tony were photographed together since then when they’ve gone on a couple dates. Of course, it being the only glimpses the public have gotten of Virginia Stark, the pictures went viral. A new nose and lighter hair have taken residence on him mom’s appearance.

It brings a mix of reactions out of Peter. At first, he was sad to see the face that raised him for the last ten years disappear. Not completely, Pepper is still a mother that he recognizes. Just like he has distant memories of Tony, Peter remembers Pepper Stark cuddling him close and bringing him comfort. He’s always felt safe in both Pepper and Mary’s arms. Even though they are technically the same person, they still feel different in Peter’s mind. He can’t put a finger on exactly why that is, but they do.

His mom has seemed to step into her role as Pepper Stark a lot faster and easier than Peter has into being Howie. A strange thought: going back to who he was when he was three. Although, not necessarily reverting back to a three-year-old, but rather who Howie would be at fourteen.

What would Peter be like if he grew up as Howie?

What if he never met the Parkers, or Ned, or MJ? If he never lived in Queens. If instead he grew up in luxury receiving the best of everything. If his mom never had to work. If instead of having Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Peter grew up with Uncle Rhodey, Uncle Happy and the other Avengers as family.

If Tony had raised him and instead of speeding through this hellish training, Peter could have slowly done it over time like his father intended. That would have been easier overall…right? Instead of having to completely change who he is at fourteen, Howie would have never known anything outside of Tony’s teachings. This internal war of identity and morals wouldn’t be currently tearing Peter apart inside.

Once again, Peter finds himself questioning if he really wants to change. He doesn’t…he mostly doesn’t…yeah, he does…n’t.

Outside of the interrogation training, life has been pretty good since striking the deal with Tony. Peter is still struggling to accept a lot of the Avengers, especially Rhodes and Banner who he might never be able to see the way he used to. As much as Rogers scares him and pisses him off at times, Peter has found himself appreciating the man for what he is. A hard ass, but one that is pushing Peter past what he thought were his limits and unlocking an entirely different side of himself. In Queens, Peter was never strong, agile, or competitive. Since training with Steve, Peter has found himself overcoming every physical trepidation or restriction he’s ever had. The same goes for Natasha who has skillfully incorporated Peter’s new spider abilities into combat training. Clint has been a good middle between pushing Peter and helping him cope with the change. In subtle ways, the archer has kept up helpful encouragement that has kept Peter from falling back into a black hole of remorse and sorrow. The same can be said for Strange who coincidently crosses paths with Peter at least twice a week and strikes up a conversation. Sometimes about how well he’s progressing, but most of the time it is something mundane that gives Peter a few minutes of feeling human again.

But most of all, things have been better with Tony since making the list of goals. While still tough, Tony has been a lot more pleasant to be around. Mostly because Peter isn’t actively trying to argue with his father or be constantly angry at the man. Meals together have been nice, so has shadowing Tony around SI. It’s been fascinating watching Tony work. Just like the lab, he is masterful at maintaining a well-oiled machine. His staff runs at an incredibly fast pace when Tony enters the room. Every member working as efficiently as possible to not waste their boss’s time. Unlike the relaxed atmosphere Peter saw the day Happy gave him a tour, R&D buzzes with excitement and determination to impress Tony when he enters the room. They present the genius with all their progress and let him know of any major hiccups. Just like Happy had said, Tony takes one look and can solve most problems within minutes.

Tony has also slowly started to revert back to what he was like when Peter was three. Just hints and peaks. There have been a couple times when Tony has left the tower, returning with a gift in hand for Peter. The first one was a Rolex watch that Peter was surprised by. Tony had just shrugged saying, ‘I had one at your age.’ The next was a LEGO set of the Eiffel Tower. This time Tony’s excuse was ‘It’s rare and I didn’t know when the next time I would have a chance to buy it would be.’ It was a small gesture that meant a lot for both of them. It wasn’t difficult to see the parallels of that moment to many of the past. Tony had given Howie dozens maybe hundreds of LEGO sets, that moment felt just like Peter had remembered as a toddler. If they don’t get lost in their work in the lab, it isn’t uncommon for Tony and Peter to find themselves watching movies together on the couch. Lately, Tony’s been trying to introduce Peter to some films from the 80’s. Die Hard, Breakfast Club, Top Gun. Some have been good; some Tony finds himself slightly embarrassed for recommending when they don’t hold up as well as he remembers.

Through everything, there is still the never-ending emptiness Peter feels whenever he thinks of the one person he misses most. Mom. Even in his most content moments the past few weeks, there is always that wish that she was with him enjoying it. Or at least accessible so he could tell her about it after, just like he used to after school every day.

That changes today, or at least for the next few days. Today, he, Tony and Pepper head to the Hamptons for the weekend. Peter’s prize after completing the first list. It couldn’t come soon enough. Peter has held himself together this entire time, but the second he was done with the fifth interrogation for goal five, he was ready to break. The instant he realized he was finally going to see his mom again, all Peter wanted to do was run into her arms and sob his heart out. His heart that he is morphing and transforming into something he doesn’t think is right. The only thing he wanted then and needs now is for the one person who understands both this world and the one outside SI to tell him what to do. To assure him that he’s not crazy for doing this.

“Friday?” Peter calls out. “What time are we meeting Mom today?”

“Mrs. Stark is currently in the penthouse kitchen.”

“Wha…” She’s here? “What?”

“Your mother wanted to make sure you and Sir had a nice breakfast before your car ride.”

With that knowledge, Peter leaps off the floor and bolts out of his bathroom, then bedroom, down the hall and staircase to the kitchen.

Sure enough, just as JARVIS said, his mom is at the counter mixing something in a bowl. She looks up when he freezes in the doorway. “I wanted to surprise you…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence when Peter nearly crashes into her wrapping his mom in a hug. Very quickly, he feels Pepper’s arms around him and a kiss in his hair. “I missed you baby.”

“I…” Peter nearly chokes when trying to talk.

“Shhhh” Pepper whispers, running a gentle hand up and down his back. They stay like this for a long time until Peter is ready to let go. When he does, Pepper urges him sit and asks, “Why are you up so early?”

“Nightmare” Peter explains.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter goes into everything that happened with the five interrogations he had to participate in. This is the first time he can actually articulate and explain everything he felt throughout the process. The guilt, the anger, the uncertainty. More than once does he find himself suffocating on words and being calmed down by his mother. He can’t imagine what his face must look like with all the tears. Probably red, puffy and covered in grime.

“The worst was the drug addict” Peter tells Pepper, his face buried in his hands. “She was already so remorseful about what happened and in so much pain from the withdrawal. It was awful. Right before Clint killed her, she kept repeating her daughter's name. Mom it…God! I…”

Once again, Pepper stops her cooking to pull Peter in for a comforting embrace. “It wasn’t your fault” she says. “She made decisions that ended that child’s life.”

“She just kept saying she was sorry…”

“She could have just been saying that, Peter. You don’t know if she was telling the truth.”

“She sounded…”

“People can be liars. Now she won’t hurt anyone ever again.”

“But…”

“It is not your responsibility” Pepper lifts Peter’s chin to look her in the eye, “to make excuses for others. You also are not the one to take the blame or guilt for their punishments. That is for your father and the Avengers to decide their fate.”

“They…”

“…are adults who have been running this country for ten years. They have much more experience than you. I know it’s difficult sweetheart, but don’t put that burden on yourself. You are training, practicing. That is it. You don’t owe the people in that chair anything.”

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but Peter tries to ingest his mother’s words. They fight against his natural ideology, but that is what he needs. He’s fighting up river and hearing anything but support would just drag him back. He takes a sip of the water Pepper had given to him. They continue to talk for another couple hours. Peter doesn’t necessarily feel better as the conversation goes on, but it does unload a heavy weight that was straining on him.

They hear footsteps coming down the stairs. Pepper quietly tells him, “Go get yourself cleaned up. I’ll see you in a bit.” She ushers Peter to the other entrance to the kitchen, rerouting him around Tony. Peter waits in the hall before he hears Tony greet Pepper in the kitchen,

“Hey” his father says cheerfully.

“Good morning” Pepper says before the sound of a shared kiss on the lips.

“I see Peter’s been up.” Shit, he must have seen the cup of water. Although…Tony doesn’t sound angry.

“He was down here for a while.”

“Is he…”

“He’s working through everything. You know this isn’t the only time the two of us will need a bit of privacy.”

“I know.”

“And you’ll…”

“Make myself busy when Pete needs some space” Tony says before a pause. “I’m glad you’re here. He really needs this weekend.”

“I thought you said…”

“He’s doing well, but still. He more than deserves some time to unwind in a way I can’t help him like you can. Anyway, did you start coffee?”

Making his way to the living room discreetly as to not be noticed eavesdropping, Peter silently goes to his room. While he changes into some loungewear and tries to clean his face of any sign of his crying, he ponders over his parents’ conversation.

Tony wasn’t upset at all knowing Peter and Pepper were talking. That alone isn’t surprising, but he clearly figured out that Peter had a breakdown. Only alone in his room is Peter allowed to do that. That’s what the rule has been. However, Tony didn’t seem to mind that he did that with Pepper in the kitchen.

When Peter reenters the kitchen, both of his parents smile to greet him.

“Want a cup” Tony asks, pointing to the coffee pot just finishing a roast.

“Yeah.”

“Pep?”

“Please.”

Peter frowns inquisitively at his mom, “I thought you drank tea.”

Pepper shrugs, “I can drink either. May and Ben preferred tea, so I just kept to that while in Queens.”

“In her early twenties, your mom was the only one keeping the local Starbucks open” Tony jokes, not acknowledging the comment about the Parkers.

Sending her husband a playful glare, “Who’s the one who got me addicted?”

“I think we all should take responsibility for…”

“You were the one constantly sending me on runs…”

The two begin almost talking over each other, yet still maintain a steam of coherent conversation.

“…our own practices. It’s funny how one credit card suddenly means…”

“…every day. It was not just giving me a credit card…”

“…that I’m solely responsible for what you drink on…”

“…I had maybe one cup for every four you drank.”

“…a daily basis.” Tony turns to face Pepper, cup of coffee in hand. “Splash of cream, no sugar.”

“Thank you” Pepper smiles, they share a small peck.

It’s fun to see them like this. After years of imagining their fights as screaming matches, Peter enjoys seeing his mother and father have light banter back and forth. It paints a completely different picture of irritation and annoyance he remembers Pepper having back in Malibu. What he looked back on as animosity now just seems to be their unique form of endearing communication.

Pepper hands out three plates of banana bread, sausage, and fruit. The three eat in a pleasant atmosphere filled with jokes and teasing. Once they are done, the three head down to the garage, ready to head to the vacation home. Just like last time, Tony lets Peter pick the car. Only this time he has to sit in the backseat so his mom can take the front passenger. He doesn’t mind, especially once they’re on the road.

Only minutes into the trip, his parents get into another humorous squabble.

“He crawled for the first time in the Hamptons” Pepper asserts. “His first steps were when…”

“It was on the beach at the vacation house.” Tony argues, “I remember because I was impressed that Howie did it in the sand. Why are you…”

“…we were on the beach at the Malibu house. So, it was in sand…”

“…denying…he hated the sand at the Malibu house. It was too course…”

“…but not the beach you’re…he did not hate the sand in Malibu…”

“Yes, he did.”

“No, he…”

“He used to cry every time I put him down…”

“…loved it. Oh my god Tony, he didn’t cry because of the sand…”

“…I’d have to hold him…”

“Yeah, because he that all he had to do was whine and you’d pick him up…”

“You make that sound like a bad thing…”

Peter doesn’t talk much during the car ride, much preferring to just listen to his parent’s dialogue. For years, his early childhood felt like a dark mystery. One he’s only gotten clues about from time to time. The pictures at the Hamptons house had seemed almost impossible to believe as authentic. Hearing Pepper and Tony confirm through their debates the validity of the long-ago memories makes them finally feel real.

Before he knows it, Peter recognizes the gate they pull up to. Excitement courses through him as they drive up to the house. Pepper was the only one to bring a suitcase which Tony carries upstairs for her. While he waits for the two to come back down, Peter grabs some juice from the fridge and heads to the back patio.

Just like the last time he visited, the ocean breeze brings a gust of soothing energy with it. Peter relaxes at the wind gliding on his skin and the salty taste to the air. He falls into a lounge chair and watches the waves of the water crash onto the beach.

“Already in vacation mode?” Tony asks, exiting the house. He takes a seat in the chair next to him.

Peter smiles, “It’s easy to do that here.”

“Good. So, anything specific you want to do today?”

“Um…honestly I haven’t really thought about it.” Peter was so focused on earning this weekend, he didn’t think about what to do once they actually got here.

“Well, how about today we just hang around the house. Then I was thinking tomorrow we could rent a yacht for the day.”

“Really?”

“Yeah” Tony shares Peter’s smile. “Nothing too big. Just something to drive us around the area. We can park it in the ocean and do some swimming and snorkeling. I’m sure your mom doesn’t want to cook all weekend. The crew on the boat can make us some lunch and dinner. Sound fun?”

Nodding, Peter asks “Can we take out the jet skis today?”

“Anything you want.”

Both make quick to change into some swimsuits. Before heading back downstairs, Peter examines the suppressor bracelet on his wrist. At the tower, he hates taking it off. While he has gotten better at taming the tingle in many situations, it doesn’t ever fully go away unless using the suppressor. But here...the Hamptons are different. The closest Peter came to fully ignoring the tingle that first month was when he and Tony were on vacation. Now with Mom here too…

Peter takes the bracelet off. He won’t need it and besides, it’ll be a lot more fun to swim and run on the beach with his powers.

Downstairs, he is met with Tony and Pepper loading some snacks into a bag to take to the beach. The crew who prepped the house must have had more of a heads up than last time. The fridge is full of cut up fruit, veggies, premade sandwiches, and salads. All they have to do is load up a basket and off they go.

They don’t return back to the house until dark, choosing to watch the sunset next to the ocean. Pepper opted not to go more than waist deep in the water, unlike Tony and Peter who spent quite a bit of the day wave crashing. When Peter goes upstairs to his room to change, he is almost grateful for the shower. Even with his enhanced stamina, he’s exhausted. Taking his time to let the warm water wash away the salt and sand, Peter relishes the weightlessness he feels.

Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine having such a fun day with both his parents. It never once seemed like a possibility while he was growing up in Queens. To spend an entire day where Tony and Pepper not only got along but were happy to be together.

After changing into some gym shorts and a t-shirt, Peter grabs a bottle of water from a mini-fridge (new addition since his last visit) and heads to his balcony. He can’t get enough of the ocean air. He downs the water, needing the hydration and listens to the waves crashing. Until his enhanced hearing picks up something else.

“I’ll get on a paddleboard or something tomorrow” Pepper says. Peaking over the railing to his balcony, Peter sees the doors to the kitchen below are still open to the outside. Allowing him access to his parent’s conversation. “I just didn’t want to get my hair wet.”

“I’m just saying, would have been nice to go farther than five feet offshore for frisbee” Tony has a tease to his voice. Softly, Peter can hear little knocks, sounding like a chopping board.

“Well, we still have two days.”

“Besides, plenty of time to toss you into the water on the yacht tomorrow.”

“Don’t you dare” Pepper laughs. “You know, if you make this vacation too perfect, the ones to follow will be disappointing.”

“You underestimate my creativity when it comes to…”

“I am not underestimating…”

“…planning bigger and better surprises…”

“…you on anything. Just keep in mind…”

“…that’ll blow the kid’s mind.”

“…he might expect too much. Like what Tony?”

“Well, I know the deal was he completes a list and gets a weekend here. But I was thinking, in a list or two, maybe try something international.”

“Such as?”

“Start off with something small, easy. Probably the Caribbean. We watched one of those pirate movies last time we were here.”

“He enjoys those…”

“Then after that, the kid hasn’t been to Europe since he was two.”

“He hasn’t…”

“South of France or maybe Greece if he wants to stick with the beaches.”

“Italy also has great beaches.”

“Pete’s going to take Italian once he’s done with Spanish. I want to take him there once he’s more fluent.”

“You’ve thought about this…”

“I was also thinking Tunisia…”

“What the hell is in Tunisia?”

“They filmed the Star Wars movies there. You don’t think Peter would enjoy seeing the building Luke Skywalker grew up.”

“He would love it. But I can’t imagine spending…”

“A day there then quinjet over to the Maldives for a week.”

“Ah…”

“I was thinking that would be a good fifteenth birthday.”

Peter can hear the smile in his mother’s voice, “I think that would be a perfect fifteenth birthday.”

For the second time today, Peter wants to cry. This time for nearly the opposite reason than the first. He doesn’t allow the tears to fall but does let the emotions run through his system. Listening to this conversation, one question sticks out in his mind.

‘Is this how life was supposed to be?’

Rhodes wasn’t kidding when he said the Hamptons was only a taste of what Tony has in store for future trips. Peter’s birthday was only a little over a month and a half ago and Tony already is planning his next one. The biggest thing they ever did to celebrate his birthday in Queens was going to the aquarium with Ned one year. What would Peter’s birthdays have been like with Tony? Surely over the top and extravagant. But also…thoughtful? Not even Peter had even thought of visiting the Star Wars set, it seemed like an impossibility.

“Didn’t they film one of the movies in the Redwoods?” Pepper asks. “You should take Peter next time you visit California.”

“Good idea” Tony agrees. “The only thing I have planned right now is just an overnight to check in on the LA branch, Pete won’t find that too exciting. Next time I have something longer though. Maybe show him around LA and San Francisco.”

Now Tony and Pepper are planning together. A bitterness irks it’s way in. For the first time in ten years, Peter wishes this had been his childhood. Only for a moment does he let that pity take over. The dream of growing up with both his parents happily together and raising him with the best vacations, houses, holidays.

Did they always talk like this? The last week in Malibu has always stuck out in Peter’s head. Him being terrified of Tony every time his father walked in the room. Tony snapping and growling at Pepper for disobeying him. Peter remembers spending his entire day either crying or trying not to shed a tear in front of Tony. The one night his parents were angrily arguing in their bedroom after Peter woke up from another nightmare sobbing and them being too preoccupied fighting to check on him.

Peter tries not to think about that. He focuses on now. This moment. Being far away from the tower, having spent the day on the beach, his parents affectionately chatting while making dinner. This is a moment better than any dream he had of a possible future. This is what he’s been working for. This could be permanent one day. This is what Peter’s doing everything for.

“You know, our anniversary is only a few weeks away” a passionate hint in Tony’s tone.

“It is. Any plans for that?”

“Well, you did say you loved our trip to Paris…”

“Which one?”

“The one that was the best.”

“Oh, well there are a few contenders. The one after our engagement of course…”

“…mmm…” Tony hums huskily, sending a sickening feeling through Peter.

“Our one-year anniversary is up there…”

“If you do the math right, I’m pretty sure that’s where Pete was conceived…”

NOPE!

Turning on his heels, Peter walks himself back into his bedroom and closes the balcony door as fast as he can. Once he gets that disgusting picture of his parents out of his head, he heads to the hall. He’s purposely noisy going down the stairs, jumping the last few to make a loud ‘thud’ at the bottom.

“Thought you fell asleep on us” Tony jokes when Peter enters the kitchen. “Was about to check to see if we had to fish you out of the shower.”

“Just wanted a minute to relax” Peter says, sitting on one of the stools at the island his mom is prepping some food at.

“We figured, here” Tony hand Peter a white slush drink in a tall glass similar to what he and Pepper are drinking. “Pina Colada. Don’t worry, I already cleared it with your mom.” Pepper sends Tony a side eye. “Okay, she’s not happy about it. But you’re fine.”

Eyeing the drink, Peter hesitates to take a sip. He doesn’t want to upset his mom but also doesn’t want to disappoint Tony.

“How about instead of pushing underage drinking” Pepper chides, “you go put these on the grill.” She pushes a plate of meat and vegetable skewers Tony’s way.

“Fine, fine” Tony grabs the plate and heads to the patio where the grill is located.

Peter is still eyeing the alcoholic drink. “Go ahead honey” Pepper says. “I don’t mind.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure” she says, tossing together some fruit in a bowl. Peter takes a sip of the drink and his eyes pop open at the delicious sweetness that hits his tongue. At the sight, his mom laughs, “So I take it you like it.” Peter nods. “Tony always had a knack for cocktails.”

Pepper continues prepping the side dishes as Peter watches. A small grin has taken residence on his mother’s face, has been since they got in the car back at the tower. He thinks back onto the pictures the internet has gotten ahold of. Tony and Pepper at a restaurant, a few from a day they went shopping around the city, even a shot of them walking around the construction site of Avenger’s compound. Being candid, most of the photos aren’t anything necessarily special, just them walking. However, there are a few of them laughing or smiling while Tony has an arm wrapped around his wife or they are holding hands. They look just like a normal couple in those. Not what Peter has been imagining the past ten years.

Something about Peter’s expression must have alerted Pepper to his internal struggle. “JARVIS” she calls out. “Close the doors.” The doors Tony had just exited from shut, leaving Peter and Pepper alone. “Sweetheart, what’s bothering you?”

At first, Peter doesn’t know how to answer. He sits and contemplates his thoughts of everything today. “Mom” he starts, “are…are you happy being back?”

Pausing her cooking, Pepper glances up at Peter with a look of confliction. “I…” she takes a heavy breath. “I miss you every day. That takes precedence above all else.”

“I miss you too but…outside of me. Are you happy being back?”

Again, Pepper hesitates to answer. “I loved our time in Queens but…there were people I missed greatly while we were away. People who I had a lot of guilt about hurting.”

“One of them being Tony?”

“One of them being Tony” Pepper confirms. Peter isn’t surprised by this. His mom confessed her continued love for Peter’s father on his birthday. At the time it was hard to accept, but now…why does now feel so different than back then? “Are you happy being back?”

Peter contemplates the question. How does he feel? At times he feels fine being at the tower and living with Tony. But those good days don’t bring him the sense of joy or peace that memories of Queens do. A normal day in Queens, while boring and slow, brings a feeling of ease compared to a day at the tower. Life was less complicated, less stressful, less…terrifying. Back then Peter lived in an ignorant bliss that has now been shattered by everything he has learned over the past couple months.

“No” Peter tells his mom. “I…I know things will eventually get better but…” What is he willing to tell Pepper that won’t have her worry. How much can Peter divulge about everything going on before its too much for her? Will it upset her to the point she yells at Tony. Those two have become a lot closer and Peter doesn’t want to ruin that. That would only make Pepper’s life at the tower harder. “I miss our old lives.”

“What about it?”

“Um…” So many things. “I really miss you…and May…and Ned and MJ. I just…there’s a lot of things I want to talk about but there’s nobody…Happy tries but…even then I have to be careful. It’s like…I spent ten years not being able to talk my life in Malibu and now I can’t talk about Queens. And when I talk about my life now… I can’t contact you. I can’t be completely honest to Tony or the Avengers. The ones that try to give advice…are either pushy like Rhodes or assholes like Rogers.”

“Sweetheart” Pepper’s eyes are full of sorrow. “I know you feel lonely right now, but I do think there are people you could reach out to.”

“Harley and Kate?” Peter asks. Not just those two, but the entire group of teens have taken up a lot of Peter’s internal contemplation recently. “I just…how am I ever supposed to trust them?”

“They’ve been trained…”

“Exactly. They’re being trained by Tony and the Avengers. Some of them since they were born.”

“So, who better to understand than them? There are a lot of things you are going through that I never experienced. As much as I wish I did, I don’t have answers to all your questions. But they might. You should give them a chance Peter. They may never be what Ned and MJ were for you, but maybe that’s a good thing. They’ll be something different. What you needed back in Queens might not be what you need now.” Pepper leans in for her last statement, “There is no benefit to you feeling lonely through this.”

Peter picks at his nail. He knows his mom is right. But how is he expected to open up to a group of kids he doesn’t know and has no clue of their intentions. From everything he’s seen, the teens do seem to want to support Peter. But what does that support entail? Is there a limit to it? What are the repercussions for Peter if there is and he hits it. What are the chances the others would turn on him to save their own necks?

Ned and MJ did. The two people he thought would be there through thick & thin ditched at the first sign of trouble.

Eventually Peter and Pepper allow JARVIS to open the door again. Shortly after, Tony walks in with the fully cooked kabobs, pretending he didn’t notice his temporary banishment. Dinner goes well, Tony and Pepper back at their lighthearted banter.

The rest of the trip goes well. Really well. The three have a wonderful time. Better than any had imagined possible. A few times Peter and Pepper stepped away for an emotional chat while Tony found something to keep himself preoccupied. But after, they would come out, ready for the next fun activity or wanting to relax. Only once did Pepper and Tony get a bit heated after Tony gave Peter his third alcoholic drink their last night. However, Pepper gave in, not wanting to end the trip on a sour note.

There was one hiccup that had put Peter on edge. It was during the yacht trip. The three had just finished eating lunch and were getting ready to jump back into the water. Peter was sitting at the back of the boat, his legs dangling in the water as he waited for his parents. That is when the tingle in his neck started to slightly flare.

Before he thinks too much of it, Peter feels a foot playfully push on his back. His hands grasp the boat’s floor with his sticky fingers, stopping him from being pushed in. Tony then sits down next to him. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Good thing I took the suppressor bracelet off.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask…”

“Tingle doesn’t really bother me here.”

Right as he says that his neck flares again. What the hell? It’s been fine up until this point. What’s so different in this moment? Maybe it’s Tony wrapping an arm around Peter, but he’s done that multiple times on this trip.

“So, what are you thinking, snorkeling? Paddleboards? Or do you just want to relax a bit, let the food settle. The crew has some inflatables we could float on.”

“Um…yeah that sounds good” Peter gives him a smile, even though his neck is slightly intensifying.

“What are the chances you think we could get Pepper to jump off the upper deck?”

That makes Peter laugh. Earlier his mom didn’t have the best reaction to Peter and Tony jumping into the water from the top of the yacht. “Not likely.”

“I think with the two of us working together, we could convince her.”

“Not a chance.”

“Well definitely not with that attitude.”

Another flare causes Peter’s hand to cup his neck. Immediately, Tony grows concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t…” this time the tingle directs his attention off to a boat a short distance away.

Tony follows his gaze, spotting the vessel. He quickly gets up and grabs his phone from one of the seating areas. “Vison” he says into it. Go check out that white dingy getting closer to us. The one without a flag.”

Peter has no clue where the android was hiding, but he suddenly appears flying towards the boat. A hand ushers Peter to stand. His father directs him inside. Pepper was on her way to join them but stops when she sees the worry in their expressions.

“What’s going on?”

“Suspicious boat” Tony explains. “You and Pete stay in here for a bit. I’ll be right back.” Digging through his bag, tony pulls out some repulsers that he equips to his hands and feet. He heads to the deck and flies off after Vision.

From a window, Peter watches his father land on the other boat. He joins in an argument Vision is already having with the occupants of said vessel. Tony grabs something out of one of the men’s hands. Not long after, he returns. Vision is directing the boat away from the yacht.

“Fucking paparazzi” Tony growls as he enters. “You two can go back out. I’m going to have a word with the captain to figure out what crewmember is about to lose their job.” He storms to the upper floors.

“C’mon honey” Pepper tries to distract Peter. “Let’s go.”

She guides Peter back to the deck, but his attention is still on Tony. With his enhanced hearing, Peter listens to Tony start questioning the captain, wanting answers for the leak of their whereabouts.

“This is completely unacceptable. I made this reservation yesterday, nobody outside of your company and my team knew we would be here. I even booked it under a different name so only a few people at your office know. I want everyone’s phones checked. I swear to God, if one of them made money on this…”

“Peter” Pepper tries to grab his attention. “Let it go. How about we grab one of the rafts and go float?”

Only half paying attention, his ears still listening to Tony’s argument, Peter joins his mother on a larger inflatable that they can sit next to each other on. Even with his mom trying to start up a conversation, Peter can’t get his mind off the photographer.

Him and Tony laughing and joking around with his father’s arm wrapped around him on an expensive yacht in the middle of paradise. That is the picture that would have been sold to the press. A happy father and son enjoying each other’s company on vacation. While not untrue, there are so many layers to their situation that the public would have no idea about from that image. They would have no idea everything Peter’s gone through in order to earn that minute of joy.

He thinks over all the pictures he’s seen in the press. Him and Tony shopping with bags from expensive stores. Same goes for Tony and Pepper. Both shopping and going out to eat at nice restaurants. While social media thought Peter’s reactions to being on the big screen at the Yankees game humorous, there were also a lot of pictures circulating of him and Tony jollily chatting in their seats. Not to mention the one Tony posted of them on the field.

Spoiling. Indulging. Pampering. All words that would describe what the public sees Tony doing. Showering his wife and son with luxury while Peter and Pepper happily accept. No hint at the horrors and harm Tony has inflicted on them. The outside world has no clue about the truth of anything.

What must people think of them? Everyone Peter and Pepper knew back in Queens…what are they thinking? Sure, many acquaintances such as Peter’s old schoolmates and Pepper’s former coworkers are probably glad to see them ‘doing well.’ But what about the others? The ones that know the truth. Ned, MJ, their families. What are they thinking when they see those pictures? Confusion? MJ already called Peter a liar, does she see those pictures as proving her right? That Peter had lied to her and Ned about Tony’s abuse. Ned must be confused. He believed Peter when they talked on the phone. Maybe he's relieved to see Peter at least seeming to be happy. At least that’s what Peter hopes. But after Clint and Natasha threatened their families, Peter can’t help but think they probably feel resentment.

God…what does May Parker think?

The woman whose life is ruined because of Peter and Pepper. Who is on the run to save her skin while the two people who put her in that situation are floating on this raft while being catered on. Who probably doesn’t feel safe to sleep at night while Peter and Pepper are walking around in designer clothes. Who is watching from afar as they laugh and embrace the man putting May through hell.

“Do you think May hates us?” Peter asks his mother softly.

Pepper’s head whips around, “What?”

“I would. She’ll never have a life again, meanwhile we’re…”

“Don’t think that way.”

“But it’s true” Peter can feel his eyes well up. “She’s lost everything and here we are acting as a happy family with the Tony who…Mom. The things he’s lied to the world about her…”

“May and Ben knew the risk that came with taking us in” Pepper tells him. “We had numerous discussions about what would happen if Tony found us. They…honey, she doesn’t hate us.”

“We’re betraying her…”

Pulling Peter into an embrace, Pepper asserts “We are not. Just like she is doing everything she can to survive this new normal, she knows we are doing the same. If anything, she’d be relieved to know that it isn’t all bad. That Tony isn’t keeping us locked away in some dungeon. She wants you to be happy baby. Don’t think for a second that she wants you miserable and living every day in agony for her sake.”

“But…”

“May loves you. She always will. She knows that our futures are not in our own hands anymore. The way to make her proud is to get through this and become the best leader you can be. Be someone that the country looks up to. Someone who inspires hope. You are not betraying May by going through Tony’s teachings. You are adapting to a different life. One we couldn’t prepare you for in Queens.”

One he couldn’t be prepared for in Queens. The emotion Peter feels right now isn’t the one he was expecting. Once again, he wishes his mom never left Malibu. So much heartache and suffering could have been avoided. The Parkers would be better off, his parents would be better off, and Peter himself would be better off.

There wouldn’t be a sudden need to adapt to a completely new environment. There wouldn’t be a rebuilding of relationships that should have never been broken. There wouldn’t be this shock of a completely different outlook on the world Peter thought he knew well. All the people who have been hurt along the way wouldn’t have had to go through that pain.

The inevitable change of Peter’s identity and being is a future he’s been dreading since the moment Oscorp put him in an ambulance. To know that the two women who raised him hold no judgement or distain about it takes a load of Peter’s shoulders.

Eventually Tony makes his way back onto the deck, a lot calmer than before and with a drink in his hand. Pepper and Peter paddle their raft closer so Tony can join them. He sits on the other side of Peter, the tension in his body releasing as he takes a swig of alcohol.

“Everything okay?” Peter asks.

“Yeah” Tony pats him on the shoulder. “New receptionist at the office was the culprit. Apparently, we did them a favor, she also disclosed the bookings for a couple other clients over the past month. Still a pain in the ass I wasn’t planning on this trip.”

The three soak up the sun for a while before Pepper declares she needs to use the restroom and gets back on the yacht.

“Ocean’s right there” Tony points out.

“That’s disgusting.”

“It’s already filled with dead fish, whale vomit and pollution. You really think a bit of urine is going to make a difference.”

Peter lets out a light chuckle at his father’s observation. At the sight, Pepper says “Don’t you go corrupting him to think that way.”

“It isn’t really something that needs to be taught” Tony jokes. Pepper rolls her eyes and heads inside to find a bathroom. Once she is out of sight Tony offers his drink to Peter, “Mojito?”

Accepting the glass, Peter takes a sip. The fresh taste of the beverage brings a smile to his face. “Oh, I like that one.”

“One of my favorites for vacation. Although bartenders tend to hate you because of the mint.”

“Hmm” Peter hums before taking another sip. He feels Tony’s arm rest behind him.

“You okay after the whole paparazzi thing? You seemed a bit shaken when I peeked out the window earlier.”

“Oh uh. Yeah. I wasn’t worried just…lost in thought. Mom and I talked it through.”

“Good” Tony leans his head back, enjoying the sun’s warmth.

There’s a question on the tip of Peter’s tongue that he debates asking. Tony’s in a good mood and he doesn’t want to ruin the moment. But his curiosity and confusion outweigh that desire. “Why are you okay with me breaking down with Mom?”

“Because she’s your mother and it’s her job to comfort you” Tony says nonchalantly. Not even a hint of irritation or anger.

“But…you said at the tower…”

“It’s one of the reason’s I agreed to your idea about the list” Tony explains, turning his head towards Peter. “Just like you said, if you know you get to see Pepper after, you can get through the training. It’s not a unique sentiment Pete. I was the same way with Grandma. Sometimes the only thing getting me through the rough days was knowing she’d be home to comfort me after. That’s how things were supposed to be with you. But with everything that’s happened…you’re having to put in more effort to get those moments. Unfortunately, being older means you have to learn to handle things on your own. Especially if you want to patrol next year.”

Another reason why staying in Malibu would have been easier overall. To have his mom there after every lesson instead of after every hundred.

He lays his head back, staring at the blue sky above. After this weekend, how long will it be for the next trip? How long will Peter have to wait to see his mom again? He debates asking Tony about what to expect out of the next list but doesn’t want that weight on his mind until after the vacation. The conversation he and Pepper had last night resurfaces in his mind. While he isn’t allowed his mother’s comfort throughout the training, there are people who can at least offer him advice and give guidance to what to expect going forward.

“Kate had asked if I’d like to go to the movies and dinner with the other teens when they visit for training this week. Would you be okay if I went?”

This surprises his father, “You’d really like to go?” Peter gives him a nod. “Figure out the restaurant and theatre so I can arrange security, but yeah. I think you’ll have a good time.”

Chapter Text

Peter can feel his heart race and hear his foot tapping as the elevator drops down to the communal floor. He hates how nervous he is about this. They are just teenagers. Peter’s been around hundreds…thousands of them.

‘Yeah, but these teenagers track down murderers and torture them after school instead of going to drama club.’

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Peter berates his mind for actively working against him. For once he wishes his subconscious would just be supportive instead of logical. Would make a lot of things easier around here if it was.

Everything about tonight has been overanalyzed in Peter’s head. How introductions will go, how to apologize to Kate and Harley, heck, even what Peter decided to wear. The group chose a rooftop restaurant that isn’t too formal, so he settled on some jeans a plain t-shirt and a jacket he bought in the Hamptons. Tony had bought out the restaurant and theater, so Peter just hopes his attire is comparable to the others in their group.

Kate and him only sent a handful of texts back and forth about tonight. Brief and to the point, but Kate did say they were excited for him to join them. Peter wishes he felt the same way. Trepidation has been haunting his mind ever since accepting the invitation. It only got worse when he knew the group had arrived at the tower. Luckily both their schedules and his have been busy, not allowing them to cross paths. A part of Peter thinks that was intentional on either Steve or Tony’s end so that their first meetup would be this instead of running into each other in the hall. It also can’t be a coincidence that the adults on the team got pulled into a meeting about half an hour ago, leaving the communal floor empty with the exeptation of the teens.

He has only been to this floor once when Clint forgot to grab some weapons he brought from Ohio before target practice one day. It’s a large space, needing to accommodate most of the team. Large kitchen and dining area with an even bigger lounge.

That is where the teens are when the elevator doors open. Whatever conversation was happening before, abruptly stops as Peter exits the elevator. All eyes turn to stare at him, only making Peter feel more self-conscious. Oh God, this is going to be awkward.

Kate is standing next to a girl he doesn’t recognize. On a couch is a boy a bit older that has to be Cooper and another girl Peter doesn’t know. Kate is the first to speak,

“Hey.”

“Hey” Peter nods, his nerves rattling.

“Uh…hey” Kate continues. “Um…everyone this is Peter. Not that…any of you…wouldn’t figure that…Peter this is Lyla” she gestures to the girl she’s standing by before the two on the couch. “Cooper and Cassie.” All three wave when their name is called.

“Nice to meet you all.”

“Okay Bishop” Harley’s voice announces. “Is this good enough for you or do I still look homeless?” The boy enters the room wearing basically a suit with no tie. A stark contrast to the others in the room. Cooper is dressed similarly to Peter while the girls are wearing outfits slightly nicer than casual attire.

“Jesus Christ” Kate is instantly annoyed. “I literally said to just not wear sweatpants.”

“And I’m not” Harley goes to twirl but stops when he spots Peter. A hint of embarrassment as he greets “Oh uh, hey Peter.”

“Hi” Peter says, feeling a bit less awkward with the teen’s goof.

“You look ridiculous” Kate chastises Harley who tries to defend himself.

“My last outfit you said…”

“C’mon” Kate grabs the boy and drags him to the room he just came out of. “For the love of god, you're fourteen.”

Once the two are out of the room, Lyla looks to Cassie. “How do you live with him?”

“Separate bedrooms as far away from each other as possible.”

“I say we should have just let him freeze in those joggers he was trying to get away with” Cooper smirks.

“You know” Lyla rolls her eyes. “You’re not much better. Mom made sure you packed that outfit before we left home.”

“So what?”

“So, the point is Peter can obviously dress himself, why can’t you and Harley figure it out?”

“Peter is the heir to half the country. I’m a spy the world doesn’t know exists. Who gives a fuck what I look like?”

“Everyone who has to be seen with you in public.”

Kate reenters the room, “I second that notion. Peter, you want anything to drink?”

“Um…I’m fine.”

“Here” Lyla waives at him to come closer. “Have a seat while we wait for Puny boy and the driver to get here.”

The mood being a lot lighter than he was expecting, Peter makes his way over to the seating area. He takes residence in one of the single chairs. “What time does the driver usually get here?”

“Don’t know, never had one before” Cooper says. “Usually, I’m stuck carting everyone around.”

“Oh” So having Peter around already messes with their plans.

“Hey, don’t feel bad about it” Harley says as he walks in wearing a much more appropriate outfit. “One less car ride risking my life with him behind the wheel sounds good in my book.”

“Screw you Keener.”

Harley just grins and takes a seat in the chair next to Peter. The move is in vain as the elevator doors ding open revealing an unenthusiastic Happy. On the other hand, Harley seems very amused.

“Yo, Happy, are you the one taking us tonight?”

“Oh,” Cassie adds. “Some VIP transportation.”

Happy’s expression grows a tad bit more irritated. “All of you get down to the garage.”

Everyone piles into the lift after Happy who appears ready for the night to be over already. Peter catches his eye, receiving an encouraging nod from the man. Peter’s spirits lift knowing Happy will be around. He always seems to have a way to pull Peter out of awkward situations.

The group is lead to a van with tinted windows. Cooper, Lyla and Cassie pile into the back row. Harley and Kate wait to the side for the middle to clear up. Peter takes that as an opportunity to begin his apology. The two are in the middle of discussing some of the training they had earlier in the day when Peter walks up.

“Hey um” the two pause to look at him. “Sorry for interrupting…”

“You’re fine” Kate insists.

“Um…I…I just wanted to apologize for everything…um…when we met…I know you two were just trying to be nice and I was rude…”

“Forgiven.”

“I…”

Kate assures him, “You were…still are going through a lot and everything was still fresh. Trust me, we get it.”

“Still…”

This time Harley is the one to speak up, “The first time I met Kate, she elbowed me in the neck. A little tongue lashing was nothing.”

“We were sparing” Kate sends Harley a glare.

“You were playing dirty” the boy’s cheeky smirk returns.

“Harley” Peter still has one more thing, the biggest thing, to apologize for. “The night on the balcony…”

He’s cut off, “I knew what I was getting myself into Peter” Harley’s grin drops into a look of sincerity. “You don’t…you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I…I was a wreck after my first time and I knew you’d” he takes a deep inhale. “I also didn’t handle that well. I yelled and I shouldn’t have. I just…I didn’t want you to have the wrong impression…which looking back there would have been no way…”

“It was too early” Kate says. “Everything, us meeting, Marko. Frankly we’re shocked at how well you’re managing all this.”

Harley nods in agreement, “Like…it’s honestly impressive…we were expecting way worse…” A honk from the car interrupts the conversation. Turning, Harley calls out to the waiting car, “Just give us a minute!”

The forgiveness, or more just dismissal of any need for apology, relinquishes an enormous weight off Peter’s chest. He had been harboring a lot of guilt over his behavior towards the two. Not just knowing that they don’t harbor any anger, but are actually acknowledging the emotional turmoil Peter had been experiencing lessens the tension and nervousness he had been feeling earlier. Maybe his mom was right, it might be nice to have people his age who understand this process around.

“Sorry too that you all got grounded because of me.”

“Please” Harley snorts in amusement. “I can hand Scott’s punishments and don’t blame yourself for Bishop’s anger issues.”

The irritated expression returns to Kate’s face, “Excuse you?”

“You’ve been feisty today. You’re making this way too easy.” Another honk from the car makes Harley turn and start walking towards it. “Where’s the fire Happy? Because I sure don’t smell any smoke.”

An eyeroll from Kate before she returns her attention to Peter, showing some concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah” Peter nods. “Thanks for not being upset…”

“Never even crossed our minds to be. Look we…Harley and I did tell the others about what happened but don’t worry. They feel the same way we do. So, uh…want front passenger or middle row? I think Happy would blow a gasket if we let Harley up at the front with him.”

Peter climbs into the front seat, next to Happy who appears relieved it’s him over the others. Getting in the car, Peter realizes why the bodyguard wants to get a move on. Lyla and Cooper are bickering in the back about space. Cooper, even though the biggest, somehow got stuck with the middle seat and Lyla isn’t appreciating being so close to her brother.

“Your father,” Happy tells Peter, “Does not pay me enough.”

Other than that little debacle, the group makes it to the theatre with no other qualms. Instead, a light conversation about the music Happy is in the car while some of the teens are scrolling on their phones. Peter chimes in every once in a while but is distracted by the view out the window. He rarely gets out of the tower. He needs to use this as an opportunity to see something other than the same scenery every day.

“Oh my god” Harley groans. “Did you see what Jason posted on Instagram?”

“Whatever it is” Cassie grumbles, “I’m sure it’s completely normal and there’s no need for you to be annoyed.”

“What is it?” Peter turns around to glance at Harley’s screen. It isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Jason and Helena are sitting next to each other in some chairs by the family’s pool. Helena isn’t looking at the camera, too engrossed in her book in the background of the pic. Jason has a book in hands, but the angle of the camera shows off more of his naked torso than the pages. “I mean…it looks like a normal post…”

“He’s just showing off his abs. That fool doesn’t read.”

A collective groan from the group. “Harley, Jason can read” Kate says.

“I’m not saying he can’t read. The asshole barely spares any time scanning documents at summit meetings, let alone to a book with more than five words per page.”

Peter tries to hide his inquisitive smile. It didn’t cross his mind that the group would actually know the Wayne kids. From what it sounds like, they know might know them pretty well. “You think Helena’s faking too?”

“Oh no” Harley shakes his head. “She has enough of an attention span to focus on something other than herself for more than five minutes.”

“Don’t listen to him, Peter” Cooper chimes in. “Jason’s fine. Harley’s just mad that he had his ass kicked at the Chitauri gala a few months ago.”

“He did not kick my ass.”

“You were so lucky Curry was there to pull him off you.”

“I can’t believe you all defend that douchbag.”

“You’re the one insulting people not even here.”

“Cooper, you just like him because you have a man crush on Richard.”

“I do not have a man crush. And don't talk shit about my best friend.”

Peter’s eyes widen at the statement. He wasn’t expecting that. Kate sees his shock and explains, “He’s kidding.”

“No, I’m not” Cooper says with humor in his voice.

Happy who has been quiet up until now, warns “Knock it off Cooper.”

There’s a buzz in Peter’s pocket.

Kate continues the explanation as Peter checks his phone, “Whenever one of League’s missions hops territory lines, it gets assigned to one of the Avengers. Same goes the other way around. Since they’re close in age, Coop and Richard exchange stuff back and forth quite a bit. They make an effort to get along unlike Harley and Jason.”

A text from Cassie confuses Peter as he looks at his phone screen. Why did she send him a message from the backseat? He understands why once he opens it.

‘FYI, Jason is a douchbag. Don’t let Harley know we agree with him.”

That brings a small, amused smile to Peter’s face at the step-sister’s confession. He puts his phone back in his pocket and asks, “What are the League kids like?”

“Most of them are cool” Lyla says. “A lot are at least pleasant at events but there are some that let the rivalry between the two groups get to them.”

“That dies down a lot when you get older” Cooper adds. “Dick and I didn’t get along until we were thirteen which is when most people begin moving past the petty shit. Of course, there are a few exceptions” he gestures to Harley who isn’t pleased with the call outs he’s been getting.

“You guys all act like I’m the one who starts it.”

“Just stop letting him get under your skin.”

Just a couple weeks ago Steve made it sound like three was no chance of Peter getting along with Richard. He and Tony are always warning about the animosity between the Avengers and Justice League. “Tony always makes it seem like everyone’s at each other’s necks all the time.”

“He and Wayne are” Kate says. “Everyone else on the team has kind of had to move past the…”

“Boomer drama” Cooper interrupts.

“You did not just call it that” Happy scoffs. He then clarifies to Peter. “It was extremely contentious between the groups for a long time. Especially when they were determining boundary lines. I would say it was around six years ago tensions began to die down a bit between the teams. From the start, Rhodes and Kent always had to play mediator between your father and Wayne. Steve and Diana Prince had worked with each other for a short time during World War II. Those four were able to develop an amicable working relationship which a lot of the others eventually followed suit. By no means are they friends” he emphasizes. “They trust each other about as far as they can throw the other. No plans or secrets are exchanged between either side, only what is necessary to keep the country running smoothly. There are written treaties about how each side must behave for practically every interaction they have. Rules everyone has to follow for events, discussing each other in the press, what is and is not allowed while on the other’s territory. Anyone who breaks those rules, the other side gets to decide the punishment. And just to be clear, that person is not walking away from the punishment alive.”

A hard pit forms in Peter’s stomach at the warning. One screw up and he could be handed over to the bats to do with as they please.

“Well Happy” Lyla scolds, “don’t freak him out. It’s not that complicated Peter.”

“Yeah” Harley agrees. “It’s basically just don’t try to kill anyone on the League and don’t talk shit about them to the media. Then also let them know if you’re going to be on their territory and what you will be doing while there. But even that one both sides are pretty lenient on with the exception of Tony and the bats. You also probably will probably have to take that rule more seriously than the rest of us.”

Peter thinks back to the night of the video call with Wayne. Tony had said Richard and Jason wanted access to investigate in New York, which he vehemently denied.

Eventually they make it to the movie theatre. Happy has the group wait in the car while me checks in with the security personal to make sure the place is safe. Once it is cleared, they head in. Just like when he came with Tony months ago, the building is nearly empty. Only a handful of employees are there, two of which are running the concessions stand. The other teens buzz with excitement when Happy tells them to buy whatever they would like, courtesy of Tony. Bags of popcorn are handed out as well as well as sodas or in a few cases ICEEs. Happy does draw the line when Cooper and Cassie try to get nearly every type of candy the stand sells. Kate and Lyla split a pretzel, Harley happily orders some mozzarella sticks and Peter gets a corn dog and a slice of pizza.

“You do remember we’re going out to eat after” Lyla chuckles as she helps him carry the food to their seats.

“Enhanced metabolism” he shrugs as they sit down. “I eat like, three times more than before the spider bite.”

“Seriously?” Harley takes the other seat next to Peter. Cooper and Cassie next to him. “That’s even more than Rogers.”

“Does the suppressor not combat that?” Kate asks, sitting down by Lyla.

Peter pauses, shocked at the question. His right-hand cups around the bracelet keeping his powers under control. “Who told you about that?”

“Oh uh” Kate gulps. “Well…a few people um…”

Lyla takes over, “Dad gave us a run down on all the safety procedures for tonight. One of them being if something happens to the bracelet and…well…” she hesitates to finish her thought. “…what to do if the tingle gets out of control.”

Without meaning too, Peter feels his stance stiffen. His defenses go up. How much do these kids know about him or his powers? What have the Avengers told them? Shit…did Tony give them one of those paralyzers? If so, which one of them has it? “And what is that exactly?”

“To just try to calm you down Peter” Harley assures. “If we can’t do that, apparently Happy has something as a last resort.”

Good. That’s good. He can trust Happy with that device. The man will only step in if necessary, not use it against Peter.

“What else has the team told you all?”

“Not much” Harley confesses. “Just some general updates about training like the list system you and Tony agreed on. Even that, we don’t know what was on it, just that you had completed it last week. They told us about the tingle and suppressor only so we know what to do in case of an emergency. Outside of those few things, we know as much as the public does about the super soldier serum. It’s up to you if you want to share any specifics with us about your powers.”

Peter stares at Harley, not sure if he believes what the boy is saying. The teen depletes a bit and implores “They were already being pretty secretive with us from the start. Then after everything that happened with Marko, they almost stopped telling us anything.”

Cooper adds, “The only reason we know about the list is because Harley wouldn’t stop pestering Rhodes who finally caved a couple weeks ago. Otherwise, we were completely in the dark until you texted Kate. We were banned from reaching out unless you contacted us first. We tried, but Mr. Stark programed your phone not to let any calls or texts through unless they were a reply to you.”

“Then we got banned from the tower after I flew to your balcony” Harley says. “Kate and I weren’t allowed in the state. They were all even hesitant to bring us back this weekend until we all promised not to interfere again. We were kind of nervous when Kate sent you the invite that they would cancel. She practically had to beg Rogers not to during her apology.”

Turning his head, Peter sees Bishop nervously playing with the sleeve of her coat. “Is that true?” he asks. Only a couple weeks ago Rogers had been one of the people encouraging Peter to open up to the group.

Kate spares him a glance, then quickly turns away again. “When we were on the phone, he…Rogers is good at what he does, but God! He can be such an asshole.”

Watching her for a moment, Peter sees the embarrassment she is trying to hide. He wonders about what was said during that call with Rogers. Clearly something Kate isn’t delighted to share and knowing Rogers she was probably ruthlessly berated about everything she’s done wrong in his eyes. Since he began training with the captain, Peter has experienced many times Steve’s talent of twisting and criticizing Peter’s arguments until he finds himself feeling like a foolish idiot for thinking differently than Steve in the first place. He doesn’t hate Rogers for doing it anymore after seeing the progress it brings. Kate’s right about Steve being good at what he does. The man’s brutality is the reason Peter’s come so far in training. Just last week the soldier scolded Peter’s healthy fear of heights away to get him to practice using a grappling hook. Rogers gets results, but it sure demoralizing in the moments leading up to them.

“Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that” he tells Kate.

She looks up again, giving Peter a small appreciative smile before the lights dim for the film’s opening credits.

Kate had texted Peter beforehand that the movie they planned to see is called ‘Morbius’. He had looked up the trailer but didn’t do any other research into it besides that. At the time he just wanted to go along with the group’s interest, now he wishes he had spoken up. Only a few minutes into the film and it’s already bad. Jared Leto hanging out with a cave of bats turns into some diseased child in an orphanage that grows up to be some mutated version of a vampire. When the character starts discussing drinking artificial blood is when Harley whispers to Peter,

“This movie sucks…right?”

A chuckles escapes Peter’s mouth, “Why is nearly every character so dumb?”

“I was wondering the same thing. Yo, Kate!” he calls down the row to Bishop. Peter turns to see both Kate and Lyla also have unamused frowns similar to his and Harley’s reaction to the film. “Who the fuck chose this?”

“I did” Cassie says, sounding annoyed. Peter notices that at some point the girl had moved to Coopers recliner where the two are currently cuddled together.

“Well, that tracks” Harley mumbles before telling Peter. “She has the worst taste.”

Cooper speaks up to Cassie’s defense, “I’m enjoying it.”

“Just because you two have a thing for terrible movies, doesn’t mean the rest of us should suffer.”

“The description made it sound like it was something we’d all enjoy” Cassie argues. “You and Kate like action, Lyla into vampires and Peter’s likes Sci-fi.”

That earns an eye roll from Harley. Peter says, “It sounds like she has a point.”

“No, she doesn’t” Lyla complains. “I went through a twilight phase like two years ago. I am not into vampires.”

“Oh, so it’s the shirtless dogmen you like” her brother teases.

“Shut up Cooper.”

Instead of sending her a comeback, Cooper grabs a handful of popcorn which he tosses it over Harley and Peter onto Lyla. Somehow, he was skilled enough where the kernels missed everyone but his target.

Lyla’s mouth drops open in exasperation. “You did not just seriously do that.” When the only reply she gets from her brother is a mischievous grin, she turns to Kate and grabs the last bit of their pretzel. “You okay if…”

“Go for it” Kate nods.

The snack flies over Peter and Harley’s head. Before it reaches it’s destination, Cooper snatches it out of the air and takes a bite. “Nice try” he says with a mouthful of pretzel.

Before Lyla can react, a stern voice calls out from the top of the theatre. “All of you stop and act your age” Happy warns.

A murmur of “Sorry Happy” comes from the group, including Peter. They fall back into silence to finish out the last of the film. Only now with half of them glancing peaks at each other every time there is a bad line or ridiculous plot point. On multiple occasions Peter catches the eye of Kate, Lyla or Harley in which they exchange a knowing grin at the absurdity of the movie.

It feels so normal, something Peter hasn’t felt in what seems like forever. To share amusement in a mundane activity with people his age. The car ride to the restaurant is even better. A fun back and forth about if the movie was good or not. Cassie and Cooper on a passionate defense against Peter and the other three. It’s heated but, in a fun, joking manner. A familiarity that both brings joy and a bit of sadness for Peter.

He doesn’t want to think of Ned and MJ, but he does. The laughing, the joking, the enthusiastic discussion brings back memories of the two. It isn’t fair to anyone, including Peter, to compare them but his mind does whether he likes it or not. And he doesn’t. Not one bit. While the pain of losing his two closest friends has subsided, it hasn’t gone away completely. He tries to ignore it, but those feelings itch at the back of his mind, stopping Peter from fully enjoying the banter with the group.

What Peter thought was going to be dinner with the night sky above them turns out to be in an indoor space with windows on all the walls, giving the feeling of a greenhouse. There is a balcony with a few tables, but the group decides to sit inside where it is warmer and less windy. Happy and the other guards make themselves scarce, giving the teens some privacy. The server being the only interruption to their conversation. Their discussion of the movie ends with Harley declaring,

“Cassie, you are officially banned from picking what we see going forward.”

“You can’t do that” she contends.

“You’ve had one too many chances, we should have cut you off after ‘Cats’.”

“That’s on all of you if you went willingly to that” Peter says. “It takes watching ten seconds of that trailer to know how bad it would be.”

“Thank you, Peter,” Cassie grins.

“I don’t think that was a defense of you” Kate tells her.

“I thought you liked that one.”

“It was the first time I met you and the second time I met Harley. I wasn’t going to complain.”

“So much for friendship being built on honesty.”

Lyla asks Peter, “Did you see that one?”

“Um yeah” Peter nods after swallowing a piece of his entrée. “There was a discount movie theatre a couple friends and I would go to a lot. Ended up seeing a lot of bad movies there.”

“How often did you go?”

“I don’t know. Depended on the time of year. During the school year maybe once or twice a month, during summer vacation practically once a week.”

That earns a shocked response from the three Bartons. “Once a week?” Cooper asks in disbelief.

“Yeah” Peter frowns. “Why…”

“When did you have the time?”

“Cooper” Harley’s voice holds a warning. Cassie is also sending a look of caution.

The other boy blinks, whipping his head towards his friend. A silent exchange before Cooper shifts in his seat. “Sorry um…that was just um…surprising.”

What…what’s with that reaction? “What did you mean?”

“Nothing…”

Kate steps in, “Training picks up for us in the summer since schoolwork dies down.”

“Oh” Peter isn’t necessarily surprised…he guesses. Just hadn’t thought about that. “So…you guys never get a break really.”

“Well…besides the Hamptons, have you?”

“I…I have weekends…” he begins before his own thoughts stop him. Tony and Peter had agreed that Peter gets the weekend to recuperate. Which he does…sometimes. There is usually a few hours that he spends watching TV or relaxing. But most of the time he’s in the lab with Tony or had picked up hours training with Natasha, Steve or Clint. Without realizing it, Peter has filled his free time working towards the list of goals or trying to learn as much as possible from Tony about tech. “Holy shit.” Nobody says a word while he is processing the new epiphany. All divert eye contact in an awkward silence. “This…” The others at this table have lived this lifestyle for years if not their entire lives. If they have always been this busy, what does that say about the future? Peter had thought that once he was caught up, things would slow down. That’s what everyone has told him. Is that a lie? “This isn’t ever going to get easier, is it?”

“What do you mean?” Harley asks, concerned.

How often has Peter really seen any of the Avengers not working. Steve, Rhodes and Natasha always seem to be doing some project or task, constantly communicating with Tony on updates. He thought Clint’s time in Ohio meant he was off the clock, but it sounds like he is actually using that time to train his kids. Then Tony…the only time Peter hasn’t seen Tony working is the Hamptons. Otherwise, he is always either updating or researching tech, coordinating the Avengers, attend meetings or just be generally running SI. Even when he and Peter are in the penthouse watching a movie or having a meal, Tony is answering texts and emails.

“There’s always going to be something. Some…” Peter’s chest begins to flutter. “…some lesson or…or task or…I thought at some point life would slow down. Be less…demanding…difficult…”

“It…Peter, look at me” Harley implores from his seat across from Peter. Forcing himself to meet the boy’s eyes, Peter stops talking to listen. “It does get less difficult. I promise you, it does. It’s still fast paced and hectic at times, but not like it is for you right now. It…right now you’re being told what to do. That will change. Once you’re caught up, Tony will give you the freedom to choose what you want to focus on. You’ll still be busy and always doing something, but it’s things you’ll want to spend your time on. Missions, tech upgrades, going to events. They’re always going to push you but believe me by the time your caught up you’ll be grateful for that.”

Harley’s words settle Peter back down. He takes a deep breath before a sip of water. The group seems to relax with him. Still, he can’t help but contemplate what the future holds. What will his daily life look like as he ages? Will combat training still be every day? Will tutoring. Eventually Peter will graduate school technically. Will he be allowed to go to college? What about when he’s an adult. Will he have any control over his life then?

“Jesus Christ Harley” Lyla chides. “Go to the bathroom.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve been wiggling around for the past twenty minutes. Just go.”

“Seriously, I’m…”

“Why are you holding it in?”

Even though he is only half paying attention, Peter realizes Harley is staring at him. When their eyes meet, Harley hesitates to ask, “You okay?”

He’s not, but Peter nods anyway “Yeah.”

Harley doesn’t look very confident in Peter’s answer. He is shifting uncomfortably in his chair. The boy’s eyes move to Cassie who is seated next to Peter. It isn’t until then that he says “I’ll only be a minute” before standing and nearly dashing towards the bathroom.

“So” Cassie starts, “Did you have fun in the Hamptons last weekend?”

“Um…yeah” Peter answers, his mind still focused on the endless questions he has.

“What did you do there?”

“We um…” The Hamptons. It was a great trip. Both times he went. Tony was almost a completely different person the first time. Same with the second but in a different way. He was nothing like he is at the tower, nothing like he was from Peter’s recollection of Malibu growing up. He’s still trying to process how there can be so many different sides to one man. And he still desperately wants to figure out how to keep the good one.

“Peter” a tap on the shoulder jolts him back to the present.

“What?”

“Uh…” Cassie looks nervous. “What did you do in the Hamptons?”

“We…” He can’t talk about that right now. “Sorry, God I…”

“Hey” Kate tries to get his attention. “What’s on your mind?”

“When…” He begs for an answer. “When is it going to get better with Tony permanently?” The group is silent, all sending each other looks hoping someone else will answer. That sends Peter panicking again, “Oh God…”

“No, no, no” Kate says. “It will Peter, it’s just…it’s different with everyone. Cooper, Lyla, and I…we all go through ups and downs with Clint. It’s natural with the training.”

“It’ll come eventually Peter” Lyla assures. “It’s only been a few months; you and Tony are still getting to know each other. Once you have a better understanding of him, you’ll…when you can relate to each other more everything mellows out.”

“Yeah” Cassie nods before trying to redirect. “What have you two been working on in the lab? Dad said you have a drone…”

“Sorry” he cuts her off. “I really…I really need to know. When did everything click for you all?”

Again, a hesitancy. Cassie tries to deflect, “Maybe we should…”

“Please!”

“There wasn’t anything monumental for me” Lyla admits. “Just…came along naturally.”

Kate speaks next. “Clint and I really only had one major fallout after he took me in. It was a little less than a year ago.”

“Dad and I have always gotten along for the most part” Cooper says. “But I finally could fully relate after I killed my first guy.”

The world around Peter freezes. Only slightly does he register Cassie shout something at the other boy. Peter stares ahead, looking at nothing in particular. It’s almost as if his vision goes fuzzy, not wanting to take in his surroundings. The only two things Peter’s mind can handle are two things. His heartbeat pounding in his ear and Cooper’s voice repeating one word in his head.

Killed.

Killed.

Killed.

Peter should have seen this coming but didn’t. It’s obvious that it would come one day. Tony forcing Peter to take a life. The idea is a no brainer that Peter never allowed himself to contemplate. He could never bring himself to think about it.

A hand gently tries to shake his shoulder, sending Peter flying out of his chair across the restaurant. Heavy breathing begins mixing with the sound of his heartbeat. He can’t tell if he’s spinning in circles or not.

Killed.

Killed.

Killed.

Two hands grab him his biceps and shake him. It takes a few tries and Kate repeating his name over and over to yank Peter’s consciousness out of the whirlwind of panic. Still, he feels himself teetering to be swept back in.

“Peter” Kate finally gets him to look at her. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“How long till they make me do that?” Peter asks. Kate stops talking, only staring, so he asks again more sharply, “I asked how long!?”

“Sixteen” he answers, her eyes full of sympathy. “After you turn sixteen.”

Two years.

Two years and Peter will be expected to become a killer.

His chest begins restricting again and Peter can feel his face grimace in horror. Kate tries again to bring him back to earth, but he doesn’t listen. Right before he is about to implode, Harley’s furious voice cuts through the room.

“I was gone for less than two minutes, what the FUCK did you all say?”

Lyla quietly says something in the distance. Next thing Peter knows, Harley has him by the arm and is practically dragging him out to the terrace. Once they are in the open air, Harley forces Peter to turn to look at him.

“Breathe Peter” he says loudly. “Breathe, we will do it together. In” Harley audibly takes a large breath. “Out” a heavy sigh. He does this a few times, Peter struggles to go along. “Focus on the fresh air” the other boy encourages. “In…out.”

Eventually Peter can control his breathing again, only to realize he has broken out into sobs. Harley is looking at him with complete pity. “I know Peter. It’s fucked up. I know.”

“Holy shit” Peter cries, his hand covering his mouth in distress.

“Let it out. Let it all out right now. Nobody’s around.”

The cold night air makes the tears running down Peter’s face only more exaggerated. They freeze his skin, being what feels like the only lifeline keeping him tethered to reality. Otherwise, Peter might just fly off the handle and never let himself return.

Harley is there with him through the entire ordeal, doing nothing but encourage Peter to allow everything he is feeling to run its course. “Don’t hold any of it back” the boy says. “Now is your time to get the pain out.”

It is unbearable. Not just the terror of what Peter will one day become, but the horror of what he is already. Every scream and sob and plea from his interrogation victims are all ringing in his ear at once. Peter can smell the unique scent of their blood. Not to mention the pained grunts, chokes, and gurgles. Marko’s bones shattering under Peter’s fist. He feels it all, every single thing all at once. The guilt he’s been repressing bears down on him all at once.

At some point his body stills. He isn’t crying, he isn’t panting, he isn’t doing anything. Peter is now existing in a shell he can’t move. His mind is still racing a mile a minute and his emotions are flooding through his blood. But his body does nothing.

Harley physically turns Peter to look over the balcony railing. He takes Peters arms to set on it and helps Pete lean against the cold metal. “Focus on the lights” Harley says gently. He then takes a step back, leaving Peter with his thoughts.

Peter isn’t becoming a monster; he already is one. All the pain and suffering he has caused and for what? For a weekend at the beach? So, he can have a day to cry in his mother’s arms about his misery? To believe that he is working towards something that might resemble a loving father?

What a selfish piece of shit he’s been.

And an idiot. How has he been so foolish to believe that this process has been for the greater good? He isn’t learning to help people, he’s learning to terrorize them. Peter is smart enough in the moment to know when Tony and his team are manipulating him, and he has forced himself to let them. To believe them. All so his own life isn’t as hard as it was before. So, he can have moments of joy and relish happiness that shouldn’t have to be earned. And why have the last few weeks been pleasant?

It’s because Tony’s getting his way.

Peter’s cooperating. Pepper’s cooperating. They’re playing the role of the happy family Tony wants. That’s why Pepper and Tony are getting along. That’s why Tony is spoiling Peter with gifts again. That’s why Peter might get to go on vacation for his fifteenth birthday yet had to go through hell the day before his fourteenth.

Will Tony still keep to his plans for Tunisia and the Maldives if Peter starts to fight back again? What else would change? Would Tony go back to his vindictiveness? Would the other Avengers also get furious with Peter again, just like Steve was when they first started training together?

That is the last thing Peter wants. To have come so far back towards contentment only to be sucked back into that dark misery. He almost fears that more than Tony himself. The absolute loneliness he felt and hopelessness of ever feeling a resemblance of comfort again. He’d do anything to avoid that.

Oh shit.

He’d do anything. Just like Tony wants, Peter would do anything to avoid going back to life being like it was at that time.

Including kill someone.

.

.

.

He wants out. He wants out NOW. Peter doesn’t want to continue this ceaseless journey to evilness. He needs it to end. Something that will make it all stop. To stop him before he becomes worse than he already is.

Pushing on the railing, Peter lifts himself up and throws a leg over. Before he can do the other, two arms wrap around him.

“PETER THAT’S NOT THE ANSWER” Harley screams, pulling them both back. They fall onto the floor of the balcony, Peter still wrapped in Harley’s hold.

“LET ME GO!” he yells, throwing punches and kicking his legs. Only it’s no use. Harley has years of combat training on him. The two roll around, wrestling for dominance.

“It’s not the way” Harley pleads.

“Please” Peter cries. “Let me go!”

A thought comes to his mind. The suppressor. If he can get the cuff off, his powers will come back. Even with more experience, Harley won’t be able to keep Peter pinned once his strength is back. He won’t be able to stop Peter from getting over the railing again. Peter’s hand grabs at the bracelet.

“That is staying on” Harley grabs Peter’s wrist, immobilizing the bracelet from unlocking. He then yanks Peter’s arm while nudging his body to lie stomach down. He’s pinned down, arm immobilized behind his back and Harley’s knee holding him to the floor.

The morning of the gym. It’s the morning of that horrible day Roger’s broke his arm. Tony’s about to bring Peter down to that torture chamber. The electrical shocks from the cuff, the knives flying through the air slicing his skin. The fractured rib. Holding that platform thinking he was about to be crushed.

“TONY NO!” Peter begs. “PLEASE DON’T. NOT AGAIN! TONY PLEASE!”

“Shit, shit,shit” someone’s voice whispers while Tony’s hands flip Peter to his back. His wrists are repined above his head as someone’s weight sits on his torso. Peter’s view of the dark sky is interrupted by the face of a boy his age. “Tony’s not here” Harley says in desperation. “It’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Tony’s not here. Tony’s not here. Tony’s not here.

Repeating that over and over in his head, Peter feels the panic in his chest slowly begin to evaporate. So does every other emotion he is feeling. His body goes limp. He lifelessly lies on the balcony floor, wishing the wind would sweep him up and take him far away.

Above him, Harley patiently waits in silence. The teen watches Peter carefully, making sure to keep a good grip on the suppressor bracelet. He doesn’t trust Peter not to do something rash. It’s hard to tell how much time has passed before Harley asks,

“Are you back to earth?”

A weak nod from Peter.

“Are you going to do something dangerous if I let you go?’

Peter shakes his head. A second later, his hands are released and Harley rolls off him. The boy helps Peter sit up. They are seated next to each other, looking out at the city lights. The noise of busy Manhattan the only sound.

“Thanks” Peter mumbles. He should feel embarrassed but is too drained to care.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone with them” Harley says. “I love the Barton’s like family but…they can be a lot, especially when you’re still new to this world.” That Peter can agree on. The way Cooper casually mentioned being a killer is still jarring thinking back to it. Peter’s heard Tony and other Avengers speak that way, but not from someone so close to his own age. Harley adds, “They don’t mean to…it’s just how they grew up. They kind of understand how wrong it sounds but…they forget. Cooper mainly. He’s not trying to be a jerk or…you’re expected to step up when you turn sixteen. Get ready to become a true member of the Avengers. He’s had to take on a lot since his birthday. Its…he’s always surrounded by it now. It’s just…natural for him to forget. Again, I shouldn’t have left you with them. I thought Cassie would be able to intercept but…sorry.”

“It's not your fault. Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do. I…I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I just…” he notices a small smile on Harley’s face. “What?”

“Nothing its” Harley hesitates. “Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do. Tony said that to me the night we met. Right after he had a panic attack too.”

That shocks Peter. “Tony had a panic attack?” The unmovable rock of a man broke down.

“Buried his face in a snow pile to calm down.”

“What made him freak out?”

A pause. Then Harley’s voice is soft, “You. Thinking of you. He had yelled at me and I got scared then…he was begging me to stop stuttering and called me Howie.” Peter feels his mouth drop open. He’s unsure of what to say to that. He doesn’t need to as Harley continues talking, “For a second I thought he had just messed up my name. Harley. Howie. Similar enough to mix up. But then I remembered he had a son and asked. He…Tony really really missed you.”

“I know” Peter says. That slight guilt Peter felt earlier in the night resurfaces. “I really am sorry with how I treated you before. I…I never thought growing up that Tony would replace me…”

“I’m not…”

“I know but…I thought you were. So, I hated you because of that. All that shit I called you was from…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Harley shrugs. “I hated you for a long time before we met.”

Peter turns to look at the boy in shock. “What?”

“Tony’s long-lost son I got recruited for who it turns out is just having a normal life somewhere with his mom while I was going through…” Harley hesitates to continue but is encouraged by Peter.

“Go on.”

“The first few months after meeting Tony were honestly amazing. Tennessee is Wayne territory so we had to be careful when moving not to set off any alarm bells as to why. My dad…he left when I was three so Mom had to work a bunch of jobs. Tony promised her a cushy job at the tower with a big paycheck and a moving allowance. It…it was the first time I remember her not struggling. Tony also set up an giant allowance for me while going through training. We went from almost losing our house to having more money than we could ever dream of all because I agreed to join.”

Peter thinks back to his own mother. How Pepper always seemed to be working and it still took years before they were living comfortably. Back then he felt guilty about not being able to help. Mr. Delmar had promised Peter a part time job when he turned fourteen. He was planning on contributing to some of the household bills.

“Rhodes has been in charge of my training since the beginning, but Tony was pretty involved at first. I had a few inventions he was impressed with the night we met. So, he let me in his lab and taught me some stuff. It was awesome. I helped him upgrade his suit, he promised to make me one when I got older, I learned so much from him. Then one night he called me Howie again.”

That causes something in Peter to freeze. Harley quickly continues, “He corrected himself immediately then sent me to bed. I was never invited back. He’d check in and discuss stuff I was working on myself, but never brought me back to his lab. One of the reasons I like programming is because Tony will actually be hands on with my codes since we don’t need to be in a lab for him to teach me. When…I knew he didn’t see me as his son but…I really wanted him to. It was hard and Tony got super mad a few times. Then Mom met Scott who tried to step up, so did Rhodes. Scott and I…we just don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot. But I definitely think of Rhodey as a dad now. But at first…I thought Tony could be that. I felt bad because for the first year here, I believed the FBI kidnapping story. So it made sense to me why Tony didn’t want me replacing you. Then I found out the real story.”

A long pause. Harley’s face holds a lot of emotion. “My dad, my real one, he was a bad guy. So was my grandpa, his father. They…they sold drugs and killed people who ratted them out. So when Tony recruited me…all this wasn’t as shocking as it could have been. But it had still been a long time…after my dad left, his parents still gave my mom money to keep quiet on everything until Superman came through town and obliterated my grandparents and everyone they worked with. I had hoped my dad would come back to take care of us, but he didn’t. Never reached out, never checked in. There was one time he even visited a buddy of his in our town and didn’t stop by to see us. It hurt. It still does.”

Another pause.

“Rhodes had started having me watch interrogations three months before I found out the truth about you and your mom leaving. I had nightmares every night. I wasn’t allowed to cry or I’d get hit. I had started training with Steve who…is Steve. It…I started to regret my decision, but we couldn’t leave. My mom, sister and I knew too much. And Mom didn’t want to leave. She kept encouraging me along the way even though I was miserable. I was so scared back then. So, when I found out that the boy Tony recruited me for, was off living the life I was supposed to be. Away from the hell I was living, I was so pissed. I hated you for being the reason Tony recruited me. I hated you for what Tony was going through. I hated you because I was going through so much shit and the entire time everyone putting me though it wished I was you instead. All the time I had to hear about how amazing you were and how much everyone wanted you back. Especially Tony.”

“When did you…stop hating me?” Peter asks.

“It took about a year and a half after finding out the truth” Harley explains. “I had just participated in my first interrogation and wasn’t doing well. As a reward, Rhodes brought me to the Barton’s to meet the others. Rhodey thought I’d benefit from being around kids my age other than Cassie and my sister. We got along great. I was super happy to feel like a kid again. Then…Lyla made some joke, I don’t even remember what it was. But just like you tonight, it set me off. I wasn’t like them. They didn’t understand how wrong everything felt. I had an absolute breakdown and took off into their cornfield. I just kept running, not caring where I was going. I just didn’t want them to ever find me. Which they did. Rhodes caught me at a truck stop trying to cut the tracker in my arm out with a pocketknife. He dragged me back and I got not only the whooping of my life but my mom crying about leaving her.”

“Again, I found myself furious at you for being the reason I was stuck in this life. More than ever. Then Kate came by the tower one week I was there. Clint had just recruited her. She kept poking at me about why I was upset and eventually I unloaded everything. She listened to me for hours go on about everything I felt and what a piece of shit I thought you were. I’m not going to tell you why Kate turned her mom in, that’s her story. But she told me that day and it was…awful. But it did click something in my head. Remember when I told you it isn’t until you stop feeling the guilt of being a monster that it gets better?”

Peter nods before Harley continues.

“Kate finally got me there. Because of her I was able to take a step back and see a bigger picture outside of myself. I saw…the potential of what I could do and be because of the training and team. She took me along on a mission Clint had given her. Finding a kidnapped little girl. The look on her parents faces when we returned her felt so good. For the first time since the entire Mandarin fiasco, I felt like a hero instead of a villain. The only reason I had the guts and ability to go on that mission was because of the training. I found myself actually appreciating it, even though at the time if was so hard.”

“I always knew that they were going to have to speed yours up. They did with mine the first few years, but not nearly as quickly as you. And if I struggled that bad…I couldn’t imagine how awful it would be for you one day. That’s when all the anger I had for you drained away. The one thing I knew for sure is how alone you’d feel. Even with Kate, I still don’t have anyone I can fully relate to. Cassie knows what it’s like to live outside of the Avengers, but she isn’t going through the training. The Barton’s all grew up in this and Kate had a similar upbringing with her mom.”

Harley finally looks at Peter, his eyes full of loneliness. “I know it’s a dick thing to say and I’m being selfish. But I was really excited when they found you. For Tony and everyone who missed you and your mom. But also, to have someone around like me.”

Peter is at a loss for words. The admission is a lot. But it sheds a completely different light on Harley. Peter doesn’t see his replacement, or one of Tony’s followers, or even a monster. He sees a kid who got himself in over his head and is finally able to float. One who is now trying to throw Peter a lifeline before he sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Peter sees someone who knows what it’s like to feel this alone.

Peter sees himself.

“I’m sorry I’m the reason you got dragged into this” he says.

“Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do” Harley’s lip curls up into a half smile which Peter returns. “I made my choice and…there was a time I regretted it but not anymore. It does get better Peter. I promise.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“I know. It’s going to get harder before it gets easier. But one day you’ll look back and see the reasoning behind everything.”

The door to the balcony opens. Turning Peter and Harley see Kate cautiously exit the restaurant. “Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah” Harley answers.

Kate’s eyes turn to Peter who tells her, “Sorry for the freak-out.”

“Cooper’s an idiot” she shrugs. “Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there.”

“Where are the others?”

“Distracting Happy. We don’t want him catching on to what happened. Tony will flip if he finds out about this. Um…here” she hands Harley a white stick and a lighter. She also has a damp washcloth she gives him.

“Who brought this?” Harley asks. Upon getting a closer view, Peter sees the white stick is a joint.

“Cooper.”

“Gah” Harley scoffs in disgust. “Not his…”

“Cassie’s weed, Cooper just rolled it.”

“Oh” that pleases Harley. “Do you know what kind?”

“I think she said Cherry Moon.”

“Cherry…” Harley frowns. “I knew some of my stash was missing. She really…”

“Well, you’re getting it back now” Kate rolls her eyes before walking inside.