The Parker Effect
SPS: Year one
Issue# 2 :The Parker Effect
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After a trauma induced sleep, Peter awoke in the middle of the night. Once again he found himself in new surroundings, as he woke up in a guest room. The previous night he had camped out on the couch, and fallen asleep talking to Jarvis.
With his memory restored, Peter was riddled with fear. There were so many questions he wanted answered, and too many things he didn’t want to think about.
He rolled out of bed. “Jarvis?”
“Yes?” The A.I.’s voice was lower than usual, but still audible over the soft rumble of the air system.
“Am I…” He swallowed. “Is..Is anyone else up?”
“According to my sensors, the gymnasium is occupied.”
_________________________________________________________________
Steve was destroying yet another punching bag, when Peter walked into the gym. State of the art equipment could be found around the room, most of it modified to keep up with the super-powered beings that frequented the gym.
“Can’t sleep?” Steve asked, steadying a bag.
“Yeah.” Peter looked around. “You can’t sleep either?”
Steve shrugged. “I’ve been a little wound up lately.”
They sat on a bench by the window. Judging by the specks of light dotting the skyline, a good portion of Manhattan was awake as well.
“Do you always beat stuff up to go to sleep?”
“No…” Steve rubbed his neck. “Sometimes I read. I've got to catch up on…”
“Oh, yeah…” Peter pushed the oversized glasses back on his nose. “Are things really different from, uh...your time?”
“Stuff seems to move a lot faster.” Steve’s gaze was distant. “And yet as different as things may seem, the basic stuff stays the same.”
“What basic stuff?” Peter asked, curious.
“The city still has its hustle and bustle, there's always a fight going on, and Nathan's still has the best hot dogs…” He shrugged. “So really, nothing has changed.”
“Nathan's?”
“Its a food joint from Brooklyn.” Steve explained. “There aren’t that many now, but the one that really matters is the one on the boardwalk in Coney Island. There's nothing quite like a day at Coney.”
“What's it like?”
“Well there's the beach, the vendors, the amusement parks...I've spent a bunch of great summers…”
As Peter kept asking questions, Steve regaled stories of his youth until Peter’s eyelids drooped, and the Captain carried him back upstairs.
-----------
“Good morning, Mr.Parker.”
Peter sat up. “Huh?”
The bedroom door opened and Tony stepped into the room. “Rise and shine, Parker.” He tossed a pair of jeans, a shirt, and a baseball cap at the child.
“Ah!” Peter dodged the pants, but the shirt still collided with his face. “Oof! What's this for?”
“Get washed, dressed, and come down for breakfast.” Tony instructed. “We got a long day ahead of us.”
“Doing what?” Peter asked, putting on his glasses.
“Uh, finding that inspiration mumbo-jumbo. Duhhh. Now hurry up.”
The door closed behind Tony with a click.
_____________
Peter appeared downstairs as summoned. Cap was cooking once again, sporting an apron with a large Eagle and the word ‘Freedom’ embroidered across his chest.
“Morning Pete.” He smiled.
“Good morning, Captain.” Peter smiled back. “That's uh...A nice...uh…”
Steve looked down at the apron, his cheeks coloring to a rosy pink. “A gift from Stark.”
Tony sat at the counter with a piece of toast in one hand, and a remote in the other. A screen on the fridge was displaying the local news.
“Whether you're a fan of Iron man, or tech in general you'll want to hear this next story. Living legend Tony Stark is giving away premium VIP tickets to this year's Stark Expo today in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The event is a time honored tradition, first introduced by Howard Stark back in 1943. All you have to do is…”
“The Stark Expo?” Peter pulled up a stool for himself. “Isn’t that where you show off all the new stuff?”
“Yeah, the new stuff.” Tony replied, putting down the remote. “Hurry up and eat so we can get out of here.”
“Take your time.” Steve looked down at Peter. “Can you help me put these on the table?”
“Okay!” Peter hopped off the stool. “Is Miss Romanov coming to breakfast too?”
“She's out working.” Steve replied, handing him a stack of plates.
“Hm….” Peter set down three plates.
_______
“Mind telling me why you're snooping through old files, agent?”
At the sound of Nick Fury’s voice, Natasha did not halt her activity as she copied more files to her drive. “I've got the clearance, I don't see why I can't use it.”
Fury leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain orphan shacking up at Stark’s Tower, would it?”
Natasha looked up from the screen. “And what if it does?”
“Then I suggest you not probe too far.” He paused. “The Parker legacy isn't the only thing at stake here. There's a lot to uncover, and a lot of unfriendly people don't want you digging around. ”
“Something beyond your control?” Natasha raised an eyebrow.
“Something beyond control.”
____
Tony put on a baseball cap and sunglasses--his usual disguise.
They headed out of stark tower and walked straight to the curb, where Happy sat behind the wheel of a Black camaro.
Tony and Peter got into the back, and Peter buckled himself in.
“Where to boss?” Happy asked, adjusting his mirror.
“77th and Columbus.”
“77th…” Peter perked up. “I know that place! That's where the natural history museum is, right? Is that where we're going?”
Tony looked down at him. “You bet your oversized glasses. Can you even see out of those things?”
“No. But they were my Dad’s.” Peter looked down. “Mister Star--...Uh...Tony?”
“What?”
“Do you think my parents are really missing?”
Tony looked at him over his sunglasses. His mind flashed back to twenty years earlier. “We'll find out.
______
“You been here before, kid?”
“Uh huh. Uncle Ben took me once, and my Dad showed up...It was fun. We spent the whooole day looking around.”
“Sounds great.” Tony replied as they stood in line. “Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time.”
___
With money as no object, but as if time were if the essence Tony guided Peter from exhibit to exhibit, across the park, and down Fifth Avenue’s museum mile. The devoted no more than two hours to each abode until traveling up to Harlem, stopping for a quick bite and heading back to the tower. Peter fell asleep during the ride, and rush hour traffic slowed their return home.
“I have never seen a kid that jazzed about seeing a bunch of museums.” Happy commented as he ate his third hot dog.
“Ease up on those unless you want some serious heartburn.” Tony replied, looking out the window. The sun had yet to set on Manhattan, and the streets were live with activity. Tony watched the scenery go by as if were the first time…. and the last time.
_____
When they returned, Steve was just entering the tower as well, with a bag of groceries in each hand.
“Hey, did you guys, uh…” Steve tried to come up with the right words. “Get enough researching done?”
“Yeah!” Peter beamed, holding an encyclopedia. “We went to Natural history museum and watched this show on the big bang it was cool ‘cause it felt like we were in space! And then, we had hot dogs in the park and saw these guys in stilts and then we went to the Met and then…”
By the time they had reached the 60th floor, Peter’s recount of the day had finally ended. Tony leaned his head against the cool steel.
“Sounds like you had a good time.” Steve replied.
“Yeah!” Peter grinned. “Next time, can we…” He trailed off mid-sentence. His gaze grew distant. There was no ‘next time’. “Nevermind.”
Tony looked down at him, tired. His mind put together the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. “Next time we’ll hit the libraries.”
Peter looked up confused, but Tony continued. “Not sure I got any of that ‘inspiration’ stuff running around the city today. Gonna try again tomorrow.”
________
“What's for dinner?” Peter asked as Steve set down bags on the kitchen counter.
“Burgers and fries.” Steve replied.
“Can I help? Aunt May lets me mash the meat! She won't let me cut the onions though…”
“I'm sure there was a good reason for that….” Steve replied, biting back a laugh. “Why don't you go wash up first?”
“Okay!” As Peter hurried off to the nearest bathroom, Steve and Tony spoke.
“He’s a lot better than yesterday.” Steve said, pulling the spice rack out of the wall.
Tony shrugged, sitting down.“Well I figured he deserved a day out after that session with the Professor.”
Steve crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. Despite his defensive stance, his face softened. “How are you doing, Tony?”
“Well, I’m not magically cured or anything.” Tony propped his chin up with one hand. “Still dying slowly, like everyone else...Well, maybe not as slow as you.” ‘Seriously, G.I. Jesus.’
Tony’s usual barbs had lost their bite.“If you need anything…”
“I'm. Fine.”
“Not from where I'm standing.” Natasha appeared without a sound, like a spider that had been lurking in a corner.
“Any news on the Parkers?”
“Plenty.” She dropped her portable drive on the counter. “So much that Fury came to put me off the trail.”
“Guessing they weren't florists then.” Tony said. “What are we dealing with?”
“Something close to home.” Her eyes darted around the room. “Where's Peter?”
“Here!” Peter popped up, sneakers squeaking. “Hello.”
“Perhaps we should save this chat for later.”
Steve nodded.
Tony stood. “I'm gonna be in the office. Call me if anything develops.”
As he walked towards the elevator, Natasha called to him. “Take this.” She tossed the drive. “Homework.”
He grunted in response before heading down.
“Miss Widow, are you staying for dinner?” Peter asked.
“Yes, Peter.” Natasha smiled. “What’re we having?”
“We’re making burgers!” Peter grinned.
“We?”Natasha looked at Cap.
“We.” Cap nodded at Peter. “Did you know that Nat makes a mean potato salad?”
Natasha’s smile was coy. “Is that an invitation or are we just bragging, Captain?”
_____
“Did my homework.”Tony said as they sat in one of the conference rooms.
After dinner, Peter had excused himself to read his Encyclopedia.
“Looks like his Dad was a busy man.”
“His mother worked for the Government, but has work across multiple agencies. His father worked for SHIELD.” Natasha explained. “After a few Hydra allies popped up at Oscorp, Ray Parker was planted there as a double agent. Oscorp hired him to work on a new serum based on yours, Steve...about the same time Banner started working on his...”
Steve blanched.
Tony shook his head, sighing. “Ray took a different approach, quite ingenious--splicing attributes from animals to replicate and enhance them in humans...Based on the work files, code:spider was complete. But Parker didn’t want to share.”
“That's the official story.” Natasha spoke. “Ray and Mary apparently fled...In reality, someone was trying to make more of the stuff and kidnapped Ray...Mary went after him, but they're currently missing. Now his research is underwraps at Oscorp.”
“But why attack the other Parkers? And why take Peter?” Steve asked. “Oscorp has the work.”
“The stuff is genetically coded.” Tony said, waving the hard drive. “In order for it to work, you have to be of relation or be a descendant of Ray Parker.”
___________________
Pepper took the elevator up past Stark Industries, a suitcase in one hand and a latte in the other.
“Tony?” She called. Hearing shifting in the living room, she headed there first.
“Don't even ask how Dubai was”, She started up rolling the suitcase behind her. “I mean it was beautiful but of course they were asking where you were and then we were talking about the Expo…”
Her eyes fell on Peter, who sat on the couch with his book. “Hello.”
Pepper stared at him for a moment.
Peter stared back, not sure what to do.
The elevator slid open again, this time revealing Tony, who found them both mid-staring contest.
“Tony, who is this?”
“ Pepper Potts.” He pointed at Peter. “ Meet Peter Parker. What nursery rhyme did I just step into?”
Peter laughed.
Tony put an arm around Pepper. “Join me in the kitchen for a minute?”
Pepper gave him a look.
______
“What is that child doing here!?” Her voice was somehow between a shout and a whisper.
“Oh, Peter? He’s uh, a new assistant for the--okay he's kinda hiding out here at moment. There's some bad folks after him, and the tower seems like the best option right now.”
“What!? Tony, this isn't like watching a pet gerbil or something! Isn't there something SHIELD can do? Where are his parents?”
“SHIELD’s acting weird, and the Parkers are missing.”
“Why not send him up to Xavier’s school? I'm sure Charles wouldn't mind.”
“Yeah, well Pepper I'd send him to Charles but A) Pete's a little traumatized from the last time they met and B) That school tends to blow up every now and then.”
“Yeah...okay but, we can't just--”
“Pepper.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I've got this.”
_______
“Fury wants to keep Peter’s whereabouts a secret.” Natasha said. “From the sound of things I’d say Oscorp isn't the only group interested in Peter.”
Steve wrapped sports tape around his knuckles. He sighed. “He’s just a kid.”
“That's why we have to protect him.” Natasha replied. “I know what it's like to start young. You know what's it's like to be part of war.”
“He doesn’t deserve that. No one does.”
______________________________
With Steve and Natasha out, breakfast was an awkward affair between Tony, Pepper, and Peter. As Cap was not present, neither were his pancakes. With the Stark Expo looming, Pepper pushes Tony’s focus on to exhibition, leaving Peter to mull around the lab for most of the day. But he wasn’t alone.
He had Jarvis.
“How come you're called Jarvis?”
“That is because I am as Mr. Stark puts it, ‘Just a rather very intelligent system.’”
“Ohhh…” Peter sat at a laptop in one of the guest rooms. “This article I'm reading says Tony used to have a butler named Jarvis. You're not named after him?”
“Perhaps that is something you should discuss with Mr.Stark.”
“Jarvis…”
“Yes, Mr. Parker?”
“How do I get home from here?”
“Where is home?”
“In Queens. Forest Hills specifically. I think I can take the seven*, but I've never taken the train alone before...”
“I would advise against leaving Stark Tower, Mr. Parker. As an alternative if you desire, I can show you a live image of your ‘home’.”
“You can? How?”
“Stark satellite RD-2 is currently positioned over this area.” The plasma screen mounted to the wall sprang to life, giving Peter a feed of the earth.
“Wow….”
“If you give me an exact location, I should be able to locate it.”
“So...The White House?”
“Yes.”
“The Grand Canyon?”
“Yes.”
“The Bronx zoo.”
“ I believe I stated any location.”
“Oh, oh. Okay.”
________
Tony found Peter upstairs, sitting on the floor in front of a plasma screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Watchingsh wolvsh.” Peter replied, shoveling microwave popcorn into his mouth.
Tony stepped closer, crossing his arms. “We over the arctic?”
“No, this is Wyoming.” Peter responded. “ May I see a rain forest next, Jarvis?”
“Yes, Mr. Parker.”
_____
Steve returned to the tower the following day. He found Peter looking at the Sahara in the livingroom.
“Evening, Peter.” Having looked into the ‘missing Parkers’ matter he was beyond hopeful and now considering how to tell Peter what he had learned.
Fragments of the private plane Mary and Ray Parker had boarded were found. It seemed the Parkers would not be returning.
“Wanna go do something fun?”
___
Luna Park was already lit up by the time they reached Coney Island. Steve, like Tony had before, was in civilian camouflage--a baseball cap and sunglasses. After pushing through traffic Happy dropped them off outside the park. The streets were lined with carts and tourists--the local restaurants had set up tables and chairs outside. Carts of cheap light-up toys were being sold, along with Brooklyn themed memorabilia.
As the crowd grew Steve put Peter on his shoulders and waded his way towards the boardwalk. “Well, what do you want to do first?”
“Can we go in Luna Park? Wait, is that the beach? What's up there?”
Up on the boardwalk there were more foods to try, more things to see, and more people to get squished by. A large crowd had gathered in front of a mural. A small band of street performers entertained the crowd with jumps, flips, and tricks.
Peter was amazed with their quick movements and synchronization.
“Wow! I want to do that!”
“Cartwheel?” Steve asked.
“Yeah!”
“Well maybe you should take up gymnastics.” Steve chuckled. “I think Nat could teach you a thing or two.”
Peter was silent, contemplating the idea. When the show came to an end, they walked further down the boardwalk.
After entering the park, they went on all of Steve’s old favorites--as Peter had no preference. But between the tilt-a-whirl, the cyclone, and the haunted house, his adrenaline was shot, and the child wanted to try something...slower.
“Can we ride the Wonder Wheel?”
“You bet! Stationary or Swinging?”
“Is there a big difference?” Peter frowned. “Swinging sounds more fun.”
____
As their car rocked from side to side and Coney Island blurred below them, Peter squeezed his seat.
“Stationary next time, then.” Steve said, looking below.
Peter held on tight. The swinging didn’t bother him as much as banging into the metal wall did. People were gathering on the beach and boardwalk. “What's going on down there?”
“Looks like the show is about to start.”
At the crackling noise and thunderous boom, the sky was lit up with fireworks. They had a excellent view from the wheel as firework after firework was launched, in different styles and brilliant colors.
______
After returning to solid ground, Peter found he was already tired.
“Ready to go home?” Steve asked as he took Peter’s hand.
“I thought you wanted to go to Nathan's.” Peter replied, yawning.
“I'm not hungry. It can wait until next time.” Steve shrugged.
“.....” Peter looked up at him. “Next time?”
“Next time.” Steve repeated.
“......” Peter looked down at the ground, then up again. “Let’s bring Tony, too.”
Steve adjusted his cap. “I dunno if this is exactly Stark’s thing, but alright. Sure.”
“Maybe Ms. Pepper too. She seems like she needs to get out more.”
Steve laughed at that.
“STOP!”
They both turned their heads. A woman carrying her child was pointing at a man dashing through the crowd. “He’s got my bag!”
“Don't move, Peter.”
Steve looked around. His eyes fell on a prize stand. Taking a frisbee from the stand (“Hey!” “Let me borrow this”)
He chucked it at the fleeing man, it bounced off a nearby pole and struck the man’s achille, causing him to trip.
Steve ran as fast as he could, tackling the man back down and retrieving the woman’s clutch. As a policeman came near, he tipped his hat to the officer and after handing the man over, he returned the woman's purse (“ I believe this belongs to you, Ma’am”) and the vendor's frisbee, at which point someone exclaimed; “That's Steve Rogers!”
“It's Captain America!”
With his cover blown, Steve found himself in a sea of admirers. His cheeks darkened, and his eyes went to Peter, who stood to the side, watching.
There was something amazing about that, Peter thought. A man like Captain America, still taking time to foil small crimes, trying to blend in but standing out. He wanted to grow up to be that amazing.
________
With a packed house and cheers echoing around him Peter was awestruck by the sheer size of the Stark Expo. He stood in the VIP section with Happy as Iron Man suddenly dropped down from the sky and onto the stage, causing thunderous applause.
He and Tony had went through the expo the day before, going over all the new innovations and projects that were being unveiled.
Now that the Expo was live Peter was mesmerized. Things looked, brighter, bigger. It was like an amusement park, but Technology was the theme. Between all the new products and popularity, the future of Stark Industries was looking bright. Following a presentation featuring narration from both Tony and archived film clips from Howard, Iron Man stepped back stage, removed his suit and checked his vitals. Here was no telling how much longer he could keep his up.
________
“WELCOME TO THE MONACO HISTORIC GRAND PRIX!”
Following the successful launch of the Expo, Tony whisked his CEO and Peter away for a weekend in Monaco that just happened to coincide with one of the most important races of the year. Things were going great, until in a moment of spontaneity, Tony decided to drive his own racecar. Peter and Pepper were both against the idea.
So when Ivan Vanko sliced the the car in half, it was only icing on the cake.
Tony saw it as an attack on the Stark name, not himself. Having professed that no other country or person could replicate his reactor, let alone his suit.
But after Vanko’s capture and SHIELD’s cleanup, Tony took his small posse back to the states to celebrate his birthday in the flashiest, most ridiculous way possible. Instead of the Tower, they relocated to his beach house. It was reckless and irresponsible. He knew that. Problem was, he was sure it was his last, and that meant it had to be his best.
Pepper stormed off at one point and Peter went down into the garage.
Seeing Tony sloshed out of his wits was a bit depressing. He sat in one of Tony’s cars and pretended to drive around.
“Party too much for you, Parker?”
Peter almost jumped out of the car. Coming through the door was a man dressed completely in black, sporting an eyepatch, and a metallic suitcase.
“Are you...Blade**?”
Fury shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t deal with vampires, Mr. Parker.” He handed Peter the case. It was heavy, causing Peter to stop it in the passenger seat. “Well, blood suckers sure. Make sure that gets to Stark when he’s done making an ass of himself.”
___________
“Tony?”
“What do you have there, kid?”
“A man with an eyepatch told me to give this to you when you uh...stopped making a butt of yourself.”
“Those your words or his?”
“I can’t really repeat what he said.”
“Did he look like Shaft?”
“Who?”
“Did he look like...Samuel L Jackson?”
“Oh. Yeah. But scarier.”
______________________
"Tony, you are too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you, and some day you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is, and always will be, my greatest creation... is you."
After reviewing the footage Howard left behind, Tony was left to contemplate his relationship with his father. He was still bettering him from beyond the grave. Howard's recording could not erase the years of resentment, the fights, or the tears--but it was a start.
____________________
Peter found himself alone with Jarvis again. This time, instead of gazing upon the world, he opted for syndicated sitcoms. Peter’s time with Avengers was limited, he was sure of that. His parents would be found, and he'd be back on Queens--alone. Peter knew his parents had important jobs, but he had spent so much time being babysat by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May that it were as if they had raised him instead.
The whole thing was like a strange dream. Sure, every kid he knew back home wanted to hang out with the Avengers, but surely not because of circumstances like these.
“Breaking News--The Stark Expo is up in flames as Iron Man himself is locked in combat with another mech suit. Eyewitnesses say that the mayhem, started during a Hammer Industries demo. The area around the expo is currently being evacuated. We’ll be bringing more on this story as it develops.”
Peter’s breath hitched. What if Tony had another attack while he was in his suit? His eyes were glued to the television. Visions of spectators running in fear were played. Footage submitted from onlookers showed the aftermath form different angles. Peter huddled in front TV for what seemed like eternity, hoping it would soon be over.
____________________
“Peter?”
He woke up to the sensation of Natasha shaking his arm.
“Miss Widow?”
The TV had been shut off long ago, the distant noise of night traffic could be heard from the window. Peter sat up and Natasha straightened, as if she were ready to give a report.
“Is Tony okay?” Peter asked, yawning. He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep.
Something in Natasha’s eyes suggested she had not been expecting the sudden question. “He’s fine.” Her tone was soft, but somewhat inorganic.
“Are you okay?” Peter asked. “You seem tired.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re standing different…”
Natasha crossed her arms. “How long have you been by yourself?”
“I wasn't. Jarvis is here.”
Natasha rubbed her temple. “I'll have to have a talk with the others...Feel free to call me if this happens again, okay?”
“Oh...kay.”
“Stark and Pepper will be back tomorrow. Go get some sleep.”
____________________
“Been one hell of a week.”
“Yeah.” Peter nodded.
They sat in the ring of a huge doughnut, on top Randy’s Doughnut shop, somewhere in California, as far as Peter could tell.
He took a bite out of his jelly filled mess. “You made a new element. That’s pretty cool.”
“New element, new core, new lease on life.” Tony took another doughnut from the box in his lap. “Only one thing left to do.”
“What?”
“Disneyland.”
Peter’s eyes lit up. “We're going to Disneyland!?”
“Disneyland, Disneyworld, screw it...Let's just go to all of them.”
“Are the others going to come?”
“Heh. Imagine that.”
______
“What are we going to do, Tony?”
After putting Peter to bed, Steve met with Tony and Pepper in one of the common areas. Tony was feeling slightly under the weather, but had already had his detox for the day. Pepper had not been made privy to his current condition and his extra hard on him for skimping on his work. He concentrated on not dropping the glass in his hand.
“About what?’
“You know what. Peter.” Steve kept his voice low.
“There has to be somewhere safe for him to stay.” Pepper said, taking a sip of wine to calm her nerves. The upcoming Expo had her rattled.
“And where would that be?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “The Parker project was kept under wraps, it's clear that Fury wants the whole thing kept quiet, so SHIELD is off the table. Can’t send him to Charles. And he’s a sitting duck at any Foster home. I think the answer is obvious.”
Pepper looked confused.
Cap’s eyes widened. “You mean..?”
“We keep him.”
“Are you out of your mind!?” Pepper exclaimed.
“I know it doesn’t sound like the best idea, Pepper. But our options are limited.” Steve said, looking nervous. “We don’t even know who hired those guys to take the Parkers out. Osborne's out of the country--we can’t tie him to the costs, just Oscorp. It could be a inside job. It could be Hydra. We don’t know. All we know is that we have to keep Peter safe. At least if he’s here, we can keep an eye on him.”
“He’s not a dog Tony, he’s a child! There has to be some who, a relative or--”
“His relatives are dead.” Tony cut her off. “Ray and Mary are dead. His Uncle Ben and Aunt May are dead. You wanna help raise the head count? Sending him to a civilian is like giving out a death warr--” Tony stopped.
Peter was standing in the doorway.