Mission
CHAPTER 15: MISSION
Not many things changed after Tony and Steve’s date. Well, they went on more dates over the weeks— most of them, they brought Harry along, much to the child’s pleasure— but their treatment of each other was basically the same. Steve still often scolds Tony when he drinks beyond 6 cups of coffee a day. Tony still annoys Steve with his terrible nicknames. The rest of the team weren’t even aware their Captain and Blacksmith had entered a romantic relationship if it weren’t for Harry complaining they kiss each other lots now.
And kiss they do. Steve—being technically a virgin— and Tony—being too afraid sex would complicate things—didn’t go beyond kissing. It also had a lot to do with a 6-year-old constantly around them.
Harry, on the other hand, thought they were gross. He loves his daddy and his Uncle Steve a bunch, but for a 6-year-old, kissing still gives cooties. Tony wasn’t ready to tell his son he’ll understand when he’s older because he still refuses to think about Harry dating.
Steve visited the penthouse more often since then, and it wasn’t even only to kiss his boyfriend (because they’re boyfriends now, apparently) but also to cuddle with Harry on the couch and watch a shit ton of Pixar movies (they moved on from watching Disney). They both cried watching Up and spent the rest of the afternoon racing RC cars after watching Cars. Tony joined them sometimes, especially when Steve announced they’ll watch Toy Story next— but most of the time, the billionaire leaves them on it and uses the free time to work in his lab.
Thursday morning found them in that same exact situation. Steve came up around seven-thirty after his morning run and made breakfast for the two Starks, much to Tony’s relief. He was planning on feeding his kid cereal anyway. By the time Harry woke up, he was greeted by a hearty plate of breakfast tacos. Harry shoved it all into his mouth within 5 minutes.
Tony went to his lab soon after, leaving Steve and Harry to their watching and playing. He wasn’t meaning to turn his boyfriend into a babysitter—he told Steve many times he didn’t have to— but Steve insisted he enjoys the time he spends with the little boy.
He’s been working on a new version of the Stark Tablet for a couple of hours, only stopping when Harry and Steve came down to bring him lunch. He had to clear out a desk and the three ate together in the lab, listening and chuckling at Harry’s enthusiastic retelling of his dreams that involved flying cars and talking snakes. An hour later, he was back neck-deep in his work.
That’s when the alarms started blaring.
To put it in perspective, Tony hadn’t joined a single mission since taking Harry home. There was no need to. America isn’t always being attacked by aliens or over-zealous scientists like many believed. Steve, Clint, and Natasha’s missions the past months were all SHIELD matters— hunting down HYDRA, clearing out smaller evil organizations, and sometimes even helping out a foreign country track down terrorists or a Royal Family member lost in the woods after going on a hiking trip with his friends.
There hasn’t been an occurrence that needed the help of the Avengers as a team.
Until now, that is.
Tony quickly abandoned his lab, trusting JARVIS to shut down everything. He was glad he wasn’t working with anything dangerous that might explode.
When he reached the penthouse, Steve had Harry on his hip, head buried under his chin, and was talking on the loudspeaker with Coulson.
“—ttacks in DC. They’re shooting fire near Lincoln Park, possibly heading straight to the Capitol. Casualties are expected. I’m sending Hawkeye and Widow ahead since they’re in base. Get Banner, Stark, and yourself in DC soon,” instructed their handler.
“Iron Man can’t join us. Pepper’s in France with Happy. No one can babysit Harry,” Steve informed readily.
“I’m coming,” Tony immediately said before Coulson could acknowledge. “This is someone with an army of robots, right? That shoots fire and destroys? I’m the best in tech among us. You’ll need me to shut them down faster.”
Steve was obviously against the idea, and so was Harry. “Daddy, no! Don’t go!” cried the 6-year-old. Tony promptly took the boy from Steve’s arms and kissed him on the forehead.
“Listen, Harry, this is important. I know you don’t like it when I’m away, but the people in DC need our help. You know I’ll always come back to you. I promised, didn’t I? And Steve would be there to watch my back. You trust Steve, right?” Harry nodded pitifully, tears streaming down his rosy cheeks. “Good. Very good, kiddo.”
“The fact still remains,” Steve protested, “Who’s watching Harry?”
“I’m already in the lobby,” Coulson’s voice interrupted, reminding the people in the room that they’re still on the line. “I’ll be there in two. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
While Tony had JARVIS prepare his suit, he knelt on the floor and reassured his son that everything’s gonna be fine. Steve had begun pacing the room, face contorted in worry whenever he glanced at Tony and Harry’s way.
“Bruce has been informed. He’s waiting for you at the helipad,” informed Coulson the moment he stepped inside the room.
Steve nodded firmly and knelt right next to Tony for a second, giving Harry a kiss on the forehead and a promise to be safe before heading back to his room to grab his suit.
Ten minutes later, the trio of superheroes finally boarded the quinjet. Tony had kept a straight face throughout the flight check, clearly trying not to worry about the child he left back home.
“Iron Man,” started Steve in a deep, threatening voice as he sat next to the older man. “If you so much as put yourself in danger, I will personally make sure medical won’t be so kind to you. You are not allowed to get hurt, you got that? I won’t lose you or Harry’s trust.”
Tony knew where Steve was getting at. He’s worried about coming home with injuries too and scaring his son. Plus, he placed Steve on the spot when he told Harry that Captain America will watch his back. It goes without saying, but the added pressure on trust clearly affected Steve.
“Got it,” responded Tony just as firmly. “I’ll be careful this time. But this goes both ways, Cap. Don’t make me tell my son his favorite uncle did something stupid and got himself hurt.”
Steve nodded, losing some of the tension in his shoulders. “He’s gonna be fine. Phil’s looking after him.”
“I know.”
**
DC was in chaos by the time they arrived. There were about twenty 2-foot flying robots in sight alone, equipped with actual flamethrowers. Military personnel had already begun evacuation, and security doubled outside the Capitol and the White House. They were able to at least secure a perimeter from 2nd to 9th street, where most of the flamethrowers reigned.
“Huh, I thought they’d be bigger,” Tony commented behind him, helmet still open.
“Widow, Hawkeye,” Captain America ignored his boyfriend and called through the comms, “Do you copy?”
“About time you arrive,” Hawkeye responded straightaway. “I could use some help north of Stanton Park. I think I found the source.”
“On it. I’m sending Iron Man.”
“Tony’s with you? Who’s watching the munchkin?” Clint asked.
“Agent has him. I’m on my way,” said Tony, flipping his faceplate on and giving the Captain a salute before flying off.
They don’t always use Code Green, but with Thor back in Asgard, they needed all the help they could get. Luckily, Hulk seemed trigger-happy every time he managed to smash a flaming robot. That— and the green giant is fireproof.
While Hawkeye and Iron Man deal with the source, who turns out to be a middle-aged man with a grudge on the government. Seriously, who doesn’t? Captain America and Black Widow focused on getting the robots away from civilians. No one was sure what the casualties were but some of the houses and buildings were on fire. Fortunately, the robots weren’t actually targeting people; rather, they appear to be intent on destroying properties and attacking the Capitol.
“We’ve knocked him out,” Tony said, panting through the comms. “SHIELD agents are coming to take him. I may be able to shut them off.”
“Hurry,” muttered Steve gravely just as he took down with his shield a robot heading towards a group of evacuees.
“Just how many are these things? They keep on coming,” Natasha asked no one in particular.
“A few hundreds at most,” responded Tony distractedly. “It’s self-replicating, apparently. Luckily, we’ve got his control system right here. I can crack this thing and trigger a self-destruct mode in ten minutes. Can you hold them off that long?”
“Roger that. Hawkeye, keep an eye out on Hulk. He’s smashing right over at 6th street.”
In between Tony’s last transmission and the successful shut down of the robots, the team managed to keep them away from the streets and herded them like sheep to the parks where there are less damages and less civilians. Once the robots each dropped down on the ground like balls of metals falling off the sky, they all then helped in putting out fires and getting civilians to safety.
“I wanted to be a fireman once when I was a kid. This is like a dream come true.”
“I’m tempted to leave you here,” Bruce muttered under his breath, having turned back human and helping treat some of the injured. Bruce doesn’t particularly like fire unlike his alter ego.
“Aw, Brucey, you don’t mean that,” Clint replied all too cheery over the comm.
Captain America shook his head. “We’re still on the job, guys. Enough chattering. Widow, head over A street. They have a church on fire. Hawkeye, get some SHIELD agents to back up the fire department over at 3rd. Iron Man, where are you?”
“Stuck on something near a pharmacy. It appears that it’s business as usual down here,” came the man’s response. “I got a call from Agent. Why was he calling me and not you? Anyway, he said we can come back now. The military can take over.”
“Copy. We’ll see you on the jet.”
They all managed to arrive before Tony, but since they weren’t fighting anymore, Steve wasn’t worried. Apart from minor burns and bruises that were almost healed already, Steve came out unharmed. Clint and Natasha who got to the site before them had more injuries. But the worst they got was a dislocated shoulder. Bruce, of course, didn’t have a scratch on him.
The official number of casualties ended up lower than SHIELD expected, which everyone was grateful for. Because of its proximity to several military bases and government offices, response was quicker than it would have been anywhere else in the country. While they would not be debriefing until they got back to New York, Phil was able to tell them a few things about their flaming-robot-guy. As it turns out, SHIELD’s not the only one keen on taking away people’s research, and not all of those whose research got taken were like Jane who got them back and now got funded by the same organization that took them in the first place.
However, their conversation was cut short when Tony staggered inside the jet without his suit, arm on a sling, and bandages wrapped around his left leg.
“Tony! What the hell happened to you?!” Captain America sans cowl, immediately approached the injured man.
Tony waved his other hand dismissively. “Some of those robots sneaked in just before I turned them off and burned the place down. The nice people down the street helped me out and there was a doctor there. He patched me up— wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told you, I got stuck near a pharmacy.”
Uncaring of how it may look to their teammates, Steve pulled his boyfriend in for a hug, careful of his injuries and muttering admonishments under his breath. Thankfully, none were life-threatening and they didn’t need immediate transfer to medical. The bandages could be hidden under baggy pants, but the arm sling might still scare Harry when they return. Tony insisted he’ll likely take them off before they land anyway, but Bruce vetoed it directly. They won’t be certain until they get an X-ray on the arm but he thinks it could be fractured.
“Where’s your suit?” Clint asked the question that everyone seemed to forget.
Tony raised his uninjured arm to point up the sky. “I sent it back to New York. The dismantling mechanism failed and I couldn’t wear it with this sling.”
“Wouldn’t Harry panic if he saw it without you inside?” Bruce asked.
Tony quickly shook his head. “Nah, all my suits go straight to the basement when I’m not in it. Had to do that in case someone—though unlikely—could hack them. And the basement goes into full lockdown.”
“Alright, since everyone’s here, Agent Coulson cleared us to go. We’ll debrief later tonight,” Steve ended the discussion, pulling Tony with him and then pushing him gently on the seat. “I told you, you weren’t supposed to get hurt, Stark,” grumbled the super-soldier.
“I’m fine, Cap. It’s all superficial. I just didn’t want to deny the people their desire to help.” It was technically true. He could have done with the arm sling and the bandages for a couple of hours but the doctor who insisted he help out was an old veteran army doctor who probably served during WWII. Tony couldn’t say no.
Steve sighed, accepting the excuse as it was. He kept telling himself it’s nothing compared to the usual injuries the team gets in some of their missions. There’re barely any scratches on them, come to think of it. It was either they’re getting better, the enemies are getting sloppier, or everyone simply now has someone who worries about them at home. He knows for a fact Natasha shielded her face especially throughout the battle because it’s the part she could not hide from Harry.
Phil was waiting for them at the landing pad alone when they arrived. The first thought that crossed Steve's mind was where Harry was. He knows full well Phil would never leave Harry without protection, but they just got back from a battle— it was not at all unexpected to worry.
Thankfully, Tony asked before he could. "Where's my kid?"
Phil stood with both hands clasped on his front like usual and gave them a side tilt of the head in acknowledgment of their arrival. "Napping," he said plainly. "You should probably get that looked at before you see him, though." Phil pointed at Tony's arm.
"I'll make sure he does," Steve responded instead, getting an indignant squeak from the shorter man. "We'll see you later for debriefing."
"Yeah, yeah. Later, alligator. Thanks for watching the kiddo for me," Tony grumbled half-heartedly as he was all but dragged by his boyfriend down to medical.
They didn't stay in medical longer than necessary. While Tony did end up fracturing his arm, it didn't have to be reset. He had to wear a cast over it for at least two weeks, though. And Tony was unusually happy about it. Steve soon realized it's because he wanted his son to sign it.
As soon as he was cleared Tony immediately went looking for Harry, with Steve following closely behind. The little boy was still asleep once they reached the penthouse, but was woken up when Tony combed his fingers through the curls.
"Daddy!" Harry instantly lost all sleepiness and attacked his father in a hug. Fortunately, he didn't start crying when he saw the cast. "What happened to your arm?!"
"I broke it during the fight. It's fine. Doesn't even hurt at all," insisted Tony.
It was at that moment that Steve decided to announce his presence, leaning next to the glass wall. "He's right, bubby. Your dad's fine."
"Uncle Steve!" Harry cried in relief when he saw him, instantly reaching forward to hug the man as well. Steve pushed himself off the wall and sat on the other side of the bed, accepting the hug with equal longing.
"Did you have fun with Uncle Phil while we're gone?" Tony asked once the two separated from their hug. Surprisingly, Harry nodded eagerly. He began telling them about how they made a maze for Dobby the Hamster out of cardboard.
The rest of the team slowly knocked on Harry’s door one by one— also itching to catch a glimpse of their favorite little boy. Everyone ended up sitting on the carpeted floor of Harry’s room until Phil called them up for dinner, listening to Harry’s recounting of the day and sharing a few of their own.
**
“I’m thinking of inviting Sam to join us,” Steve suddenly announced after the debrief. He’s been weighing that idea for a while, but after the fight in DC, he realized their team needed more people. And without Thor, Tony was the only one they could rely on air.
“For what? Dinner? Movie night? Us-us? You’re gonna have to be more specific, Steve-o,” came Tony’s cautious but dry response. “I may like Wilson, but I’m not sure if I like him enough for a threesome.”
“Jesus, Stark. No one wants to hear what you do behind your bedroom door,” Clint grimaced.
“Ever,” added Natasha with a bored tone.
Steve turned beet red and flicked Tony by the ear. “No, dufus. I’m thinking Sam could be a good asset to the Avengers.”
“Why? I know he’s in Air Force Pararescue, but how is he an asset?” Bruce asked.
“Wait— he’s pararescue? Wilson, Wilson, Wilson… I know that name,” Tony muttered under his breath, prompting the others to stare at him bewildered. “Oh, fuck. I know that same! J, pull up records for EXO-7 Mark XI.”
On the hologram screen were designs for huge, sleek metal jetpack wings. Beside were files of two Air Force officers John Riley and Sam Wilson. “Samuel Thomas Wilson, United States Air Force pararescue airman, passed all requirements and chosen to test pilot experimental military wingsuit project EXO-7 operating under the callsign Falcon. After the death of Airman Riley, Wilson left the military and redirected his focus on helping veterans recover from PTSD. Oh my god, your Sam friend has my wings!” Tony pointed accusingly at his boyfriend.
Steve rolled his eyes and pushed the hand away. “He doesn’t have your wings, Tony. The Air Force has them locked behind guarded gates and a 12-inch steel wall. I’m just saying—Sam is a good man. We need more hands especially with Thor away most of the time. Plus, he can help out on air.”
“Fine, fine. But I’m gonna build him new wings. The old one sucked anyway,” grumbled Tony as he shut down the hologram. “But no red and gold,” he added. His kid loves Iron Man because he can fly and he’s red and gold. No way in hell he’ll let Wilson steal his spot.