Tony
Tony’s alarm will not stop ringing.
There is a consistent hum that makes Tony seethe. The unbearable sound is the only reason he inevitably opens his eyes. His head is pounding, and he tries to think about where he was or what he was drinking the night before.
It’s not until he registers the florescent lights when he remembers that he no longer drinks alcohol. It takes another moment to realize that he is lying in a hospital bed.
He jolts up instantly. Through his migraine, Tony connects that the beeping is from a heart monitor. The noise rapidly picks up.
Tony swings his legs to unplug the machine, only stopping when pain shoots through his side. Immediately, Tony sees stars, though he refuses to rest in the unfamiliar bed.
He is not in the medbay, but rather a public hospital that he does not recognize. Tony is alone, which does nothing to calm his nerves.
As if reading his thoughts, the door swings open just then. A nurse rushes into the room and only hesitates for a moment before shuffling to Tony’s side.
“You should be resting Mister Stark. Let’s lay you back down.”
The nurse places her hands on Tony’s shoulders and begins to gently push him against the pillow. Tony steels himself, offering a glare that freezes the nurse in action.
“You have 10 seconds to explain what happened.”
The nurse’s mouth drops open, and she blinks in return before coming to her senses.
“You don’t remember?” The nurse stammers, and Tony’s stomach somersaults.
That is never a good sign.
Tony clenches his jaw, refusing to show any anxiety. Still, he has no choice but to admit defeat if he wants answers to the million questions running through his head.
“Summarize it.”
The nurse’s eyes dart to the door, as if she is considering making a dash for it. When she takes too long to reply, Tony pressures on.
“Well?”
The nurse sighs, “you were kidnapped. It was live-streamed yesterday.”
Tony should be more surprised by the news. Unfortunately, this has become enough of a frequent occurrence where Tony doesn’t spend too much time fretting over it. Rather, he is shocked to not remember anything from the event. He works to recount any memories that may explain why he is in this hospital; his mind draws to a concerning blank.
“I remember now,” Tony lies.
The nurse spends some time checking his vitals and situating Tony back into bed. For once he follows compliantly, only to get the nurse out of the room as soon as possible. He asks the nurse to retrieve his phone, pushing on the matter when she first deflects. The request quickly turns to a demand, and the nurse all but sprints out of the room to grab Tony’s belongings.
As soon as the door clicks shut, Tony grabs the television remote that sits at his side. He turns on the tiniest TV that hangs on the wall and channel surfs past mindless shows. He skips House Hunters and the Bachelorette before he finds what he is looking for.
He drops the remote at the first news channel that is available. The nurse said that the kidnapping was broadcasted, meaning that every news anchor had to be reporting on it. On any other day, Tony would roll his eyes at how quickly his name gets profited from.
There is a man and woman speaking on the screen, though the TV is muted and there are no closed captioning. Tony doesn’t need to hear any of the nonsense they are spewing. The headline at the bottom shares everything he needs to know.
IRON MAN KIDNAPPED IN NEW YORK CITY! SPIDER-MAN SAVES THE DAY!
Tony’s fear increases tenfold just as the nurse pushes the door open. Tony doesn’t say a word, snatching the phone from her hand as soon as she is close enough and shooing her away.
Thankfully, the nurse listens with no complaints. Tony ignores all texts and calls to immediately search for the livestream.
Realistically, Tony knows that Peter is probably safe, alive. There would likely be something indicated on the headline if he were hurt in any way.
Even after their fight, it’s unlike Peter to leave Tony’s bedside if he knew he was injured. Finally, Tony looks at his rib more closely to see it wrapped with white gauze. The stinging wound is still not a high concern for Tony.
The stream has 3 million views in the span of 12 hours. The profile is anonymous, though Tony is confident that he can find who created the account in less than five minutes. He ignores this for now, pressing play and praying that Peter is okay.
The recording begins with Tony sitting on a wooden chair. His arms are tied behind his back and his chin is resting on his chest so no one can see his face. There is nothing in the video that jogs Tony’s memory on what happens next.
A burly man in a ski mask walks into frame. He has a pistol that he clutches casually. The man wastes no time pulling at Tony’s hair until he is forced to look at the camera.
It takes one second is solve why he does not remember anything from this kidnapping. Tony in the video is drugged out of his mind. His pupils are dilated and his gaze is unfocused. He doesn’t even notice when the gun is pressed to his temple.
Tony barely listens to the monologue that ski mask man shares with the audience. He recounts all of Tony’s supposed wrongdoings.
The man must have drugged him so Tony wouldn’t retaliate. There are a novel of comments that Tony knows he would have interrupted with if he were aware enough.
After too much talking, ski mask man turns away from the camera and directs his attention to a stoic Tony.
“Any final words?”
Tony blinks at the camera, mouth agape and no thoughts behind his eyes. The sight is humiliating.
“What?” Tony eloquently mutters.
Ski mask man laughs in triumph, pressing the gun so roughly that it looks like it hurts. Tony barely winces in the recording.
“So long Iron Man.”
Just as ski mask man is about to pull the trigger, there is a loud crash that grabs his attention. Tony is appalled as his past self merely blinks at the sound.
The man hesitates for just long enough for the gun to get webbed to the wall. Then, he is webbed in the face. The force of it has ski mask man stumbling back. Spider-Man comes in view and knocks him out in one motion.
Before Tony can process what is happening, Peter is jumping away. There is commotion that is impossible to decipher without the camera being turned. He hears a new voice yell.
“Kill them!”
Tony’s heart drops to his stomach when the command is followed with gunshots.
The only thing that the viewers can see is Tony squinting at the chaos, way too calm for the amount of bullets flying everywhere. There’s webs, kicks, punches, and groans that fill the room.
The fighting lasts for enough time for Tony to assume there are too many men in the area. The thought proves itself when one of the gunshots finally makes impact. Tony is oddly relieved when he watches the bullet slam into his left rib. Peter hadn’t been shot.
In the livestream, Tony does not bite down his pain like he normally would. He yells in agony as the bullet hits, and he hears Peter follow suit. Peter’s scream is guttural, filled with anguish and terror; everything that sounds like Peter had been shot with Tony.
Tony doesn’t realize he is holding his breath until he hears one final web and punch. Then, Spider-Man is stumbling in the camera’s view. Tony moves his phone closer and searches for any injuries on the kid. None are detected, and Tony sighs in relief.
In replacement of physical harm, Peter looks traumatized as Tony’s shirt quickly soaks in blood. Peter’s shoulders are raised too high and his chest heaves with panic.
He stands there for a beat too long before rushing to Tony’s side. Peter takes his trembling hands and pushes them against the bullet wound. It’s only a few seconds before Peter’s entire palm is coated with Tony’s blood.
At the touch, Tony finally turns his attention to Peter. The drugs coursing through his system makes his emotions easily readable. Tony looks equally mortified, and he is the first one to speak.
“You’ve been shot.”
It’s hard to tell if Tony says this as a question or statement. Peter lets out a weak laugh that sounds more like a cry, pushing harder on the wound.
“Not quite, but that’s okay. You’re- you’re going to be okay.”
Tony can hear in Peter’s voice that he is holding back sobs. In the video, Tony simply stares at Peter with curiosity.
For the first time, Peter directs his attention to the camera. He looks below and clearly sees something he doesn’t recognize. He talks to his AI and has no luck hearing anything. Tony can tell this from the way Peter shakes his head.
Then, his voice is shaking as he lists an address and coordinates to the viewers. At first, he speaks too fast and the words are barely coherent. Peter must notice this because he pauses, takes a deep breath, and repeats their location at a steadier pace.
He both demands and begs for ambulances, authorities, and anyone who can help. Then, he lists some injuries that Tony didn’t even know he had.
“He’s been shot at his side- obviously. He also has a bad concussion. He’s been drugged but I don’t know with what.”
He chokes back another sob and meets Tony’s eyes. Only then does Peter collect himself. He rehashes their address for good measure, some spot in the Bronx. Then, he gives a full report with no breaks. There is still the slightest of tremors in Peter’s voice that won’t seem to go away, though he stays focused.
“I can’t move him without making the injuries worse. We need a stretcher when help arrives. He has blood type A, and he’s losing a lot of it so we need it ready. I think my tech system is compromised- I can’t make calls or diagnoses.”
The Spider-Man mask looks back at the camera, analyzing it.
“The livestream must be taking all connection. They rigged it somehow. He would have called an Iron Man suit otherwise.”
In the video, Tony lifts his head back to Peter. He looks paler than before, visibly pained, though the drugs make it so he has no idea what is going on.
“You’re hurt,” Tony slurs.
Peter laughs again, though there is no humor in it. His voice is soft and oddly soothing while he answers with a lie.
“I’m okay. They didn’t hurt me.”
Tony looks like he doesn’t believe Peter, mistaking his own pain for the kid’s. He pulls at the restraints that are still holding his arms taut. The action is pathetically weak.
“Try not to move too much, help is on its way.”
Tony ignores him, though it is hard to tell if it’s due to his concern or if he had genuinely not heard Peter. His words jumble together.
“Did they hurt you?”
“I’m not hurt,” Peter repeats patiently.
Only then does Tony relax and grin wide, all while blood drips to the floor. The smile is so genuine that Peter freezes at the sight.
“Good,” Tony replies with warmth.
It’s impossible to tell what Peter is thinking with the mask on.
Tony begins to say Peter’s name on livestream. Thankfully, Peter gently shushes and covers the mistake before anyone can hear it.
The shushing works more than Peter intends it to, and Tony stops talking entirely. His eyes flutter shut, and some of Peter’s resolve vanishes.
“Hey, hey, hey! We need to stay awake.”
Tony somehow does, blinking back at Peter like he forgot he was there.
“You hurt?”
Peter doesn’t respond. Instead, his head tilts to the side and Tony knows that he is hearing something that no one else can. Moments later, Peter is screaming with a new level of urgency.
“We’re in here! Top floor to your left.”
Peter turns back to Tony, seeing his mouth agape and his eyes fully closed. Peter calls out desperately.
“Anytime now!”
The door slams open and a sea of paramedics and police rush in. Peter moves his blood soaked palms for just a moment to break the restraints that were holding Tony back. Now that he is unconscious, his arms dangle lifelessly and Peter catches him before he can fall off the chair. Peter presses on Tony’s wound with vigor.
Tony can tell that it takes all of Peter’s willpower to step out of the way and let the paramedics take over. Tony is as white as a sheet, his blood is crimson and everywhere.
If Tony weren’t watching the video as himself, he would assume he was already dead.
The livestream ends with a cop coming into view and turning off the recording. As the phone is removed from the tripod, the viewers can see eight armed men, now webbed and unconscious on the floor. The police are already working on removing their ski masks and cuffing them each. When the camera points to the floor, Tony sees a strange device on the base of the tripod, most likely the cause of the technology breach. The fact that it can stop Stark tech is a concern in itself.
Tony stares blankly at his phone, processing everything that he witnessed. He recalls none of it. In fact, watching the video almost feels like an out of body experience.
However, he now remembers details that help bring more context to the story. Pepper is out of country on a business trip. There were too many stakeholders, too many eyes, for Tony to feel comfortable with Pepper attending alone. He assigned Happy to join as support. All of this was happening while the Avengers were on their mission.
The mission that Spider-Man was supposed to be on. The mission that Tony forced Peter not to join.
Tony picks up his phone, seeing multiple calls from Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, even Steve, which makes Tony pause. He remembers being on the mission with the team, but he doesn’t remember anything that happened during it.
He will update them all soon enough. First, he checks on Peter.
The call barely hits the second ring when Peter picks up breathlessly.
“Tony?”
“Hello my knight and shining armor.”
Tony expects Peter to laugh or respond with something bashful. Perhaps Tony shouldn’t be surprised when Peter wetly sobs out.
“Oh my god.”
Tony sits up in an instance, ignoring the way it makes his side ache.
“Woah, okay- it’s okay. I was just calling to check in.”
Peter responds with something incomprehensible. The kid is now bawling, trying yet failing to stifle the sound.
“Where are you?” Tony asks, already planning how to leave without the uptight nurse noticing.
Peter sniffs, “I’m at the hospital.”
Tony has just managed to get on his feet before his brain short circuits.
“Wait, you’re here?”
“Of course.” Even through his tears, Peter says this incredulously.
“Okay, then why aren’t you here.”
Peter hesitates before responding, “they wouldn’t let me in.”
Tony knows the answer to his next question. He is already seething.
“And why not?”
“I’m not family. The nurse said that you could select me as a visitor of choice if you woke up, but I couldn’t be permitted until then.”
Tony catches the way that Peter says if he woke up rather than when. He can only imagine the torment Peter faced since they have been here.
“Don’t worry kiddo, you’ll be seeing me in ten minutes flat. I’ll text when we’re in the clear.”
“Okay,” Peter agrees plainly. Then, he shares an afterthought.
“I’m still in my suit, just so you know. Ask for Spider-Man.”
Tony tries not to think too deeply on that. “Got it.”
After the call ends, Tony causes mayhem that in hindsight may have been a little overboard. He yells at the nurse so loudly that the entire hallway can hear. Before he knows it, the stricken nurse returns with Spider-Man peeking behind.
The nurse all but runs away, leaving Peter and Tony with as much privacy as they can get. Seconds later, Peter enters the room as stiff as a board. He lets the door slam shut without moving a muscle.
Tony is resting in bed, all of his energy drained after black spots returned to his vision. He blinks them away, scanning Peter’s body for any hidden injuries even now. For once, he is satisfied when he sees no red flags.
Rather than the fact that Peter has not said a word. The Spider-Man mask stares blankly, and it looks like Peter is barely breathing.
“I’m alright,” Tony starts, because he knows what Peter is thinking. The roles have been reversed one too many times for Tony to pretend otherwise.
When Peter still doesn’t respond, Tony leans forward.
“Are you?”
Peter hesitates, “they wouldn’t give me any updates on how you were doing.”
Tony is going to buy the hospital just so he can burn it down. There will be repercussions, though Tony forces the thought away for now.
“We both know it’s not that easy to get rid of me.”
Peter shrugs, but even that is half-hearted. He stays in the corner of the room, frozen in place.
“Have you been in the waiting room this whole time?”
Peter nods.
“Have you eaten?”
Peter nods again, “May stayed with me before she had to leave for work. It didn’t look too suspicious since she was wearing scrubs. She brought breakfast and lunch.”
Tony considers this for a moment, “have you slept?”
Peter doesn’t respond, which is an answer in itself.
Tony’s heart cracks when he hears Peter bite down another sob. His shoulders physically deflate like he can barely hold himself up. Finally, Tony raises his arms, inviting Peter in.
“Come here kiddo.”
Peter all but stumbles to the bed. He lands himself into Tony’s shoulder and wails into his patient gown. The cries quickly dissolve into broken silence, which make the hitches in Peter’s breaths just as noticeable. Tony takes his hand and rubs patterns into Peter’s collarbone.
Tony wants to take the mask off the kid. He’s afraid he won’t have enough space to breathe if he keeps crying like this. Tony looks up to see a camera pointed right at them, and he sighs in disappointment before speaking again.
“We’re okay.”
When Peter only cries more, Tony tries again.
“I’m safe because of you.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Peter’s apologies are muffled into Tony’s shoulder. He pulls Peter away just far enough so he can see his face.
“What could you possibly be sorry for?”
“You were shot, and our last conversation-”
“Wouldn’t have mattered. You saved the day. I’d be dead if it weren’t for Spider-Man.”
As soon as Tony says the words, he regrets them. The kid flinches hard and buries his head in Tony’s shoulder once more. His sobs are louder this time.
“Okay, that was the wrong thing to say- what I meant is that we got through it. You were so brave.”
Tony feels rather than sees Peter shake his head, “I was stupid.”
“Kid-”
This time Peter interrupts, “I basically gave our address to the world. Anyone could had found us and hurt you more. Karen didn’t have connection to call the medbay and I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You did good,” Tony says, wiping his thumb against Peter’s masked face.
Usually, this is when Tony and Peter would fight. Tony thinks of all the times he yelled at Peter to prioritize himself first. He always values Peter’s life over his own. If it means keeping the kid safe, then that takes precedent.
This time, Tony doesn’t even remember how they had gotten to this point. All he knows is that he would not be here without Peter’s help. It’s clear that the Avengers are still on their mission; Tony was separated somehow, and the only reason he is alive is because Spider-Man was in the neighborhood. He should be mad that Peter risked his life for him after everything they fought over.
And yet, it’s impossible to be upset when Peter is at his side, clinging on like Tony had actually died.
“You did good,” Tony repeats, allowing Peter to fully tuck himself into Tony’s arms. Peter’s body trembles from the grief of what could have been. Perhaps even with mourning of what has happened in the past.
Tony only holds on tighter. For today, they are both okay.