Prologue
Tony’s hands are trembling, and even he can’t tell if it’s from fear, anger, or the lack of alcohol running through his veins. It was “suggested” by the SHIELD team that he sober up for this meeting, and he wasn’t in the mood to suffer any of their consequences if he didn’t listen. Plus, it had been a while since he had tried last. Probably since Pepper decided they were “taking a break” or whatever she had called it. He thought he was ready to give sobriety another try, call it a test of willpower, and he was failing miserably.
“Look, Tony, I don’t like this any more than you do, but it’s the only way we have a chance at making things work.” The man in front of him says, bringing Tony’s attention back to the present, and to the reason he was so convinced he was going to fail this attempt at sobriety. Steve Rogers.
Steve and the other Avengers had recently been pardoned for all the drama going on with the Sokovia Accords, on the condition that the Accords be reevaluated and addended, much to the media’s joy. All of the local and national news stations were singing songs about the Avengers: back again and better than ever! They don’t know that every simple conversation that the Invincible Iron Man has with America’s heartthrob Captain America ends up with one of them wanting to strangle the other. Tony would like to tell you that the threats of violence were pretty even from both sides, but they mostly came from him.
Okay, all of them came from him.
“Tony, seriously. How are we supposed to be a team if you can’t even pay attention during our conversations? I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m putting in some effort here.”
Oh, that’s right. He was supposed to be talking to Steve. He feels sweaty. Was he sweaty? His hands were definitely still shaking. He entwines his fingers together on top of the large conference table he was sitting at to hide the tremors.
“You think you’re the only one putting in any effort?” Tony replies tersely. “Who do you think got you and your friends off the raft? Who do you think convinced the government to pardon you all and open the accords up for renegotiation? Me and my efforts are the only reason you’re back here in the first place, and let me tell you, Spangles, this conversation is making me regret it.”
Steve lets out an audible sigh and tilts his head up slightly, glancing at the ceiling as if he were asking the universe what he had done to land himself in this situation. The meeting with SHIELD was long over, and it was just him and Tony left in the large conference room. Tony would’ve loved to have left with the others, or preferably way before the others, but Steve had decided that Tony’s many snarky responses to the SHIELD agents’ requests weren’t quite cutting it. Hey, it wasn’t his fault. They were trying to make him do something that he absolutely didn’t want to do, and Tony Stark never does anything he doesn’t want to do. It’s one of the many perks of being him.
“Tony, you and I both signed that contract at your behest. We spent weeks renegotiating, and you’re telling me now that you’re just deciding that you’re going to break part of the contract? Isn’t that a little hypocritical of you, all things considering?”
Tony scowls. The way Steve is looking at him is really putting him in a more fowl mood: standing tall, arms crossed, full of self righteousness. Tony can’t stand it.
“I didn’t realize you’d turned back into SHIELD’s puppet for them to parade around, preaching about helping the government since you came back, Rogers. In that case, why don’t you take on the job of finding Spider-man, and leave me be?”
Rogers huffs in reply. “I’ve tried, Stark. He’s elusive, hard to track. I’ve tried to catch him plenty of times just to talk, but he never follows a pattern. He’ll show up in the middle of the night for a couple weeks in one area, and then all of a sudden switch to the middle of the afternoon for a couple weeks all the way across the city. He’s all over the place!”
Tony just shrugs. “I just don’t understand when this became my problem, because it really seems like it’s your issue.”
Steve rolls his eyes. “It became your problem when SHIELD decided you were the best person for the job. You would know that had you been paying even the slightest bit of attention in the meeting today. You look like total shit, Tony. What’s happened to you? You don’t look like you’re taking care of yourself at all. Is this about Pepper?”
Tony clenches his jaw and stands up in frustration, shoving his chair back. He can’t believe Steve was stooping so low as to bring up Pepper. “That is none of your business, Rogers.” He stares the other man down across the table, palms flat against the cool wood. “We’re not friends, despite what you seem to think. We’re never going to be buddies, chit chatting about our personal problems. You made sure of that.”
Steve glares right back at him, both men getting more frustrated by the minute. “Look,” Steve begins tensely, “can you find Spider-man or not.”
“You know I can, but why should I? The methods I would have to use to hack into security cameras to find the footage I need would be pretty illegal. Are you telling me a government agency wants me to use illegal technology for their own personal gain?” Tony questions loudly.
“You know they don’t care about that, so what’s really the problem?” Steve demands.
“The problem is that when I approved that section of the accords, I didn’t think I’d be hunting kids down off the street and ordering them to become soldiers!” Tony practically yells at the other man.
There’s a pregnant pause before Steve replies.
“…Spider-man is a kid?”
Tony sighs in defeat and takes a moment before answering.
“…yes. Spider-man is a kid. He’s 14, in high school. He seems like a little punk kid, too. I don’t know how this kid and Spider-Man are even the same person. Kid’s got a horrible record. Been kicked out of schools for fighting, has horrible grades, tons of reports of him being rude to teachers and other students.”
Steve sits down again, looking very in shock at this new development, and Tony follows suit. “Spider-Man…is a delinquent teenager?”
“Now who’s not listening?” Tony mutters under his breath, but Steve wasn’t paying attention anyway. Tony could see his thought processes all over his face, and the expression he makes when he comes to a decision.
“We still have to find him. Even if he is a teenager. Especially if he’s a troublemaker. We could help him.” Steve locks eyes with Tony, and he could see the resolve in the man’s hands eyes. He wasn’t going to give up on this one.
“Cut the crap, Rogers. You are not going to start recruiting children to be in your perfect little superhero army. I won’t let it happen.”
“Then pull yourself together and do it yourself, Stark!” Steve replies angrily. “It might be taking me a while, but I’ll get this guy eventually. If you want to do this your way, then go get him and train him yourself. If we don’t do it, SHIELD will, and that would be worse than both other options.”
Tony’s beginning to think this scowl will become a permanent fixture on his face if he doesn’t get away from Captain Annoying ASAP. The man has a point, as much as Tony hates to admit it.
“Okay, fine.” Tony grumbled. “I’ll go get the kid, but only to keep him out of yours and SHIELD’s hands. When I bring him in, he’s mine. Not yours.”
Steve raised his hands in resignation. “Whatever you need, Tony. Just get the this guy before SHIELD actually finds someone to become their puppet.” And with that, Steve leaves the room without another word.
Tony watches him leave before letting his forehead drop down to rest on the table. What had he gotten himself into?