Heart Shaped Pizza Anyone
A few days later it was valentine's day and it just so happens that a group of killer robots had chosen today to attack the city. I am not usually on these missions but it seemed like the base of the attack was in the city as well so I was sent to infiltrate the base and distract the evil scientist or whoever is doing this until someone could come in and arrest him.
I knocked out a guard and took his badge before transforming into him and making my way to the main area of operation.
“I'm in”. I whispered into my comm.
“Ok the guy is in that room just down the hall. I'm not reading any other thermal signatures except his”. Tony said.
I walked into the room and the guy turned around to look at me.
“Why are you in here? I told all the security they must stay outside of this room”.
“I'm sorry sir but my commanding officer was worried about your well-being and I'm here in case we need to get you out”.
“Fine, just be quiet”.
We were quiet for a minute but Steve told me to try and get information from him.
“So what are you doing? Like some kind of hostile takeover or something?”.
“No, I'm trying to distract the population so I can unleash a virus into the network of every major network in the country and control it so the companies will have to pay me millions of dollars to get rid of it. And didn't I just tell you to be quiet?”.
“Sorry sir. I was just curious. So the robots are just a diversion?”.
“Yeah. And the killing is fake. Anyone who seems to be dead is just knocked out like Juliet in Romeo and Juliet”.
“Is that why you picked Valentine's day?”.
“No, it's just how it worked out. I have a wife and a son who are very disappointed in me this year”.
“Same. Well I have a husband that I was excited to spend the day with but duty calls I completely understand. I don't have any kids yet but maybe one day”.
“My son is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sure you would make a fine father”.
“Thank you, sir”. I had gotten his guard down.
“Iris what are you doing?”. Nat said into her comm.
“This was not the plan. You need to get more information”. Steve said, annoyed out of his mind. I had a plan though.
“What's going to happen when the virus goes out?”.
“Everyone's phones, televisions, smart watches, anything will completely shut down. Nothing too major. If I have to start taking people's information I will but the networks will probably give me the money I desire by then anyway”.
“Why do you need the money?”.
“My wife has cancer. Her treatments are getting too expensive but I'm not going to let her just die”. He started to get a little choked up.
“I'm really sorry to hear that sir. My father had a stroke two years ago due to a brain tumor we didn't find till it was too late”.
“I'm sorry for your loss”.
Everyone on the comms was silent. I had never told them why or how my dad had died.
“Thank you, sir”.
I saw Nat and Steve behind coming towards the door in the reflection of one of the monitors.
“You have the right to remain silent”. Steve came in and said.
“Security do something”. He exclaimed.
“I'm sorry sir I can't do that”. I said as I changed back into myself.
“I just bared my soul to you and you were just here to take me down”. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and quickly shot at me. A piercing heat grazed my right arm and I fell down the wall clutching the wound.
Steve and Nat quickly restrained the man and knocked him unconscious. Nat rushed over to me and applied as much pressure to the wound as she could.
“Iris, are you ok?”. I nodded.
“Make sure Bruce and Helen know that we are bringing Iris in. She was shot”.
“WHAT. IRIS. IRIS CAN YOU HEAR ME”. Peter was yelling.
“Yes, loser. It was just a graze”. I winced.
“Kid, kid I need you to calm down”. Tony seemed to be trying to calm Peter down.
“No no Mr. Stark I need to know she's ok. Please tell me she's ok”. He was having a panic attack.
“Peter I'm ok”. I tried to say but he wasn't listening.
“Kid she will be on the jet any minute”. Tony made another attempt.
I could hear him hyperventilating and crying through the comm.
“Tony, he's not going to calm down until I get there, just try and get him to breathe”.
Tony had been with Peter for plenty of panic attacks but this time he didn't know the real reason behind the anxiety. We made it to the quinjet in record time and Peter was sitting on one of the benches with his head in his hands sobbing with uneven breaths.
“Peter, Peter I'm right here. I'm ok. He's ok. Focus on his heartbeat ok. Just focus on it. We're ok”. I quietly said to him.
“I-I thought I-I had lo-lost you both”. He stuttered between sobs.
We sat quietly as I rubbed his back with my uninjured arm. His breathing steadied and he sat up to look at me. His eyes were red and puffy and he had tear tracks covering his cheeks. He pulled me into a hug.
“I'm sorry I freaked out”. He whispered into my ear.
“Don't be sorry. You had the right to freak out”. I whispered back.
“Is your arm ok?”. He sniffed. Meanwhile, he had a few rips that were bleeding littering his suit.
“I'm fine. You should look at yourself”. I teased.
“I got my healing factor. This is nothing”.
Peter and I went down to the Medbay together. No one else was hurt so that was convenient.
“Well, I'm not surprised that you two are the only ones hurt”. Dr. Cho jokes.
“Peter, I'll check you so Helen can check Iris’s graze”. Bruce gestured to the second table.
I walked toward Dr. Cho's table and sat down still applying pressure to my injury.
“Is the baby ok”? She quickly whispered to me.
“Yeah. Peter said he could still hear the heartbeat like he always could. It hasn't changed”. I whispered back.
“Good. Now let's look at your newest injury. Well, it didn't go through the skin so that's good. I'll clean it and give it a fresh bandage and it will take a while to heal but I'll make sure you'll look good as new”.
“But I was kind of excited about a really cool scar”.
Helen just rolled her eyes and began the cleaning process.
“Dr. Banner said I'm good to go. Gonna heal by tonight probably”. Peter said, trying to annoy me.
“I would really like some of that healing factor please. It's not fair”.
“Well, life is not fair”. He said.
“I know. I got a little urchin that is currently my responsibility. Remember that thing I'm doing just because I'm so nice”.
“Yeah. I know you don't have to rub it in”.
“Hey, I'm just kidding”.
“I know”.
“Alright I am all done. Just come back every day and I'll check your bandage. Make sure there isn't an infection or anything”. Dr. Cho said.
“Thanks, Dr. Cho. I will see you tomorrow”. I hopped off the table.
Peter and I walked towards the common area where everybody was getting food.
“Iris what's the damage?”. Sam asked.
“Tis just a flesh wound”. I quoted.
Tony snorted and Nat let out a tiny chuckle.
“What's so funny about Iris’s injury?”. Steve was confused.
“It's a reference to the Monty Python Capsicle. Well watch it at some point”.
Steve nodded.
“You two go get changed and then come get something to eat. We ordered heart-shaped pizza”. Tony said.
I put on an oversized sweatshirt trying to be careful with my arm and a pair of plaid pajama pants. I met Peter in the hallway and he was wearing virtually the same thing.
“This is embarrassing. One of us needs to change”. I said.
“Well, I'm not changing”.
“I'm not changing either”.
“Then it looks like we're twinning”.
I just rolled my eyes. We made our way downstairs and everyone was talking in hushed voices. Peter stopped me before we made it the full way down.
“They know something is up and they are going to ask us about it”.
“Then we tell them”.
“Really”.
“Yeah. As long as you do all the talking I say let's do it”.
Peter nodded and grabbed a few slices of pizza that had made it here in record time. We sat next to each other at the end of the table. Also known as the hot seats. Our place at the table gave it away that we were about to be interrogated.
“Pete, are you feeling ok?”. Steve asked him. And so it begins.
“Yeah, I feel great Captain Rodgers”.
“Kid, who were you talking about during your panic attack? Because I know it was not Iris”. Tony was picking at his pizza clearly worried.
“Well it may come as a shock to some of you but…I am..going to be a father”.
The team went into various states of shock and confusion. I continued to eat my pizza.
“I'm sorry I think I misheard you. Did you say, father?”. Tony had a blood vessel slightly throbbing in his neck.
“Yes, Mr. Stark. Iris is pregnant and he's my baby. Iris doesn't want to raise the baby but I do so I will have full custody when he's born. I know it sounds crazy but it's my kid and I would do anything for him already. So when Nat said Iris was shot I freaked out cause I thought I had lost them both”.
“Do not realize how difficult it is going to be to raise this baby by yourself and go to MIT”. The blood vessel on Tony's neck had come out in full force.
“I denied my acceptance to MIT”. Peter said confidently but I could see the fear in his eyes. Sam choked on his drink slightly and Nat winced.
“You did what?”. Tony looked about ready to kill him.
“I denied my acceptance. I want to be here for my son, Mr. Stark”.
“This is all your fault”, Tony was looking at me now, “He had a path before you came along and now that has been completely derailed because you got pregnant. I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN FURY BROUGHT YOU IN”.
“TONY. IRIS DIDN'T WANT THIS. I DID. I BEGGED HER NOT TO GET AN ABORTION AND SHE IS THE ONE WHO CAME UP WITH OUR DEAL BECAUSE I WANTED THE BABY”.
The room was eerily silent. I was studying every part of my hand. I was trying not to cry. I knew when we told them I would be made out to be the bad guy.
“You, me, the lab now”. Tony got up and stormed down to the lab with Peter in tow leaving me defenseless against the rest. I didn't even have Wanda because she and Vision were on a romantic getaway because of the holiday.
“So it's a boy?”. Nat said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yeah um Peter knew it was going to be a boy. It's like he already has some motherly instinct”. I said looking up and wiping my tears with my sleeve.
“How far along are you?”. Sam asked.
“5 months”.
They went back to their shocked expressions.
“You don't look like it”. Steve pointed out.
“That's because I can mask it”. With one quick movement, my bump was out. I stood and turned to the side, lifting up my shirt so they could see. They didn't give any verbal response, just sat there with more silence.
“If you don't mind me asking, why don't you want the baby?”. Bucky was probably mulling over this question for weeks.
“I'm just not ready and he doesn't feel like mine. I try to imagine holding him and feeding him and rocking him to sleep and I just can't. And you guys should see Peter whenever we go to an ultrasound. He is so in love with him already. He is Peter's 100%. Not mine”.
“Did you know he rejected MIT?”. Nat asked.
“I did. I told him he was stupid but he's really committed to this”.
“Did he really think that Tony would react well to that news?”. Sam said.
“He knew it would be bad. I knew telling you guys would go badly anyway. I was dreading it. I'm the reason you guys didn't know sooner”.
“Why were you dreading it?”. Steve asked.
“Um because I was worried that all of you guys would hate me”, My voice broke, “Just like Tony said. That I was ruining Peter's life”.
“We don't hate you, and Tony is mostly mad at Peter, trust me. He was just looking for somebody else to blame because in his eyes Peter is better than him and smarter than him and he doesn't want to believe it. In reality, Tony acts the same way about Peter. He would risk his relationship with any of us to protect his son”. Nat said.
I nodded. She was right. I couldn't take it personally. It is funny to think with no biological relationship they acted just like each other.
“Shit”. I whispered.
“You ok?”. Sam asked.
“Yeah he just kicked me super hard. For somebody so small he really packs a punch”. I rubbed my belly in an attempt to calm him down.
“Can I?”. Nat nodded to me asking if she could feel.
“Yeah of course”. I lifted my sweatshirt since it would be easier to feel him.
She walked over and I placed her hand where he was kicking me. Nat had a small smile on her face. There was something behind her eyes that I couldn't quite figure out.
“Did you ever want kids?”. I asked.
“There was a time that I did and it took me a while to get over the fact that I couldn't but I have settled for being Auntie Nat. I got Cooper, and Lila, and Nate, and now I have this one”. She looked up and smiled.
“I think he likes you”. I smiled back.
“How do you do that?”. She furrowed her brows.
“What do you mean?”.
“Get people to open up to you. You did it with the scientist today. He had no reason to tell you anything but he did. And I never tell anybody anything”.
“I don't know. I just get curious and I ask”.
“Huh”. At that moment he kicked Nat's hand and she laughed.
“Well, now we know he likes you”. I laughed.
Peter came back upstairs this time with Tony in tow. He had red puffy eyes again but a determined look on his face. Tony seemed to have also been crying and looked remorseful. Which is a rare look for him to have.
“Iris, I apologize for what I said earlier. I didn't think you were trouble when you joined the team. It wasn't fair to you for me to lash out when I didn't know the full story so I'm sorry”.
“Thank you, Tony”.
He turned and left to go back to the lab.
“How did you manage that? I don't think in all the years I've known Tony, he has never apologized that quickly”. Steve was surprised. I was too frankly.
“I told him everything and I tried to explain why this is so important to me. He just needs a minute to wrap his head around it all”. Peter said.
“Did he tell you he was sorry?”. I asked.
“No. Not yet anyway”.
“He’ll come around Pete. Tony's tough but not heartless”. Nat shot him an encouraging smile.
“And if he doesn't we have your back”. Bucky smiled at him.
“Thanks, guys”. He sniffled.
“When we fought you in Germany, who knew a few years later we would be becoming aunts and uncles”. Sam said.
“You mean when I beat you in Germany”. He teased him.
“Shut up Spider-Boy I was trying to have a nice moment”. Sam replied.
“I know Sam. I appreciate it. I appreciate all of you”.
“Anytime Pete”, Steve came over and patted him on the back, “I think it's time we all got some rest. It's been a big day for everyone”.
We listened to the Captain on that one. Between the mission and the news, we were all exhausted. My sleep didn't last long though because at five in the morning I was woken by the urchin needing to pee. I did my business and then I went down to the kitchen to get a snack because surprise surprise I was hungry. Bruce was down there already drinking a cup of coffee.
“Hey, Bruce”.
“Hey Iris. You ok? It's a little early for you to be up”.
“Tell me about it but this one is sitting on my bladder so I got up and now I'm getting something to eat before I go back to bed”.
“I know I wasn't at dinner last night but Steve gave me the gist before he went on his run this morning. Congratulations I guess”.
I slightly laughed, “Thanks, I guess. Do you know if Tony ever went to bed last night?”.
“No, he's still in the lab”.
“Thanks, Bruce”. I said, making my way down there.
“Iris I wouldn't be going down there if I were you. I don't think he's ready to talk to anyone”.
“I know”. I said and the elevator moved down to the floor. “Hey Friday, who has clearance to Tony's lab right now?”.
“Miss Potts, Sergeant Rohdes, and Dr. Banner”.
“Perfect”. I transformed into Bruce and waved at Tony to let me in. He was too distracted to even think about it. Black Sabbath blasted through the speakers.
“Hey, Bruce. I was just thinking about-”, He stopped when he looked up and saw me instead, “Iris get out”.
“I just wanted to make sure that you were ok”.
“I'm fine. Now go back to bed”.
“You know it's five in the morning right”.
“Yeah”.
“Can I get you anything?”.
“You know what Iris, I just need you to leave”.
“Can I show you something before I go?”.
“Whatever”.
“Friday will you pull up my ultrasound for the other day”.
On the small screen on the wall to my left, the black and white video was displayed. The sound of the heartbeat took over the speakers. Tony looked up at the video and his features softened slightly.
“Why are you showing me this?”.
“Because I thought that maybe you would want to see him. I know you're not exactly happy about this but it is happening. I'm still not thrilled about the whole thing but Peter is really happy”.
“I know he's happy. He told me a million times earlier. Is that all you wanted to say?”.
“Why are you being so cold?”. I must have struck a nerve because his face fell.
“Damn”, His face fell into his hands, “I’m acting just like Howard”.
“Why do you say that?”.
“My father was the coldest, calculated man I have ever met. I never got any praise from him. He never cared about anything I was doing. I even graduated from MIT at 17 and got nothing. I never wanted to make Peter feel like I didn't care about him and that's exactly what I did. I made him feel like something he cares about doesn't matter because all that matters is the future of the company or his career in general. I wasn't thinking about him. I just thought I was”.
“You know I also thought it was stupid of him to deny MIT but he loves this kid Tony”.
“I know. It doesn't help that he's just as stubborn as I am. I just wanted him to be better than me, Iris. Not make a mistake that is going to put him on the wrong path. I made a lot of mistakes in my life. There is a lot I’m not proud of. I just don't want him to regret this in the long run”.
“Do you regret taking Peter in?”.
“Now that was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Peter was never a mistake”.
“Well in Peter's eyes this baby isn't a mistake either”.
“That's not what I was saying”.
“I know just giving you Peter's perspective while you're not in a rage”.
He was quiet for a moment.
“When I was your guy's age, well a little bit older, a girl told me I had gotten her pregnant. I didn't want the baby and neither did she so she got rid of it. When she told me all I could think was my father is going to kill me and my mother was going to be horribly disappointed. That's the other reason I lashed out. I just kept thinking that I messed up. I was a bad influence. He is turning out just like me. I failed May and Ben. I was chosen to take care of him and now at 17 he is going to be a father and it's my fault”.
“You're not a bad influence. If anything you are the best influence. Without you, Peter probably wouldn't be as mature about this situation as he's being. You being his mentor and his guardian have only made him stronger as a person”.
“You think so. I haven't screwed him up in some way?”.
“Well, every parent screws their kid up in some way”. I joked.
“You know only Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy know that story I just told you”.
“I feel like a living truth potion over here”.
“Thank you Iris. Now go back to bed. It must be exhausting growing a spider human”.
“It's strenuous, to say the least. Good night or I guess good morning”. I smiled before turning and heading back to my room.