A Force To Be Reckoned With

Tony noticed that Peter was different. 

He’s only knew the kid for a few hours, not even a full day yet but still, he’s noticed the kid was acting differently since talking with Ross and Fury but all Tony could think about was how strangely Peter reacted to Ross walking into the room. 

Tony couldn’t put a finger on it, and it was bugging him. 

Not that much though because he was beyond exhausted and if he didn’t get some sleep soon, he wasn’t going to be functional anymore. 

So Tony sat, more like collapsed onto the couch in his living room with Peter following after him, still keeping a safe distance between the two. “I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted.” 

Peter nodded, feeling the same way. He looked towards the hallway where his bedroom was. “Sleep?” 

Tony wasn’t so sure Peter was that behind on his vocabulary. He’s heard the kid speak in full sentences so he didn’t know why Peter was choosing to have the vocabulary of a two year old. “Kid, use your big words. C’mon. Do you know how?” 

Peter tilted his head. 

“You know, full sentences. I know you know how.” 

Peter continued to look at him but Tony was too tired to deal with this. He sighed and laid down, getting comfortable. “Suit yourself. I’m gonna sleep for like an hour or so. You should too.” 

He shut his eyes, trying to fall asleep but his mind was racing, thinking about everything going on right now. He also sensed eyes on him. 

So Tony opened his eyes to look at the kid who was staring at him and suddenly Steve’s and Fury’s words repeated themselves in his head. 

He shouldn’t be trusting the kid. Peter could literally snap his neck and kill him in his sleep, Tony didn’t know. Sure, the kid was cute and small but Tony didn’t know what he was capable of. He could literally do anything to Tony while he slept on the couch. 

Tony hated how he actually believed Peter was capable of doing such things but Steve and Fury were right; Tony didn’t know anything about the kid. 

So Tony sat up, then stood to his feet with a stretch. “Alright, kid. I’m gonna lie down for a few hours. You can too. If not, just stay here. Ask FRIDAY if you need anything.” 

Peter sat up straighter, almost looking disappointed at his exit. “I come?” 

“No. No no no. You stay here. Got it?” 

Peter gave a sharp nod although Tony wasn’t entirely sure if he understood what he was saying. Either way, Tony needed to go upstairs and get some sleep or he was going to pass out on the living room floor. 

So he went upstairs and went into his bedroom, heading straight for the bed but he stopped and turned back to lock his bedroom door. He knew the kid wouldn’t hurt him because Tony knew he was only a child but he was also a child who’s been through so much trauma and there was no way for Tony to know what they did to him at Hydra unless he had Peter’s files but FRIDAY wasn’t able to get them. 

Tony laid down on his bed and tried to sleep but sleep didn’t come as easy to him as he expected it to. 

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Peter was alone. 

He was used to being alone since he spent most of his time at Hydra being by himself and entertaining himself in his room with what he had available, if he wasn’t with doctors or scientists, he was alone in his room. And if he was good that day and followed orders, he got a toy to play with. 

He let out a sigh. He was definitely missing his toys right now. 

Peter threw his arms above his head and looked around. 

The faster he got this mission over with, the faster he could go back to Hydra. 

But it was Peter’s first solo mission and he was scared to say the least. 

He’s never killed anyone before.   

He was scared to hear Tony’s neck crack underneath his hands. And Tony’s been nothing but nice to him, the man showed him kindness that Peter has never felt or experienced at Hydra before. Never. 

He’s only known rough handling and abuse his entire life. He’s thought all adults were only capable of such things. 

And here Tony was, a stranger, showing him that gentle care did exist. 

Peter let out another sigh. He had a mission to complete. 

He stood up and walked towards the elevator then pressed the button. The doors opened up and so Peter walked inside and tried to figure out how to get to Tony’s lab. He knew what kind of information Hydra wanted him to find and so Peter had to get down to the lab in order to find that. 

He pressed the top button. 

“I’m sorry, you do not have access to Mr. Stark’s lab.” 

Came the familiar female voice. Peter frowned and pressed it again but nothing happened. “Bring me there.” 

“I am unable to do that, Peter.” 

Peter huffed and walked out of the elevator. He didn’t know what kind of lady in the ceiling had so much power over what he can and can’t do. Peter didn’t like that. 

He walked down the hallway, passing the room where he slept last night but he passed by it and kept walking further. Along the walls were pictures so Peter stopped to look at one in particular that caught his eye. 

It was Tony with a girl. 

She had blonde hair with freckles like him littering her cheeks. Peter placed his hands on the wall and then his feet so he could climb up it and get a better look at it. 

She was pretty and Tony seemed to think so too, judging by the way he was looking at her and holding her. The love between them brought a smile to his face. 

He never got to see love like that and he always imagined that one day someone would hold him tightly and protect him. 

Although he knew no one loved him and never would. He was only good for one thing; killing. 

Peter crawled across the wall until he came across another picture. It was a photo of Tony with the girl again although this time they were in the sand somewhere pretty looking. Peter ran his finger over the picture carefully and jumped onto the floor. 

He couldn’t get distracted. 

If he didn’t send something back to Hydra soon, they would surely punish him once they picked him up in two weeks. 

At the end of the hallway were two doors. Peter pushed them open and walked inside. 

There was a giant desk with a computer sitting on it so Peter made his way around and sat on the chair, tapping the screen. 

He jumped back at the sound it made and once again, there was another picture of Tony with the blonde girl. Peter assumed that Tony must really care for her if her face was all over the house. 

Peter had to focus. 

He clicked on the screen and it opened up to a blue background with files. Peter tried to read it but he wasn’t very good at reading words that didn’t come from a children’s book. 

He sounded it out. “A-Avengers.” He knew that one. He looked at another file but he couldn’t sound it out so he clicked it and translated it to voice read. 

“Seraphim tactical satellite.” The computer read out for him. 

Peter quickly pulled out his wrist webs and clicked the button on the side that slid out a microchip. Peter then inserted it into the computer and waited for the file from Hydra to come up so he could transfer the documents and send it over. 

He didn’t entirely know if that was what they wanted though. He knew they wanted Iron Man's suit passwords but Peter didn’t know how to get those unless he was down in the lab. 

He hoped what he sent them was enough. Peter waited for the transfer to go through then he pulled the chip out and placed it back in his web shooters and left the office, shutting the doors behind him and hoping Tony didn’t find out about this. 

With nothing left to do, Peter walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch, staring straight ahead. 

He remembered the tv show Tony had put on before for him so Peter stood up and pressed the tv, just like he did to the computer. 

When nothing happened, Peter pressed it again. 

Still nothing. 

He looked for the black box with all the buttons and sighed when he didn’t find it. 

FRIDAY seemed to be watching him though. “If you request the show, I will turn the tv on for you.” 

Peter jumped about two feet in the air. FRIDAY was watching him. The robot in the ceiling was watching him and was now going to alert Tony about what he was up to. 

Peter started shaking. 

He opened his mouth to ask FRIDAY is she saw but he decided against it. That might just raise suspicions. 

He obviously knew FRIDAY would choose her creator over him so he didn’t bother. 

Instead, Peter took a seat on the soft, white fabric couch, sitting as stiff as a board. “Uh… the-the show.” He didn’t know it was called, all he knew was that he liked the colours and sounds. 

The tv came to life and soon Peter was lost in childlike delight. 

He soon forgot about what he was worried about and laid down, resting his head on the couch and sticking his thumb in his mouth to suck for comfort. 

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Tony woke up feeling refreshed. 

He opened his eyes and checked the time. It was just after 8pm so he slept away most of the afternoon. That wasn’t unusual behaviour for him but it was definitely odd now considering he had an actual living and breathing child downstairs in his care. 

Speaking of said child, Tony sat up in bed and went to the bathroom to splash his face with water before going down to see the boy and hope he didn’t get up to any trouble. 

Once Tony made it downstairs, in a bit of a panic mind you, he almost cooed at the sight in front of him. 

Peter was lying on the couch, thumb in mouth and his face looked so peaceful. Unlike how he normally looked with his face so scrunched up and so lonely and confused looking. 

Tony covered his lower half with a blanket since his large shirt had rolled up and was exposing him. Tony didn’t need the poor boy to be anymore vulnerable than he already was. 

“FRI, how long has the kid been sleeping for?” He asked, taking notice of the tv playing the same cartoon that Tony had been on for him earlier. 

“Peter has been asleep for approximately five hours and twelve minutes.” 

Tony nodded and looked down at the boy, watching his mouth move around his thumb even in his sleep. “Do me a favour and order a few things for him. Tops, pants, underwear. Kid clothes. Not a lot, just enough for him to wear until I find a permanent solution for him.” 

“Ordered. The delivery will arrive before midnight.” 

“Thanks, FRI.” Tony mumbled and walked into the kitchen, opening up the cabinets to look for anything edible but he found nothing. He sighed. He really needed to go grocery shopping but he never had time, not that he physically went himself. He pulled out his phone to text one of his trusted assistants his typical grocery list but he put on a few extra things for Peter, having no idea what Peter likes but hoping to at least get some options for him. 

He made himself a coffee, he lost count what number it was. Pepper would kill him if she found out. 

Now that he thought of Pepper, he was well rested and he needed to call her and update her on what was going on with him. 

He was dreading the conversation though because he already knew what she was going to say; that he was in way over his head and he should hand Peter off to someone who was better equipped to handle him and his … needs. 

So Tony chugged the rest of his coffee and grabbed his phone, going onto his wife’s contact and pressing call. 

He looked up when he heard it ringing from the elevator. Huh. 

He almost jumped back when he watched Pepper Potts walk out of the elevator and immediately make eye contact with him, making a beeline straight for him. 

Tony held up his phone to show that he was calling her. “Hey. Look. I’m calling you right now. Are you upset? I’m getting the feeling you’re upset with me.” 

Pepper took his phone from him and hung up the call. “What’s going on? Why is Fury calling my assistant and telling her to tell me to come here and talk some sense into you? What is going on, Tony?” 

Tony looked back at the couch. Peter was stirring. His face was scrunched up and he was moving around. 

“Shhh.” 

“Excuse me?” Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have done that. “Tony Stark, I swear to god, what is going on?!” 

Tony cringed. She was going to wake the kid up. “Look, I’ll explain everything. Just not here. Let’s go to our room and talk.” 

Pepper rolled her eyes at him and turned to walk away. “You’re being ridiculous. I leave for a week on a business meeting and you’ve already- ah. Tony. Oh my god oh my god. Who’s this? There’s a child on our couch.” 

Tony raced to stand next to her. “Yes. That’s what I was trying to explain to you. I-” 

Pepper walked towards the child on the couch and leaned down to get a good look at him. She couldn’t see much since he had his face turned into the couch and his thumb in his mouth, covering some of his face. 

She stood up straight and turned to face her husband. The child looked around ten or eleven. It made sense. “Who’s his mother?” 

Tony scrunched his nose up. “Her name was Mary Parker.” 

Pepper nodded. “I know your history and it was before we got together but-but I just need some time to wrap my head around this.” 

Okay. Now Tony was confused. “What? Pepper. He’s not mine.” 

“What?” 

Maybe he should have started with that. “He’s not mine. I-” Tony looked back at Peter. He looked like he was going to sleep for a bit longer. “Can we go somewhere else so I can explain?” 

With a final sigh, Pepper turned and walked down the hallway and into Tony’s office, quietly shutting the door behind them and locking it. “I want to know what’s going on, Tony. Who is that child out there?” 

Tony was getting to that. “Yesterday the team got called out to a mission. It was at an abandoned Hydra base. I thought it was a waste of time. But…” 

He could see that Pepper knew where this was going already and she looked down at her feet sadly. 

“… then I found Peter there. His name is Peter, by the way. He’s thirteen.” 

“Oh my god, Tony.” 

“I know. His parents are dead. That I know of. He has no other living family members, or any at all that I could find-” 

Pepper cut him off. “If he's from Hydra, what did they do to him there? What could they possibly want with a little boy?” 

Tony wasn’t too sure about that just yet. “I know they did experiments on him. He’s incredibly strong. And he has super hearing. Uh, I don’t know what else he can do yet. He doesn’t really talk.” 

“What do you mean?” Asked Pepper. “Like he doesn’t speak English?” 

“No, he does. But his vocabulary isn’t very good. I don’t know. Just wait until he wakes up and see for yourself.” He walked around the desk and sat down, taking notice that his computer was left on and he never leaves it on. 

“How did he end up there?” 

His attention was pulled back onto her. “Um… he was kidnapped when he was six years old. I don’t know the full story.” 

“So,” She walked around the desk too. “he has to remember a life before he was taken by those… monsters.” 

Tony highly doubted that. Even if he did, it would be such a distant memory it would almost seem like a dream. 

“I don’t know. I’m not a child psychologist.” 

He leaned back with a sigh and then he heard movement outside the office door. “FRIDAY, is Peter awake?” 

“Yes, Boss. He woke up four minutes ago and is currently walking around the living room.” 

Tony stood up with a groan. “Why didn’t you tell me the kid was awake, FRI?” 

“It is not in my protocols to update you on Peter’s whereabouts if you are on the floor, sir.” FRIDAY replied, a bit too smugly. 

“Okay, well,” Tony turned and looked at Pepper. “I guess I’ll introduce you two.” He unlocked the door and opened it up, leading the way into the living room. 

The couch was empty, only the blanket that he gave to Peter was thrown onto the floor. He looked towards the window and spotted Peter standing in front of it, looking out. “Kid. I’ve Uh, there’s someone here to meet you.” 

Peter turned to the sound of Tony’s voice, looking eager to see him. He started walking and then stopped when he saw the new face. 

“This is Pepper. She’s my wife. Don’t worry, she’s with me, you don’t have to be scared of her. She won’t hurt you.” 

Peter gave a tiny nod and then looked Pepper up and down. He recognized her from the pictures in the hallway so Peter started walking towards it, looking back to see if they were following him. 

When he got to the picture, he climbed up the wall and pointed at it. “You?” 

Tony gasped. His heart felt like it just jumped out of his chest and Pepper must have felt the same way because she grabbed onto Tony’s arm and covered a hand over her mouth. 

“Peter.” Tony walked towards him but it looked like he was doing that so effortlessly. “How are you doing that?” 

This was yet another thing he found out Peter could do. He should be writing all of this down. 

Peter held out one of his hands for Tony. No one at Hydra told him he wasn’t allowed to share his special abilities with Tony Stark, or anyone else he encountered during his time at the tower. 

“I’m sticky.” 

Was all Peter said. Tony held his hand but it felt just like any other hand. “Sticky? What do you mean?” 

Peter didn’t understand. “What do I mean.” He repeated and jumped onto his feet to stand in front of Tony, looking up at him. 

Tony wanted to ask him more questions but he heard Peter’s stomach rumble and the kids face blush and cover his arms over his torso as if trying to prevent the adults from hearing the sounds. 

“Oh, honey. Are you hungry?” Pepper nicely asked, leaning down to be at the boy's height level. 

Peter looked to Tony, almost like he was silently asking for permission. So Tony nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. You need to put some weight on, look how thin you are, kid. Did they even feed you there.” He asked but he knew he wouldn’t get a response so Tony let it go and walked into the kitchen just as the elevator opened up. 

Tony knew it would only be one out of a handful of people since only a few people could simply just walk onto his floor without his permission first. 

He let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding at the sight of Bruce Banner. Tony crossed the distance between them to shake his hand. “Banner. It’s nice to have you in Stark Tower once again. I’m assuming you’re here for him.” 

Bruce took off his glasses and glanced over at Peter staring straight into his soul from across the room. “Tony. It’s good to be back. I Uh, I heard about the mission. Fury wanted me to come up and check him out. He says you’re refusing to let them up.” 

“Them? Ross is here too?” 

Bruce nodded. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, he is.” 

“Fantastic. I already brought the kid down to see those goons and they’re still after me.” Tony was frustrated about that. 

“Perhaps they’re worried about you. I think they believe the kid is dangerous.” 

Tony scuffed. “He’s a child. Look at him. He’s like two feet tall and probably about twenty pounds.” 

Bruce looked Peter up and down. “He’s thirteen, correct?” 

“Yeah.” 

Bruce took that into consideration. “Perhaps they are just afraid of the boy hurting you. You don’t know what he’s capable of, Tony.” 

Tony raised his eyebrows at his science buddy. “Are you saying you’re scared of a little boy, Brucie? Because I can assure you, he’s harmless.” 

“Alright. I’ll have a look at him. You may need to sort out a few things downstairs. Ross and Fury are talking with Steve and Natasha in the conference room about relocating the boy.” 

Tony groaned. “Of course. Do you have this? I gotta go work this out.” 

“Yeah. Yeah. I’ve got Pepper here too.” 

With that, Tony left. 

In hindsight, he should have stayed with Peter.