Family Secrets

Maria had just landed in New York so she could check up on her nephew before heading back to D.C. She still had not heard anything from her brother but wasn’t thinking too much of it. She knew Coulson could be a stickler for details so they were probably still meeting. She had tossed her bag into the trunk of the car Happy had left for her when her phone rang. Thinking it was Tony, she didn’t check the caller id and just answered.

“How’d the meeting go?”

“Maria, it’s Rhodey.” She got as a response. “You need to get to Shield. Now.”

“Why? Did the meeting not go well?” She asked as she got into the car.

Tony and Maria had told Rhodey earlier that day about the meeting just in case Tony needed backup.

“There was no meeting. Stane saw to that.” He told her.

Maria’s eyes widened in fear. “Oh god. What happened?”

“I don’t know everything but Stane broke into the mansion and stole Tony’s reactor…” He began explaining.

“Please tell me Tony is okay Rhodey. Please.” Maria interrupted her brother's best friend. 

“He’s fine Ria.” He assured her. “He was a little worse for wear when I found him but he’s fine. He took his suit and went to help Pepper and the Shield team with Stane. He apparently has his own suit now.” 

Maria groaned as she drove. “Because of course he does.”

Before Maria could continue talking, Rhodey spoke up. “Maria, there’s something you need to know.”

“What?”

“Stane is the one that hired the 10 Rings to go after Tony. They were supposed to kill him.”

Maria was silently fuming. Everything was finally starting to make sense and she was angry with herself for not seeing this and she was livid with Obidiah Stane. “I’m going to kill him, Rhodey. I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“Well get in line. Tony gets first crack at him.” Rhodey told her. 

Maria growled in frustration. “Where are you right now?”

“I’m on my way to base to make sure he doesn’t have any more encounters with the Air Force and I need you to keep Shield from killing him accidentally.”

Maria was now speeding through Queens on her way to Peter. “Well I’m still on forced vacation so there’s not much that I can do.”

“Shit.” He groaned before staying silent for a few moments. “Alright I’ll figure something out.”

“Rhodey. Keep me updated.” She told the airman before he could hang up. 

“Always.” He told her as he hung up.

Once she was off the phone with Rhodey, she called Happy. 

“Yeah.” He answered sleepily. 

“You had better not be outside sleeping where my nephew currently is.” Maria growled.

“What. No. I’m awake.” He sputtered out, sounding much more awake.

“Sure.” Maria said not believing him. “Are you outside the apartment building?”

“Yeah, I’m out front.” He told her before adding. “Don’t worry, No ones around for the next hour so you can come by.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She told him before she hung up.

She continued to race through the streets of Queens towards the Parkers apartment building. Once she pulled onto the street, she started looking for a parking spot. She managed to find a spot about half a block down. Getting out of her car, she made her way over to the black Suburban that Happy was sitting in. When she got closer to the SUV, he rolled the window down. 

“Anything?” She asked. 

“Nothing. Everything has been quiet.” He told her. 

“Good.” She said and she looked up and down the street. “You’ll have new orders in the morning. Either from Tony or me.”

“I’m not military. I don’t take orders. How are you and the boss even related?” He said to her. 

“Not in the mood right now Hap.” She said as her head was still looking around, scanning the street. 

“Okay, what’s going on?” He asked her. “You’re more twitchy than usual.” 

“Yeah well when your brother's COO orders a hit on him and then leaves him for dead after stealing the one thing keeping him alive, you tend to be a little paranoid.” She spit out angrily. 

Happy was stunned. He had never been a fan of Obidiah’s but he never thought the man would try to kill anyone. “Maria I had no idea.”

Maria shook her head at him. “No one did Hap. No one’s blaming you or anyone else.” She assured him. 

Maria’s hand flew to her waist when a car pulled up behind her. As the window rolled down she let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Mary’s brother Ben. 

“Maria.” Ben greeted her. 

“Ben.” Maria returned. 

Maria had met May and Ben on multiple occasions, usually at birthday parties for Peter so they were aware of the secret Stark. 

“What are you doing out so late?” She asked as she walked over to the open window. 

“Got called into work a case.” He told her. “What are you doing here?” 

“Just in the neighborhood, thought I’d come by for a visit.” She told her nephew's uncle. 

Ben let out a chuckle. “Why do I doubt that?” He asked her. 

“Because cops are distrusting people.” Maria told him teasingly. 

Ben shook his head. “Are you allowed to come up for the night or are you forced to stay out here as well?”

Maria looked back at Happy very confused.

“I’m working.” Happy defended himself. 

Maria just looked at him dumbfounded. “Tony never would have told you that you were not allowed to go inside the apartment.” 

“I’m a professional.” He defended. 

“Since when?” Maria asked in a mocking tone. 

“Why did I think working for Starks would be smart?” He mumbled.

Maria and Ben laughed at Happy before Maria turned back to Ben. “As long as it's not an issue with you or May.”

Ben waved away her worry. “It's fine. Let me park and then we’ll head up.”

Ben pulled away to find a parking spot while Maria went back to filling Happy in on what Rhodey had told her. Once she could see Ben walking up to the building she said goodbye to Happy and went over to Ben, who led her over to the elevator.

“You know. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask.” Ben said as the elevator doors closed.

Maria was confused. “Ask what?”

“That wasn’t a gun you were reaching for when I pulled up was it?” He asked with a glance.

Maria just stared straight ahead. “That depends. How do you want me to answer?”

Ben turned his head so that he was looking directly at her. “The way that I don’t have to go back to work tonight.”

“Then no.” She said as the doors to the elevator opened on the Parker’s floor.

“Uh-huh.” Ben let out as he led Maria down the hall to the apartment.

As he opened the door to the dimly lit apartment, he stepped aside so that Maria could step inside and closed and locked the door behind her. 

“Alright so May is already asleep, she’s got to be up early for her shift tomorrow but I’ll leave her a note letting her know that you’re here.” Ben told her quietly. “Let me get some blankets and a pillow for you and I’ll make up the couch for you.”

Maria stopped him before he could leave the room. “Actually, I was hoping that I could spend the night in Pete’s room so that I can keep an eye on him.”

Ben stopped and looked at Maria. “Keep an eye on him?” He looked towards the door to the room that their shared nephew was sleeping in before he looked back to her. “Is there something more that I should be worried about?”

Maria was quick to calm the detective’s worries. “No. Tony just decided to tell me what’s going on and it freaked me out a bit.” 

Ben stood quietly for a few seconds before speaking. “You know. For a spy you’re a shit liar.”

Maria's eyes widened for a split second before she managed to school her facial expression. “Spy? Ben I work for the state department. Why do you think I am a spy?”

“Just a combination of things that I have noticed over the years and things that Peter has said.” Ben told her. “I’m not asking for any details but Peter is the only thing I have left of my sister so I want to know if there’s something that I need to worry about.”

Maria sighed and ran her hand over her face. “I’m not sure yet. Come morning I’ll hopefully know more and when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

Ben nodded his head. “That’s all I ask.” He motioned towards Peter's room. “You and Tony really shouldn’t have let the spy stuff slip out in front of him. Kid can’t keep a secret if his life depended on it.”

Maria pinched the bridge of her nose. “That was probably more me than him. When Tony went missing he was around me a lot and overheard me talking to a lot of people.” She filled him in. “Does May…” She trailed off, not sure how to word her question. 

Ben shook his head. “She just thinks it's Pete’s imagination.”

“Well that’s one victory for today.” She muttered. 

Ben yawned. “Well I’m going to bed. Sixteen hour shifts aren’t as easy as they used to be.” He yawned again. “You know where everything is right?”

“Yeah. Go get some sleep.” Maria told him as she made her way to Peter’s room. 

She quietly opened the door, smiling at the sight of her nephew's sleeping form. She gently closed the door and took off her shoes before she carefully climbed onto the bed, between Peter and the wall. Once she was situated, she upholstered her gun and carefully wedged it between the mattress and the wall before she settled in for what she expected to be a sleepless night, running her hand through Peter’s hair.

While Maria was settling onto Peter’s bed, Tony was landing on the roof of the building that housed the Arc reactor that powered the factory.

“Potts!” He called over the phone as his faceplate opened.

Pepper, who was standing at the foot of the building, was relieved to hear her boss's voice. “Tony! Oh, my God, are you okay?”

Tony began shedding pieces of his armor in desperation. “I'm almost out of power. I've got to get out of this thing. I'll be right….”

Before he could finish talking, Obidiah landed behind him. The building shook under the weight that had just landed on it. “Nice try!” He growled as he swung at Tony’s smaller suit.

Tony held up his hand to use a repulsor, only to remember that he had shedded that piece moments earlier. 

Obidiah swung again, this time connecting. Tony slid backward until he was able to regain his footing. He ran forward and activated his boots and his one repulsor and punched Obidiah’s suit’s head. Before he could get away, Obidiah grabbed him and started to squeeze him.

“Weapons status?” Tony gritted out in pain for Jarvis.

“Repulsors offline. Missiles offline.” Jarvis informed him as the screen in the face plate began to crack.

“Flares!” Tony yelled and flares shot out of the legs of his suit which caused Obidiah’s suit to malfunction and allowed Tony to escape.

“Potts?” He whispered.

“Tony!” She let him know she was still there.

“This isn't working. We're going to have to overload the reactor and blast the roof.” Tony told her.

Pepper was confused by the fact that Tony told her that. “Well, how are you going to do that?”

“You're going to do it.” Tony told her. “Go to the central console, open up all the circuits. When I get clear of the roof, I'll let you know. You're going to hit the master bypass button. It's going to fry everything up here.”

“Okay. I'm going in now.” She told her boss as she tip-toed over the broken glass that used to be the doors.

“Make sure you wait till I clear the roof.” Tony reminded her. “I'll buy you some time.” Tony said before he snuck around behind Obidiah and jumped up on his back. “This looks important!” He yelled as stuck his arm down Stanes' back and ripped something out.

Obidiah reached behind him and grabbed Tony by the head and threw him, ripping Tony’s helmet off in the process. “I never had a taste for this sort of thing, but I must admit, I'm deeply enjoying the suit!” Obidiah yelled as his suit opened, revealing himself to Tony while he crushed Tony’s helmet. “You finally outdid yourself, Tony! You'd have made your father proud!”

“I don’t give a shit what my father would have thought of me.” Tony growled.

Obidiah laughed as he started shooting wildly in Tony’s direction, causing him to fall through the glass ceiling. Tony managed to grab hold of one of the frames before he fell all the way through. “How ironic, Tony! Trying to rid the world of weapons, you gave it its best one ever!”

“Pepper!” Tony yelled.

“And now I'm going to kill you with it!” Obidiah yelled as he fired a missile in Tony’s direction that landed behind him. “You ripped out my targeting system!”

“Time to hit the button!” Tony called down to his assistant. 

“You told me not to!” She called back up.

“Hold still, you little prick!” Obidiah growled as he fired another rocket that missed.

“Just do it!” Tony pleaded.

“You'll die!” She cried.

Obidiah fired another rocket that landed closer to Tony, nearly causing him to fall. “Push it!”

Pepper pressed the button and the reactor overloaded. The resulting blast threw Tony clear but Obidiah was caught in the bright beam of light and was subsequently electrocuted. After the beam subsided, Obidiah’s lifeless form fell down to the remnants of the reactor. Once his suit reached the reactor itself, the reactor exploded in a fireball. 

The combination of the fight with Stanes’ armor and the explosion of the Arc reactor proved too much and Tony passed out, his chest piece flickering.