All roads lead here
Peter didn’t want to sleep.
Weirdly enough, he missed their tent at Steve’s camp. He missed their tent on the beach more than anything but now they were in a house together, Peter’s been here without his dad so it wasn’t anything new to him but that didn’t mean he didn’t like it.
He turned over on the bed and sighed. He could hear his dad talking to someone in the living room but he didn’t know who it was.
There were footsteps leading to the room so Peter covered the blankets over his head. The bed weighed down as someone sat on it and then there was a hand on his back. “I know you’re awake.” Said Tony.
Peter removed the blankets from over his head. “Hi.”
Tony caressed his baby’s face, taking it all in. “I’m gonna go with Steve for a few minutes and I’m gonna be right back.”
The eight year old turned away from his dad. “Whatever. I’m not even gonna be here tomorrow this time so it doesn’t matter.”
That hurt to hear. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry, I’m doing this to protect you.” He rubbed his nose against Peter’s. “Stay with Steve. He’ll keep you safe.”
Peter whimpered. “Who’s gonna keep you safe?”
Tony didn’t have an answer for Peter because there was none. “I’ll be fine. I love you.” He kissed Peter’s cheek and waited for Peter to say something but when he didn’t, he left.
Peter watched his dad leave and quickly wiped the tears that fell down his cheeks. He kicked the blankets off and sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the side.
He didn’t want to go home without his dad. He didn’t want to be away from his daddy.
Peter wiped desperately at his face again but stopped once he heard something. He listened carefully, knowing it wasn’t his dad but someone else walking towards the room he was in. He didn’t have time to hide as the door opened up and Locke walked in, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Peter titled his head in confusion. Locks rarely talked to him so he didn’t know why the man was in his room. “What are you doing here-”
“Shh.” Locke held his finger up to his lips and stepped towards Peter. “You’re going to be leaving on the submarine first thing tomorrow morning,” Peter eyed him. “and your dad is going to be staying behind. You can stop that.”
Peter slid off the bed and looked up at Locke. “Daddy says I have to go.”
“But don’t you wanna stay here so you can be with your dad? Don’t you want that?” Locke grabbed onto Peter’s hands, kneeling down so he was at Peter’s height level.
Peter nodded.
“I’ll help you then. If you don’t want to leave, you shouldn’t have to.”
Peter nodded again. “Yeah, I don’t want to. But-but how do I stay?”
Locke stood up. “I’ll show you. I’ll help you but you need to do something for me first.”
Peter followed him out of the bedroom. “What do you want me to do? How am I gonna stay?” He asked, curious to know how he was going to stay on the island with his dad.
“We’re gonna blow up the submarine.”
Peter gasped. He didn’t want to do that since it sounded scary and he knew he was going to get in trouble. “No. What if we get hurt?”
“We won’t.” Locke looked around the corner and once he saw it was clear, he walked towards the front door. “C’mon, I need you to get something for me first.”
Peter ran over to Locke and followed him outside. He knew his dad was going to be very upset with him for leaving the house and doing what he’s about to do but he was eight years old, he was old enough to make his own decisions and do what he wanted. And he didn’t want to leave.
Locke lifted him over a small white fence and hopped over it after him. They kneeled down near a bush, in front of one of the yellow houses. “That’s Ben's house. He shouldn’t be home. Inside his living room, there’s a green backpack, I need you to grab it for me and bring it back out here.”
Peter didn’t know. “Why can’t you do it?”
“Because, Peter,” Locke looked down at him. “if I go and if Ben's home, he’ll kill me. You need to be the one to grab the pack and bring it back out to me.”
Peter hesitated. He was scared. “If I do this for you, then will I stay with my daddy?”
“I promise you.”
Peter nodded and looked around. He didn’t see anyone. It was dark out, the only light coming from the one light pole in the middle of the tiny village. He stood up and looked back at Locke briefly before walking around to the back bedroom window.
He quietly slid it open and stepped on a rock to boost himself into the house. Peter grabbed onto the ledge and pulled himself inside, landing on his feet.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He was going to get in so much trouble. Peter couldn’t hear anyone so he ran into the living room and looked around for the green backpack.
It wasn’t anywhere so he looked harder, thinking Locke was setting him up but then he spotted it next to the couch so he grabbed it and ran back into the bedroom, climbing out the window and running around front back to Locke.
“I got it. I got it.” Peter whispered, kneeling down beside the man and trying to calm his racing heart. He couldn’t afford to have an asthma attack at that moment.
“Good job.” Locke opened the pack and quickly looked inside, smiling before closing it back up and swinging it around his shoulders. “Let’s get going. The sub is through the trees down there.”
Peter looked around then ran after Locke. “Wait. I can’t-I can’t run that fast.” He tried to keep up with the man but it was harder for him for many reasons. Locke slowed down and lifted him over a big rock, climbing over it after him.
“Is it down that dock?” Peter asked, pointing down the dark boardwalk just beyond the tree line.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go place the C-4 in the sub, you wait here.”
Peter grabbed Locke’s arms. “No. I’m helping. I know C-4 is explosives. I’m not leaving this island without my daddy. I wanna help.”
Locke kneeled down and grabbed Peter’s arms. “This island is very special. You’re not the only one who doesn’t want to leave.”
“How’s it special? Is that why you don’t wanna leave?” Peter tilted his head, not understanding why Locke was doing all of this for him but he got the idea that Locke wasn’t doing it for him but rather for himself.
“This place, it’s not like any other place in the world. There’s a lot of magic spots on the island.”
Peter was curious to know more. “Like the monster in the jungle? Is it magic too?”
“Kinda. I wish I could tell you more but we’re running out of time.” Locke stood up and ran down to the dock with Peter running behind him. At the end of the dock was the top half of the submarine sticking out of the water.
Peter’s eyes went wide. “Woah. Maybe-maybe we shouldn’t blow it up? We could get in trouble. Locke. Locke?”
It was too late because Locke was already opening up the top and climbing in with the C-4.
Peter squatted down to watch him climb in until he lost sight of him. “Locke. I don’t wanna do this anymore. Locke?!” He stood up and looked around. It was pitch black out so he could barely see anything and it was incredibly scary. He couldn’t even see the ocean in front of him.
“Go, Peter. You’ve done your part.” Locke called from inside the submarine so Peter kneeled back down to look inside.
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m sorry I had to involve you in this.”
Peter stood up and hesitated before jumping off the submarine, onto the dock and running back into the jungle. He saw people with torches walking towards the dock and then he spotted his dad so he ran towards him. “Daddy! Daddy! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, daddy!”
“Woah, Peter?” Tony kneeled down to see why Peter was freaking out and why the hell he wasn’t in bed, at the house where he left him. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you at the house?”
Peter shook his head aggressively and grabbed onto his hands. “I’m sorry! I didn’t wanna leave without you! I’m so sorry!”
“What did you do?” Tony asked just as there was a loud explosion in front of them down the dock. He quickly grabbed Peter and tried to block him from the explosion.
Tony looked towards the explosion and saw the submarine up in flames. He stood up, not believing what he was seeing. That was Peter’s only way off the island. “No.” He said in complete disbelief.
He looked down the dock and saw Locke walking down it, soaking wet.
Tony walked towards him. “What did you do?! That was my kid's way off this island!”
Locke held his arms up in surrender but Peter ran in front of him, trying to stop his dad from hurting Locke. “Stop! Daddy! It’s my fault! I-I’m the one who did it. Don’t be mad at Locke.”
Tony looked down at Peter. He wasn’t mad at him but he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do now. “Why, Peter?”
“I told you I didn’t wanna leave without you!” Peter screamed, way too worked up. “I meant it.”
Tony ran his hands through his hair and faced away from the two of them.
“I’m sorry I had to involve your son, Stark, but it appeared that we shared the same interests of not leaving the island.”
Tony didn’t care. He grabbed Peter’s hand and roughly pulled him towards the houses.
Peter struggled to keep up. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Stop, I’m sorry.” Tony ignored him and kept walking so Peter ripped his hand out of his dad’s grip. “STOP! I told you I didn’t wanna leave without you and you didn’t listen to me so I did what I wanted to do. I blew up the submarine because of you!”
Tony felt like such a failure. He kneeled down and grabbed Peter’s hips, bringing him closer to himself. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Peter. I’m just trying to do what’s best for you and that submarine was going to take you home.”
“It’s not gonna be home without you.” Peter whimpered, slowly moving to wrap his arms around his dad’s neck. “I am sorry. But… I don’t wanna take back what I did. I’m not leaving you.”
Tony lifted Peter into his arms and walked back to May’s house, focusing on the fact that Peter was okay and that he wasn’t leaving the island tomorrow and leaving him which selfishly made Tony feel a little bit better.
He walked into the house and shut the door, finding May standing in the middle of the living room. “What was that big explosion?”
Tony didn’t want to say it. He ran his hand through his hair but Peter was speaking. “I blew up the submarine.”
May’s jaw dropped. “You what?”
Peter buried his face in his dad’s neck. “I didn’t wanna leave my daddy.”
Tony rubbed at his back and walked towards the bedroom. “Locke made him do it.”
“No. He didn’t make me do anything.” Peter lifted his head up and insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.
Tony didn’t want to fight with Peter anymore tonight. He carried him into the bedroom and shut the door.
He had no idea what he was going to do now.