Lockdown Part One
"Hi Happy!"
"Kid."
Peter shoved his backpack onto the leather seat next to him as he closed the door to the car."So why are you here on a wednesday? Lab days are on Friday."
"Not sure Pete, you'll have to ask Tony."
Peter sighed and leaned back against his seat. It was a long drive to the compound and he was on fall break, which sadly meant that he had about five projects do when he went back. The teen put in his headphones and pressed play.
By the time they pulled up to the compound, Peter was halfway finished with his essay over the multiverse. He shoved it into his bag, hoping it wouldn’t crinkle too much.
“Bye happy! See ya later.” Peter waved and turned to open the doors to the compound as Happy drove away. The tall glass doors parted automatically in front of him and he walked in.
Despite having been to the compound numerous times, the size of it still left him in awe. The rooms and endless hallways formed a maze. On his first few times there, he had gotten lost on the way to the lab. Had it not been for FRIDAYs occasional guidance, he would still be lost. As Peter made his way through the twists and turns he looked at the rooms. Big glass walls lined the café. The training room sat dark and unused, save for Peter’s training and Rhodeys physical therapy. Empty weapon racks lined the walls, empty indentions meant to hold shields and arrows. Tony never went in there to train. Not since Peter had known him but there were blast marks on the wall that could’ve only been from the Iron Man suit. There was a smaller gym on an upper floor that Tony spared in. Peter continued his journey, looking down every dark corridor. There were long hallways lined with empty bedrooms, gathering dust. Up til now Peter never noticed how lonely the compound seemed. What’s the point of having something so big but leaving half of it empty? Peter knew that wasn’t the intention. The avengers were supposed to grow and become hope embodied. That’s why Mr.Stark made it so big, so his family could grow. But that didn’t happen.
Peter arrived at the lab, still lost in his thoughts. He didn’t realize he was there until he tried to open the door but it was locked. He pulled again. The glass was translucent so Peter knew there were lights on but couldn’t make out any figures.
“Fri? Why is it locked?”
“Sorry Mr.Parker. Tony recently installed a security lock on the door. Just place your hand on the highlighted area.”
A small rectangle on the door glowed and Peter places his hand there as directed. The door clicked.
“Mr.Stark?” Peter hesitantly opened the door. AC/DC filled his ears as it blared through the lab. A string of curse words came from the left of peter as something exploded.
“God. Dummy fix this.”
The robot quickly came with a fire extinguisher and put out the small flames.
“Hey Pete. Didn’t see ya come in. What’s up?”
Tony seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Peter was there two days early and neglected to mention the added security.
“Sorry I just got here. Why am I here exactly? I mean I’m happy to be here don’t get me wrong, I just usually don’t come until Fridays and I don’t have school for the rest of the week so it doesn’t really matter but uh I um” Peter looked up sheepishly and made eye contact with Tony.
The older just grinned and shook his head. “You worry to much kid. I know you like me cause who doesn’t right?” The hero laughed and continued, “so I invited you over here today because you’re on fall break and Aunt Hottie is working a lot so I thought you could crash here. May already agreed and I bought some stuff so you would be comfortable. You can say no.”
Peter nodded eagerly and Tony seemed to let out a breath. He nodded towards Peter’s usual work station and began to explain what he was working on. Peter commented every now and then, explaining his own inventions or ideas. They continued on like that for hours, comfortable silence eventually settling.
It was late when Peter’s spidey-senses went off. The hair on the back of his neck pricked and his spine straightened.
“Mr.Stark something is wrong.”
Tony looked up at the teen and his eyes went wide.
“Hey,” an unfamiliar voice spoke.
Peter turned towards it and was met with firery red hair and green eyes. Peter stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair, “You’re black widow. You’re a criminal. Um what uh what are you- Mr.Stark?” Peter turned to Tony and searched his face, but Tony’s eyes were still on Natasha.
“What Tony surprised to see me? I said I’d visit.”
“No offense Romanov but I thought it was just another lie.” There was no friendliness in Tony’s voice. Whatever bond they had once had was lost.
“Come on Tony don’t be like that. I’m here for a reason.” Her brow furrowed as she stared at Tony.
Peter coughed, alerting everyone to his presence.
Natasha turned and looked Peter over. Large brown eyes looked back at her, confusion and resentment filling his expression.
“This is important Tony send the intern home.”
Peter shifted nervously as silence filled the room. Peter knew he was technically an “intern” but nobody really ever referred to him as one.
Tony sighed and rubbed his face, “No peter stays. He was supposed to stay the weekend anyways so I’m not sending him home.”
The determination in his voice surprised Nat. What intern would Tony fight like this for? “Fine. He can stay but this is dangerous business Tony, he shouldn’t be included. Send him to his room or something.”
Before Tony could speak peter interrupted, “Hey I’m not a kid! You of all people can’t just send me to my room. I literally fought side by side with you so dangerous is relative- oh shit.”
“Oh my god kid. I’m going to have to put a mute in your brain I swear to god.” Tony sat down and squeezed his eye shut. This kid would be the death of him.
Nat just smiled, “Fought side by side, huh? You wouldn’t happen to be Spider-Man would you?”
Peter panicked and said the first thing that came to mind, “you wouldn’t happen to have almost gotten Mr.Stark killed would you?”
Tony’s head shot up and Nat looked surprised.
“Kid ok that’s enough. Wait for me in the common room. Order pizza or something.”
Peter nodded and quickly left.
There was another gap in conversation after the teen left.
May spoke first, “so he’s Spider-Man and runs on pure instinct?”
Tony chuckled and nodded, “yeah. He’s learning.”
“From what I’ve heard about Rogers when he was young, he reminds me of him.”
Tony stood up and held up his hand, “don’t Nat. What do you want? You said there was a reason for trespassing.”
“You know we’re still family right? You don’t have to act so cold.”
“Don’t act so cold? Oh sorry you’re right I should welcome you with open arms and ignore Ross and the rest of the UN pounding on my door everyday to make sure I’m not harboring you and your ragtag team of misfits. So don’t act friendly to me right now. Just say your piece and we’ll go from there.”
Nat tried to mask the pain she felt. Everything was falling apart. “Something is coming here. I don’t know what or who, but I know it’s bad. They killed an army base of 20 people last night. I’m not sure why they are targeting the compound but it is an Avengers headquarters. They could be here anytime.”
Tony froze in his spot. Peter was at the compound. In possible danger. “How do you know this?”
“Anonymous tip. I trust the source Tony.”
“Yeah like you’re trust really matters.”
“God Tony. There have to be more people than just us three here right? Janitors or security guards? You need to get them out. Even Spider-Man. I’m assuming he didn’t sign up to fight today.”
Tony nodded and addressed the AI, “Fri?”
“On it boss. I’m sending all staff home and turning on “this bitch empty” protocol.”
Nat looked at Tony quizzically at the name.
“Dammit Peter.”
“Peter? Is that his name? Well are you sending him home too?”
“No. Peter wouldn’t let me. He’s always disobeying so he may as well stay with me then stay without me.”
“Ok well you should tell him what we know, however little.”
“I will but I don’t want you anywhere near him, you understand?”
“Tony I’m not gonna hurt the kid.”
Tony stared straight at her until she nodded. He left the room to go find peter and Nat followed far behind.
“Ok so don’t trust her but if I can’t find you she can help?”
“Yes. She’s a spy and an amazing agent so I trust her to keep you safe if I can’t.”
“But everything will be ok, right?” Peter’s voice shook slightly. This whole situation had too many gaps. How do you fight back against something you don’t know? He took a bite of his pizza and studied the design of the table. What if something did happen? What if there were casualties? He couldn’t loose Mr.Stark.
“Hey,” Tony’s voice was soft and gentle as he looked at Peter,” everything will be fine. These are just precautions, ok?”
Peter nodded and looked over to the woman sitting on the other side of the room, motionless and alone.
“Mr.Stark?”
“Hmm?”
“I know we shouldn’t trust her but she did come to warn us. Could she at least eat with us? Look at her. She used to call this place home but now she isn’t welcomed and none of her friends are here. This must be really hard for her.”
“Kid you’re too good. She’s a spy, that’s just her resting face.”
“Is that why she’s tightly clinging to an arrow necklace?”
Tony turned and Nat was still wearing the necklace her and Barton had shared for so long. “Fine. She doesn’t need to wallow alone. Nat!”
She turned at the mention of her name.
“Peter is too innocent for his own good and wants you to eat with us so don’t hurt his feelings and sit your butt down.”
Natasha slowly stood up and walked over to the pair. She had expected to be hated or ignored, but she just couldn’t figure Tony out anymore. He didn’t fit textbook definitions.