Civil War
"Who's going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead . . . and I blame you." Tony blinked a few times, as the woman disappeared from his view. His chest tightened with panic, and he hit the elevator button several times a little too harshly. He kept his head down as he headed to the car. Happy sends him a concerned look, but he waves it off, fishing his phone out of his pocket.
"Hey Dad, what's up?" he felt something in his chest loosen at the voice on the other end.
"How are you feeling squirt?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light. There was a beat of silence on the other end, and he knew Peter was trying to listen to his breathing, and in light of recent events, he could probably hear it.
"What happened?" Peter finally asked, his voice calm, but concerned. Tony felt a little guilty at the fact that his 14 year old son was trying to take care of him instead of the other way around.
"Nothing, just something someone said to me. It's fine. Stop deflecting. How are the senses today?" he asked quickly, trying to turn the attention away from him. Peter let out an annoyed huff, but luckily decided to let it drop.
"They were a little bit much today, but those glasses and head phones we built are helping a lot." Peter said, and Tony felt relieved. The past couple months had been a whirlwind since Peter returned from his field trip to Oscorp. He had come home and gotten really sick, so sick that Tony thought he was going to lose him. But then the sickness left as quick as it came, and now they were dealing with the aftermath of learning that their kid now had super powers.
He was about to respond, when he heard Peter gasp.
"What is it bud?" Tony asked, sitting up and motioning for Happy to step on the gas. He felt the car accelerate as Peter responded.
"That mission, that Mama was on...in Lagos? There was just an explosion, they are saying the Avengers did it." Peter replied. Tony felt his breath catch in his throat.
"Shit. Okay, bud go down to the lab, you know where to go, and wait for me there. I'm going to try and get a hold of Mom." Tony said, looking out the window to see how close he was to the tower.
"Why do I have to go down there?" Peter asked, but Tony knew he was already headed that way.
"Because. If the Avengers did this, we might get some government officials knocking at the door, and they don't need to find you." Tony said quickly. Peter huffed but agreed, before hanging up. He quickly dialed his wife's number, hoping she would pick up.
"Everyone's fine." Natasha's voice filtered through the phone. Tony let out a slight sigh of relief.
"What happened?" he asked simply, needing to know all the facts.
"I'm not sure, honestly. Cap hasn't said much. We are headed back now, we should get there in about an hour or so. How did your speech go?" Natasha asked then, and he knew it was bad if she was trying to deflect.
"Natasha." he heard her let out a sigh, as well as a curse in Russian.
"I know." she said. Tony ripped open the car door as soon as Happy came to a stop in the garage.
"What do you need Boss?" he asked. Tony stopped at the elevator and turned.
"Pete's in the safe room. Will you go make sure he stays there and stays safe?" Tony asked, earning a curt nod from his driver and he turned back to the elevator.
"This is all they need to pin us down, Tash." Tony said, turning his attention back to his wife.
"I know." she said again, her voice tired.
"I'm headed to the office. I'll hold them off as long as I can." he said, already feeling his headache from the BARF presentation making itself known.
"We'll get there as soon as we can." she replied, before hanging up.
"Sir, Secretary Ross is on the line for you." JARVIS said as soon as he crossed the threshold.
"Put him on, J." he said, fixing his tie.
---
"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey said, and Tony wanted to snort. Rhodey didn't like Ross just like he didn't, but he was grasping at straws to convince the others. Tony just laid there, arm over his eyes to block out the light.
"So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they lo-jack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam retorts, his voice hard like he was ready for a fight.
"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'" Rhodey retorts, incredulously.
"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam asks then, his voice accusing.
"I have an equation." Vision then speaks up, voice calm and even like always.
"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam replies sarcastically.
"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate." Vision continues anyway, voice flat.
"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve jumps in, and Tony can hear the defense in his voice.
"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict...breeds catastrophe. Oversight...oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand." Vision responds calmly. Tony had to hand it to the guy. Android or not it took serious skill to not take Cap's attitude to heart.
"Boom." Rhodey cheers, a bit smug. He snorts, and he can feel everyone's gaze jump to him. Natasha brushes her hand through his hair, gently, and he moves his hand a bit to look up at her.
"You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal." his wife says gently, a smirk on her face at the attempted joke. Tony lets his lips turn up a bit in a grateful smile, before it's wiped off his face when Steve speaks up, voice hard in challenge.
"It's because he's already made up his mind." He feels Natasha squeeze his arm in sympathy, before he responds, his arm returning over his eyes.
"Boy, you know me so well." he replies flatly, he steels himself and stands up, his eyes protesting the light. He winces a bit, rubbing the back of his head, before heading to the small kitchen attached to the room.
"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." he continues, forcing his voice to come out conversationally. He grabs the pain reliever and a mug from the cupboard before walking to the sink.
"That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" he feels himself snap for a second, before he takes a breath to compose himself. He fills the mug with water, while fiddling with the pills in his palm. He sets his phone down on the counter in front of him, tapping it a few times. The picture that's been haunting him pulls up in a hologram. He points at it, smiling bitterly.
"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul, before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia." Tony spits, bitterly. He doesn't look over at the group, but he can feel Natasha's eyes burning a hole in the side of his head. He quickly swallows the pills before continuing.
"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." he says then, voice low. He takes one last sip of water, before turning to the others. Natasha was watching him closely, concern in her eyes. The others were avoiding his gaze.
"There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys." Tony finally says after a moment of silence. His voice comes out desperate, which is fitting. He needs them to agree. He needs them to sign.
"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve finally responds, his hands up. Tony feels anger bubble up in him, but tries to keep it down.
"Who said we're giving up?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at the man.
"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." Steve responds firmly, gesturing to the Accords, sitting on the table, unread. Tony noticed no one had even opened it. They were arguing over something half of them haven't even read.
"I'm sorry. Steve. That--that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA." Tony sighs in relief when Rhodey jumps in on his behalf. He sends a grateful look over to his best friend. Rhodey nods imperceptibly before they both turn their attention back to Steve.
"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change." Steve says stubbornly. Tony rolls his eyes.
"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing." he says, swinging his arm to make his point. Steve lets out a sigh, looking very put out by his words.
"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own." Steve says, crossing his arms.
"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty." Tony says back, hoping Steve would just listen to reason.
"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda finally speaks up, voice quiet.
"We would protect you." Vision promises.
"Tony's right." Natasha says, finally speaking up. Tony turns to her, a bit surprised. She hadn't been a big fan of what the government had been planning when he told her about it a few months ago.
"If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off-" Natasha starts, before getting interrupted.
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam interrupts, voice shocked.
"I'm just...I'm reading the terrain. We have made...some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Natasha replies, calmly.
"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony says then, trying to use humor to bring the mood back to something he could handle. Natasha looks at him exasperated, knowing what he was doing.
"Oh, I want to take it back now." she says, flicking him on the nose. He sends her a smile and wink, which she purposely ignores.
"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed--I win." Tony responds, hoping he had successfully lightened the mood. He watches as Steve looks down at his phone, a dark look crossing his face as he reads it. Tony is about to ask what was wrong when the super solider stands up suddenly.
"I have to go." he says quietly, before leaving the room. Tony looks around the room in confusion before his phone starts vibrating on the counter. He looks at it, and his heart drops, realizing what the news Steve just got must have been.
"Sharon." he answers, earning a curious look from everyone.
"She's gone, Tony." Sharon's voice was shaky and thick from crying. He felt his knees give out, and he dropped to the couch next to Natasha.
"When? How are you?" he asks then, voice no more than a whisper.
"Last night. I'm...I'm okay. Mom's not doing too good. Funeral is going to be in a couple days. You should come. Bring Nat and Peter." Sharon said then, and Tony nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"We'll be there. Let me know if the family needs anything okay?" he responds, and he hears his cousin let out a shaky laugh.
"I will. Thanks T, love you" he lets out a shaky laugh of his own.
"Love you too, S. See you soon." He hangs up and rubs his hands down his face. When he looks up he realizes that everyone but Rhodey and Natasha had vacated the room while he was on the phone.
"Peggy's gone." he says, his voice breaking and the tears finally making themselves known. He could feel Natasha and Rhodey sit down next to him, both trying to comfort him in their own ways.
"We need to go to London." he says, after a few minutes. Natasha nods.
"I'll go get Peter and get ready." she says, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head, before leaving. Rhodey gives his shoulder a squeeze before standing up himself.
"I'll hold down the fort." he said. Tony gave him a grateful nod, before standing up and heading up to the penthouse.
---
"When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out that she was alive. I was just lucky to have her." Steve said as soon as she walked up beside him. He didn't even spare her a curious glance.
"She had you back, too." she replied softly, hoping her words were of some comfort.
"Who signed?" he asked then, changing the subject.
"Tony. Rhodey. Vision. Me." she listed off, watching his reaction closely.
"Clint?" he asks, turning to look at her. She notices the red ring around his eyes.
"Says he's retired." she responds with a slight smile. Steve nods a bit, staring at the ground.
"Wanda?" he finally asks, and she turns to him.
"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet." she says, hoping she could finally get through to him. She watches as he shakes his head a bit, and she knows he's made up his mind.
"Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together." she tries softly.
"What are we giving up to do it?" he says after a few moments. She sighs, but nods, not surprised by his response.
"I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it." he says, looking up at her again with an apologetic smile.
"I know." she said, a sad smile on her own face.
"Then what are you doing here?" he asks then, as if he was remembering where they were standing.
"I was here with Tony and Peter. Peggy was Tony's godmother, I met her a couple times, Peter did too." she said softly, watching the surprise cross Steve's face.
"Why didn't he tell me? Where is he?" Steve asked, looking around trying to spot them.
"He didn't want to undermine your grief by playing 'who knew her best'. They headed back to New York." she said, and he looked at her with a pained look.
"I haven't told him. And now with all of this...Peggy wouldn't be very happy with me, I don't think. But I have to do what I think is right." Steve said, guilt pooling in his eyes. Natasha just shrugs her shoulders in response, a little anger bubbling up at his mention of having not told Tony the truth.
"Everyone makes mistakes. Even Captain America." she says, turning to walk away before he could respond.
---
"Yeah?" she answers the call from Steve as she sits on the bench, watching all the panic happen around her.
"You alright?" he asks, his voice casual.
"Ah, yeah, thanks. I got lucky." she furrows her brows when she hears the same sirens around her from over the speaker. "I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please." she says then, looking around to see if she could spot him.
"Are you saying you'll arrest me?" she sighs at the challenge in his voice. She was tired of the fighting already.
"No. Someone will. If you interfere. That's how it works now." she says simply, as if she were talking to a child.
"If he's this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring him in." Steve says instead. She blinks.
"Why?" she continues to look around, trying to spot him in the crowd.
"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying." he says, before hanging up without waiting for her response. She shakes her head.
"Shit." she whispers as she dials a new number.
"You okay?" Tony asks as he answers. She had already called him after the explosion, but she could still hear the worry in his voice.
"I already told you I was. Things are about to get really messy." she says, hearing him curse on the other line.
"Steve's going after him isn't he?" he asks then, voice tired.
"Yep. And that's only going to end with more damage and more problems. Ross isn't going to like it." she says, standing up and heading to the car she knew Tony had sent for her via JARVIS.
"Nope. He's going to pit us against each other. And Steve isn't going to come without a fight. He's going to try and collect people on his side." Tony says then, and she could picture him flinging around holograms as he scrambled for a plan.
"If it gets to that point, we need to call Clint. Make sure he stays out of it. Laura doesn't need her husband getting arrested. Maybe we should send Peter to them." she says then.
"Clint will hopefully have enough sense to lay low. Peter's safer here for now. If it gets worse...you know he'll want to help." Tony says with a helpless laugh.
"I don't know if I'm ready for that." she responds, just as helplessly.
"I don't think we are going to get a choice. The jet's ready for you. Hurry back. I'm going to go see what I can do with Ross." Tony says then, before hanging up.
---
"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." he could hear his wife say, as she walked next to Steve and Sam after they got arrested.
"He's alive." Steve responded, and Tony turned his attention back to the nagging on the other end of the phone call he was on.
"No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup." Tony said. Giving a small smile to Natasha as she came closer.
"Try not to break anything while we fix this." she said to Steve and Sam, and Tony had to hold in a snort. He gave her a brief high five as she came to stand next to him.
"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir." he said, rolling his eyes as he finally got to hang up.
"'Consequences'?" Steve asks as soon as he's off the phone. Tony sends them a smirk.
"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. Had to give him something." Tony said with a shrug. He had told Steve what was going to happen, so he wasn't going to let him off easy.
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asks then, looking between him and Natasha.
"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too." his wife says for him, and he watches as both of the men shake their head. Natasha motions for him to follow her, and they both start to head out.
"That's cold." he hears Sam say behind him. He turns briefly.
"Warmer than jail." he says, before continuing to walk.
"You need to get him to sign. Do whatever you can." Natasha says.
"I know. I'll head back there in a minute. I just want to cool off." She nods sympathetically.
"If anyone can get him to listen, it's you." she says with a smile, before heading off in the direction of the other, more nicer, Ross.
He finds Steve later in a room facing the cell they were keeping Barnes in.
"Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely." he says to start the conversation, setting the case down in front of Steve. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most." he continued, watching as Steve stared down at the pens.
"Some would say it brought our country closer to war." Steve responded, and Tony had to fight down the urge to snap at him.
"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to...what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?" he said instead, trying to mask his annoyance.
"How's Peter?" Steve asks then, changing the subject. Tony shook his head, but figured he'd see if he could use the casual conversation to persuade the stubborn man.
"We're kinda...we've been going through some stuff." he responds, carefully. He wasn't sure how much he wanted Steve to know about Peter's recent development.
"Is he okay?" Steve asked then, brows wrinkled in concern.
"Yes. Now. He wasn't for a while." he said, his voice coming out a bit rough at the memory. He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down.
"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know." Steve said, voice soft and caring. Tony gave him a tight smile.
"A few months ago, I almost lost him. After, I kinda threw myself into this accords stuff. I don't wanna lose him. I thought maybe the Accords could help keep him safe." he could feel the panic building, so he stood up and began to pace. "I just want to show Peter...and Nat that I can be a better man than my Dad." he said then, immediately wishing he didn't bring up his dad. He liked to avoid that topic with Steve as much as he could.
"You know, I'm glad Howard got married and started a family. I only knew him when he was young and single." Steve said, thoughtfully. Tony shook his head, his annoyance getting the better of him.
"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you." He said bitterly, grabbing his suit jacket and putting it back on, straightening his tie.
"I don't mean to make things difficult." Steve sighed, picking up on Tony's impatience.
"I know, because you're a very polite person." Tony said kindly, as he walked over to stand by Steve.
"If I see a situation pointed south...I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could." Tony wanted to scoff at that.
"No, you don't." he says, and watches as Steve gives him a reluctant smile.
"No, I don't. Sometimes..." he trails off, and Tony begins to think how to bring the conversation back to the task at hand.
"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center...instead of a Wakandan prison." He says softly, watching as Steve stares at the pens in front of him, before he picks one up and stands up, a thoughtful look on his face. Tony felt himself holding his breath, hoping he finally got through to the man.
"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards." Steve finally says, after a few moments of tense silence. Tony lets out a breath and sits down in the seat Steve just vacated.
"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated..." and that must have been the wrong thing to say because Steve then turns to him angrily.
"Wanda? What about Wanda?" he accuses, and Tony holds up a hand.
"She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company." he says, hoping that would calm the soldier down, but it seems to only make it worse.
"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way..." Steve says loudly, his face scrunched in anger. He didn't know where this was coming from, he was only trying to protect the woman from Ross, the guy was out for blood.
"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people." he says, exasperated at Steve's reaction.
"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony." Steve says, and Tony wants to laugh at the comparison. He may be a terrible person, but he wouldn't stoop that low. It kind of stung that Steve would think he would.
"She's not a US citizen." he starts to explain.
"Oh, come on, Tony." Steve sneers, and Tony feels his resolve breaking, he was getting more desperate. He had been so close to getting that signature.
"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction." he says in response, his voice rising like Steve's.
"She's a kid!" Steve shouts, and his resolve shatters. He just couldn't argue with a brick wall anymore, it seemed like nothing was going to get through to him.
"GIVE ME A BREAK!" he shouts, and Steve quiets down, he lets out a tired sigh, his voice shaking slightly. "I'm doing what has to be done...to stave off something worse." he finishes, and Steve gives him a disgusted look and nods.
"You keep telling yourself that." he spits, setting the pen back down next to the case. "Hate to break up the set." and with that he was gone. Tony felt himself deflate. How many times was he going to mess this up?
---
"I don't suppose you have any idea where they are?" Ross says then, looking between the two of them.
"We will. GSG-9's got the borders covered. Recon's flying 24/7. They'll get a hit. We'll handle it." Tony said, squeezing his left wrist under the table. He couldn't feel it, and he knew that wasn't normal. But he couldn't worry about himself right now.
"You don't get it, Stark. It's not yours to handle. It's clear you can't be objective. I'm putting Special Ops on this." Ross said angrily, and Natasha spoke up.
"What happens when the shooting starts? What, do you kill Steve Rogers?" she asks incredulously.
"If we're provoked. Barnes would've been eliminated in Romania if it wasn't for Rogers. There are dead people who would be alive now. Feel free to check my math." Ross spits, his voice clearly throwing the blame in their direction.
"All due respect, you're not going to solve this with boys in bullets, Ross. You gotta let us bring them in." Tony said, hoping to control what happens next.
"How would that end any differently from the last time?" Ross scoffs, and Tony stares up at him, his gaze hard.
"Because this time, I won't be wearing loafers and a silk shirt. 72 hours, guaranteed." he says then, looking away, right hand still working his left wrist.
"36 hours. Barnes. Rogers. Wilson." Ross finally relents, before walking out of the room, leaving him and his wife alone. She had been sitting across from him to keep their cover from Ross, but she moved closer once he was gone.
"Thank you, sir." he says to the retreating figure. Once Ross was gone, he rubs a hand over his chest and lets out a shaky breath. He looked up at Natasha, who was staring down at him in concern.
"My left arm is numb, is that normal?" he asks, still rubbing his chest. She narrows her eyes in worry and sits next to him.
"You alright?" she asks quietly. He waves her off, and sits back. He can tell she's not happy with his reaction, but he didn't have time to wallow in his self pity.
"Always. 36 hours, jeez." he sighs, changing the subject. She sends him a glare, that was still laced with concern, before she responds.
"We're seriously understaffed." she replies, turning to him.
"Oh, yeah. It'd be great if we had a Hulk right about now. Any shot?" Tony asked jokingly. They both knew Bruce was no where to be found.
"No. You really think he'd be on our side?" she asks, and he shrugs.
"No." he finally relents. Not if it had anything to do with Ross. Tony hadn't wanted to work with him either, but they had no choice.
"I have an idea." Natasha breaks the silence. Tony looks at her and eyebrow raised.
"Me too. Where's yours?" he replies, she looks at him suspiciously.
"Downstairs. Where's yours?" she asks warily. He just smiles up at her reluctantly. She seems to realize who he means and she shakes her head.
"No." she says sternly. He hold up both of his hands.
"Just hear me out. He already thinks he's ready to do this. If we don't let him, he'll do it behind our backs. I'm hoping we can just talk some sense into Rogers, and all Peter will be doing is helping us contain them. It shouldn't end in a fight." Tony said, watching his wife's eyes carefully. There was a storm of emotions flying through the green orbs, and he could tell she was conflicted.
"Okay. Only to contain. If it ends in a fight, you send him away immediately. Understand?" she says roughly, and he could tell she was struggling with this just as much as he was.
"Of course. I want him safe just as much as you do." Tony said, and she sighed nodding.
"I know. I didn't mean to make it seem like you didn't. You have his suit ready?" she asked then, Tony nodded.
"Okay. Go talk to him. And call Clint. His kids definitely don't need him to be a part of this." she said.
"I will. I love you." he said then, and her gaze softened.
"I love you too. I'd kiss you but there's too many witnesses. I'm going to go see if King T'Challa will help us out. Let me know when you find them."
"Will do." Tony said, and they went their separate ways.
---
"Pete I need you to listen carefully." he says later. He was in his car, secure, with Peter's face projected in front of him. He looked concerned at Tony's tone, and nodded seriously.
"Happy's on his way to come get you. To bring you to Germany. We need your help." Tony said, and he could see Peter trying to mask his excitement.
"We are only trying to bring them in. You are going to come in and take Cap's shield, and that's it. If a fight breaks out, you hightail it out of there and back to Happy, understand?" he says sternly.
"Yeah Dad. I got it. I promise." Peter says, nodding quickly.
"Okay. I'll see you in a bit. And remember what I said. You stay safe no matter what." he demands.
"I know Dad. I will." Peter said, and Tony nodded before waving the call away, letting out a shaky sigh. He really hoped he was doing the right thing. He had one more call to make. He dialed Clint's number and took a breath to compose himself.
"Tony! What's going on? Cap just called saying he needed me to come in? That you and Tasha were trying to bring them in?" Clint asked as soon as he answered, his face confused. Tony could hear the kids in the background.
"It's complicated. They've done some stuff against the Accords. And we have to bring them in before Ross sends out Special Ops." Tony explains, and Clint's face grows serious. He seemed to be contemplating something, before he looked back up at Tony.
"Do you need me?" he asked. Tony shook his head.
"No. That's why I called. We can figure it out. If this goes south, you could get arrested. Laura and the kids don't deserve that." he replies, his voice pleading. Clint shook his head, before Laura came onto the screen.
"Tony. Do you need Clint?" she asked sternly. Tony looked between them for a few seconds and could see the determination on Clint's face.
"It wouldn't hurt." he relented. Laura nodded.
"Then he'll come. I trust you and Nat to keep him safe. You guys are our family too." Laura says gently. Tony blinks back the tears threatening to come.
"Thank you." he said, voice hoarse. Laura sent him a wink before exiting the frame and Clint nodded seriously.
"Where do you need me?" he asks.
"Germany." Tony answers, and watches as Clint starts grabbing his things.
"Okay. I'll be there as fast as I can." he says, pausing his packing to look at Tony.
"Thanks Clint." he says gratefully, before hanging up.
---
"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport. Don't you think that's weird?" He says sarcastically, directing his question at Rhodey, who had just landed next to him.
"Definitely weird." Rhodey replied, looking at him. He opened his face plate to catch the exasperated look Steve sent them.
"Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this." Steve said, and Tony furrowed his eyebrows a bit. He had not idea what Steve was talking about, but before he could ask T'Challa made his dramatic appearance.
"Captain." the man says in greeting. Tony sighs.
"Your highness." Steve says back, always polite.
"Anyway, Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?" Tony started again, walking around Rhodey.
"You're after the wrong guy." Steve says simply, as if what he was preparing to do was normal. As if fighting his friends, was normal.
"Your judgment is askew. Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday." he replied sharply, trying to get the man to see reason.
"And there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let the doctor find them first, Tony. I can't." Steve said, which caught Tony's attention. Steve sounded insane, what super soldiers? He certainly hadn't mentioned anything to Tony. He saw Natasha and Clint come out from behind Steve. He watched as Steve narrowed his eyes at Clint's presence.
"Steve...you know what's about to happen. Do you really wanna punch your way out of this one?" his wife says calmly. Tony looked around, his patience thinning.
"All right, I've run out of patience. Hey, Underoos!" he called, holding his hands up to his mouth. He watches as his kid shoots a web, and steals Steve's shield and binds the man's hands, all while flipping and landing in a crouch. He had to fight to keep his face neutral, even though on the inside he was marveling over what his son could do. "Nice job, kid." he says, impassively.
"Thanks. Well, I could've stuck the landing a little better. It's just the new suit… Well, it's nothing, Mr. Stark. It's--it's perfect. Thank you." Peter responds, voice modulator protecting his voice from the others. He had made sure Peter's suit did that, and made sure Peter knew not to let them know who he was.
"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation." Tony said letting out a small laugh at his son's rambling.
"Okay. Cap...Captain. Big fan, I'm Spider-Man." Peter said then, and Tony had to resist the urge to tell Peter to stop talking.
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later. Just..." he made a stopping motion with his hand, but that didn't seem to deter Peter's excitement.
"Hey, everyone." Peter said again, and Tony sighed, sending him a hard look. He seemed to get it then, and stopped talking. He glanced at Natasha and saw that she was fighting a fond smile. Clint seemed to be suspicious though, looking between the three of them.
"Good job." he said one last time, before turning back to Steve.
"You've been busy." he comments. He clenches his jaw in anger.
"And you've been a complete idiot. Trying to drag in Clint. 'Rescuing' Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave, a safe place. I'm trying to keep...I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart." he said, his voice wavering between yelling and whispering. He was having a hard time keeping his anger in check.
"You did that when you signed." Steve said. And Tony felt something inside him shift. He looked at the man he once thought was his friend, someone he trusted with his family, and saw no trust reflecting back. He knew what he needed to say. He clenched his fist, forcing his voice to come out calm.
"No. Rogers. You did that when you lied." he said eerily calm. Steve's face shifted into confusion, while Natasha, Clint and Rhodey looked at him in shock. Peter seemed uncomfortable, looking between everyone.
"December 16th, 1991. Ring any bells?" he asks then, his voice still dangerously calm, after a few moments of silence. He sees the moment that Steve understands, because the man's eyes go wide for a second, before he schools his expression back into one of confusion. Tony forces himself to fight the urge to punch that look of his face.
"What are you talking about Tony?" Steve asks, and Tony lets out an dry laugh. So that's how his "friend" was going to play it. Natasha walked over to his side, and placed a hand on his shoulder softly. He shook it off, gritting his teeth in anger.
"You knew. You have known this entire time. About what happened to my parents. And you didn't even have to nerve to tell me to my face. You lied, and then spouted all this shit about honesty after Ultron? While you were keeping the biggest secret from me?" Tony said. Steve's face had grown pale at every word that Tony spoke, his face now ghostly white.
"How did you know?" he asks quietly. Tony shook his head, biting his lip. He saw Bucky, Sam, and Wanda come out from the airport, apparently giving up on stealth at this new information.
"How do you think Rogers? Tasha told me, after Shield fell. And I had to sit there for years, waiting for you to tell me, and you never did." Steve opened his mouth, before closing it, not seeming to know what to say.
"What is he talking about Mister Stark?" he heard Peter ask behind him. He whipped around, remembering that he was there. He looked at Natasha for help, but she shrugged, at a loss of what to do.
"Clint, can you take Spider-Man back to the jet. I'll call you if I need you." Clint looked between everyone, but nodded. He knew Peter wanted to protest, but he sent him a look, and his son just nodded, and followed Clint. When they were out of earshot, Tony turned back around.
"Do you have any idea...what it felt like to find out that my parents were murdered? And then to have to sit there and wait for you to tell me...only to realize that you were never going to. Not if it went against your best bud right? He came back, and now there's no room for anyone else?" Tony said bitterly, but tiredly. He was just so tired. He didn't know if all of this was worth it. Clearly Steve didn't think much of him, so why was he going through so much trouble to save him?
"Is that true, Steve?" Sam asked then, when it was clear Steve didn't know what to say. Steve looked between them, and eventually he nodded.
"Look, Tony. That's messed up. Steve messed up. But right now, we have intel that someone is trying to wake up other super soldiers like Bucky. Let Steve and Bucky go handle them, and the rest of us will come with you. Give them enough time to take care of the threat and we can figure out the rest." Sam said diplomatically. It made sense. If they were telling the truth, Steve and Bucky would be the only ones equipped to handle that kind of threat. He looked at Steve, who still seemed reluctant to say anything. He let out a sigh, but nodded.
He walked up to Steve quietly, activating a knife from his suit, and cut Peter's webs off of the man's wrists. He looked at Steve thoughtfully.
"I know I don't look like it and I know I don't act like it, but I'm not as invincible as I pretend to be." he starts, looking Steve in the eyes. Steve was watching him warily, guilt still shining in his eyes. Tony wasn't buying it however, and he was done trying.
"I'm not a super soldier, I'm not a super spy, or a God, or a giant green rage monster," he continued, backing up, motioning for Sam and Wanda to come forward, and they did, Natasha and Rhodey moving past him to collect them.
"I'm just a man in a can and when I fall I bleed." he finishes tiredly, voice breaking to a whisper. He gave Steve a broken smile, before leading the others back to the jet.
"Hey, come here." Natasha said, once they were back on the jet and Sam and Wanda were secure. She brought Tony to the other side of the jet, helping him sit down after his disengaged his suit. He felt like he was underwater, and he couldn't get his lungs to fill with air. He looked up at Natasha in panic, and she shushed him gently.
"Shhh, it's okay. It's over for now. We will figure out the rest. Just breathe." Tony nodded jerkily, trying to follow her instructions. His chest still felt tight, and he could feel the tears burning streaks down his face.
"Why didn't he tell me?" he asked, his voice a whisper, breaking a few times. Natasha let out a sad sigh.
"I don't know. I wish I did." she said softly, rubbing her hand up and down his arm, pressing a kiss gently on the crown of his head.
"Is he okay?" he barely hears the hesitant voice directed at them.
"No. But he will be. Don't worry, bug." he hears Natasha respond quietly. He knew it must have been Peter, but he didn't have the energy to reassure him. He felt his eyes grow heavy, but he fought it, there was still so much to do. As if reading his mind, a hand settled on his shoulder.
"We can take it from here, Dad. Just sleep. I'll protect you." he heard Peter's voice say gently. He felt his heart warm at the words from his son, before he nodded sluggishly.
"'course you will. Love you, bug." he slurs, before sleep finally claimed him.
---
Natasha looked up from her husbands now sleeping face. Peter was sitting there watching his father, his mask still in place. His fingers were tapping frantically on his knee, a nervous habit he had picked up from Tony.
"He'll be okay." she said quietly, eyeing the people on the other side of the jet. Clint was flying, his face grim and his shoulders stiff. Sam and Wanda were sitting on the benches, heads hanging low, whispering to each other, while Rhodey stood over them menacingly, while also shooting looks over at Tony every now and then.
"What...I mean why...what happened?" Peter said then, his voice coming out in a stutter, which only came out when he was worked up, another thing that he got from Tony. Natasha sighed.
"Steve...knew something about what happened to your grandparents. And he didn't tell your Dad about it, and apparently he never planned to. That broke Dad's trust, and I think today he finally gave up on giving Steve the benefit of the doubt." she said softly, watching as the eyes on her son's suit went wide. She wished they weren't on an open jet, so she could actually see his face.
"Is that why he would flinch sometimes when I called him Uncle Steve?" Peter broke the silence, his voice sad. Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, looking back, she came to the same conclusion.
"Probably. Is that why you stopped calling him that? We thought you were just being a teenager." Natasha said, attempting a joke, but Peter didn't react, his gaze still fixed on Tony. He shook his head.
"No, I stopped because it seemed to make Dad upset, I didn't like that. I had no idea it was this bad though." Peter said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Hey, come here." Natasha said softly, patting the bench next to her. Peter looked up and then to the other side of the jet. Natasha looked too, and no one seemed to be paying attention, so she nodded her ascent. Peter hopped up and sat next to her, curling into her side, like he always did. She placed her arm over his shoulder and noticed he was shaking, so she rubbed his arm.
"Hey, he's strong. He'll be okay. He's got you to take care of him now, right?" she said softly, and she could hear Peter sniff a couple times, before he nodded.
"See? He'll be okay." she reassured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, feeling him calm slightly under her touch. They sat there silently for the rest of the flight, Natasha's hands moving gently through Tony's hair, as Peter fell asleep on her shoulder.
When they arrived, Natasha decided to stay put, until the others were gone, before she would wake up her boys. But her plan changed when Rhodey and Clint walked over as soon as Wanda and Sam were taken into custody.
"We just got news, they found the real psychologist dead. I think Steve was right, that man who triggered Bucky is up to something." Rhodey said quietly, his face grim. Natasha swore under her breath.
"That means the super soldier threat is real. I'm going to need to talk to Sam. See where they were headed, and I'll meet them there. They are going to need more help, and I've dealt with super soldiers like Bucky before." she said quietly, trying not to wake her husband and son. They wouldn't like this plan at all and she knew it.
Clint narrowed his eyes at her, and let out a sigh.
"You're sure?" he asked, and she nodded. He accepted this answer, and sent a nod to Rhodey, who agreed.
"What do you need us to do?" Rhodey asked. She looked down at the man sleeping on her lap, and the boy on her shoulder, and sighed.
"Jim, I need you to deal with Ross. Make sure Wanda and Sam are treated fairly until we can figure out the next step. Clint, I need you to stay with these two, keep them safe and away from Ross." Natasha said, and they both nodded, before Rhodey headed out of the jet.
"Give me a minute." she said, and Clint nodded, before leaving as well. She gently shook Peter awake.
"Mama? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. She tapped his mask, and he looked around quickly, before taking it off. She smiled at his big brown eyes and ruffled hair.
"I need to go. I need you to stay with Dad and Clint. Make sure they stay safe, okay? Just until I get back." she said, and Peter looked confused, but nodded seriously.
"Okay. I can do that." he said, face now set in determination.
"I know you can, bug. I love you. Take good care of your Dad." she said softly, pressing a kiss to his hair, before removing herself gently out from under Tony's head. He shifted slightly, but stayed asleep.
She walked out to where Clint was standing outside the jet, face hard.
"Take them to the Tower, there's a room Peter knows about, go there. I'll contact you when I can." she said, and Clint nodded.
"Be safe, Tasha." he said, and she sent him a wink, before heading into the building to find Sam.
---
He heard a huff of quiet laughter, when he finally came too. He blinked his eyes open, and realized he wasn't in the jet anymore. He sprung up, and looked around wildly. He was in the secret room in his lab, where he sent Peter when they needed to keep their cover. He looked around some more, and noticed Clint and Peter across the room, signing back and forth. Clint must have said something funny, because Peter was struggling not to laugh.
He watched them fondly for a moment, before he realized that Natasha was no where to be seen. That sent a wave of panic down his spine.
"Where's Tasha?" he asked, voice hoarse. Peter jumped a bit at his voice, before they both turned his way.
"Dad!" Peter shouted, running over to his side. "I thought you were going to sleep forever." he continued, sitting down next to Tony and leaning his weight into his side. He automatically curled an arm around his son, but he looked at Clint.
"Where's Nat?" he asked again, and Clint gave him a guilty smile.
"She went to help Rogers and Barnes with the super soldiers. We got intel that confirmed the threat." he said, and Tony felt like he was doused in ice water, his breath stalling in his chest.
"No. No. No. She can't. Those are super soldiers. She won't make it out." Tony said, and by the look on Clint's face, the other man agreed. Peter seemed to stiffen next to him, and he remembered where he was, he forced himself to calm down and breathe.
"Okay. Okay. Um, has she contacted you?" Tony asked, his voice significantly calmer.
"Just once to say Sam gave her the intel, and she was headed to Siberia." Tony nodded a few times, tapping his fingers on his thigh. He nodded once more, before standing up suddenly.
"Okay. I guess we just wait for news. I'm gonna...I'm gonna call Rhodey, and see if he needs help yelling at government officials...yeah." he said, his chest bubbling with anxiety. He looked around at the two of them, they were both eyeing him worriedly but he waved them off and headed to his desk on the other side of the room.
Several hours and a couple thousand phone calls later, Tony had figured the whole thing out, but they still hadn't heard from Natasha. He walked over to where Clint and Peter were playing a card game, that looked suspiciously like poker.
"Are you teaching my kid bad habits, birdbrain?" he asked Clint, who looked up with an innocent smile.
"If you're talking about Go Fish, then yes." Clint said innocently, sending Peter an exaggerated wink. Tony rolled his eyes. He was glad Clint was there, he was great with keeping Peter calm, when Tony couldn't.
"Well, I just got off the phone with the President. They took Ross off the Accords and put the other Ross on them. Sam and Wanda got off with house arrest for six months, but Barnes and Rogers were harder to figure out. They still want them locked up. So once we hear word, we can go from there." Tony said, sitting down next to Peter and looking over his cards. Clint raised an impressed eyebrow.
"Nice going, Tin Can. I knew we kept you around for a reason." Clint said, earning a snort from Peter. Tony narrowed his eyes at his son and riffled his hair.
"The disrespect. Maybe I should send you off with Clint, huh? Make you live on a farm the rest of your life?" Tony teased, and Peter just rolled his eyes with a laugh. They all broke out in laughter, which was quickly ended by the sound of Tony's phone ringing.
"Sorry bud, probably another government dude." Tony said, pressing a kiss to Peter's forehead before walking back over to his desk. He answered without looking.
"Stark." he said, ready to schmooze whatever person he needed to, when a unexpected voice answered back.
"What kind of greeting is that?" he felt his jaw drop a bit.
"Tasha?" he asked in disbelief, earning the attention from Clint and Peter, who rushed over. "Are you okay?" he asked when he regained his composure. He deflated in relief when she let out a soft laugh.
"I'm fine. Turns out Zemo wasn't interested in the soldiers. He killed them all before we got there. He seemed to think you were going to show up. He somehow knew that Steve hadn't told you about your parents, he had the video. I think he wanted to cause a rift between the Avengers...break them up." Natasha said, voice calm. Tony blinked a few times in shock.
"He killed them? So what happened?" he asked curiously, Peter and Clint watching him. He heard her sigh.
"He tried to run, when he realized his plan wouldn't work. But T'Challa had followed me there, and was waiting for him outside. We have him in custody. It's over." she said, a hint of relief in her voice, along with something else.
"Rogers?" Tony asked quietly.
"Went to Wakanda with Barnes. T'Challa said they could fix the triggers, offered them refuge. Rogers says he's staying off the grid until Bucky's better, and the Accords are gone." Natasha said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Tony let out a chuckle in disbelief.
"Wow. Okay. That's fine. He has to do what he thinks is right I guess. And to think I went to bat for him again." he said bitterly.
"What do you mean?" she asked softly, voice curious.
"I've been on the phone for hours. Got Ross kicked off, so we could amend the Accords to something Rogers would sign. I got Wanda and Sam free. Everything was set, and yet he still thinks he knows better." Tony scoffed, watching as Clint motioned for Peter to go back to playing cards, which Peter followed.
"Tony. He was going to do what was best for Bucky. No matter what. Just...he made his choice, now you can move on. You don't need to fight his battles anymore. Just let him handle his own mess fro once. Okay?" she said after a few moments, and Tony nodded.
"Yeah. Okay. When will you be home?" he asked then.
"Two hours. I'll see you then. Let me talk to Pete." she requests, and he motions for Peter to come over.
"Here, it's Mom." Tony says, handing the phone to an excited Peter.
"Hey Mama!" Peter greets, a smile on his face. Tony watches with a fond smile as Peter answers his mother's questions excitedly. He feels Clint walk up beside him.
"You did good. Now it's over." Clint said. Tony nodded, eyes still locked on Peter.
"Yeah. Let's hope so." he responds.
SPIDER-MAN WILL RETURN....