Faries
“You know what your precious little Daddy has done now?” Obadiah sneered into the boy’s face as he continued the vice like grip in his hair. At this point in Peter’s captivity it was a wonder he had any hair left at all, yet it still fell in small ringlets across the boy’s forehead currently shining with fearful sweat as he shook his head back and forth. How could he have known? All he had been let out of the cupboard for was to service Obadiah, and even the thought of that alone was enough to make Peter shudder violently.
“Your Daddy has ruined everything I’ve ever worked for. Ruined! Stark Industries is no longer a weapons supply company.” Obadiah hissed in the boy’s face, sending droplets of spit flying, with some landing on Peter. The boy flinched violently, wincing as the action pulled even harder on the grip in his hair.
“You, you said my daddy was dead!” Peter cried, whimpering as Obadiah gently caressed the boy’s face.
“Well, he would have been if he hadn’t have messed up my plans! It was perfect. With him gone I had control of all I ever wanted. The entirety of Stark Industries in the palm of my hand. And then you came along, and it was like my life couldn’t get more perfect.” Obadiah maintained the gentle stroke across Peter’s face as he spoke, Peter subconsciously leaning into what was the first non-violent touch in 3 months. “With Tony gone, the company, and his precious son were all mine. But now he has ruined it!” Obadiah threw Peter across the room, not caring when the boy hit his head on the worktop.
“Daddy is going to come for me…” Peter mumbled under his breath, earning a kick in the side. “He is gonna come and find me and you’re gonna be in big trouble!” Peter mumbled again, this time slightly louder. He was greeted with yet another kick, and a fist in his hair, pulling his face close to the older man as he tried not to breathe in the grotesque smell of his breath.
“Your daddy doesn’t care.” Obadiah sneered. “Your daddy didn’t notice for the last 3 years, do you think he will suddenly start caring now? Your daddy doesn’t want you, he never did. This is all you’re worth.”
At that, Peter couldn’t help but curl in on himself, the tears flowing freely down his face as they mingled with his snot and the dried blood which he always seemed to be covered in. His dad really didn’t care about him. The amount of times Peter had tried to tell Tony what was happening was uncountable, but the man never seemed to notice the pain his son was in.
“When your daddy came home, he asked for two things. Can you guess what those two things were Peter?” Obadiah asked condescendingly. Peter shook his head slowly, tears still falling steadily from his eyes. “He asked for a cheeseburger, and a press conference. See Peter, to him, you’re less than fast food.” Peter sank once again to his knees, hugging himself as he let Obadiah’s words sink in.
“Dad-daddy doesn’t w-want me?” He questioned, his wide brown orbs looked up to Obadiah as the man towered over him menacingly.
“No Peter. Of course he doesn’t. Why would he? He never wanted you – you weren’t even meant to be alive. Then again, that could easily be remedied. Now, get in the cupboard, where you belong, and think about your uselessness.” Obadiah sneered as he walked away.
“But, but what about my daddy?” Peter asked in-between hiccups, his thumb making his way into his mouth, a nervous tick he developed once Obadiah began to play a larger part in his life.
“He’ll be dead soon don’t worry. Then I know I have you all to myself.”
~~~~~~~~~
Tony froze as the high pitched sound entered his ears, rendering his body useless. Obadiah walked around the couch from behind the genius, slowly turning the switch on the small device which was once Tony’s pride and joy, but now was his ruin. Tony couldn’t breathe, his head felt like it was going to explode.
“When I ordered that hit on you,” Obadiah’s soft voice sounded through Tony’s ears. Tony’s eyes widened as the reality of the words sunk in, and betrayal filled his heart. “I was worried I was killing the Golden goose. But you had one last egg to give.” Moving around Tony’s incapacitated body, Obadiah reached over and attached a device to Tony’s chest, pulling out the arc reactor. “You may think I mean this little thing. As impressive as it is, out of all things I’ve taken from you, there is one I have taken the most *Ahem* pleasure in.”
Tony’s face twisted into confusion, or as much as it could considering his lack of movement. Bending down, Obadiah whispered into Tony’s ear.
“Your son is an excellent plaything.”
Tony saw red. His mind was clouded by anger, and if he was able to move, he would have strangled the man he once considered a father right where he stood. His boy. He thought Peter was safe with Obadiah. He needed to call Pepper, or Rhodey, or anyone at this rate. He needed his boy back safe.
“You should hear the way he screams sometimes. God it’s delightful.” Obadiah continues, and despite his paralysis Tony still has to fight the urge to be reacquainted with his dinner. “He stopped crying for you only a few days in, he is very easy to crack. There’s no sweeter sound than his soft little whimpers from the cupboard I’ll tell you that. I used to think all I ever wanted was this company, but now I know better.” Obadiah paused, looking over at Tony who had tears streaming down his face. The older man leaned close, almost whispering into Tony’s ear.
“I want your world Tony, and everything in it. When you’re gone, the only person with their hands in his curls is gonna be me.” With that blood curdling statement, Obadiah turned and left the room, Arc reactor in one hand, and an evil smirk on his face.
Tony tried and tried to convince his frozen limbs to respond to the commands his brain was giving, but one by one they all failed and all he was able to do was sink to the floor in despair and sadness. His boy had been taken away from him, right from under his nose. How had he let this happen? Tony let his thoughts overwhelm him as his grip on reality faltered and he fell into the void of his own mind.
How did he let this happen?
Is Peter even alive? What would his world look like without Peter? Without his bouncing curls and toothy grin? Without his bright eyes that hold so much innocence and so much knowledge?
Why didn’t he see the signs? The way Peter used to shrink into himself around Obadiah, the hints at bedtime and the constant red, puffy eyes from nights of crying. Why did he let his demons consume him so badly that he missed the way his son clung to him every time he left the house? Why didn’t he notice the way Peter cried himself to sleep, silently with a whispered sob to JARVIS not to report it?
Without even realising, Tony made his way down to the lab, eyes frantically searching the messy space until they hit their target. A small blue light, encased in glass signalled the way towards Tony’s, and potentially Peter’s, salvation. As Tony reached towards the arc reactor, his eyes caught the second part of Pepper’s present, a small photograph of him, Peter and Pepper as they visited the beach, in disguse of course, with the word’s “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart” engraved on the frame, like the case containing his arc reactor.
“I’m gonna get you out Pete. Just hang on.” Tony huffed, his lungs still not working right as he began to lose his grip on the worktop due to the copious amount of sweat he was producing. Falling, the last thing he saw before he hit the ground was Peter’s smiling face, covered in ice cream as toddler’s faces always are, and his heart panged at the sight. His vision started to fade and blur, but he knew he couldn’t give up now, he had to be strong for Peter.
“Tony!” A voice shook him awake, rousing him from the strange sleep he had fallen into after reinserting the reactor core. The worried face of his best friend looked down on him, the concern only deepening when Tony grabbed onto Rhodey’s strong forearms and began to pull himself up.
“We.. gotta we gotta get Pe-pe” Tony mumbled out, his mouth not keeping up with the speed his brain was whirring at.
“Pepper? She is safe she had 5 agents with her don’t worry..” Rhodey reassured, trying to make Tony stay down and rest, but Tony continued to push against him.
“No- Peter. You-you gotta get Peter” Tony tried to get up again, only to have Rhodey’s hands push him back down once more.
“Peter is fine he is back at Obadiah’s house he won’t get hurt there.”
“But he already did get hurt there!” Tony all but shouted in his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Tony you need to calm down okay!” Pepper all but shouted in his face as he stormed towards the oak doors of Obadiah’s mansion.
“Calm down? Calm down! How am I supposed to calm down! My son is in there and I don’t even know if he is alive! HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN PEPPER?” Tony retaliated, trying to blink back the tears that where blurring his vision. He needed to get inside. He needed to find Peter.
“Tony come on.” A calm voice sounded next to him. Tony spun around, only to be met with the face of his best friend. “Obadiah is dead, the only thing we need to focus on is getting Peter back. Revenge can wait.”
Tony nodded in silent agreement and the three of them began to move towards the doors. As they opened, Tony could only be surprised by the normalcy of Obadiah’s home. Nothing looked out of place, no evidence of a struggle, and for some reason Tony couldn’t decide if he is relieved or worried.
“Peter?” Pepper tentatively asked, waiting with bated breath for a reply. When none came, Tony could have sworn his heartbeat was so loud he wouldn’t have even been able to hear had there been a reply.
“Peter?” Tony shouted a little louder, motioning for the three to split up as he headed towards the stairs. “Obadiah said he kept him in a cupboard, check everything!”
Pepper and Rhodey nodded, heading off in different directions to scan the massive house for the tiny boy. Tony couldn’t help but think of the analogy of a needle in a haystack. Now he knew how Rhodey must have felt when he was missing. Ten agonisingly slow minutes passed, and Tony was before more and more demoralised. No one had found even a trace of the small boy, not a whimper, a faint whisper or even a call for his dad. That was until Tony rounded the corner to Obadiah’s large and excessive bedroom.
The entire place was in disarray, the only thing which had the appearance of neatness was the bed, but Tony wasn’t fooled. Small splatters of blood decorated the soft carpet underfoot with the attempts to clean it up visible, along with the blood there was the distinct smell of vomit, one that never really goes away no matter how hard you scrub, and Tony swore that smell would be burnt into his nostrils for years to come.
“Peter?” Tony called out softly, trying to hold back the bile that was rising in his throat as he stepped over a larger puddle of blood which looked too fresh for him to think about. Again no reply came, causing Tony to sigh and turn back towards the door, tears welling in his eyes at the prospect that his son might actually be dead, and buried in the garden.
A small whimper sounded from Obaidah’s walk in wardrobe, Tony’s ears almost missing the soft sound. He raced towards the door, expect to throw them open and see his son sitting there waiting for him, hopefully harm free. God he had never hoped so hard for someone to be lying as he did now. What is Obadiah had simply manufactured the whole thing? What if Peter really was just safe and waiting for Tony to take him home?
Tony surged forward towards the doors with a newfound hope, throwing them open with a large smile, expecting to see his baby there harm free. Peter wasn’t there. Tony’s smile dropped instantly, his entire face betraying nothing but heartache.
Another whimper, this time closer. A small whimper from a hidden door in the back of the wardrobe. A whimper from none other, than Peter Parker himself. Tony reached towards the small handle, opened the cupboard and was greeted with a sight which nearly caused him to throw up.
“Daddy!” Peter said, in a whisper so small it could almost be mistaken for a light breeze rattling through the large windows. Peter sat on the floor, one arm pulled above his head by a rope, cutting into his wrist sending a small line of blood down his arm and towards his neck. His face was covered in dirt, and from his mouth there was a mix of drool, blood and vomit. His eyes were sunken in and even through his ratty top, which had been gifted to him by Tony before he was abducted, his small ribs were visible.
“Oh God Peter!” Tony cried, dropping down to his knees and immediately starting to untie the tight rope. As soon as his wrist was free, Peter threw himself into his father’s arms, tears mingling with the dirt on his cheeks. Tony gripped him back with such force that it was a wonder the frail boy didn’t break under his grip.
“Don’t cry baby. I’m here don’t cry.” Tony whispered into Peter’s curls, shuddering as he remember Obadiah’s comment about them. “Here let me wipe away those tears baby boy. You’re okay I’m here. You’re gonna be okay.”
“He- he said you were dead” Peter spoke between hiccups, sobbing even louder as Tony gripped him even closer. “He s-said you, you di-didn’t want me anymore.” Tony’s eyes grew dark and anger coursed through his veins, but he knew he needed to stay strong. He needed to be strong for the boy falling apart in front of him.
“Forgive me Pete please forgive me this is all my fault. I should have noticed I should have cared. I should have realised when you were hurting. I shouldn’t have left you with him. I’m so sorry Petey. God I’m so so sorry.” Tears began spilling down Tony’s cheeks, some falling and landing in the soft brown curls of the boy buried in his chest. “You don’t need to be scared anymore Pete. I’m here baby I’m here.”
Tony heard loud footsteps thundering up the stairs, signalling the arrival of Pepper and Rhodey into the bedroom. Both froze at the sight before them, Peter covered in blood and snivelling into Tony’s shoulder which was becoming increasingly covered in dirt transferred from Peter’s face.
“Oh my God…” Pepper whispered, wanting to run to the small boy and wipe his pain away but knowing to stay away. Rhodey felt the same, clutching onto Pepper’s hand as if the world would collapse if he didn’t.
“I was so wrapped up with everything after Afghanistan that I felt you would be safer here. I wanted to see you so bad Pete I really did, but it wasn’t safe with the press and I made a lot of enemies. But God I would face all of them weaponless with nothing but the shirt on my back if it meant you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” Tony choked out, tears freely spilling out of his eyes.
“Don’t cry Daddy.” Peter’s small voice sounded, muffled by Tony’s shirt. “I’m okay Daddy. It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore now that you’re here.” Tony couldn’t help but break a little more at his sons words. “Hello Pepper, hello Rhodey.” Peter mumbled, fingers entwined into Tony’s shirt.
“Hey baby… I’m so glad to see you honey.” Pepper said, wrapping her arms around both Tony and Peter, securing her world within her arms.
“Hey buddy, you’re so brave… so so brave.” Came the reply from Rhodey, tears stinging his eyes as he knelt down and joined the hug.
“Thank you for saving me” Peter said sleepily, before drifting off in his families arms, oblivious to the sobs and sadness which surrounded him.