No Rest for the Wicked
(Playground, Queens, New York City)
Peter stared at the fidgeting boy in front of him, mouth hanging open a little. Absently, he heard Tony’s sharp inhale broadcast from the Legionnaire armor at the mention of Ross’ name. No doubt that three minutes ETA was going to be fairly inaccurate now.
Called it, he thought as the Iron Man zoomed into view, flying faster than ever.
Peter still felt a few remaining twinges of irritation from his last bickering with Tony, that much was true. But between Cassidy’s increasingly wobbly legs (Peter had to help him sit on the ground before he fell down at one point,) and Tony’s new, very sick cool armor, he couldn’t help but gawk.
Harley had told him before about the new armor Tony had been building to work with extremis. Neither one of them had actually seen the armor, but Harley’d been raving about the all new design. Seeing the armor in person was a whole another experience all together: The new suit was slick and streamlined, even more humanoid than Tony’s previous ones. The paint job was darker, more menacing. Blood red and dark gray, with black lines connecting the multiple smaller arc reactor to the one embedded in the chest plate. A stark (Peter’s been waiting to use that pun for almost 8 years now) contrast to his usual hot rod and gold with the glowing blue circle center piece.
The armor looked so cool, Peter was barely holding back his nerdgasm.
Mercifully, Tony solved that problem easily by slipping out of the armor and strode to where Peter and Cassidy were sitting on the ground. Peter could see all the tenseness and the barely repressed stress practically oozing out of his body. It was a wonder how he kept his face from anything other than a gentle calming smile.
“Heya. Cassidy, right? I’m Tony, Tony Stark.”
Peter propped the boy by his back as he swayed on the spot to nod at Tony, earning himself a slight smile of approval from the older man.
Do not preen. Do not preen. He told himself sternly. Obviously, his traitorous face decided to blush instead.
“You OK, Cassidy? Not gonna lie, you don’t look so hot right now,” Tony continued when he didn’t receive further answer.
“Ye－yea… I’m just… wobbly?”
“You sure? Spider-man here’s going to take you to a safe place, we can look at your wounds there, OK?” Tony said while Peter nodded, already thinking about ways he could make some sort of baby sling with his webbing.
Cassidy, however, was having none of it. “But－but…－what about my sister?! Please… Mr. Stark, she’s all I have left…. I－” he choked before breaking down crying, clinging to Peter while he sobbed.
If peter wasn’t so flustered himself, he would’ve laughed at Tony’s helplessly confused face.
“Hey… hey, come on now…. I’ll save your sister, I promise. Cassidy? Come on, squirt, we need to treat those bruises and cuts, yeah? Come on…. Pete? A little help?” he rambled.
“Uh… I’m not good with crying traumatized kids either? Should we take him to the tower? Maybe Miss－Pepper, I mean Pepper… maybe she can help?”
Tony frowned a little, looking at the still sobbing Cassidy, now effectively cradled in Peter’s arms.
Jesus, did Ross starve him or something? he thought when he felt bones poking at his ribs.
“Kid…? It’s gonna be okay, I promise. You can go to my tower with spider-man while I go save your sister, capisce? I just need the address. If you don’t know, I’ll take some general direction, anything you can remember,” Tony tried again.
Miraculously, Cassidy calmed down a little and mumbled into Peter’s suit, “…Nassau.”
Wait, what?
Tony blinked. “Nassau… as in… Nassau County?! Kid, that’s 40 minutes drive from here!”
Peter winced. Same, man… probably could use a little less yelling, though.
The boy fidgeted in his arms, nervous, so Peter held on tighter, just the way he liked it when he was having a break down. “I… uh…. I run fast.”
Huh. Could the boy be… enhanced? Like him? He looked worriedly at Tony, who was now looking at Cassidy, deep in thought.
‘he’s got a funny name. Like a motorbike,’ Cassidy had said. Harley.
Peter knew that every hero’s got their own blind spot, and Harley happened to be one of Tony’s (and one of his, too, come to think of it…. Even Ned didn’t know about Spider-man, and Ned’s his best friend.) Both of them were compromised when Harley got kidnapped, but Tony was doubly so.
Still… something was wrong. Very wrong.
Why would Ross, of all people, ever let an enhanced kid run away without tailing him? Why would he keep the enhanced boy in New York City, of all places? And he got Harley, too? So shortly after Harley’s relationship with Tony got thrown out to the public?
Tony looked determinedly at Cassidy. Another time, and Peter would’ve been excited to see that look on Iron Man’s face. That’s the look that promised action and butt-kicking; Iron Man was going to save the day!
But all Peter could feel now was dread. Either Tony was too compromised to recognize the trap, or he’s seeing it, but just didn’t care enough about the trap.
“...Tony, no. It’s a trap.”
“Strike one, kid. No Star Wars reference until you got Harley back to geek with.”
“I’m serious, man! You can’t go alone, it’s a trap!”
“You think I don’t know that, kid?! I don’t care! Look at what that monster has done to this kid! You think he’s going to hold back on Harley??” Tony yelled, eyes all wide and manic. Peter felt a shiver running down his spine.
He’s slipping.
Peter had to say something. He can’t just let Tony go while he’s like this. “Tony, please… think about what would happen to Harley if Ross get the better of you as well…. You still don’t have any clearance from the council to storm Ross’ house. If you got captured… it would be Siberia all over again!”
Tony flinched back, still breathing hard. Extremis ran faint golden under his skin. Peter shifted a little at the sight it, trying to move Cassidy a little further away, in case Tony lost it completely. Peter tried to be subtle about it, but it seemed like Tony still caught the movement. His eyes widened in what looked like hurt to Peter, and he felt a little bad about it. But Tony stopped glowing after that, so he’d take it as a good surprise instead.
The older man took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “Sorry about that. That was… I don’t even know how to justify that. I’m… I’m sorry.”
Peter sighed with relief at Tony’s genuinely contrite face. Phew, crisis averted. Nice one, Parker.
“Right! So… uh… we go back to the tower?”
Tony gave him a look. “No, you go back to your house. It’s almost midnight, and I don’t want to piss off your aunt again. I’ll take it from here, Spider-man. Thank you for your help.”
Peter groaned. Right, curfew. The joy of being a minor. He considered resistance for a second, but the look on Tony’s face wasn’t one that was willing to compromise. He sighed. “Are you gonna need help with Cassidy, though?” he couldn’t help but ask a little hopefully.
Tony chuckled and beckoned the silent legionnaire. “Fri, Evac mode. Destination New Avengers Facility.”
Peter watched, mouth wide open, as the armor folded into a capsule-shaped shuttle. Even Cassidy stopped crying to gawk at the red and gold…
“Spaceship!” yelled Cassidy excitedly.
Tony smiled indulgently. “Well, I don’t know about the “space” part, I’m not there yet. But this one’s taking you to the Avenger’s base. You’ll stay there for a while, at least until we get your sister out. Sounds good?”
Cassidy nodded, and with Peter’s help, got into the rescue pod.
Damn, this thing is so cool.
Tony and he exchanged a goodnight, and then he was swinging through the night again.
Only to be reminded rather rudely that Ned was supposed to come and have a sleep over that night.
Damnit, I knew I forgot something.
(Ross’ Basement, Nassau County, Long Island, New York)
As it turned out, Tracy really was able to make an illusion of sort.
The flower that she’d conjured was very much visible to both of them, so there’s no doubt that it could be seen on camera too. A little fiddling and tinkering with the fake-rose later, she’d succeeded in making the flower smell like a real one too.
Really, the only problem with the illusion was that, while they could feel a touching sensation from coming in contact with it, the fake-rose was definitely not tangible. Harley’s finger had slipped through the petals when he tried to touch it, and the fake-rose instantly vanished.
Well, she was new to this part of her power, so he was impressed nonetheless.
They’d debated the merit of making a huge mess just outside the house, to make Ross and his men think they’ve managed to escape. Tracy shot that idea down after reminding him that even if Ross’ men were stupid enough to left the house empty, they still couldn’t open the door from the inside. Not with the door not having any keyhole for Harley to pick.
So Harley made up another plan involving invisibility, loud noise, and a fake hole in the wall. Tracy shot down that too. Saying that they’re underground, no one would believe a hole opening to the outside from below the ground.
“Well you make a plan, then, if you’re so smart.” Harley was not sulking. Nope.
Tracy, the smug bastard, was smirking. “Come now, shorty. Don’t pout. Why don’t you stop thinking about explosion, and start small for a change.”
OK, so he was pouting a little. Sue him, she was annoying. “So you do have a plan. What’s the point on making me do all those thinking then??”
“Hey, don’t look at me. You’re the one who rambled, I didn’t make you do anything.”
Harley grumbled in response. “Fine. Tell me about your plan, then, O Crafty One.”
Tracy grinned a little sheepishly. “Still getting there, actually.”
Harley groaned and did a very epic face-palm, and Tracy still had the gall to snicker at him.
“To be fair, my plan’s kind of hedging on your dad busting Ross’ ass. Hopefully he came with reinforcement, though. I don’t know about you, but a bunch of people with something to block my power sounds like a prepared bunch.”
“Wait, what?”
“Uh… yeah, hadn’t mentioned it yet. I’ve been trying to get a read on those bastards. Nada.”
“Shit. What about your brother?”
Tracy’s face scrunched up. “OK, first of all, watch that mouth. And no, I can’t feel my brother.”
“You think Ross let him go?”
“...You know what? I think he did. For some ungodly reason, I think he really did let my brother out.”
That… didn’t make any sense. By this point, Harley couldn’t believe in the fact that Ross would be capable of doing anything remotely honorable, let alone altruistic. Unless…
He felt blood rushing away from his face. “Oh shit.”
“Told you to watch your goddamn mouth, shorty.”
Harley was too preoccupied with horror to even care. “Tracy…. Shit, we gotta get outta here, now! This whole thing is a trap!”
Tracy lift one eyebrow at him. “Duh. Why else would he take you? He wants Stark, and you’re the best bait for that.”
“Don’t you get it?! He’s got me as a bait, yes. But why would he let your brother, an enhanced minor, go if not for him to lead Tony here?”
That seemed to flick the switch in Tracy’s head. “Oh god…. the power blocking, you think it would work on Iron Man armor??”
“Ross wouldn’t bother power-proofing this house if he doesn’t plan on standing his ground here. And with me being kidnapped…－”
“－He’s not going to think straight,” Tracy finished, horror-struck.
“Shit… shit… what do we do??” Harley panicked.
Tracy looked at him carefully, brows scrunched in thought. “I think I got an idea. How much do you trust me?”
“Not a lot.”
“Good,” Tracy said, eyes glowing blue as she used her powers.
(San Francisco, California)
Rechecking his human disguise for the 10th time in an hour, the Vision walked (still a somewhat awkward movement to emulate convincingly) towards the nondescript cafe. Immediately, he scanned the whole premise, looking for both his… associate and potential trouble. In light of current events, Vision found it appropriate to use the alien power resting upon his forehead for a more thorough scan; detecting malicious intention within a quarter mile radius.
Mugger, arsonist, petty thief…. Confirming location, sending tip to nearby SFPD office.
Satisfied with the lack of traitorous intent, he nodded at the shoulder length haired woman, sitting on the table for two in the back of the cafe. The woman, very obviously used to hide any uncouth expression from her face, blinked twice at his… more humane appearance.
“Good morning. I do apologize for my tardiness,” he opened smoothly, pointedly avoiding her name per their agreement to meet anonymously.
The woman shook her head elegantly, standing up to offer a hand shake. “I was in the area, so I came early.”
Nodding, but offering no further small talk, the Vision sat down. “I believe you have reached a conclusion regarding my proposition about the Accords?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“I would like to propose a counter offer.”
Raising his eyebrow, he answered, “And what would that be?”
Expression controlled, the woman pushed a document towards Vision. “If I sign, and by extension, help safe Mr. Stark’s son, I would like him to help me safe one of my own as well.”
The Vision deliberated. Such must be the way a renowned businesswoman such as Ms. Potts and his associate operate. A tit for tat, as they say. “While I can understand perfectly of your reasoning, I would like to remind you that what you ask of me is not something that I can answer in my capacity as a legal signatory of the Accords.”
“As a friend of Mr. Stark’s, then? I am not asking you to go behind his back and agree on his behalf… I simply ask for you to give me a chance to talk with the man himself on this.”
Vision’s hesitance must’ve been perceptible to her, because she continued speaking without waiting for his response. “I understand that my… friend hadn’t shown a goodwill towards Mr. Stark from the get go, nor do my family’s history with his endorse any faith that I won’t betray him as soon as the opportunity present itself. But I implore you to see beyond the mistakes men around me had made. I am not my father, regardless of my relationship with him. I am a businesswoman first and foremost; I understand the importance of unlikely partnership, and frankly, I need his help as much as he needs mine right now.”
“Which is to say that neither one of you are desperate enough to provide sufficient reason to work together?”
The woman smiled. “I believe so, yes. My help would not provide him anything more than convenience, as would his for me. I would like to think that I am cutting him a good deal, considering that his need is a little more desperate than mine right now.”
This must be why Colonel Rhodes (and his name still cause regret to sting him, even after the man had absolved Vision from the fall that took the pilot’s mobility,) insisted on not “pissing Pepper off”. The offer was equally beneficial for both parties, and the woman hadn’t lied when she told him that Tony’s need was more pressing than hers.
Yet it still felt like his side was the one paying the heavier price.
Needs must. Tony would not take the initiative to reach out while he is still so heavily compromised.
“I will present your proposal to Mr. Stark. I cannot, however, guarantee that he will say yes,” he said at last.
“Will you present it in the way that is the most likely to be well received?” she challenged.
“I will present it in the way that is the least argumentative while still retaining every possible aspect of honesty.”
The woman nodded, satisfied. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Thank you.”
The Vision was quick to reply before his associate could stand up. “Would you be comfortable with waiting outside the room while I break the news to Mr. Stark? I believe he would appreciate the haste should he accept your counter offer.”
Raising one elegant eyebrow, the woman answered, “Does this mean you are confident that he would most likely accept?”
“I believe that, just like you are not your father, Mr. Stark is not his. I believe that he would be able to see this matter in an objective light, given the chance.”
The woman simply nodded and shook his hand in agreement. The Vision was hoping that he was not making a miscalculation as they walked out of the cafe and head to the airport.