"Hey Tony. It's been a while hasn't it?" Harley Keener's voice rang out in the voice mail machine's speakers. Ever since Siberia, Tony hadn't been the same. "I've Traveled a lot since I last spoke to you. I'm sorry that I haven't called lately. For what it's worth, I've really missed hearing your voice."
Knowing how Tony had struggled with emotional pain, and then watching the man's self worth die inside, really pained Harley. This man had given him an opportunity to help people, and showed him that it was okay if you were "the little guy." That all that really mattered was picking yourself back up.
(Flashback)
Harley had been watching the news with bored detachment, when the breaking news had been announced. The Avengers were fighting amongst themselves. The young boy's thoughts quickly flitted to his mentor. His stomach churning, he tracked the last know location of the fight before the civilians were forced out. The fallout was in Germany. Harley's sleep was anything but restful that night.
A couple of days later, some interesting camera footage emerged from an old Army base in Siberia. Harley grimaced when he realized that this would not fare well for Tony. Pressing the play button on the video, the boy snarled at the things he saw. Captain America, the wholesome idealistic icon of freedom, and peace, had just fought a teammate. All to protect a former friend turned assassin... one who had killed off Tony's parents. And Captain America, he knew about this. He knew his "friend" had had his parents murdered by The Winter Soldier. He KNEW that it would hurt Tony, when he found out that Steve had lied to keep his assassin buddy off the radar. He was well aware of the consequences of hiding something of this magnitude. Yet he did it anyway. If the great Captain America was capable of betraying Tony without a second thought... well there really was no hope for Humanity after all.
Harley knew that the world only saw an arrogant stuck up man, when they looked at The inventor. But he knew that the persona He portrayed was a far cry from who he really was. Inside, Tony Stark, was a brilliant man with a heart of gold. And it was people like Captain America, who made him raise his mask up. Thinking of all this, made Harley so angry that he had to take a break from the video to calm himself down. After a few minutes, he had gained a shred of composure, and played the video once more. He watched in horror as the two super soldiers tag teamed up against Tony... he sat in shock as he saw the battle go from self defense, to a fight to the death. Once Tony was down and at the mercy of the captain and his assassin, Harley felt horrified to see that they weren't stopping. They continued to beat upon the man who had been nothing but kind, and left him with the vibranium shield, stuck out of his arc reactor.
Tony was still on the ground when F.R.I.D.A.Y had managed to call for help... and he was bleeding out when the ambulances arrived. The video ended, and Harley sat at his computer.. horrified at the prospect of The Captain and the assassin killing Tony.
(Present Day)
It had been three months since Harley had last visited Tony. He knew that the man would never be the way he was before the betrayal.
As he finally walked out past the beach at Tony's Malibu home, and into the garden, he stood in silence. Staring at a grey slab of stone. He felt the tears slide down his face as he placed the carnations on the headstone. You probably don't even know what you mean to me... but just know that you've been like a father to me. After all, we're Connected."