The address lead Tony to an abandoned building off the shores of the Atlantic in New Jersey. He mentally kicked himself when he realized he was a few miles short of this place during his first trip to New Jersey after the car was found.
The building was falling apart, it had no ceiling and the parking lot was torn up, abandoned trucks littered the field behind the building. Tony could almost hear the ocean with how quiet everything was.
He walked into the building and had Friday scan the building for heat signatures. No one was on the immediate floor but there was a staircase on the far side of the building that lead underground. Tony walked towards it and noticed the walls around him had chemical warning signs everywhere.
Tony walked down the stairs as quietly as his suit would allow. He could hear voices, but they were quiet, and seemed too far away to be anywhere near this stairwell or Tony.
Tony crouched at the bottom of the stairs and peered around the pillar, he saw what looked like a normal basement of a warehouse except for the fact that there were 4 hallways all leading away from the spot Tony was at.
"Tony? Tony come in." Steve said in his ear.
"Steve, I'm in." Tony replied.
"Why couldn't you wait for us, you shouldn't be doing this alone." Steve said back.
"Peter is my responsibility, not yours." Tony angrily whispered.
"Tony…" Steve trailed off.
"I hear a few voices, but they seem really far away, I am taking the south tunnel. When you get down here pick a tunnel and be prepared to fight, who knows what is down here." Tony told Steve.
"Were two minutes out, stay sharp and don't let them get to your head." Steve said.
Tony ignored him and began his path into the south tunnel. It was dingy and smelled like a sewer, but the pipes were dry, he continued walking and considered turning back around when all the sudden the tunnel turned stark white, long white lights ran along the ceilings and white tiles covered the floor to the ceiling.
Tony put out his gauntlet and prepared himself to run into a fight. He turned a corner and noticed a group of people standing along the wall dressed in scrubs and white coats. Tony shot a burst of light along the hallway and the people screamed. When they saw Tony one ran away but Tony shot a repulser at the man's feet, the man stopped and turned around with his hands up.
"Up on the wall, now." Tony told them.
The group of four people lined up against the wall with all their hands up, Tony let his faceplate retract.
"What's the deal here huh? Just a fun chat before getting back to work? How sick are you people? Where is Peter? You better tell me before I blow someone's head off."
"Ah, sir? W-we don't kn-know anything. Were…were just in-interns." One stammered.
"Interns? What is this place, where is my kid?!" Tony screamed.
"We don't know anything! We have never seen a kid here, we do Biochemistry research. Theoretical really, I haven't even seen a true lab yet!" A kid who was no older than 19 answered.
"Biochem…" Tony's eyebrows scrunched together. Maybe he was in the wrong tunnel? But wouldn't they all connect?
"Why is this building underground?" Tony asked.
"The chemicals they use in the labs are apparently not legal so its all hidden, but we are here for a good cause. They told us what we are researching will soon help the lives of millions!" One girl answered.
"And that research is…?" Tony asked.
"Cross-species genetics. Our group here is focused on Spiders, we have been studying for weeks and out boss said a week ago we finally got somewhere. We almost have their entire biology down. We are so close to understanding them more. Once we master this we are moving onto serums that can help advance ordinary people. Boss said he would be really proud of us if we could figure out how Captain America works."
Tony face went blank, spiders…and they took Peter….but what was that about Steve…?
"Boss? Where is your boss?" Tony asked.
"I haven't seen him in a while…. probably out helping people if you ask me! He said he does a ton of charity work."
Tony didn't care to hear any more of this bullshit, "Labs, where are the labs?" If Peter is here, they have him locked up in a lab or something.
"Ummm I don't know. None of us have ever seen them, this is the only area we are allowed access to." The kid on the end said.
"Consider yourselves lucky I won't have any of you turned in, leave this place now and never speak of it again. What is going on here is dangerous, and not ethical. So, leave and never come back. And you better go before I change my mind." Tony spoke and by the end he had his repluser fired up and aimed at them.
The four ran down the hallway and Tony tapped into the comms again.
"Steve, something is going on here and I can't find Peter. I am assuming he is in a lab, find the labs." Tony said.
"Were in the building. Wanda and Vis took one, Clint and Tasha another, and I am in the one next to yours. You think these all lead up to the same place?" Steve asked.
"No idea. Heading back your way, this way is clear." Tony answered.
Clint and Natasha ran down their tunnel, "Lookout for labs, anything with big doors or restricted areas we go into, got it?" Natasha said.
Clint nodded and continued on, when they tunnel turned white they split up to cover more ground.
After searching for 5 minutes they deemed this tunnel clear and headed back.
Steve came back to and they team waited to hear from Wanda and Vision, Tony insisted they run down that tunnel and check it out themselves, but Steve told him they could handle it and to be patient.
Tony said some colorful words back to Steve and pushed him aside to go down the tunnel. Clint, Natasha, and Steve eventually followed him.
Wanda spoke up on the comm line, "Stark stay where you are. I think we've got something, but we are trying to remain unseen. You bursting in wont help.
Tony slowed and remained about ¾ the way through the tunnel. Steve, Clint, and Natasha caught up not much longer.
"Wanda, what is happening?" Steve asked.
"Vis found a separate hallway, one that led to a dead-end with one door. He thinks he can hear voices. You are clear to come closer, I found no one else in this hallway."
The three of them moved up towards the hallway Vision found. When they spotted Wanda crouched around the adjacent corner they stopped, "Do you hear that?" She asked them.
Only Steve's super human hearing could pick up what was being told.
"They are talking, I cant hear exactly what it is but its there." Steve said, he was straining his ears to listen.
All of the sudden Clints body went lack and fell to the floor beside the group, Natasha turned to see if he was okay, only to get hit with some kind of dart and fall to the ground next to Steve.
Steve and Tony jumped up and Wanda's hands were now coated in dark red, her magic could be felt in the room. Vision made himself invisible and stayed back in the corner.
Another dart was shot and Tony watched Steve drop to the ground, "It is coming from the ceiling!" Tony shouted.
Wand released a wall of red towards the ceiling and they heard a man shout out a curse word from the vents above them, Tony shot at the ceiling but no man ever surfaced, the hallway was not eerily quiet, Wanda and Tony were back to back looking for anything.
Wanda was about to yell out when a dart came and knocked here in the arm, she fell to the ground next to Steve.
"What the hell, come out and fight like a real man!" Tony yelled into the hallway. His face plate was down so there was no way he was going down without a fight.
A man in all black started walking down the hallway, it seemed he appeared out of thin air. He was dressed in a black robe that dragged along the ground behind him. When he made eye contact with the iron man suit he smirked.
"I always thought you'd be taller in person." The man said.
"What is going on? What did you do to them?" Tony asked.
"A sedative, made by my interns. I believe you ran into them?" The man smiled.
"What is it that you want?" Tony asked.
"Oh, I believe I told you. What I wanted is no longer needed anymore." The man answered.
Peter.
"Where. Is. He." Tony demanded.
"Ah, not so fast. You are close to him though, I am sure if his powers worked still he would be able to hear your voice right now." The man said.
If his powers worked? "What did you do to him!" Tony yelled.
"Nothing that cant be fixed…I think." The man smirked.
Tony retracted his faceplate and with eyes full of rage he spat at the man, "If you damaged that boy beyond repair I will make your life a living hell…" Tony trailed off and his vision began to swim.
He removed his faceplate to appear more threatening but all it did was open up an opportunity for a man he didn't hear to approach him from behind and inject something straight into his neck.
The last thing Tony registered was the man smiling and talking to someone behind him, "Take em and hang them up, the show is about to begin."