Thank you so much Prongs100 for pre-reading.
I am very nervous about the rest of the story so I am putting up an early update to get some of the tension off my shoulders.
28. Warning and Capture
Tony watched Peter stumble out of the room and then heard the slam of his bedroom door. He felt an ache in his chest, and his heart wanted him to follow, but he thought Peter needed a moment alone before he would accept comfort. And he wanted to deal with the problem in the room first.
His anger rose as he looked at the man, and he shouted, "What the hell, Strange?"
Strange looked severe. "I know that you do not want to hear this, and I don't particularly want to say it, but the risk that child poses is huge."
"He's not a risk!" Tony bellowed.
Strange tugged at his sleeves. "I know it's hard for you to hear, but it's true. Perhaps it would be easier for you if I said it was the risk the Stones pose that is huge."
"You don't know him," Steve said mildly. "Queens is a good kid."
Tony was pleased to hear his defense, as he'd been pleased when they'd all said they could handle it if Peter was to read their minds. The thought Peter had seen and felt what he'd felt going through the wormhole worried him, he hated it even. He didn't mind the fact his memory had been shared as much as he hated that Peter had experienced one of the worst moments of his life with him.
"I am not doubting that, but he is not just a kid," Strange said. "He is armed with the most powerful weapons in the universe. You all care about him, I can see that, but you have to understand what you're dealing with here."
Tony took a step towards him, hands fisted and ready to throw a punch. "I know what I'm dealing with, thanks—a kid that I love. He's not a threat. He is in control of the Stones. If you knew what he's been doing with them, you'd understand."
Strange nodded. "Yes, the portal. That is incredible power."
"Yeah," Rhodey said, getting to his feet to place a hand on Tony's chest in a gesture that was evidently supposed to calm, but Tony could feel him shaking, too. "He did that to protect us from a threat that's coming. That's what he does—protects. It's all he wants to do. He's got this power, we know, and none of us are underestimating how dangerous it could be in anyone else's hands, but it's not. It's in Peter's hands, and I trust him to do the right thing with it."
"So do I," Wanda said, drawing all eyes. "Peter helped me through something, even though it hurt him, as he wanted to make things better for me. That is who he is."
Bucky nodded. "Have you looked into Spider-Man at all while you've been gone? Do you know the kind of things he did?"
"No," Strange admitted. "But I do not need to. This isn't about the kind of person he is. The power he has is not going to be changed by that."
"It is," Tony said emphatically. "Peter will control it."
"Will he?" Strange asked. "When he realizes what he's capable of, will he be able to resist using them?" He held up a finger. "Soul will enable him to steal, control, manipulate, and alter living and dead souls."
Tony flinched but spoke firmly. "He would never do it. I know him."
Strange held up another finger. "With Time, he can see into the past and the future; stop, slow down, speed up or reverse the flow of time. He can travel through time, change the past and the future. He has none of the limitations I had with the Time Stone. He can do anything he likes."
"Wait," Steve said. "He can actually change the future." His eyes snapped to Tony. "I thought that was impossible."
Tony spread his hands helplessly. "I thought it was."
"Nothing is impossible for him anymore," Strange said. "If he embraces the Power and Mind Stones together, he could become omnipotent and omniscient." He looked from face to face. "Could any of you resist that kind of power if it was in your grasp?"
Tony fell back into a chair and covered his face with his hands. The truth was he wasn't sure he could. It would be too tempting. He wouldn't want to do it, but with that kind of temptation, he thought he would."
"I probably couldn't," Rhodey said. "But Peter would. All he wants to do with these Stones is protect. He won't hurt anyone with them."
"He really won't," Sam said, surprising Tony as he didn't have much of a connection with Peter, at least as far as he knew. "He was hurt in Wakanda since he wouldn't let the Stones hurt the man that attacked him. He told me he had taken control of them. He won't hurt anyone." He ran a hand over his face. "I've been worried about him for a while, but I am not scared of him; my fear is for him. He's already under so much pressure already, and now he's really struggling, and he only knows the smallest part of it. If his ability with Soul has done this to him, what will the rest do?"
"Good question," Rhodey said heavily.
"Yeah, but we don't have to—"
"No, Tony," Steve cut him off.
Tony frowned. "You don't know what I was going to say."
A soft laugh spread around the room as they all shook their head and looked at him. Tony's hands fisted, feeling pinned by their amusement and annoyed.
"Yeah, I do. You don't want to tell him," Rhodey said. "I get it. I don't want to put more on him either, but we don't have the right to hide this from him. He needs to know."
"So that he can, perhaps, try to control it," Strange said.
"No," Rhodey said stiffly. "So he knows what's coming. He's going to control it no matter what. I trust him. But he needs to be warned." He got to his feet. "And you don't need to be here for it, Strange. Thanks for all you've told us, and we'll be in touch if we need you."
Tony gritted his teeth. He would tell Strange nothing that happened. This wasn't about him. Peter wasn't going to be faced with him again. He'd already done enough.
"I'll drive you out," Sam said, getting to his feet and steering Strange out.
Strange gave them an annoyed look and then turned back at the door and said, "I understand there are bonds here between you and the child, but do not let yourself forget what you know about him and the Stones. He needs to be watched. You have the best chance of averting disaster."
"Sure. Fine," Tony said dismissively. "Go."
Strange and Sam left, and Tony waited a moment, sure he was gone, and then went to Peter's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Pete, kid, can we talk?" There was no response at all, and Tony sighed. "Please, let me in. Talk to me." He waited a moment and then said, "Okay, I'm coming in."
He turned the handle and eased the door opened, already apologizing for invading his space, and then he took in the open window and the empty room. He stepped inside and checked the small attached bathroom, but it was empty.
"Rhodey!" he bellowed.
Rhodey appeared at the door, Steve and Bruce on his heels.
"What's wrong?" Rhodey asked.
Tony gestured around the room. "He's gone. Peter's taken off."
Rhodey's eyes darted around, and then he pressed a hand to his chest and said, "He won't have gone far. He probably just needed space. He might even have heard all of what Strange said. You know how good his hearing is. He's probably just got into the forest for a while." He placed a hand on Tony's arm. "We'll find him and get him back here."
Tony took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. "Yeah. We will."
"I've got my suit here," Rhodey said. "I'll get it on. Home Base can scan the area better than us alone." He squeezed Tony's shoulder. "We'll find him."
They'd find him, get him back, but how were they supposed to help him if he'd heard everything?
Tony didn't think any of them had the words to make this right for him.
Peter woke up to a blinding light above that hurt his eyes and made his head throb. H squeezed them closed again with a groan and then, when his head had settled a little, he cracked them open a millimeter to let him grow accustomed to the glare. It took a while, and his head throbbed, but when he could open them all the way, he sat up and took stock of his surroundings.
He was lying on a cold, white tile floor. The wall behind him was made of riveted metal, but either side were transparent walls that were either made of glass or plastic that were also walls of other cells. The wall that led into the hall in front of him had no door, but there was a hatch where he supposed things like food were passed through. There was a metal toilet in the corner without a seat or lid and a cot with a blue blanket against the metal wall.
When he'd gotten to the street, he'd been met with three men standing around a black jeep, armed with guns, though it had not been a gun they'd used to incapacitate him. One of the men had approached him, gun trained on his head and threats given of Morgan's safety if he resisted, while another man filmed what was happening. Peter had felt something cold on the back of his neck, and then an electric shock had surged through him, dropping him to the ground with his limbs jerking and muscles contracting. It had seemed to go on forever, entire minutes as the pulse ripped through him, and then he'd been sent into merciful darkness. He supposed it had taken longer to knock him out with the stun gun because of his Spider-Man resilience.
He walked to the metal wall and pressed his fingers against it. It was cold and slightly damp with condensation, which puzzled him a little.
He sat on the edge of the cot, and his fingers found the blanket. He felt the urge to wrap it around himself, to cosset, but he didn't want to appear weak to his captors. Though what power he had here, he didn't know. He was entirely at their mercy.
He wondered if Morgan was okay now. She had to be. He'd done what they said, given them no reason to hurt her, they had to leave her alone now, didn't they? God, if they hurt her…
'You'll let me kill them?' Power asked.
Peter flinched. "No, if they hurt Morgan, I'll kill them myself."
'Huh. Unexpected. Not sure I believe you. So, when are we getting out of here?'
"When I know it's not going to get someone I care about hurt."
'And how are you going to be sure of that,' Power asked.
"Good question," Peter replied.
'You know, if you'd just let us take control, we'd be out of here and the kid would be safe. There's things you can do that you don't know yet. Space, help me out.'
'It's true,' Space said. 'I can get you out of here in an instant. You can get yourself out of here in an instant if you're willing.'
"How?" Peter asked.
It was Mind that answered. 'We have never lied, and you are in control, but there is much you're capable of that could save you and Morgan that you don't know about. If you truly embraced us, accepted what we can do, we can get you out of here and to Morgan within seconds. You will have unimaginable power."
Peter frowned. 'You mean the things Strange was talking about? Implanting thoughts?"
'That is the smallest taste of what we can do,' Reality said. 'We cannot take it step by step anymore, Peter. You need to accept and embrace us. We can get you out of here and give you unimaginable power to use, but you must be willing and ready for it.'
Before Peter could answer, he heard the creak of a door and clipping footsteps. He stood and moved to the middle of the room, hiding the fact his hands were shaking by clasping them in front of him.
He didn't know who to expect, if it would be one of the men that had brought him here, but he didn't imagine that it would be the man whose mission it was to get him there.
Thaddeus Ross, President of the United States, came to a stop in front of him with another dark-skinned man that Peter didn't recognize.
They just stared at him for a moment, and then Ross said, "The eyes… They really are different, aren't they?"
"Don't be fooled into think he's just 'different,'" the man said, and Peter immediately recognized the Wakandan accent. "He is an abomination."
"He is now," Ross replied. "But thanks to you, he's going to become something truly amazing." He looked at Peter and then said, "It's good to meet you, Peter. I am President Ross."
"I know," Peter said stiffly.
Ross frowned. "You sound hostile, boy. Perhaps you need to see this before we continue." He took a phone from his pocket and tapped at it for a moment and then held it to his companion with a grunt of annoyance. "Damn, Stark tech. Bring up the live feed for me."
The Wakandan man punched a button, and then a hologram appeared. It was Morgan, again, and Peter moved towards the barrier between them automatically, almost as if he could protect her by being closer, even though he was who knew how many miles away from her. She was on a porch swing outside a house Peter hadn't seen, though he guessed it was Tony's new home with her and Pepper. She was turning the pages of a book and swinging her legs. This time, the red dot was on her forehead.
"Please don't," he croaked. "Please. I'll do what you say."
"I'd like to believe that," Ross said. "But I've put my faith in the wrong people before, and I've been let down. We're going to tweak your circumstances a bit before we'll believe you'll be obedient."
'You can stop this now,' Power said. 'Take off the shackles, embrace us, and we'll get you to the kid right now.'
But could he be faster than a bullet? He couldn't risk it. He would ride this out until… Until he was rescued? What would happen if he was? Would they know if Morgan was in danger, or would they just come for him? If they came for him, Morgan would be killed.
He licked his lips and said, "I will do what you want, but you have to let me make a call."
Ross snorted. "Of course, I do. Would you like me to give Tony Stark our coordinates, or shall I just deliver you to his doorstep?"
Peter shook his head, his hands shaking. "No, but if they think I'm in trouble, they will find me. He has to think I've left on my own. They'll know I'm gone by now. If I can tell him I'm okay, that I left because I wanted to, they won't come. Please." He couldn't keep the pleading from his voice.
Ross considered a moment and then nodded. "I think you might be right, little spider. Okay. I'll allow you a call, but if I think you're trying to give him any message apart from the one I want you to give, I will kill his daughter and then his wife. Do you understand?"
Heart pounding against his ribs, Peter nodded.
"You will tell him that you need space for yourself, that you are overwhelmed by your situation, that you do not want to be found, and that you will come back when you're ready. You will do nothing that will give away the situation you've found yourself in. You will not mention me."
"I promise," Peter whispered.
"Do you have an untraceable phone?" Ross asked the man with him.
He nodded. "I have better than that. I have a phone that can be traced to any location you wish. Where would you like me to set coordinates?"
Ross checked his watch and considered. "Hmm… He's had long enough to get there, yes. Set the location for Queens, New York. I'm sure he'll believe it. No video."
The man tapped at his phone and then opened a hatch and passed it through, slamming it shut again. Peter took it in fumbling fingers and dialed quickly, having to stop and try again three times until he was sure it was right. Then, with a deep breath, he pressed the button to connect the call and held his breath.
It was answered after a short pause, and Tony's voice was curt. "Yes?"
Peter took a deep breath and said, "Tony, it's me, Peter…"
So… What do you think? I'm a little nervous about this new development so please let me know either way. Be gentle though. I've had a lot of attacks in Twilight lately.
Until next time…
Clowns or Midgets xxx