Chapter 19: The Invisible Man

Steve was fully dressed and he sat alone on the edge of his bed. He stared at the backpack that remained on his floor.
The others had gone about their own merry way and Steve was left behind with his thoughts.

He had no idea what Thor planned to do or when he'd be back.
Steve could not pry his eyes away from Tony's backpack.
The younger Tony gave up everything to find him. He actually FOUND him which was insane in its own way.

And just like that, he was gone.
Steve wished he could have said something else to – NO.
He refused to finish his thought. Steve stood up and gently kicked the backpack under his bed. Out of sight. OUT OF MIND.

Gah the soldier covered his face. He could not get the thousands of thoughts out of his head. He wondered how long it would take to get the adult Tony back? And would he be the same person, or was he going to be altered like he was?
Steve sighed heavily and left his floor. He zombied his way to the kitchen and he quickly made up four sandwiches.

Bread, May & Mus, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Ham, and Cheese.
He assembled four sandwiches and he headed down to Tony's lab. Bucky was still caged down there like an animal and Steve's mind was numb on that subject.

He opened the cryotube and just walked over to Bucky.
Steve set down two sandwiches for him and then he took a seat. Bucky eyed the food and he picked one of the sandwiches up immediately.

"It sucks to eat with one arm," Bucky mentioned as Steve looked at him. Bucky looked horrible. He said nothing to his friend and he took a bite of his sandwich.

"You've got a lot of stuff going on in this place."
"Why aren't you trying to escape Bucky?" Steve had wondered about that for a while but his mind was filled with too many other things.
Bucky had plenty of opportunities to escape if he wanted.

He could have overpowered Natasha even without the use of his arm. He could attack Steve at that moment and walk right out the door.
But Bucky didn't try to escape at all. Steve wanted to know why.

"I think, I want to stay here until my head is right." Bucky didn't know what it meant for his head to be right but that was what he wanted to say.
Steve studied him as he ate his sandwich.

"Do you remember me?"

"I do. I've known who you were the whole time." Steve held a confused frown.

Bucky remembered him. Well, why was he still with HYDRA? Steve's frown was deep because that really confused him.

"That look on your face right there is exactly why I should keep my mouth shut," Bucky confessed and Steve adjusted in his seat.

"Why are you working with Hydra if you knew who I was?"

Steve got a bit angry, no disappointed. Really Bucky?
"I stopped. But after a while, I felt lost. So, I went back to Hydra. It's simple really." Bucky didn't know where else to go or what else to do.

Taking missions and assassinating people was now part of his daily life. He tried to stop but he went right straight back to it.
The only problem was, Steve and Bucky were on opposite teams.

"I'm not trying to escape because I want to be right in the head." Bucky started to focus on his second sandwich.
Steve's frown went away and he nodded his head.

Bucky basically said that he wanted to recuperate? Maybe try to find something else other than Hydra? Steve hoped that was what he implied. The two sat in silence and they ate the sandwiches. Bucky finished eating and he glanced over at his long lost friend.

"So tell me, Steve, what has Captain America been up to besides S.H.I.E.L.D. work?" Bucky seemed normal, so normal Steve almost didn't believe that he sat right beside him.

He wondered, Was it really that simple? He brought him home and now there they were? They just sat there and ate sandwiches?
Steve expected another struggle, an enormous battle to get Bucky to grasp reality.
He felt like it couldn't be real.

Steve began to think it was a dream. He expected to wake up and find out that Bucky had slaughtered everyone.
"Steve?" Bucky said his name and Steve gasped.

He stared at his friend.
"I've, well I've been just like you. Just going from one mission to the other trying to find a place in this new world."
"I see." Bucky stared out of the cryotube and he looked around Tony's stuff.

"So, Anthony Edward Stark is Howard Stark's son. Right?" Bucky asked a question about Tony and Steve looked in his direction. He wondered why Bucky referred to him as "Anthony Edward Stark". Steve thought it was strange.

"You can call him Tony. He would prefer that actually."

"I heard him talking off an on while I was in here. He talks too fast." Steve nodded his head a few times.

"Do you still want to kill him Bucky?" Steve had to ask.

He began to wonder if Bucky still wanted to kill Tony. That was his mission after all.

"I don't think so. I'm not sure. He seemed.." Bucky's thoughts trailed off and he looked at one of the work tables.
Bucky couldn't process.

"You were sent to kill Tony. They sent you into his past to kill him when he was younger. Now we have a time travel ordeal and he's technically not here."

"I've been following along. I listened to a lot while I've been in this tube." Bucky turned his focus to Steve.

Steve's eyes glanced in the opposite direction of Bucky Barnes.

He wondered how much Bucky had heard.
"Did you hear the conversation that four of us had in here? About East Coast and West Coast Avengers?" Steve wanted to know if Bucky overheard the conversation about Tony and Steve's "relationship."

The two soldiers made eye contact. Bucky wondered why Steve was so specific, and Steve wondered if he just came out of the closet to his long lost best friend.
They studied each other for a little while and Bucky finally responded.

"I don't think I heard anything like that. When I woke up I heard a voice but, no one was in here. I was alone."
Steve breathed out a sigh of relief.

He didn't want Bucky to find out about his connection with Tony in that way. Steve wanted to tell him himself.
Steve wanted that option and he was glad to know that Bucky was asleep.

"That was most likely Jarvis. Tony has some sort of artificial intelligence program that runs this entire building. I'm still not used to it."
"But, you like it here? It seems like you do." Bucky looked over at the small bed that Tony had set out for him.

His brain was tired. Steve nodded a few times and smiled.

"I do. I consider it home now."

"Well, that makes one of us. I have no idea what I'm doing." Bucky just closed his eyes and tried to suppress certain thoughts that flooded his mind.

"You should rest Bucky. Did you need anything else?"

"Nah. Just some sleep I think." Steve stood up and he cleaned up the small mess he made. Bucky watched Steve and he thought of a question to ask.

"Can you come back? Can, that program thing tell you when I wake up?"

Steve smiled at his friend. Of course, he would go back. Steve felt happy for the first time in what felt like DAYS.

"I wanted to talk to you about some things. Things about you that I've thought about off and on whenever I wake up." Bucky's stare became a bit blank as he said what he did.

Steve wasn't sure what Bucky meant by that, he had a few ideas, but he was happy to hear Bucky talk about anything.

"Of course. I'll have Jarvis alert me." Bucky didn't respond to Steve. His mind was in another place. He thought about something from the past and he wasn't sure how to bring it up to the Steve that stood in front of him.

"I'll see you later Bucky." Steve left the cryotube and he closed it up. Bucky watched him leave and he sat for a moment longer.
Bucky stood up and he headed to the small bed. He needed to rest his head and be alone with his thoughts.

Steve went to his floor and he threw away the mess from the food.

Over in the common room of the tower Clint, Natasha, and Bruce had a mini-meeting. They didn't know how deep all the time travel business would affect the adult Tony and they really didn't know how it would affect his relationship with Steve.

They didn't even know if they were going to get the real Tony back. But they were preparing themselves for whatever was going to happen.
Clint had a pack of ice on his groin.

Saaaa he was most likely bruised.
"Tony is probably going to be a basket-case when he gets back. He'll be moody with Steve and extra snarky towards everyone." Clint assumed and Bruce disagreed.

"I don't expect Tony to be that way. He might surprise you who knows? I do feel like he will be wanting a break from anything avenger related. Given all the hostility he's been having with Fury and Steve."

"He is going to be a total BASKET-CASE."

Clint and Bruce stared at each other.
"That sounds like a bet." Bruce challenged the archer.

"Oh, it's a bet. Fifty bucks?"
"Deal." Clint and Bruce shook hands and Natasha rolled her eyes

The three of them heard Jarvis's voice and they looked up.
"Thor is arriving at the tower. He would like to know all of your locations." Natasha answered because the men were idiots.

"Steve is downstairs with Bucky. I am with Bruce and Clint in the common room." There was a long silence after she answered.

"Did he get Tony back?" Clint asked as he set the pack of ice on the table.

His question got no response. Eventually, the three heard Jarvis's voice again.
"Sir, Thor does have Tony with him." It was a quick response followed by silence again.

Clint was anxious to see if he was going to win the bet. Come onnnn basket-case Tony. Come onnnn.

"Should we tell Steve?" Natasha was ready to tell Steve that Tony was back. Jarvis responded.

"Not at this time." Jarvis was brief and the three looked at each other.

The door to the common room opened and Thor walked in. Tony slowly followed.

He was dressed in that hoodie and those sweat pants. The three observed that he was no longer seventeen. Bruce, Clint, and Natasha stared at him and Tony stopped at the table.
"Everything has been corrected. The younger Tony is back in his own time. That is all you need to know."

Thor kept them uninformed at Tony's request. Tony just wanted the entire situation to be over and done with. He didn't want any more discussions about it so he asked Thor to tell them that they knew ALL THEY NEEDED TO KNOW.
Clint frowned a bit.

Sure he hated the younger Tony, but deep down he wanted to see him have some form of happiness when he was younger. He was miserable being stuck with that CREEP Obadiah. Clint looked at Tony.

There stood the adult product of that. He told himself that he would take the things that he saw and heard between Tony and Obadiah TO HIS GRAVE.
He thought that the Tony in front of him was still miserable because of it. HOW COULD HE NOT BE? if he was, the archer knew he was an expert at keeping it hidden.

"Are you ok Tony?" Bruce asked because Tony was very quiet.
Tony looked at the three. He had Jarvis tell them where all the Avengers were because he did not want to see Steve.

He wasn't sure how he was, to be honest. All he knew was that he didn't want to see Steve. Gahh well he'd have to eventually so he decided to just get it over with.
"I'm fine. What did I miss?" he asked the group and Clint scoffed.

Baskettt caseee? Tony was supposed to be in tears or something. Clint chimed in and answered first.

"I probably can't have any more kids because of the younger you. My balls will flinch every time you are around me. THAT'S WHAT YOU MISSED." Tony laughed at him and he turned to Bruce.

"Anything missed from the Hulk Monster?"
"Oh, I missed the younger you showing up entirely. I was in my room." Bruce had nothing. Tony looked at Natasha.

"You're younger self was so cute."
"I'm still cute you know."
"I want one." Natasha wanted a little brat kid that would kick Clint anytime he annoyed her. But not her own child of course not.
Tony just smiled.

"Yeah, I heard he was really something. He was REALLY attach-worthy." Awkward. Tony was so happy to hear the campfire stories about his younger self.

Yeah, no..
In Clint's opinion, Tony acted a little too calm. Clint watched his body language closely.

"Jarvis? Can you send Steve up here?"

"Right away sir."
Tony nodded and he tapped a finger on the table around a million times.

The roooooooommmm got quiet. Steve was informed and he was going to head up.
Clint looked at Bruce. Bruce looked at Nat. Nat looked at Bruce and then they BOTH looked at Clint.

They knew shit was gunna get awkwardddd.

"Thanks for bringing me back Thor.." It was comforting for Tony to know that at least one of his avenger pals saw through the awesomeness of his younger self.

"You're welcome, Anthony. It's good to have you back."
Tch Tony just felt bitter about the whole thing. He felt like a S.H.I.E.L.D. play thing YET AGAIN.

The truth was when Tony entered another realm he was able to really process what had happened to him.
It felt like he had gone into an acid trip within his own mind. Tony knew everything that happened between Steve and his younger self.

He knew everything that Steve and Clint learned about his past. Thanks to Thor, and some other individual, Everything was put back in its proper place.
Tony could now move forward with only slight changes to his present state.

After a few minutes, Steve walked into the common room.

He saw everyone gathered around the table and his eyes stopped at Tony. Steve stood in front of the elevator and the doors closed behind him.

Everyone in the room looked at Steve. Steve felt a cold sweat on the back of his neck. His heart was lodged in-between his throat and his chest somewhere.

He couldn't think of where it currently lived in his body, he just felt it stuck deep somewhere with a hundred thousand holes in it.

"Come on in Steve. Let's chat." Tony broke the silence and his voice carried across the entire room.

EVERYONE WANTED TO LEAVE EXCEPT TONY. He wanted to stand right where he was and he wanted to look Steve RIGHT in the face. Steve looked back at the elevator. He wasn't exactly sure what he had just walked into. The adult Tony was right there.

Steve looked at the floor for a moment and then he walked up to the group.
It looked like they had a meeting or something without him. Steve ignored it and he stood on the opposite side of the table.

Tony on one side, Steve alllll the way across the other.
Steve noticed the clothing he had on before and he looked him over. Steve wanted to see if the Arc Reactor was back.

"Tony?"
"Yo." He waved awkwardly and Steve tried to get a glimpse of his chest. He wasn't sure if Tony was still altered.

"Are you the right one? Tony, how do I know it's really you?" Steve's nerves were a bit haywire. He didn't realize how uncomfortable the question made Tony because Steve didn't have all the information.

"Oh, I think I'm the right one." Tony was intentionally distant and he didn't engage in any eye contact with Steve.

It was really awkward for everyone in the room.
"At least, I think I'm the right one." Maybe not everyone would agree but, TA DAA there he was!

"I think you're the right one!" Clint said loudly as he raised his hand. They couldn't let Tony think that they wanted him to be different or something like that.
Tony was Tony. They all loved him and they didn't want him to disappear.

Steve was speechless. He didn't even know how to approach the situation. Steve just shook his head and he pushed off from the table. He walked around Bruce, around Natasha, he glanced at Thor and Clint, and then he stopped right in front of Tony.

He wasn't going to discuss or engage in the situation in the same way that Tony had planned. Steve Rogers did things his own way. He would not be moved out of doing things his own way. Tony watched Steve's every move. A wave of anger built up within Tony as Steve moved closer to him.

Tony remained quiet and Steve stopped beside him. When the soldier stood in front of him Tony finally looked him in the eyes.

GET. THE FUCK. BACK. That was Tony's first thought until he looked at that face. Tony inhaled quickly. His face felt a bit hot after he looked at Steve. He felt nervous. He took a step and tried to think of anything he could to get Steve to get away from him.

Steve pulled Tony into a hug. For a moment there he thought he lost him. The thought of losing him made Steve want to die.

"I'm so sorry Tony. I can't believe I messed up that badly." He hugged him right in front of everyone.
Daa well, the cat was out of the bag and they all knew so, who cares?

Only Tony seemed to care. He clawed his way out of the hug at first. Steve pulled him back in and Tony's face was pressed up to that shirt. He stared at that shirt. Tony inhaled a few deep breaths and he stared at the cotton lines of that fucking shirt.

A memory returned to him. His stare continued and he closed his eyes. It was the way the shirt smelled. Tony remembered being in a filthy Los Angeles alley. He remembered Steve hugging him exactly the way he hugged him at that moment.

It no longer hurt his heart to think about those things.

Steve made his younger self feel special. He made him feel loved. It helped Tony process his own feelings for Steve.
Tony pried his gaze from the threads of the shirt and he looked up at Steve.

He honestly forgot the others were there. He leaned up and gave Steve a gentle kiss. It was a simple, soft kiss that ended quickly. Steve was glad he received it. The kiss between them felt similar to the way the younger Tony kissed him.

There was something different about it. Steve wanted to explore it a bit more but Tony ended it before he could understand. Tony said nothing and he moved his shoulders. He motioned for Steve to release him. Steve let him go and Tony walked a few steps away from him.

"It's all fine now Steve don't get all, whatever. Let's just move on. It's not like anyone meant for this shit to happen."

Tony wanted everyone to be done with the time travel bullshit. He wanted to find all the time-like technology and destroy them entirely.
That was what he intended on doing. Fury better watch his ass because Tony planned to go straight for S.H.I.E.L.D. and he wanted to wipe out ALLL of their machines.

Then he was going to go for Rhodey.
Steve felt uneasy. He knew Tony was going to be difficult to talk to. He felt some tenderness from him for a moment, but now Tony looked a million miles away.

Steve knew that Tony wanted everything to be swept under the rug and he wanted to go back to his own little Tony utopia. Steve could see the plots and plans that formed in Tony's head just as he stood there with a blank expression.

The soldier wasn't a mind reader, but he knew the look that was on his face. And he noticed immediately that Tony began to rub at his hands.

Steve didn't want any of that. He didn't want Tony to be a million miles away. He lowered his face and started to sulk.
Tony snapped out of his revenge daze. He looked over at Steve. Tony knew the soldier went through a lot so he tried to control himself.

He still forgot everyone else was there and he migrated back. He tugged Steve into another hug. Wahhhh Tony knew he could be really selfish and a HUGE pain in the ass!

He didn't mean to be. Actually, he didn't want to be. Not for Steve anyway.

Awww Steve was really upset. He could feel it in the way he hugged him back.
Steve whispered that he was sorry to him. Tony just shook his head and gripped his clothing tight. Gah, Tony ended their hug and he shook his arms.

"It's ok look, I'm me! I may not be seventeen and I'm not a coke addict anymore but, LOOK." Tony pointed at himself as he stepped waaayyy back from him.
SEE? He was just as equally awesome.

"I actually worked really really hard at NOT being a coke addict. Yeah." He looked away and felt very stared at.
He needed the subject changed FAST.

"How is Bucky Wonder?" Tony figured that would be the best subject to change to. He wanted to get everyone to STOP STARING AT HIM.

Steve smiled at Tony. It was his Tony for sure but he couldn't see if he had the scar from the arc reactor still on his chest. He didn't want to unzip his sweatshirt and make him mad so he tried to piece together his personality without the need to see the scar.

And Steve knew exactly how to do it.

"He's actually really good. I'm shocked to say it but he's doing ok. I just brought him some SANDWICHES and we actually had a conversation." Steve put a heavy emphasis on the sandwiches because that was how he would know if Tony was normal or not.

Tony cleared his throat and his face twitched a bit.
"Sandwiches. Really? You're going to go THERE." Steve decided to bring THAT subject up that soon?

"OH, I'M GOING THERE," Steve responded and he leaned toward that FACE.
Tony looked at him as if Steve challenged him. Steve looked back at Tony and YES he was definitely going to challenge him. Steve was still pissed off about the sandwich comment.

"Aw. How adorable. Now you two can go watch dine-in movies together or chase some dames." Tony's sarcasm was abundant.

Steve had never been happier to hear his sarcasm.
The soldier wanted to kiss him more than anything, but he actually had found some self-control somewhere.

"I would like for you to put his arm back on as soon as possible please."
"Putting me to work already Cap?" Tony laughed and he turned away from him. Steve just held a grin and Tony tried not to look at him. Steve was all grins.

Tony loved that smile. He glanced at it for a split second.

"Annnnnd I'm OUT OF HERE." Clint waved his hands and he began to leave the room. Yeah, everyone wanted to leave. They all started to grumble and vacate. The rest of the Avengers would not subject themselves to it any longer.

OKKkk Tony thought, enough of the flirtation with Steve. Tony addressed the onlookers.

"You guys, it's just business as normal here, alright? I'm home now and that amazing other me is gone. Let's just forget all of that ever happened." Tony turned away from the group and he took off to his lab.

Steve watched him leave and he contained the laugh that began to form. Tony continued his talk to the group as he headed to the elevator.

"ALTHOUGH, at some point, I'm going to make Fury pay for making me feel like I'm S.H.I.E.L.D. property and all that. But, I don't feel like doing that right now. I will be hanging out with Bucky Wonder. You've all been great. So helpful, gotta run."

He stopped at the elevator and he pressed the button. Tony waited for the door to open and he turned around to face his group of Avenger pals. He wanted to thank them all for something but, meh that was lame. He gave Steve a smile and he walked into the elevator. The door closed and he chomped on his bottom lip.

"Jarv? what is Bucky's condition?"

"He's currently asleep."

Oh. Tony didn't want to wake up Steve's BFF. He thought for a moment as the elevator stopped at

the floor of his lab. He changed his mind about going to work. Tony needed sleep too so he decided to just do that.

"Black out the cryotube. Keep it dark for him inside and I'll work on some stuff tomorrow."

"You got it. Welcome back, sir."
"Aww thanks Jarvs. Take me to my floor would ya?" Tony smiled. Jarvis complied and he listened to the gentle buzz of the elevator.

Back in the common room, Bruce looked at Clint with a huge smile on his face.

"Fifty bucks." Tony wasn't a basket-case at all.

"He's HIDING IT. He's totally tearing up inside just you wait." Clint wasn't going to pay him.

"I didn't hear him say anything about taking a break BRUCE."

Steve just shook his head and looked at Thor.
"Thank you. At some point, you are going to have to tell me how you did it."

"Well, I didn't do it alone Steven and, you're welcome."

Steve breathed out all his frustration. He had Tony back and he was glad. Steve wondered about that moment he had with Tony. Tony seemed so different when they hugged. Steve thought about the shortest kiss between them that they just shared.

It only lasted a moment but it encouraged him. Steve touched his lip and decided to let it go. Tony needed space more than anything and Steve was fine with that.

STARK MANSION, MALIBU, CA

It was 1989 in Malibu California. Three Starks sat on three different lawn chairs as the mansion in front of them was repaired. It was the last day of construction so they intended to be back in their home by the end of that day.

Howard Stark had a drink in his hand as he read the newspaper, Maria Stark sipped on her orange juice, and Anthony Stark listened to his new cassette player. He had a notebook and he was in the middle of a sketch.

Howard looked over at his son.

The last thing Howard heard from Nick Fury was that Tony ran away from Obadiah Stane. Howard was told about the incident at Fury's main base between Tony and a new recruit but he didn't expect it to be resolved so suddenly.

Tony returned out of the blue and demanded to see his mother. Howard gave him what he wanted and the three of them stayed at the destroyed mansion.

They had not discussed Tony's latest stunt in any way. Howard decided to wait for the right time to talk to his son. But since his return, he clung to his mother like a Siamese twin.

He knew he had to force an opportunity.

"Maria, can you take this to Jarvis? It's giving me a headache." He reached the newspaper over in his wife's direction. She turned her attention to him and grabbed the paper. She knew that Howard wanted her to leave.

She didn't question it. Tony took his headphones off and sat up when he noticed his mother stand up. Ehh? He wanted to follow her. Tony's face slipped into a frown. Tony avoided his father like the plague.

Howard moved one seat over. He sat beside his son and ignored the cringe that formed on his face.

"It's about time you explained what happened at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. You stole someone's access card and pulled some kind of stunt." Howard knew the details of what happened but he wanted to hear Tony's side of the story.

Tony stared at his father.

Well, what was he supposed to say? A bunch of shit had happened. Tony didn't even know where to begin. He thought it would be ok to tell his father everything but he had no idea what good it would do.

How could he tell his dad that some Zeus guy with a hammer, and another guy with a cool cape offered him a choice? He could go live on some other planet and be "free" or return to his normal life?

His father would think that he was insane.

In fact, Tony felt insane. Maybe he hallucinated everything? What if it was all a dream? The only solid thing he had in his mind were the last words he heard from his Yankee. Tony looked over at the mansion as the construction workers repaired the damage.

The damage he looked at was real.

"I'm going back to fight him. Please trust me Tony because I won't let anyone hurt you."

The Yankee was real, wasn't he? He remembered his words, his voice, his lips, gahh his everything as he looked over at the garage. Tony started to question all the things that had happened.

The guy with the hammer and the guy with the cape gave him too much information to process. He asked to know everything about his adult self in order to make his decision.

Tony knew that his father and mother died in the future, he knew that Obadiah would betray him, he knew that he was going to be Iron Man someday, and he knew EVERYTHING about Captain America. Tony knew allllll about being an Avenger with Steve.

Zeus and the cool cape guy showed him all of it.
His adult self had something that he wanted. His golden ticket.

"Anthony? Did you hear anything I said?" His father's voice was loud because he was obviously mad at him.

Tony chose to continue his life on his own planet. He wanted to remain in his own time. He gave his word to Zeus that he would let the Yankee go. They told him that he was now separated from his adult self and the Steve that he knew.

Tony didn't know what that meant and he decided to not obsess over it. After he found out all the things his adult self went through, how could he destroy what he built? or try to take what he had?

Tony decided it was ok to let the Yankee go because he had an idea with himself in mind. Steve gave him the ultimate plan. Tony bit his lip and he thought about what the Yankee whispered to him in his bedroom.

"Tony, I am Captain America. I exist here and in your time. You can find me and wake me up. That is the only solution I can give you Tony."

That was his path now and everything was his for the taking. Tony looked up at his father and finally gave him a response.

"Dad, I didn't want to say this in front of mom but, I know where Captain America is. You know, your old friend Steve Rogers? I know where he is and I want the two of us to get him." Tony didn't trust anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D.! They were all a bunch of snakes in his opinion.

Tony's brain buzzed with ideas and he didn't want his dad focused on that lame "stunt" he pulled on one of Fury's bimbo employees.

He wanted his dad to take him to Captain America. So he could free his Steve, and have his Yankee. Howard had a look of complete shock slapped over his face. That was not what he expected to hear in any way. He stared at his son and tried to form words.

"If this is some kind of a joke-" Howard started to accuse, but Tony was not in the mood for it.

"NO DAD. It's not a damn joke. I'm serious! I know where he is and you're going to take me there."

Tony demanded what he wanted and he didn't care. His eyes were set on the prize and he refused to let his dad's pride get in the way of what he wanted. Howard sat back and thought it over. He took a drink of his scotch and stared at the construction in front of them.

He looked back over at his son.

"I'll take you on one condition." Howard held up one finger so that way Tony got the ONE condition part very clear.

Tony just crossed his arms and waited.
"Yeah?" he was too excited to find his Yankee to deal with his dad's bullshit.

"You need to explain to me what's been going on with you and Obadiah. The agent you dealt with told Fury that he's been abusing you. I want the truth."

Tony's excitement diminished after he heard that name. Tony felt sick to his stomach. His gut twisted up into knots and he avoided eye contact with his father. Howard noticed the change in his demeanor.

"I was just bullshitting with the guy. To get into the door, I made up some sob story." Tony lied to his father and he kept a straight face.

Howard didn't buy it. He studied his son and then lit up a cigarette. Something was wrong and he didn't like it. So, he decided it was his perfect opportunity to spend time with Tony and get the answers that he wanted.

Howard inhaled the smoke and looked at the mansion again for a moment. Howard was finally in a position to give all his attention to Tony.

"You and I will leave tomorrow. If you are bullshitting me, I'll kick your ass."

Tony put the headphones back over his ears and he kicked back against the lawn chair like he was before. He began to draw up his plans again. Howard still studied his son. Obidiah was a dead man.

Hah. Tony grinned because he got what he wanted. Tony's smile grew as he sketched and calculated. He tuned out everything but his music and what was written on his notepad.

CHAPTER END
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