A Military Return

A/N: I'm really bad at continuing stories I start, but I swear the next few chapters will be out in the following days.

One year ago…

Tony's bags were packed weighing more than a three day mission bag should. Steve Aka Captain America was waiting by the door as Tony said his final goodbyes. The man glanced sadly at his wife whose eyes were red, her arms clutching their13 year old son. The light of Tony's life, the chance to be a father he never had. An unfortunate night gifted him with a brown eyed baby boy, pulling him from his self-destructive ways many years ago. A few years later he married his assistant turned CEO, Pepper Potts.

Then came Afghanistan and the NYU battle with Loki, and the soon following Ultron incident. Steve and the Avengers were calling him away again. Away from the only family he had ever truly loved. This mission shouldn't last as long as either of the two previous ones. A quick trip to settle some unfinished alien tech business and some Hydra rumors. Some of which, seemed to be rising quickly. Too quickly.

"Tony," Steve used his warning voice. The billionaire huffed getting a watering chuckle out of Peter. Sometimes Tony wanted to punch the Captain in the face just to see what would come of it, but at least it made Peter laugh.

"Coming Capsicle, don't get your American panties in a twist," he quipped practically feeling Steve's eye roll. Tony crouched down hugging his son vowing that after this, the suit was going away for a while. Maybe he'd take the 3 of them to Hawaii, perhaps even bring the other Avengers if they wanted to trail along. He stood, locking eyes with his gorgeous wife. The best mother to Peter.

"good bye Tony," She barely whispered. Tony kissed her passionately. Hand tangleded in hair their bodies clasped together like a puzzle. It was a soft kiss, but one with promises. As far as any of them knew this could very well be the last time. The kiss, it was a goodbye too.

"I'll be back in three days," Tony assured the duo pulling away from the kiss, letting his hand linger in his wife's hair, memorizing their faces.

"Promise?" Peter asked softly eyes glazed over. Tony did his best to muster a smile.

"Pinky." He whispered. Pepper gave him a wet chuckle, he wanted to say something more. He wanted to drop everything and stay, but they – The Avengers needed him. As much as he wished they didn't, he knew they did. His brains at least. He wasn't the best company. Steve led him away from his family, from his life. Hoping and praying to whatever supreme being was up there that he'd make it home.

Then again, nothing ever went his way. The quinjet was waiting for them to be debriefed, or prebriefed. Tony wasn't really sure what it was called. One of the requirements of these missions was to cancel all and any connection with outside sources. It was Tony's least favorite part, but it was safety measures. If their enemy was stronger and smarter than expected there couldn't be any tech to hack.

"3 days," Tony murmured to himself pocketing the picture of his family into a suit compartment, hidden from S.H.I.E.L.D. Even his suit needed to be onced over and disconnected from communication. This meant they had to have a whole other suit for him to use.

"Lets blow this popsicle stand," Clint said entering the large plane. Tony never understood how Clint left his family with so much energy, and almost no reluctance. "For the greater good," clint had answered whenever tony asked, but there was something in his eyes when he did. Something that screamed, "not true."

The warehouse that the alien technology was supposedly originating from was very cliché. It was dark and dreary like the movies he watched with Peter. It practically screamed suspicious. Still, Tony creeped through the hallways – or as creeped as he could in a metal suit. It was dark and the walls were dirty.

"clear," Natasha's voice rang through his earpiece.

"Clear here too," Tony hastily responded putting his suit in sentry mode and walking around in his own clothing. A workout shirt and some sweatpants.

"Clear," Steve said not in his America tone, which set Tony on edge more than he already was.

"Clear dears," Clints too exasperated voice entered the conversation.

"Is it abandoned?" Tony asked, but just as Steve was about to answer a fast paced ticking resounded around the building, quickly following was a loud crash.

"Bomb!" Steve yelled breaths heavy though the smoke.

"RUN!" Natasha screeched her breaths uneven as they tried to run. Tony was out of the suit and the explosions had taken it already. It was him against bombs hidden around the warehouse. His breaths came out in pants praying, but knowing it was lost. This was it, he'd never see his family again. He should have quit, he shouldn't have- BOOM

One Week Later…

Peter woke up hoping that maybe today was the day his dad would come walking into his room with a plate of pancakes telling the teenager all about his mission. Even when peter was young his father's exciting stories kept him up late at night.

He left the room disappointed after a few minutes of waiting, to see his mother collapsed on the ground in a mans arms tears streaming down her face. Peter's phone slipped out of his hand. No. No, no, no.

"mom..?" Peter's soft voice said barely audible. Pepper motioned him over to the stranger.

"He- there was a complication." The man wore an eye patch. This must be the Nick Fury his dad was always complaining about.

"What do you mean complication," Peter said in a commanding voice. One he learned mostly from his dad.

"There were bombs. They didn't show up in our scans. Tony- Your dad, he didn't make it out," Nick kept talking but Peter toned him out because his life just came to a crashing halt.

"You're lying, you- you have to be, dad he wouldn't have- he wouldn't leave me." It was begging, tears were pouring down his face landing on his tongue in a salt water mixture, he knew he was acting childish, but it didn't stop him from saying in an accusing voice. "He promised."

"Is there a body"

"no"