Happy Saturday!

I hope your weeks were great. Mine was overwhelming. I'm running The Irondad Creators awards, and nominations closed Tuesday so I spent two days logging the final nominations, contacting creators, adding to the AO3 collection and creating a voting form. Now that's done, I can concentrate on this story again. Things with family have settled so I have time again, which I am putting to good use. I'm finally at the main branch of Nemesis' attack, and it's a wild ride. I can't wait to reach those chapters with you all.

Enough rambling. Read on xxx

Chapter Twenty-Nine

September 8th

Tony sat in the common room of the compound, staring at the hologram that spread from his phone, showing the mask view of Peter's suit as he swung around Queens.

He was not alone; Steve, Natasha, and Bucky were with him, all waiting for what they knew would come, and Rhodey was due soon on to be with Tony. Tony was grateful he'd arranged to take time off, as he needed his best friend with him while he did what he knew he had to do.

On the table was a list of what he knew was coming gathered from his memories of these days and what Mind had passed on from Peter about what would happen. They'd been discussing it when Peter started his patrol, and their focus had moved to watching him.

Tony had been unaware of some of what happened before, as Peter had been acting without guidance, and purposefully without his knowledge at one point. He didn't know if Peter would remove the tracker from his suit again, he doubted it somehow, but whatever happened, he had to stand back and let it play out.

He was twelve days away from what would be one of the greatest challenges of these events, taking the suit, and he dreaded it.

After that would come worse, knowing Peter was clinging to a crashing plane, but that would end it. When that was done, when Peter had faced it, he would be able to support him again, never holding any part of himself back again.

As Peter's view swung down to the sidewalk and he set out on foot, Tony picked up his bottle of beer and took a swig. He would have preferred whiskey, but he wasn't about to go down that slippery slope again.

Though this was nowhere near the same kind of trauma as what he'd suffered after coming home from Titan without Peter, the urge to drown it with alcohol was the same. In those dark days, before Pepper had saved him from himself with news of her pregnancy and her ultimatum, he had been steadily drinking himself to death to block out the pain of what had happened to Peter.

This was not as bad, he reminded himself constantly; Peter would come back, and he would be worthy, but the fear was there.

"Whoa, what was that?" Peter's voice said behind the mask, broadcast to the room.

"There is a disturbance at Queens Community Bank," Karen replied. "Shall we investigate?"

"Yep," Peter said cheerfully. "Let's go."

Tony watched Peter swing down the street and then land smoothly on the ground opposite the bank. Through his eyes, Tony saw the men breaking into the ATM and heard Peter's gasp of shock.

Steve leaned forwards, his eyes on the hologram, and he said, "Nat, you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Yes," she said softly. "Damn, we're idiots."

"What?" Tony asked. "What's going on?"

Steve didn't answer, eyes fixed on the scene playing out on the hologram, where Peter was facing the men in their cheap Avengers masks and quipping at them.

"We were tracking weapons like these," Natasha said. "When we were together, after it all happened in Germany, we heard about these high-tech alien weapons being used." She shook her head. "I didn't connect what you were telling us before when you said what Peter did, but these weapons were all over the US and Europe. We were trying to track them back to the source."

"Peter did it for us, though," Steve said, a small smile curving his lips.

"Of course he did," Bucky said, voice filled with pride. "That's what he does."

"Yes, but this operation was huge," Natasha said. "We found what we think was all of the weapons and took them to Wakanda to be decommissioned, but the supply just dried up. We thought there had to have been an accident in the manufacture or something that took out the dealers."

"No," Tony said, eyes on the hologram as Peter's view snapped up and down as the weapon fixed on him and smashed him between the floor and ceiling; he winced with each impact. "It was Peter."

"Yeah," Steve said, a line between his brows as Peter was slammed up and down. "Whoa!"

The ray from the weapon had missed Peter by inches and shot through the window, hitting the bodega across the street, destroying the front and starting a fire inside.

They heard Peter cry, "Mr. Delmar. No!"

He sounded so nervous, none of the confidence Tony remembered from these years before. The change in Peter was so profound. Before, though Tony had not seen these events like he was now, Peter had been bolder and more assured in his skills. He sounded winded and scared now, and Tony suspected it was more than just the fear for his friend, Mr. Delmar.

Peter would be different, he'd not experienced the defining moment of fighting with the Avengers, but Tony had not seen just how great that gulf between who he had been and who he was now.

They watched Peter's view as he searched the bodega, found the man he cared for, and supported him as he escaped, with a soft, "Come on, Murph, I've got you," as he scooped up a fat cat and carried him out.

"Peter, I detect three fractured ribs on your right side," Karen supported. "But Mr. Delmar is uninjured.

"Shut it down, Fri," Tony said, and the hologram shrunk and disappeared.

He sat back, raked a hand over his face, and squeezed his eyes closed. Peter had broken ribs, he was in pain now, and Tony couldn't help.

There was movement, and the door and Rhodey came in. He looked from Steve, who looked dour, to Tony, who was sure his worry was showing on his face, and said, "How bad?"

"Three broken ribs," Tony spat.

Rhodey flinched. "Damn. But he's through it, it's done?"

"It's done," Tony agreed. "Well, that part is done. The rest has just started."

"But he'll be okay," Rhodey said, his words reassuring but his tone requiring reassurance.

"He will," Steve answered when Tony failed to answer. "It's, what, three weeks of this, and then it's over?"

Tony nodded.

"Then we'll be free to help him," Steve went on. "None of us will have to keep our distance at all. We can support him all he needs."

"From what though?" Tony asked.

"We don't know yet," Bucky said, his voice filled with worry. "I've not heard from Zemo, and Happy didn't find a mole in Stark Industries, did he?"

"Not yet," Tony said. "He's still looking, though. The staff is huge, and Pepper won't let him use a polygraph." He smiled grimly. "Way Happy is about Peter now he's in the know, I wouldn't put it past him to do it anyway if he doesn't find something soon."

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, Happy's definitely invested.

Tony felt a small smile curling his lips. The change in Happy now that he knew the truth was vast. He was gradually bonding with Peter more thoroughly than he ever had before. Tony wondered how Peter felt watching it happen from his place in 2023. He would be pleased, Tony knew as he was always fond of Happy, but it had to be strange for him.

"Boss, you have an incoming call from Peter," Friday reported. "Do I connect?"

"Is he still in the suit?" Tony asked. "Is he okay?"

"He is in the suit, and Karen reports he is distressed."

Tony knew he shouldn't do it, this was not part of their plan, but he couldn't leave Peter suffering alone if there was something he could do to help, even just by talking to him. How much harm could it do to speak to him anyway? He wasn't interfering with what Peter was doing.

He picked the phone up from the table and said, "Connect it," and then, when he heard Peter's ragged breathing on the line, he said, "Hey, Pete. You okay?"

"Yeah, uh, I mean no," Peter said. "The craziest thing happened, Mr. Stark. I found these guys robbing the Queens' bank, and they had these weapons that weren't like anything I'd ever seen before. They blew a hole in Mr. Delmar's place. I… uh… I mean, I'm fine, really, but I think I need help with this, Mr. Stark, because they were way out of my league."

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, his need to help Peter battling what he knew was the right thing to do, and then his mouth opened, and he said, without conscious thought, "I'll help you, kid. Don't worry."

Steve sucked in a breath, and Natasha narrowed her eyes and said, "Get off the phone," in a low growl.

Ignoring them both, Tony said, again without thinking, "We'll work it out, Pete."

Vision drifted through the wall, his face dark in a way Tony had never seen before, and he didn't recognize at first that it was Mind and not Vision entering. Though it was unknown to see Vision ever displaying this kind of anger, to see it in Mind, the consummate calm presence, was even more unexpected.

"Get off the phone!" Vision snapped.

"Look, Pete, I've got to go," Tony said. "But I'll be in touch tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Peter said, voice small. "I mean, of course. I'll talk to you whenever you've got time. I've got his."

The call ended, and Tony took a deep breath, thoughts rallying for an explanation or defense for what he had done.

Before he could speak, Vision fixed him in a glare and said, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Easy," Bucky said. "Tony was trying to help."

"Help!" Vision said, voice rising. "This is not helping!"

"I'm not interfering," Tony said, holding up his hand. "I just said what he needed to hear to calm down. He's hurt and scared."

"He should be!" Vision shouted, shocking them all as they had never seen or imagined him behaving like this. "He is facing the greatest challenge on his path that we're aware of, and he is not the person you knew before because of you!"

Tony rose to his feet, anger coming to his defense. "Why is that? I was supporting him the way you told me to. You said we had to help him."

"Yes! To support him and make him the person he needs to be. Peter is now preparing to hand over all responsibility for what just happened and what must follow to you! He is not prepared!"

Tony narrowed his eyes. "You can't have it both ways, none of you Stones. You either want us to help him or not."

"Tony," Rhodey said quietly. "You know that's not what he meant."

Vision cut a hand through the air. "He does know, Colonel Rhodes. He is being selfish. It is hurting him to imagine Peter scared and alone in this, but it is what must happen. All of you," his eyes roved the room, taking them all in, "have a mission. You are here to save Peter's life! None of you stopped him saying those things."

"No," Bucky said, cheeks flushing with anger. "Because we care about Peter and want to help him."

Vision cut his hand through the air again, his eyes blazing. Tony had never seen this level of anger in the Stones, not even in Power. "You will kill him if you don't stop. Peter knows this, he is watching this happen, seeing his path change, and he is scared of what will come."

"Peter would understand," Tony said.

Vision's eyes widened. "Understand? Where do you think my anger comes from? This is him."

"Queens is angry?" Steve asked skeptically.

"Yes!" Vision said. "He is furious. He was relying on you to help him. Yes, you need to support him and guide him, but not through this! When Nemesis act, when they come for him, that is when he will need your support. We do not know how that threat will come or when, but it's not started yet. This is the time you must all allow Peter to stand on his own two feet and be tested. If you do not, you will kill him as surely as if you pulled the trigger on him yourself."

Tony bowed his head, shame and horror rushing through him. He knew he was wrong, that what he'd done was stupid. He never wanted to risk Peter's life, but he couldn't stand by and let his son be scared and alone.

However, that was evidently exactly what he had to do.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Tell Pete, I'm sorry. I'll do better."

"Better is not enough," Vision said cuttingly. "You have to close the connection until it's time. You cannot call Peter again. You were supposed to be in India for a wedding. If you cannot be selfless enough to go and be there, you can at least tell Peter that's where you are. Send him a message, make it clear you're not able to help, and end it there."

Tony flinched. "But last time I told him I'd take care of it. And he did it anyway."

"Yes, because Peter was confident and determined to prove himself to you as an Avenger. That is not who he is now. He needs to feel he has no option but to do it alone. That is what you must do for him now."

Tony sagged, defeated. "Okay. Fine. I'll do it."

"We all will," Steve said. "We're sorry."

Vision glared at them all and said, his tone dark, "If you really do love Peter and want him to be worthy, you will stand aside and let him do this alone. If you cannot be selfless enough to do that, Peter will take you home now, and you can live in that world without him."

Tony's head snapped up. "He'll take us back?"

"He will," Vision said. "Because there will be no point in you being here."

Tony wasn't sure he believed him, not understanding how much could be reliant on Peter facing Toomes and his gang, but he acknowledged the threat and would obey. He would distance himself from his son, let the situation play out, and he would cling to the fact he would be able to do whatever it was Peter needed, be whatever he needed, when this was over.

Vision's eyes roved over them all, said, "Good," and then his eyes closed, and a small groan slipped from him.

Tony knew at once that it was Vision returning, and he said, "How is Peter, Vis?"

Vision blinked slowly, seeming to be working through something, and he said, "He is worried."

"Not angry?" Bucky asked, a satisfied curl to his lips.

"No, he is angry," Vision said. "But not as much as some of them. Power is furious. Peter could not control him."

Tony squeezed his eyes closed as shame welled in him. He dropped back onto the couch and hid his face in his hands.

"You need to contact Peter again, Tony," Natasha said.

Tony nodded, face still hidden. "I know."

"Then do it," she said, voice firm. "We've got to fix what we did."

It was kind of her to group herself in this because he was the one that had screwed up. He had made this mess and had to fix it for the sake of his son's life, even though to save him, he had to hurt him now.

He picked up his phone, took a breath, and wrote a text which would cut communication with Peter and make him think he had to handle this alone.

As he pressed send, his eyes prickled, and pain pierced his chest.

In that moment, he hated himself.

Peter looked at the message on his phone, his eyes wide and mind reeling. Tony was going away and would be out of touch for at least three weeks.

He understood Tony was busy; he was Tony Stark—Iron Man—and had a huge multinational business that he owned. Of course, Pepper took care of most of that, but there were still things he had to do for the company. It was probably something like that taking him away, but…

But he said he'd help.

Peter had never seen anything like the weapons the bank robbers had used on him, and they'd trashed Mr. Delmar's. They were dangerous, and Spider-Man was not equipped to handle something like that. Maybe it was too small for the Avengers, but Tony would know who to put in charge of it.

He never would have chosen Peter.

However, that seemed to be exactly what he had done. He told Peter he was going away, and he trusted him to take care of the weapons problem. That felt wrong, and not just because Peter knew he wasn't the right person to do it. Tony always seemed protective of him as Spider-Man. He'd created the suit with all kinds of protections in place, and he always told Peter to be careful.

It was like he'd forgotten all of that.

Unless this was a test of some kind. Maybe he wanted Peter to prove himself somehow. If that was it, Peter would prefer he skipped it, as this was way out of his league.

"Karen, why do you think Mr. Stark changed his mind?" he asked. "I mean, he told me he'd take care of it, but now he's going away."

"I don't know, Peter," she replied.

"Do you think it's some kind of test?"

"Possibly. I believe you're capable of passing it if it is a test. You're strong, Peter, in ways Mr. Stark sees that you do not. Perhaps this is the time to trust yourself and act alone."

"I'd rather he helped," Peter muttered.

"You know the origin of Iron Man, Peter?"

"Yeah, of course. He made the first suit in a cave while pretending to be building a weapon to escape his captors."

"Yes, he was faced with powerful adversity and created something to save himself. That was his test. Perhaps he feels it is time for you to be tested."

Peter swallowed hard. "What if I don't want to be tested."

"I don't think you get to choose," she said, voice kind. "If you truly feel you are not capable of meeting this threat, I can contact Friday for you and request that she create a different team to do it, but I believe you can do it."

Peter sighed. "Yeah. Okay. I mean, if Mr. Stark is testing me, I don't want to fail, right? I don't want to disappoint him, and the internship is… I can do it."

"You can," she agreed. "And now I suggest you go home and put some ice on your ribs. They are healing, but a cold compress will help with the pain."

Peter took a tentative breath, feeling the pull of his injury, and then made his way home.

He had no idea that someone was going to be waiting for him, that his secret would be out to Ned when he arrived, and he couldn't know what Ned's support and encouragement would lead to.

Despite not knowing, it was another part of Peter being tested, though not in the way he thought.

So… It's started. I did not particularly enjoy writing these chapters, though it was interesting to write the Mind scene as I've never written high emotion in him before. Hopefully, you enjoy them still.

Until next time…

Jadey xxx