Chapter 10

Tony slid his back against the door until he hit the floor, cradling his head between his knees and groaning low in his throat. His eyes burned hot and heavy, and he couldn't fight off the tears that tracked down his cheeks. Breathing suddenly became a burden, his lungs tightening within his chest until sobs broke through the strain.

How was he supposed to believe anything Rogers and Barnes said to him? And even if he did, what did it mean? That he spent half of his life trying and failing to hate two men who didn't actually stab him in the back? What—

"Sir?" JARVIS' voice cut through the rising panic, jolting Tony back to the present. "Your vitals are in distress. I implore you to take deep breaths and calm down. May I connect you with Miss Potts or Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes?"

Tony blinked and rubbed a shaking hand across his face, surprised when it came away wet. When did he start crying? "What?"

"I am connecting you to Miss Potts, Sir. She has been staunchly adamant about speaking with you, but I have fielded her calls until now. Please hold."

"Wait, J-" Tony fumbled for the phone in his pocket and tried to tell JARVIS to drop the call, but his mind was fuzzy, and he certainly wasn't firing on all cylinders.

The panic began rising again, and his breathing came in the form of labored pants when Pepper's voice sounded from the device in his sweaty palm. "Tony? Is that you? I've been trying to call you for hours!"

"Pep?"

Pepper paused. She must have heard something wrong in his voice because she sounded infinitely more worried than she had a moment ago. "Tony, are you okay? Where are you?"

Tony's wobbly exhale rattled in his throat. He rested his head against the door and tried to find the words to describe what had happened to him. However, his mind stuttered, and the only thing that left his mouth was a barely discernible whine.

When he didn't answer, Pepper's voice grew distressed. "Tony, if something's wrong, I need you to tell me. I'm about to call the police to triangulate your phone. Maybe JARVIS can-"

That got Tony's attention. He sprung forward, shouting, "No!" and swayed on his feet until he collapsed on the bed. "Don't call the cops, Pep!"

"I, Tony, please. Tell me what's wrong. Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Physically, I'm fine, Pep, I swear." He couldn't lie to Pepper about any of this, she'd always been able to see right through him, but he didn't have the energy to explain the entire story. "I'm working with some people that I used to know to find out who is after me."

"After you?" She gasped, and Tony could practically see the little furrow between her brow. "Is that why you weren't there to meet the lawyer for your parents' will? I was able to push that meeting back to next week when I didn't hear from you. I knew something must have happened!"

The corners of Tony's lips twitched upwards. "I knew I could count on you, Pepper-Pot. Yes, someone tried breaking into the house last night. I found out that someone killed my parents, that their deaths were no accident, just made to look like one."

"Oh my God, Tony! I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're okay? Are you safe?"

"I am, don't worry about me," he told her softly, covering his face with the crook of his arm. "I'll call you when I've got everything figured out here. Just be safe, back at home, okay?"

Pepper paused, and he could hear a quiet sniffle on the other line. "I will, you too, please. I'll call Jim and let him know what's going on. He and Happy have been worried about you."

Tony's chest swelled with affection for his friends. No matter how alone and downtrodden he might feel, he always had people who loved him with their whole hearts. "Thanks, Pep."

When he disconnected the call, Tony felt like he could finally breathe.

XX

After Tony left his suite, Steve crumpled onto the couch with his feet hanging over the arm. He squeezed his eyes shut, internally berating himself for hurting Tony once again. Yes, he needed to set the record straight on what really happened thirteen years ago, but from the look on Tony's face, Steve could have worked on his delivery. Tony had looked...wrecked. Steve made him cry, for Christ's sake. What kind of monster was he? Even after he swore to himself that he'd never do anything to hurt Tony ever again, Steve went and screwed everything up.

Fuck. What was wrong with him?

Eventually, Bucky found him. He stood over Steve with a wary expression on his face, and Steve couldn't find the energy to decipher it. "What do you want?"

Bucky snorted. "I want to know why you're lying here feeling sorry for yourself when you could be helping Tony."

"He doesn't want to see me," Steve mumbled, covering his face with the crook of his elbow. There was no way Tony would even open the door for him if he tried. "I told him what really happened back in Brooklyn. Fuck, you should have seen his face."

"I did," Bucky sighed, perching atop the armrest next to Steve's head.

Steve's eyes flew open, and he sat up on his elbows, twisting around to look at his best friend. "What?"

"I was waiting outside for you two," he admitted. "I explained about Rogers and what he did; why we couldn't be there for him. It was hard, and Tony didn't really want to talk to me, which is understandable, but I know it gave him a lot to think about." Bucky knocked his metal arm against Steve's shoulder. "That doesn't mean you can't help him, Stevie. I know you, and I know that you need to keep busy. Don't just sit around and wait for The Avengers to report back. Get off your ass and go be productive."

"But what about-"

Bucky cut him off with a sharp look. "If you don't think I'd kill to keep Tony safe this time around, you're kidding yourself. Nothing is going to touch him while he's here. I'll make sure Pete gets him some food if he's hungry and anything else he might need, but I have a feeling Tony is going to hole himself up today." He rose to his feet, wrapping a hand around Steve's wrist and tugging him up as well. "But you need to get out. Clear your head and find something that will help Tony."

Steve's shoulders slumped as he exhaled in resignation. He hated when Buck was right. He started towards the door, "Fine, but if something happens—"

"Then you'll be the first to know. Now, get the hell out of my compound."

Steve turned to look over his shoulder and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his best friend. "Your compound?"

Bucky's laughter helped lighten the weight bearing down on his chest.

XX

A few hours after Bucky shoved Steve out the front door, he checked in on Peter quickly before finding himself pacing in front of Tony's room. He wasn't sure how well-received his presence would be, but Bucky believed he'd given his old friend enough time alone.

Even when they were kids, Tony never appreciated too much time by himself. Whenever Bucky or Steve would arrive at the warehouse in the mornings with his coffee, Tony would meet them by the door with grabby hands and adorable bed head that Bucky never resisted mussing up even further. If The Commandos sent them on a mission, Steve and Bucky would divide and conquer, one of them heading out while the other stayed and kept Tony company.

He sucked in a deep breath and gently knocked on the door. There was a shuffle on the other side, and a few moments later, Tony appeared with a hesitant expression on his face.

"Before you say anything," Bucky started, holding his palms up like he was calming a skittish animal. "I'm not here to make you talk about anything you don't want to. I swear. It's just," he gestured over his shoulder, "we usually do a movie marathon with Peter every other weekend, and the kid chose Star Wars today. Do you want to join?"

Tony blinked at him, leaning his weight against the doorframe with arms crossed over his chest. "Are you seriously asking me to binge-watch Star Wars with you?"

"I'm asking you not to deny a fifteen-year-old kid the pleasure of your company," Bucky corrected with a hint of a smirk. "Just the three of us. I promise."

"I don't know—"

Bucky shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "Up to you. I mean, the kid wants to start with Episode I, so—"

Just as he suspected, Tony perked up with a scowl. "Woah, hold up. You were going to let Peter start with the Prequels?" He shook his head and pushed past Bucky, knocking against his metal shoulder without flinching. "Not on my watch, Barnes."

Thankfully Tony didn't notice the snickers behind him, or, if he did, he ignored them. His old friend had just as good of a memory as he did when they were kids, if not better, what with howTony didn't even hesitate to lead them through the compound to the living room where Peter already sat perched in the middle of the couch with a large bowl of popcorn.

When Peter's eyes landed on them, he smiled wide and adoringly around a mouthful of snacks. He swallowed thickly and then scrambled up to his knees. "Tony! I didn't think you would come!"

Bucky had the pleasure of watching Tony melt under Peter's enthusiasm. Nobody could resist the kid's overwhelming joy for very long.

"I couldn't let somebody," he groused, shooting Bucky an amused look, "start you off with Episode I. We're not animals."

Peter didn't quite seem to know what to say, but he was delighted when Tony settled in beside him and took a handful of popcorn from the bowl. Bucky sat on Peter's other side and laid his metal arm across the back of the couch. He saw Tony glance at it a few times, but since he didn't seem to have a problem with it, Bucky left it there.

An hour later, Peter was out like a light. His mop of messy brown hair burrowed into Bucky's side, and his feet propped up in Tony's lap. Eventually, Tony glanced over to find that Bucky's eyes were focused on him rather than the screen. He raised an expectant brow, "What are you looking at?"

"You, obviously."

Tony snorted, letting his hand rest on Peter's ankles, careful not to jostle him. "Still an asshole, I see."

"Some things don't change," Bucky agreed with a smirk. "And I spent almost half my life believing that you died, so sue me for trying to get my fill now."

Tony ducked his head when a slight blush touched his cheeks. He cleared his throat and glanced at Bucky's arm out of the corner of his eye. His expression held a certain amount of curiosity and a hint of grief, but thankfully pity was nowhere to be found. Bucky could tell Tony wanted to ask after it, but seemed to hold off due to a sense of propriety.

"It happened during the bombing in Iraq," Bucky softly explained, not wanting to wake the kid. When Tony looked surprised at him sharing the piece of information, Bucky shot him a reassuring smile. "Didn't even know what was happening until I woke up on the operating table in Wakanda. The Princess, one of Stevie's friends from back in our Commandos days, fixed me right up."

With permission to look now, Tony's eyes tracked every inch of the metal arm. Bucky could practically see the thoughts and questions buzzing around in that genius brain of his, no doubt wanting to get a screwdriver and take it apart to see how it worked. Bucky wasn't necessarily opposed to that kind of treatment because he remembered how brilliant Tony was when he got his hands on any machinery, but he wanted to get something out of it too.

"I'll let you take a look if you tell me about your family," he said quietly, "the ones back in California."

Tony's gaze snapped up to Bucky's face, his lips parting in shock. "What? Why would you want to know about them?"

Bucky narrowed his eyes, wondering if Tony is acting deliberately obtuse. "Because you were my best friend once upon a time, Tony, and I want to hear about your life." He hesitated, running a hand through Peter's hair. "It's okay if you don't feel up for sharing. I'm not trying to pressure you into anything."

Tony looked away and chewed on his bottom lip before his attention returned to Bucky. "I guess that would be fine. I mean, it's not like you're going to hurt them or anything."

The horror at the mere thought must have shown on Bucky's face because Tony nodded and sat up a little straighter. "I met Rhodey at MIT. I was in an awful place after everything that happened, and then Jarvis died."

"Oh, Tony, I'm sorry. I know how much he meant to you." Bucky remembered Tony's stories from back home. He never mentioned who his parents were, but they'd correctly assumed he was rich when Tony talked about the butler who cared for him more than his dad ever had.

Tony laid his head back against the cushions and grimaced. "Yeah, it was really fucking difficult losing him. I was more alone than ever before, and I fell into a hole I couldn't dig myself out of." His expression softened as he continued. "Rhodey was the one who pulled me out of it. He dragged me to his family's farm in Philadelphia. He and his mom sobered me up and were the first ones to introduce me to clean energy. It's where I fell in love with it."

Something in Bucky's chest twisted at Tony's words. He knew he and Steve weren't technically at fault for Tony's emotional turmoil, but he never quite shook off the guilt either. And the way he talked about this Rhodey guy, Bucky couldn't help but wonder. "Is that all you fell in love with?"

Tony shot him an unimpressed look. "You're not as subtle as you like to think you are. No, Rhodey has been, and always will be, like a brother to me. And before you ask, I'm not romantically involved with Pepper or Happy either. They're family."

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Bucky mumbled, feeling slightly ashamed for coming right out and asking something like that. Sure, he wanted to know if Steve still had even the slightest of chances, but he obviously went about it the wrong way. "I'm an asshole, sorry."

"It's not like I didn't already know that about you," Tony mused, his shoulders relaxing from where they'd drawn up. "When I moved to Malibu and started my company, Rhodey went into the Air Force. He's a Lieutenant Colonel now."

Bucky let out a low whistle. "Impressive. Sounds like the kind of guy who can keep you safe."

The corners of Tony's lips twitched upwards. "He did have my back the entire time we were at MIT, but Happy is my bodyguard now. Well, that and my boxing coach and driver. He's whatever I need him to be; that's what makes him such a good friend. He's with Pepper, the face of my company. She practically runs the damn thing already."

"Sounds like you've got some good people around you back home."

"I do," Tony agreed, meeting his eye again with an air of caution. "You and Rogers seem like you've got a good thing going here too. I never met any other Commandos back in the day, but there must be quite a few Avengers if you managed to take out Hydra."

Bucky watched him carefully but didn't see any sign of discomfort when he mentioned the Commandos. "We had six in our unit in the Special Forces, Romanov, Barton, Banner, and Odinson. We recruited everyone else when we made it back home. Wilson, the Maximoff twins, Strange, Laufeyson - Thor's brother, Lang, and Parker. We also worked with two other gangs in New York, The Four and The X-Men, to bring down Hydra."

Now, it's Tony's turn to whistle, although his tune was lighter and more melodic than Bucky's. Of course it was. Tony licked his lips and shifted in his seat. "Did everyone sign up for a gang war out of the goodness of their hearts?"

Bucky's eyebrows shot up, feeling more than a little smug now that the shoe was on the other foot. "Maybe. But to answer the question you were really asking, no, Tony. Steve isn't with any of The Avengers or our allies. He's not with anyone."

Tony sputtered, his grip on Peter's ankle tightening for a moment until the kid squirmed and settled back into Bucky's side with a sigh. "I didn't—that's not what I—"

"No need to bullshit with me," Bucky grinned, wide and pleased. "There's no shame in checking if your old flame is available or not."

Whatever humor had lit up Tony's face disappeared in an instant, leaving Bucky feeling distinctly wrong-footed. "What? What did I say?"

Tony shook his head, keeping his gaze on the television screen. "Rogers wasn't just some 'old flame,' Barnes." His voice had dropped once again, a low tone that had the hairs on the back of Bucky's arms standing straight up. "And you weren't just some 'old friend' that I could just move on from."

Bucky knew that Tony didn't have much when he came to them so many years ago, and after he was back home, Bucky was aware that it was bad. The paparazzi practically stuck to Tony like glue during his entire time at MIT, though the papers never delved into his home life. Bucky's guilt complex never, truly, let him forget how much pain Tony was in. Unfortunately, judging by Tony's expression, Bucky still managed to underestimate his suffering.

"You two were my entire life, my fresh start," Tony explained softly. "When my mother realized I couldn't fit into this perfect image she carefully constructed, she treated me like I didn't even exist. I spent so many years being ignored by the woman who biology primed to love me. And Howard," he swallowed thickly and grimaced. "I'm sure you remember that first night. He believed he could beat the disrespect right out of me. Obadiah and Jarvis knew what was happening; there was no way they could be in the dark. The problem was that Jarvis didn't have any power, and Obie didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with what Howard was doing. I was alone, Barnes. Completely alone...until I met you and Rogers.

"You two saved me that night from those two assholes who beat the shit out of me and broke my robot, and you never once pitied me." Tony sunk further into his seat. "You gave me a place to live, protected me, and helped me find a new sense of purpose. You wanted me to use my gifts to build robots, drones, and electronics rather than create weapons. My entire life changed the moment I stepped into Brooklyn."

Bucky's stomach churned uncomfortably as a thick block of ice settled beneath his sternum. It melted slowly but surely, sending chills pumping within his veins. "And then you were taken back home and thought we ratted you out."

Tony nodded slowly. "My world fell apart. I was alone again, without anyone to help me get back up on my feet. Rhodey was the first person after that who treated me like an actual person, and not a total fuck-up, or The Anthony Stark, heir to Stark Industries."

"I'm sorry," Bucky breathed out, reaching his metal hand out tentatively. He wanted to comfort his old friend, his brother, but he wasn't sure how Tony would receive it.

Thankfully, when Bucky squeezed his shoulder, Tony's head fell sideways, pushing into the contact. Bucky's heart swelled, chasing away the chill, and he ran his fingers through Tony's ruffled hair.

When it was obvious Tony was finished talking, they returned their attention to the screen, and Bucky felt like they'd taken a step in the right direction.

They were going to be okay.

XX

Steve continued staring down at the clear glass table as The Avengers, sans Bucky, Thor, and Loki, trickled into the conference room one by one for a debrief. He hated to admit it, but Bucky was right when he said Steve needed to get out of the Compound. After his 'talk' with Tony, he'd been lost in his head wondering how the engineer was taking the news.

Did Tony believe him about what happened the day those men took him away? If not, was there anything Steve could do to convince him? And if he did believe Steve, then what did that mean for them?

Steve wasn't ready to say goodbye to Tony. He wasn't sure it was even possible after finally getting him back.

"Where's Barnes?" Nat asked as she settled into a chair to his left. The others followed suit until Steve cleared his throat.

"Buck's with Tony," Steve explained, desperately trying to shove down the tendril of jealousy that threatened to rear its head. The fact that the two were even in the same room together was good news, great news, even. Tony deserved to talk things out with someone who genuinely understood and would take good care of him.

The fact that it wasn't Steve was nobody's fault by his own.

"I want a full debrief on the information you've gathered on the Starks' murder and the attempted attack on Tony. Barton, Wilson, you're up first."

Clint shifted in his seat, his mood exponentially better than earlier. He hadn't understood The Soldier's punishment until Steve dropped a few vague details about what Tony meant to him and Buck this morning. Once he got a bit more information, Clint's attitude changed from frustratingly hurt to begrudgingly accepting. "We reached out to Coulson, our contact within the department, and got a copy of the police report detailing the Starks' accident."

"It was pretty thin," Sam continued for him. "From first glance, the photos and details looked like what we all assumed, a car crash. But when we questioned the Coroner, Dr. Hill, she confirmed that Howard Stark did not have any alcohol or toxins in his system."

"So the rumor circulating that Howard killed himself and his wife by driving under the influence is just that, a rumor," Steve summarized.

Clint nodded. "Exactly. We double checked the weather report and radar for that day and the days leading up to the accident. It hadn't rained in weeks, so the roads weren't wet."

Sam's eyes tracked down his tablet before finding Steve's gaze again. "We're aware that anything could have gone wrong, distracted driving, texting and driving, and the like, but Coulson checked his and Maria's phone records and confirmed neither of them had used them in the hours before the crash. There is only one call Howard made—to an unknown number—after the car hit the tree."

"Tony," Steve breathed out. He wanted to push up from his seat and find Tony, to tug him into his arms and comfort him from how he must be feeling after hearing his father's last words.

"There also weren't any cameras on the road," Clint said. "So we don't have any video evidence of what happened. I think we need to hear that message."

Steve hummed, mind whirring. He agreed that it might be helpful to see if they could pick up anything specific from the recording but wouldn't push Tony if he wasn't ready to share it, and he sure as hell wouldn't make Tony listen to it again—that would be cruel.

"Banner, Lang, you're up."

Scott straightened in his seat, his evident pride of being part of a team shining through his rough exterior. "The Stark Manor is heavily fortified, which is no surprise considering the property value and collectibles Howard Stark was known for."

"Thankfully, the security camera system is about ten years old," Bruce told them with his hands folded in front of him, a small black flash drive resting on the glass. "We were able to hack into it after a few hours and pull the footage of the night of Tony's attack."

"Was there anything viable?" Steve asked with an intensity he tried to suppress. Typically, he was better at keeping his cool, but the thought of someone hunting down the man he adored was screwing with his already thin measure of control.

Lang nodded and turned his tablet to face Steve. "We found the best frame within the footage and cleaned it up. The men who broke into the Manor are still difficult to identify due to their clothes and masks, but I was able to pull out a few distinguishing marks."

White-hot anger bubbled up within Steve's chest as he examined the photograph in front of him. It had been thirteen years, but the day they took Tony from him remains tattooed on the forefront of his brain. He remembered every detail with painstaking accuracy, torturing himself by reliving it over and over throughout the years. That was the reason he immediately recognized the covered faces before him.

They might be older with slightly different body shapes from weight gain, but Steve was confident these were the same men who took Tony from him and Bucky.

He was going to slaughter them. How dare they go after what was his?

"Cap?" Sam called from his side, breaking Steve out of his darkening thoughts.

Steve grit his teeth and rolled his shoulders back in an attempt to reign in his temper. He needed more information to go on before he sent out a hunting party. He couldn't afford to lose his cool just yet; Tony was counting on him. "I recognize these men. Previously, they contracted with Stark Industries to find a missing Tony Stark."

"He was missing before?" Bruce asked, not unkindly.

The muscle in Steve's jaw jumped. He wasn't planning on giving The Avengers more on Steve, Bucky, and Tony's collective past, but the information seemed pertinent now. "According to the Starks, yes. Tony left home when he was fifteen years old after an incident at his birthday party. He stayed with Buck and I in Brooklyn for three months."

"In Building 616," Nat surmised carefully. He glared at her but couldn't find it within himself to be truly upset that she put two and two together. She was always the sharpest out of all of them.

"Yes. We were out on a…mission, of sorts, when three men burst in and took Tony away. They were heavily armed, so Buck and I couldn't engage."

His team was silent as they took in the new information. It was Clint who finally broke the silence, "And the men who Stark Industries hired to find and return Tony all those years ago are the same ones who tried to attack him the other night?"

"And, most likely, are the ones who killed Howard and Maria," Sam pointed out. "Whoever hired them probably did so to eliminate the entire family, but Tony had been assumed dead for almost ten years. So, if by chance he was still out there, they needed to draw him out somehow."

"Kill two birds with one stone," Nat said, her eyes narrowing.

"But why would they kill their previous employer?" Clint asked with a furrowed brow. "It stands to reason that if SI hired them once, they could, or would, again. It doesn't make any sense."

Steve's fingers rapped against the glass as he fell deeper in thought. Of course, there was no honor among thieves, so it wasn't far-fetched to believe these men simply took the hit money that offered to eliminate the Starks, but it was pretty much common knowledge that the Starks were one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Who would have had enough pull and influence to lure men like these away from their prize pony?

"It does if Howard Stark wasn't their previous employer."

All eyes snapped towards Natasha, who imperceptibly straightened under the attention.

"Explain," Steve ordered. "Start from the beginning."

She gave a small tilt of her head in acknowledgement. "From what I could gather, Stark Industries centered around Howard Stark, the CEO and Lead Designer, Obadiah Stane, CFO, Maria Stark, Charities Director, and Tony, heir of the SI empire. They were prominent in the media from the moment SI's stocks soared with the resurgence of the war overseas. When Tony was born, Maria did everything she could to put his face on magazines and promote the boy's genius. Howard, on the other hand, never once commented on his son to the media."

The Avengers shifted uncomfortably. Most of them were old enough to remember the media frenzy over the Starks, and they were indeed smart enough to understand Nat's subtle hint of how Howard treated Tony as a child.

"There were rumors circulating that some of Howard's most impressive designs, in fact, came from Tony. His Board of Directors were able to spot the difference in the quality of work. When one of them questioned Howard on it, SI dismissed him immediately."

Wilson whistled with eyebrows raised high. "Damn. Tony must be even more brilliant than anyone previously thought. He couldn't have been more than what, ten or eleven at the time?"

"Eleven," Nat confirmed. "Things were quiet for a few years until Tony started at MIT at fifteen. The media coverage of his time there is extensive, highlighting his descent into a low time of his life. Paparazzi photographed him at parties involving drugs and alcohol for the first year, but then he cleaned up his act the rest of his time."

"It's not right," Bruce growled, his fingers curling into white-knuckled fists. "Tony was fifteen, maybe sixteen years old at this point. How dare those reporters not give him even a moment of reprieve?"

While Steve agreed wholeheartedly, it was hard to think past his own crushing guilt. Tony felt trapped and alone at school because he thought Steve and Bucky had betrayed him, and they hadn't been able to reach out to set the record straight because James Rogers' men hounded them like dogs.

"Nobody said it was," Nat told him. "There are reports of a friend, or boyfriend, that dug Tony out of that hole. After that, most of the stories about him covered his sexuality." She shook her head in disgust. "I dug a little deeper and discovered a few of the scientific papers he wrote and patents he applied for. He really was—is—brilliant.

"Tony Stark disappeared off the face of the earth entirely on his eighteenth birthday. The Court sealed his records, and he abruptly vanished from the scene without rhyme or reason. When reporters confronted his parents about it, they never provided any explanation, so the media started to speculate. I'm sure you remember how out of hand that got." The others all nodded while Steve forced himself to concentrate on his breathing to push down the memories of one of the worst days of Steve's life. "The question of who would take over Stark Industries if something happened to Howard rose quickly. After all, from the moment Tony was born, Howard raised him to be the heir of the Stark legacy. Without him as a constant and formidable back-up, the stocks began falling until Stark Industries released a statement confirming that Obadiah Stane, the CFO, would be Howard's successor should anything happen."

"Stane?" Steve asked in confusion. He hasn't heard much about the man besides what Tony's told him. The man was practically family to the Starks, wasn't he?

"Yes," Nat continued. "Stane is Tony's godfather and the one person who stands to inherit the entirety of the Stark fortune with Tony out of the picture. I think that he's the one who hired those three men to bring Tony back home after he ran away because SI still needed him, and I believe Stane hired them once again to eliminate his competition for the company and fortune."

If Steve thought he was angry before, it was nothing compared to the intense, burning fury pumping through his veins. Not only did Stane take Tony away from him thirteen years ago, but he had the audacity to go after Tony again. Someone that Tony thought of as family? No. Not on his fucking watch.

He shoved to his feet and growled, deep and low in his throat, immediately snapping the rest of The Avengers to attention. "Find me Stane. Find me the evidence that he's behind all of this."

"And then?" Sam asked carefully.

"And then," Steve ground out between clenched teeth, his expression darkening. "And then bring him to me."

XX