Cold sweat dripped on her back. Pepper came to realize that this is such a bad idea and bad timing. Worry was all over Peter's face. Perhaps, she should've just come tomorrow, should've just keep this a secret. But her eyes can't lie to Peter. Her eyes already told a story. Obviously telling something's wrong. That something bad happened. There is no way Peter's going to believe if I tell him that everything's alright.
"Peter, listen carefully to me okay. Tony - He... Your Dad. After the weapons presentation, as they were on their way to the military base for the jet to go back home. The -"
Pepper stopped her words halfway. Oh God, I can't, I can't say it. Peter's going to be crushed.
"The what?"
Pepper kneeled in front of him, with both arms extended on Peter's shoulders keeping an eye level with him.
"Their convoy was ambushed."
"What... H- How? Where is he? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Is he at the hospital? Can we go see him?"
Panic started to form on Peter's chest. His hands started to shake. His breathing becoming short and ragged.
"Peter, breathe. Breathe." She started to rub the boy's arms and back trying to calm him down until he was able to.
"Please Pepper, please tell me… Where's daddy?"
Pepper just stared at Peter her tears forming but unable to form the words. She can't do this to Tony's kid.
"Pepper please, where is he?"
She closed her eyes and taking one deep breath she answered.
"I don't know Peter. We don't know. James and the US Military are searching for your Dad.
We're still searching for your Dad and we won't stop searching."
Tears sprung from his eyes that immediately started to flow like waterfall.
"No, no Pepper. He told me. He told me he's gonna come back tonight."
"He told me... He can't leave me... He can't die Pepper... He - He can't..."
Peter cried until he was unable to talk anymore. His crying and tears clouded his eyes and throat. Hurt, pain and worry was all over his face.
Pepper clutched the boy and hugged him, sat him on her lap trying to calm him down and rubbing his back. There's nothing she can do but just cry there with him. She carried him to his room and stayed there until she was able to hear him sleeping with steady breaths but distress still lingers on the little boy's face.
His bloodshot eyes buzzed open. Splitting ache surged through his whole body. It's cold, it's really cold, he can feel his arms freezing going numb.
It's dark, it's cold. Where am I?
Then the memories suddenly flooded in a wave of flash.
The ambush. The Jericho missile setting off on him. The surgery. The goddamn surgery that has no anesthetic. Unimaginable pain searing through, knocking him unconscious, passing him out over and over again. He's thirsty and hungry. He tore out the tube from his nose, reached for the cup but failed. He coughed, he needs water. Going sideways he saw man, tried to get up to him but was stopped by a pull from a wire. WHAT THE - What is this. The wire, it's connected to him. WHAT - He tore open the patch and bandages to see... his chest powered by a battery.
The panic started to fill him, PETER! He's been gone, his kid's gonna freak out.
How long has he been out?
I gotta get back. I need to get back.
"Peter, honey, Ned's here." Pepper said as she led Ned to Peter's room. She asked consent from the Leeds if Ned can visit Peter for a day or two and they agreed, so Happy picked up Ned from Queens. She knew Peter would need his bestfriend during these tough times.
"Peter?"
Peter's just sitting at his bed staring at the ocean while clutching Oreo the stuffed dog at his chest.
"Ned." Peter turned and smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'll let you two alone, okay." and Pepper closed the door and left.
"What - What are you doing here?"
"I want to see how you're doing."
I'm sorry with what happened Peter" Ned hugged Peter tightly.
Tears started to form in Peter's eyes. No matter how hard he tries to be strong. His emotions betray him.
"You want to talk about it?"
"What if he's already dead? They were ambushed in a desert Ned. It's full of sand. No food, no water, and the mountains are freezing. How will he survive? and what if... What if he's been taken by those terrorist? What if they already killed him?"
"Peter, you can't think that."
"But it has been a month now and no one's ever seen him! They're searching all day, and all night but there's no news, not even one, not even a glimpse to show he's still alive."
"Your father is Mr. Tony Stark, THE TONY STARK, Peter! He's a Genius! You said he can do anything, right? I'm sure he's out there trying and making a way to get back to you."
Peter, don't lose hope, because we're not. Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodey's not losing hope, so why should you? We believe in your Dad."
Ned's right. His Dad's a genius and a fighter. He's headstrong. He'll come back home and we're all going to wait for him. Peter slowly smiled and hugged Ned.
"Thanks Ned. Yeah, Dad won't back down without a fight."
Gazing at the bonfire, the heat emanating not from the fire but from his rage. The events drifted into his bearings, saved by a surgeon who has put an electromagnet in his chest that keeps shrapnel from entering his heart. An electromagnet hooked up to a battery. His weapons being used by bad guys for mass destruction, and he's now on one of their caves. How ironic.
In a blink of an eye his world turned upside down. In a blink of an eye he's gone from his son. Being forced down to drown in a barrel of water, forced to make a fucking missile for a promise of freedom that won't get him back home. No, he won't. They won't cause they're fucking monsters!
"I'm sure they're looking for you Stark. But they will never find you in these mountains."
Yinsen tried to make a point. "Look, what you just saw... that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work in the hands of those murderers. It's that how you want to go out?"
"Peter's my Legacy." Peter. His heart breaks just by thinking about his little kid. He's probably scared as hell right now. I got to get back. I can't leave him alone. I need to find a way, but how?
"Who's Peter?"
"He's my son, he's my life."
"Then what are you going to do about it? You're going to let those weapons destroy the name you built? The future of your son?"
"Why should I do something about it? None of those weapons matter now, none of these - they're gonna kill me or you either way and if not we're gonna be dead in a week."
He knew that's what's going to happen but he can't accept it. He can't. He was supposed to be dead, but is not. How he survived the surgery is a miracle even. That means something. He's not finished yet. He can't leave his son alone. He was supposed to protect him. There's got to be something.
"You have a son waiting for you home and some of us aren't even lucky to have one. Well, then. This is a very important week now, isn't it?"
His mind started to race with a thousand ideas. Arc reactor. Repulsor. Suit of Armor.
In an instant, something clicked. I can make this work. He finally knew what he's supposed to do to get out of that hell hole.
Even Happy is worried about the kid. He's the one who drops him off to school everyday.
Before releasing him to the school grounds, he patted the kid's shoulder.
"I know it's tough right now kid, but you gotta stay strong okay?"
"Yeah" Peter tried to smile. "Thanks Happy." Then he hugged him.
"I'll be here same time later after school. Okay?"
"Okay. Bye Happy!"
All they can do is wait. Pepper looks over at Peter, it has been two months now, and still no news. Hope is slowly drifting from their fingers as days go by but they can't give up. Not now and not ever.
"How is he? How's he doing?" Rhodey asked one afternoon. He goes by the house once a month since the ambush to check on Peter. They were sitting at the kitchen drinking coffee while looking at Peter on the couch playing with his Lego sets and toy robots, a cartoon show playing on the TV keeping him occupied.
"He's been better. He's trying to stay strong James. He goes to school everyday, plays with other kids, and still has stellar grades on his subjects. He doesn't cry everyday now so that's a good thing, but you can see his eyes… they're distances away, affixed on nowhere. His teachers said they sometimes see him just staring at the window most of the time deep in thought. We hope - we all always hope that Tony's still alive but if Tony died... I'm afraid we won't get the spark back from that kid anymore." Pepper said with worry, her eyes already starting to water. Peter can't be an orphan again. He just doesn't deserve that.
Is there any news? Even a little improvement on the search operations? It's been two months already Rhodey. There's gotta be something we can hold on to."
"We're trying everything Pepper. There are patrols day and night. We started searching the mountain ranges now and it's not easy. These are vast deserts and mountains on ends. I'm sorry. I wish I could've been on that "fun-vee" Tony insisted. I could've been there to protect him."
Pepper smiled amidst the sadness enveloping them, "That's not your fault, and we know how Tony likes his fun-vees. Stubborn and stupid funvees."
They both laughed.
"Oh. I miss Tony." Pepper suddenly blurted out.
"Yeah. I know you do."
"What?"
"Oh c'mon. You don't have to hide it. Those secret smitten looks? Side glances? The room's been bursting with that whenever you two are together."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alright, alright." Rhodey said as he put his hand up to surrender. "The two of you can fool each other. But nah uh, not me."
Rhodey smirked and started to stand up. He went to Peter and sat the boy down to his lap. "Hey champ, what movie do you like to watch?"
"There's this really cool movie that's just been released called "Transformers". The cars transforms into robots!"
"Wow. Alright. Let's take a look at that."
She very well know what Rhodey's talking about, and she hopes it's still not too late.
Everything in the mansion reminds him of his Dad, everywhere he goes. The piano where he and Dad plays a piece every now and then, the pool, the living room where they watch movies every weekend, the kitchen where they eat breakfast together everyday. Sometimes he imagines Dad is just at the lab tinkering, working on a new project, but then reality hits and the house feels alone again. That's why he prefers school, but even there it feels no difference. His Dad is still gone and no one knows if he's alive or not.
Pepper goes at the house every other night to check up on him and tuck him to bed.
"Peter, do you want to stay with me for the mean time?" Pepper asked as she can't stand seeing Peter so sad at the house anymore.
"Thanks Pepper, but I want to stay here until Dad comes back. I want him to know that I'm here to welcome him home."
She can't believe how pure and thoughtful Peter is. There's no wonder he had Tony wrapped around his little finger.
"I'm sure he would've loved that, Peter. But don't hesitate to tell me if you want to get out of the house for a while. Your father still wants to see you happy, and he wouldn't want you seeing sad all the time."
"I'm not sad. I just miss him, Pepper. I'm not losing hope, but I just miss him so much that it hurts." his voice broke and tears started dropping on his cheeks.
"It just hurts so much Pepper. Please make it stop. Please make Daddy come back." Peter started sobbing and crying and she can feel his little heart breaking but there's nothing she could do but hug the little boy.
Every time he's about to lose hope, a memory flashes over him... A memory that happened when he was five years old.
"Nooo, Dad! Please.. come back!" Peter screamed. He's having a nightmare.
"Peter I'm here. Wake up. Please wake up. I'm here buddy, I'm here." Dad tried to wake him up while desperately but gently shaking his shoulders.
"DAD!" his eyes shot open and he clung hard on his dad.
"You - You were gone! You left me, you didn't come back! Please please don't leave me. Please I don't want to be alone. Don't leave me!" his voice hysterical and afraid.
"Ssshhh baby, I'm here. I won't leave you. I'm never gonna leave you. Ssshh..." Tony carried him into his arms. He wrapped his arm around his dad's neck and hugged him. Clinging desperately, afraid that his dad's going to disappear in a blink of an eye.
"You went into a black hole Dad. I tried calling you but you can't hear me. I tried to reach you but you're too far gone - I screamed and screamed for you to turn your back around but you didn't!" Peter said the words so fast, he was out of breath.
"Peter, breathe. Breathe, baby. Hear my breathing, follow it. Relax... I'm here. I'm never gonna leave you." Tony assured his son, kissing him countless on his forehead. They went to the terrace to have some fresh air. Tony knew that his son relaxes by the sight of the ocean. It's now glistening from the light of the moon.
"Peter, remember, I won't leave you okay? and No matter where I go, I'll never leave your side. I'm always here -" and his Dad pointed his finger into his chest indicating his heart. "When you feel your heart, you remember that I love you, okay? I love you so much Peter, I'm here and you will never be alone. " Dad kissed his forehead. He can hear his Dad's heart beating, relaxing him, humming him to sleep.
The memory always calms him. He's once again at the room of his Dad. It's already been three months since. He pulled out his Dad's watch collection and remembered his favorite, the Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX3. Dad's planning to upgrade this watch into something but hasn't designed the tech yet. I'm sure it'll be so awesome! He jumped at his Dad's bed. He just kept jumping until he got tired. When is he going to come home?
He saw a long sleeved white shirt his dad always used to wear and tried it on with some shades. Some scent of his Dad still there, then he went to a full length mirror.
"Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out of a job with peace. Please call me Tony. Tony Stark." Peter tried to impersonate his Dad while making a peace sign while wearing his clothes. He laughed at himself. He missed his dad's snarky and witty comments.
He went to bed slowly drifting into sleep from a long day. I wish Dad's already here in the morning.
It was a smooth ride but the voice of Yinsen still echoed in his mind. "Don't waste it. Don't waste your life." The plane hangar slowly opened as the dawn sunlight passes through.
Thank you for saving me Yinsen. He owes it to him and to himself to make his life worthwhile, purposeful. How? He was about to find out.
He saw familiar faces that's waiting for him at the tarmac and felt relieved. Rhodey assisted him, they walked down the hanger slowly taking careful steps. Got rid of the stretcher as it comes to him and walked straight to Pepper.
A refreshing sight from the cold. She feels like the sun, giving him warmth.
"Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?"
"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." Pepper has been more than grateful. When she got a call from Rhodey the night before saying they found him, she almost can't believe it. Thank God!
"Yeah, vacation's over."
"Where to, sir?" Happy asked as they were already inside the car.
"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy." Pepper said.
"No."
"No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital. I can pick Peter up at the mansion and then he'll be there."
"No is a complete answer."
"The doctor has to look at you."
"I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger and I want to go home and see Peter. You haven't told him yet right?"
"No, he's still sleeping. It's early morning, the sun has just risen."
"Hogan, drive. I want to surprise him. He'll be happy I bought a cheeseburger as a souvenir."
"How's Peter? How is he? Tell me my boy's alright. No, tell me everything."
"Oh Tony, you have no idea."
Author's note:
It's the Iron Man arc now. Yay! Guys take note; I'm following the MCU timeline.
Please don't hesitate to review. Feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!