Tony felt the throbbing pain in his head together with the loud noise of his alarm slowly waking him up. In a moment he forgot everything that happened and he thought of waking up to see the beautiful face of his son again. But as he opened his eyes, it was no ordinary alarm, it was the alarm that says the suits power is dropping below five percent.

He noticed that he was flying blind and then he crashes hard into the ground, breaking trees at the middle of the forest. He takes off his face helmet catching his breath and opened the suit.

There was snow in the ground and the the brisk cold weather seeped into his bones, reminding him to take note of installing a heater on his suits the next time.

JARVIS informed him that they were five miles outside of Rose hills, Tennessee. But why? He can't remember of wanting to go here. And then all the memories flooded in, at the heat of the moment he had given his address for revenge. He expected that the Mandarin had the audacity to face him head on but he did not take into account that the terrorist doesn't really play fair by the rules. A dumb move that causes him and Pepper to almost lose their life in the destruction of the mansion.

JARVIS voice breaks as the suit loses power. "I actually think I need to sleep now, sir."

No, no, no. He must get back to see how Pepper was doing, to make sure everything's alright.

"Jarvis... Jarvis? Don't leave me, buddy."

He finds himself all alone now. Left to survive on his own.

"Here you go, sir."

The nice lady handed in four fresh hotdogs with special sauce wrapped in a bag while Bruce thanked the lady. He went to his favorite hotdog stand which was a little bit farther from the park but no regrets, it is the best hotdog stand in Manhattan. I'm sure Peter will love this, he grinned happily. He was heading back to the skating rink when his phone buzzed, a call from Natasha which he immediately answered.

"Natasha, I'm on my way back. Got those hotdogs."

"Where the hell have you been Bruce? Change of plans. Meet us at this coordinates."

The call ended and Bruce brows knitted as he stared at his phone. Natasha sounded distressed and upset, there must be something wrong. He ran off to where Steve and Natasha were located, completely forgetting the bag of hotdog laid down on the street.

"I can do this all day." Steve said as he punches the bald guy again in the face. His hands are already sore from the heat emanating from the guy's body but he needed to finish this so he can follow where Natasha went to find Peter.

"Yeah, well, but I can't."

The guy wiped off the blood on the side of his mouth as he smirked looking at his phone. The bald guy started walking backwards, he knew he cannot take Captain America by himself. All the other guys that went with him to face the soldier are already down, he's the only one left. All they wanted was the kid, and when his phone alert said they already got what they needed, then there's no point in fighting him to death.

Confusion overtook Steve's face as he saw the guy now running away from him.

"Hey!"

He called out and ran to catch him but the guy quickly disappeared. He brushed off the thought they might have gotten Peter already, but no, it can't be.

Natasha ran to where Peter's location is, she was tracking his phone. She hoped he was still there, to see that bright and spirited kid using what she taught him for self-defense. Her heart stopped as she got closer to where Peter is, but she cannot see even a shadow of him. Oh no, please. It was just his phone laid on the ground. She was too late.

Natasha, Steve, and Bruce all went to their rendezvous point in defeat. Natasha told them what happened. Peter was taken and they don't have any idea of where he was. The ride back to the Tower was in utter silence, nobody can even dare say a word. Worry was all over their faces. What those guys are even going to do with Peter, worries them most.

"Tony's going to kill us." Bruce muttered and Nat and Steve looked at him.

He is right. They know if they don't find Peter immediately they're going to feel the wrath of Tony. Tony might never even forgive them.

Natasha sighed; she blames herself for not getting to Peter first. Steve put his hand on her shoulder, tapping it assuring they're going to find a way.

Bruce noticed a blinking red light from one of his computers, he tapped it and the light scanned the whole lab along with them.

"Room secured. A message from Mr. Tony Stark." JARVIS voice echoed across the whole lab and after it they heard Tony's message to Pepper.

"Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time. So first off, I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again."

They knew Tony won't die that easily, but to actually hear that he's still alive gave them relief, and then his message to Peter played.

"Pete, I'm okay and I'm gonna come home to you soon, buddy, alright? So don't worry anymore. And I'm sorry in advance because...I can't be there to spend Christmas with you. Dad needs to fix things first. You and Pepper, you gotta stay safe. That's all I know. and I know the gang will keep you safe bud. I love you both."

The voice message ended and silence crept in. Tony entrusted them his son's safety because he knew they can assure that they're going to take care of Peter but looking at where they are now with the kid nowhere to be found, they can't help but blame their-selves more. Peter would have loved to be here and hear his father's voice again.

"Peter's not here, JARVIS. Please don't tell Tony that yet. We don't want to worry him more. We promise we will bring him back." Steve told JARVIS as he looks at Natasha and Bruce.

"There's no point in blaming ourselves, guys. Peter needs us. Now, let's find that kid."

Tony walked for five miles carrying the Iron Man Armor. He puffed out a sigh as he came to the nearest garage he can find for shelter and food. He's exhausted and cold, and he just stole a poncho from a wooden indian. He was a billionaire who gets everything he wants but now he has nothing. He started to fix the micro-repeater implants on his arm when a boy showed up on the doorway, pointing a toy gun at him.

For a moment, he thought he saw Peter and his heart clenched by the thought. The boy was a little older than his kid, he observed. Peter has the same toy gun, just with the advanced starktech that they only use on a safe play area.

"You got me. Nice potato gun. Barrel's a little long. Between that and the wide gauge, it's gonna diminish your FPS."

The boy points his gun at a glass on a shelf and shoots at it, breaking the glass.

"And now you're out of ammo."

"What's that thing on your chest?" They boy asked and stepped closer.

It's my son's favorite pillow now, apparently. It seems just like only yesterday when Peter asked the same thing. He badly misses his son. His hugs, his voice, his curls, and his laugh.

Tony showed him the suit and the kid's eyes beamed to life, finally putting on a smile.

"Oh my God! Is that Iron Man?"

The Iron Man armor has certainly an appeal to young kids. "Technically, I am."

"Technically, you're dead."

The kid showed him a newspaper with him as the headline. "What happened to him?"

Tony reads the headline. He can use this to his advantage. Them knowing he's dead means him investigating freely without the threat to his life.

"I built him, I take care of him, I'll fix him."

"Like a mechanic?"

He stared at the kid. Sometime he forgets he is one. "Yeah."

The boy suggested in retro-reflective panels to make the suit stealth-mode which is a pretty good idea. This boy is also a bright young kid. But he would now like to take it back as the kid started to touch the suit and accidentally snaps off one of its fingers.

"What are you doing? You're gonna break his finger? He's in pain, he's been injured. Leave him alone."

"Sorry." The kid apologized but also wore a sly smile.

His thoughts came to Peter again and how his child can also be so playful around his suits. Breaking things but also making a way of fixing it.

"Are you? Don't worry about it, I'll fix it. So, uh, who's home?"

The kid told him his mom went to work, and Dad's gone. Just like his. and now, Peter might not get to see him again if he doesn't get to fix this. He ordered a bunch of supplies from the kid, one's he needed to get started.

"What's in it for me?"

"Salvation. What's his name?"

He knows this type of kid. This boy is much like his son. Bright young kids who always gets into being bullied for being a nerd. The term "nerd" mistakenly thought by many to be losers and not cool. Not that he can tolerate his son going through that stuff, he was always on the verge of kicking the heck out of that Flash kid, only to be stopped by Bruce and Happy. He had already talked to their Principal for that, but there are still times that he knew that Flash just can't keep his trap shut. And Peter was always too kind to even bother fighting back.

"How'd you know that?"

"Not that I ever wanted it to be, my kid has a bully as well, and I'm close to kicking that bully's ass."

"You have a son?"

"Yes, I do. His name's Peter. A little younger than you, but smarter."

The boy's eyes squinted. He noticed this man spoke about this Peter with tenderness.

"I got just the thing."

Tony opens up a compartment on the suit and takes out a metal object.

"This is a pinata for a cricket. I'm kidding, it's a very powerful weapon. Point it away from your face, press the button on top. It discourages bullying. Non-lethal, just to cover one's ass."

Harley reaches out to take it, but Tony pulls his hand away. "Deal? Deal? What'd you say?"

"Deal."

Tony finally gives the object. "What's your name?"

"Harley. And you're..."

"The mechanic. Tony."

Later that night, Tony and Harley walked into town to the site of the explosion. Tony needs to investigate what happened, to see it for himself.

"When you said your sister had a watch, I was kinda hoping for something a little more adult than this." He pulls out his sleeve to see a pink watch of Dora the Explorer. He silently smiled at it, it was cute.

Harley laughed. "She's six! Anyway, it's limited edition. When can we talk about New York?"

"Aside from the fact that it's where I live, then never. Relax about it."

He's been dodging anything that reminds him of the invasion. His anxiety attack can be triggered by it anytime, and it is a nuisance he can't afford now.

They stopped and Tony looks at the remains of the local explosion site and Harley told the story of what happened. The bomb guy, Chad Davis blew himself up killing along five people. Leaving dark shadows behind on the walls but there's only five, when there are six who died.

Tony sat beside Harley, contemplating; the story doesn't make a lot of sense.

"You know what this crater reminds me of?" Haley said as they stared at the crater in front of them.

"No idea. I'm not...I don't care."

Don't say it, kid. Don't say it.

"That giant wormhole, in um...in New York. Does it remind you?"

Shit. "That's manipulative. I don't want to talk about it."

"Are they coming back? The aliens?"

"Maybe. Can you stop? Remember when I told you, that I have an anxiety issue?"

But Harley did not stop and instead asked a list of questions that agitated him more. His anxiety gradually rising.

"Are you...are you going completely mental? I can stop, do you want me to stop?"

"Remember when I said to stop doing that? I swear to God, you're going to freak me out!"

He can't take it anymore. He needed air. He suddenly rises and started running off. He found himself wanting Peter's presence to be by his side, his kid has a way of calming him. But he's not here, and he didn't know if he was okay. He thought of New York, the invasion, the wormhole, him falling, Peter in danger in a complete loop. He went to a wall to steady himself, his knees went weak. He can't take that.

Tony placed some ice in his face for a moment, thinking about his son, that's he's okay, once he calmed down, he then throws some snow at Harley.

"Your fault. You spazzed me out!" They went after to where Mrs. Davis to make light if his suspicions were right.

"Harley, tell me what's happening. Give me a full report."

He's driving back now to the garage where Harley is. After using Rhodes's access and hacking into AIM's hard crypt data files using the help of his unusually weird super fan- Gary, he finally discovered that each of the Mandarin's explosions was triggered by soldiers that were injected with Extremis, the same experimental treatment engineered by Maya Hansen. He knows that research has a fatal flaw and human experimentation of it can be lethal that's why he rejected the research years ago. He witnessed the power of Extremis first-hand starting with that plant and when he is attacked by Brandt and Savin, a pair of agents working for the Mandarin. When a user is unable to regulate their internal body temperature, they will start to gain heat at an exponential rate and explode.

"Yeah, I'm still eating that candy. Do you want me to keep eating it?"

"Can you still see straight?"

"Sort of."

"That means you're fine. Give me Jarvis. Jarvis, how are we?"

With his suit fully operational, he's going to stop every madness that Mandarin ever inflicted.

"It's totally fine, sir. I seem to do quite well for a stretch, and then at the end of the sentence I say the wrong cranberry. And, sir, you were right. Once I factored in available AIM downlink facilities I was able to pinpoint the Mandarin's broadcast signal."

"What are we talking? Far East, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Syria?"

"Where is it?"

"Actually, sir, it's in Miami."

That can't be right. Everyone's out to have the head of this guy and he's only in Miami?

"Okay, kid, I'm gonna have to walk you through rebooting Jarvis's speech drive, but not right now. Harley, where is he really? Just look on the screen and tell me where it is."

"Um, it does say Miami, Florida."

"Okay, first things first, I need the armor. Where are we at with it?"

"Uh, it's not charging."

WHAT? He suddenly stepped on the brake and the tires screeched as the car halted into a complete stop. How, how can he defeat this guy if he doesn't have his armor. Oh God, he can feel another anxiety attack coming. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he tries hard to calm down.

"Actually, sir, it is charging, but the power source is questionable. It may not succeed in revitalising the Mark 42."

"What's questionable about electricity? All right? It's my suit, and I can't... I'm not gonna... I don't wanna... Oh, God, not again."

Tony breathed heavily and opened his door. He needs to get back to his family. He needs to see his son already, to know if he's alright. How can he come home now if he has nothing.

He heard Harley over the speaker as he gasped for air.

"Tony? Are you having another attack? I didn't even mention New York."

He hugged himself as he sits at the side of the car. He doesn't know what to do.

"God, what am I gonna do?"

"Just breathe. Really, just breathe. You're a mechanic, right?"

"Right."

"You said so."

"Yes, I did."

"Why don't you just build something?"

In an instant something clicked and he realized.

He was so used to the fact that his armor is a part of him that he forgot, half of his life the armor wasn't in his life. He was a son, an inventor, a doctor, and most especially a father to Peter. And before his son can even idolize him for being his superhero, he's a mechanic. He builds stuff from scratch, he builds something from nothing.

He finally realized that the suit doesn't make the man but the man behind it makes the suit.

"Okay. Thanks, kid."

He powered up the car. His ingenuity and great instincts have led him to being Iron Man. Because Iron Man is not just an armor. It is him.

Cold. It's so cold. It's the first thing he felt as he started waking up. The floor is so cold on his back. He curled up to hug himself but he can't. Peter opened his eyes, but the blinding light hurts so much he quickly squeezed his eyes shut and slowly opened it again so that his eyes can adjust.

He is in a bright white room, completely clean of anything. Not even a bed, no windows, nothing. His wrists are in restraints. Suddenly, the door opened and a man came in wearing a tuxedo along with some Doctors in their white coats.

Peter started to get up even though half of his body hurts from fighting back at the park. He crawled to the corner away from them as they come close to him.

Dad, they're coming... Please... Dad, where are you?

"No, no. Please! Don't touch me!" Peter screamed as one of the guards started to carry him into a small bed that just rolled in.

He started kicking and fighting back with all the means he could but it was useless. All the kicking didn't even hurt the man. They laid him on the bed, loosen his restraints, then started restraining both of his wrist at the side of the bed.

"Let go of me!"

"Ssshhh. Peter, right? I'm Aldrich. We're not gonna hurt you. Please, relax." A smile formed on the man's face that Peter found creepy.

How can he say that when I'm in restraints and completely doing the opposite of what he said.

When one of the Doctors came close to him, Peter finally let out a tear he was fighting back. He's trying so hard to be strong but he's already so scared.

What are they doing? What is even happening?

He stared at the ceiling as he felt a needle slowly seeping into his skin. He caught a glimpse of them drawing his blood.

Peter closed his eyes as the tears rolled into his cheeks. It hurts, Dad.

He prayed, he prayed that Dad will just come and save him.

He flinched as he felt another needle was given to him, leaving him slowly drifting again into unconsciousness.

He woke up to a splintering ache on his head. This is happening way too often now, he has gotta get his head checked. He found himself in shackles as he tries to get free.

He had successfully infiltrated the Mandarin's headquarters by his homemade weapons. Unbelievably discovering that the Mandarin is actually a British actor named Trevor Slattery, who is completely oblivious to the acts the real Mandarin has carried out. And before Tony can even finish his plans he was smacked right through the head.

The familiar face of his botanist pal, Maya Hansen welcomed him. Of course, she's a part of all this.

"So you took Killian's card. That son of a bitch has been interested in you and Mary's research from what I can remember. Thank God, Mary's smart, she stayed away from that lunatic. But you? You used to have a soul."

"I just took his money and I'm close, EXTREMIS is practically stabilized."

"I'm telling you it isn't."

"Because you didn't tell me what you told Mary! You gave her the solution to the her glitch when I should've been the one to have that! My research and Mary's were closely similar. If I had been the one who had that formula, Extremis would have been perfect just like hers. So what is it? Help me!"

Tony closed his eyes, he doesn't want to remember that he's been involved in that research. He doesn't even want anything to do with it especially his son's.

"It's different from yours. I can't help you."

He remembered what he wrote of course, but it was incomplete. Mary was the one who completed it and he only knows what Mary has freaking done with it. And this Extremis is nothing compared to what Mary created. Extremis is a virus that heals but later corrupts the body and is completely dangerous, there's no way she can convince him to help her.

"Bullshit."

Maya doesn't believe it. Tony Stark forgetting things that involves the mother of his child. He's lying.

"I'm telling you, I don't know. I can't help you. Get me out of here. Come on."

"You better tell her now, Tony or you'll regret it." Killian suddenly came into the room and put his suitcase at the table.

"You're not still pissed off about the Switzerland thing, are you?"

"How can I be pissed at you, Tony? I'm here to thank you. You gave me the greatest gift that anybody's ever given me. Desperation. Because as I wait and looked over that city, nobody knew I was there, nobody could see me, no one was even looking. I had a thought that would guide me for years to come. Anonymity, Tony. Thanks to you, it's been my mantra ever since. Right? You simply rule from behind the scenes. Because the second you give evil a face, a bin Laden, a Gaddafi, a Mandarin, you hand the people a target."

He realized he was standing to the real Mandarin, the real terrorist. His past actions has set on fire Killian's motivations on this path of destruction. He can't help but blame himself for creating this demon. "You're something else."

"Well, I wanted to repay you the self-same gift that you so graciously imparted to me. Desperation."

He rolled out three little orbs that showed a hologram and it was something he didn't expect.

It is Pepper in pain resisting the Extremis virus. Tony's blood boiled by the sight of it. They got the love of his life. True enough, he wanted nothing more than to desperately get out of here and kill Killian.

"Now this is live. I'm not sure if you can tell, but at this moment the body is trying to decide whether to accept EXTREMIS or just give up. But until that point, it's really just a lot of pain."

He's filling up with rage and his wrists now hurt as he tries hard to free himself and for his mark 42 to work. He can't even look at her as he can also feel her pain. I'm so sorry, honey. I'm coming, I'll save you.

"And this was taken a few hours ago."

After he thought he can't take another tormenting, the video shifted into a white room. And Tony almost loses his shit by what he saw.

Something that he never wanted, never expected is now playing in front of his eyes.

He felt as life is slowly coming out of him. His heart clenched as he felt unimaginable pain. His worst nightmare came to life.

He watched painfully as he saw his son restrained to the floor and forcefully laid into a bed, crying, blood being dawned out.

This is what he never wanted to happen, anyone who's interested in Mary's research taking his son from him.

Ever since the night after the invasion, he found out about what Mary created. He kept quiet about it, kept it all to himself to protect Peter. He knew Peter's life is in danger. He's the last living son of Mary, and her research has been coveted for years.

After Tony gave her that formula the morning after. Mary completed it, perfected it for years. She has successfully hacked into the DNA of the animal of her choosing making it super enhanced like Eskine's super-soldier serum but much more.

Rapid healing, enhanced senses, what more it can do depends on the animal.

It was astounding, revolutionary, but what troubled Tony is that Mary also secured this research; her DNA was the only one that can activate the enhanced DNA of the animal.

What kind of animal is this, he has no idea. A bunch of animals were listed into Mary's files. Any one of those can cause miraculous healing or a disastrous catastrophe to the human DNA. He doesn't even want to find out. All he ever wanted was his son to be safe. To be away from those that can put him in harm's way. To be away from that research.

All Mary's relatives are gone now and Peter was the only one left. Those who goes after the research before only knows that Mary has perfected it but they don't know that Mary's DNA was involved.

But he knew there will come a time they would find out, and that time has already come when they started going after his son.

Unfortunately for them, they didn't know that no matter what, they cannot put the super enhanced DNA of the animal for themselves because it will do nothing. Peter was the only one who can have it because of what Mary did, but he cannot let his son near that kind of risk. He can't help but blame himself for being partially responsible, for giving the solution to the flaw of the research, that led Mary creating this mess, and now his son in in danger and he can't even be there to save him.

Tony was the only one who knew about this. God knows what kind of experiments are they doing now on Peter just to find out. What kind of monster would even do this to an innocent kid.

"He's just a kid! Oh god. Please just.. Oh god, let him go!" He can't watch anymore. Peter was left there, all alone, so cold and scared, has he even eaten yet? His frail body curled up and red marks on his wrist have formed already. He can see his face in distress and pain even with his eyes closed. What have they done to my son?

Another voice also protested unexpectedly. Maya cannot stand seeing an innocent child being hurt just for the sake of perfecting her research. It isn't fair. If it means giving up her chance, then so be it.

"Let him go. Let him go or else... 1200 CCs. A dose half of this size, I'm dead."

Maya put the injector near her neck threatening Killian.

"If I die, Killian, what happens to your soldiers? What happens to your product? We're not doing this, okay? What happens to you? What happens if you go too hot?"

But Killian, doesn't really care anymore. "It's times like this my temper is tested somewhat."

So he just shot her in cold blood. She was nothing to him since they got the Starks to torment to give him the solutions he wanted. And he's so sure that one of his scientists can figure it out without the liability, Maya Hansen.

Tony was shocked to see Maya die in front of his eyes. Killian killing without even the slightest conscience. "You are a maniac."

"No, I'm a visionary. But I do own a maniac. And he takes the stage tonight."