"When are you going to tell him?," Natasha asked as she pick up a gun she's going to use. A few guns, knives, and bombs in her arsenal of high-tech weaponry made by Stark Industries. The perfect set for an assassin.
She's been wondering for months now. Waiting when he's going to tell what they found out in that bunker.
Steve lifted his head up and glanced at her with no response.
"Or I guess, you're not planning on telling him at all."
Steve looked at her then gazed upon the man she's talking about. He sighed as he stand up and pick up his shield.
"Not now, Natasha. We've got more things to worry about."
Steve started to walk downstairs to the platform where the jet is.
"Steve," Her authoritative voice made him stop in his tracks. She knew it isn't her place but she can't help but feel like she has some sort of obligation to protect these friends that she's already treating like family for the past few months.
She walked and stood beside him staring at the rest of their teammates getting ready loading up their supplies for their hopefully last search to find the scepter.
"Tony's going to want to hear the truth from you. Don't let him know it from someone else's."
She started to walk away from him and Steve found himself lost for words and lost in thought. She has a point and it's the right thing to do. But this is Bucky. His only friend back then who's been with him when he has nothing. His bestfriend whom he found out alive but brainwashed to a completely different person. A person that some might call a monster for the terrible things he has done.
He sighed once again as he finally decided.
He can't ruin the trust that he's finally rebuilding with Tony ever since Miami. Revealing this secret will hurt the Starks more than ever and even ruin their forged friendship that can even compromise this mission.
It can wait.
"We'll be back before you know it, bud." Tony caressed Peter's cheek. It is supposedly the last of their raids. They've finally located where the scepter might be is. But every time he say goodbye to Peter, he feels as if he doesn't want to leave anymore.
Everytime after their missions, he looks forward to going home and see his son's face again, to spend more time with him.
If only there can be a world where he doesn't have to worry every single time for the safety of his family, a world where they can be protected from any harm.
"The last time you said that you didn't go home for three months Dad. You almost died."
Tony's forehead scrunched up as he remembered. A lot of years have passed but Peter as a child can still remember that. A tragedy that created Iron Man and ever since then changed the course of their lives forever.
"We are sure to keep your father off from trouble, Peter. We got him, or he got us, more likely." Thor grinned tapping Peter's shoulders as he walked past them and Tony just rolled his eyes.
Peter smiled as the rest of the team smiled at him reassuring him it's going to be alright. They're all going to come home safe.
"No need to track me, okay? We're going to Sokovia. In and out, once we found the scepter," Peter was about to protest and deny but Tony already stopped him from trying. "You thought I wouldn't found out didn't you?"
Peter wore a sheepish grin and shrugged. "It was worth a try."
He was careful and he had consistency upgraded his tracking code in JARVIS' server but of course Dad had his ways of eventually finding out.
Dad ruffled his curly hair. "Come're.."
Tony opened his arms and Peter immediately went for a tight embrace. "I love you, Dad."
Tony kissed his head and the smell of Peter's baby powder scented hair washed all over relaxing him almost making him not want to leave. "I love you tons, bud."
"Shit!"
Tony grunted as he hit and bounced off the base's force field. He covers all the aerial assault while the rest of the team attacks at the ground through.
"Language! JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?"
From the Stark satellite system, JARVIS analyzed the tech, perimeter, and all the defenses surrounding the whole area. "The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken."
Thor jumped from a tree to make a surprise attack knocking every man down with his hammer.
"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last."
Natasha deployed a bomb and knocks out some soldiers.
"At long last is lasting a little long, boys."
Clint shoots his arrow bulls-eye destroying a bunker. "Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise."
Tony flew through a line of guards and beams them off with his repulsors. "Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said "language?"
"I know," Steve throws his bike at some soldiers driving up in their truck. "It just slipped out."
Tony grinned under his helmet as Steve always impulsively reprimands them to stop saying bad words especially in front of Peter when they're hanging out at home.
He started to send in the Iron Legion to care for civilians at the city. They try to get all the guards down as they close in on the base. As Clint tries to shoot another arrow to the bunker, he was knocked down by an unseen force. He tries to shoot the speedy figure again but the bunker got him first.
The blur tried to knock off Cap but he easily bounced back on his feet without difficulty. "We have an enhanced in the field."
"Clint's hit!," Natasha rushed toward Barton lying down. "Somebody want to deal with that bunker?,"
In a swift moment, Hulk came to the rescue and destroyed the bunker. "Thank you."
"Stark, we really need to get inside." Cap said as he fights off guards in his way.
Tony closed in and analyzed the power source. Once he found the pathway below the north tower, he blows it up and the invisible shield of the base powered down. "Drawbridge is down, people."
"Clint's hit pretty bad, guys. We're gonna need evac."
"I can get Barton to the jet. The sooner we're gone the better. You and Stark secure the scepter." Thor directed to Steve as they get ready for the approaching soldiers in their HYDRA tank.
"Copy that."
Thor pounds on Steve's shield with his hammer and the force knocks down all the soldiers in increasing massive amount.
"Find the scepter." Before long he flies off.
"And for gosh sake, watch your language!" Tony joshed as he flew up to the headquarters of the base.
Steve sighed. "That's not going away anytime soon."
Tony broke in the window and the guards started firing at him nonstop but they should know this by now, no bullet can destroy or penetrate the suit.
"Guys, stop, we gotta talk about this."
In a one fell swoop, he shoots them off knocking them down all at once. He then found List trying to hijack all the files and he blasted him off.
Stepping off his suit and putting the suit into sentry mode - an autonomous system in his suit that can talk or perform actions in his command.
He walked over to the computers, "Okay, JARVIS. You know I want it all. Make sure you copy Hill at HQ,"
He stared across the room. A base this big and protected, there's got to be more shenanigans in Strucker's sleeve where the scepter is located.
"I know you're hiding more than files. Hey, J, give me an IR scan of the room, real quick."
"The wall to your left...I'm reading steel reinforcement and an air current."
He walked over the wall whispering to himself. "Please be a secret door, please be a secret door, please be a secret door..."
He pushes the wall and it miraculously opens up revealing a secret passageway. "Yay!"
Curiosity killed the cat, Tony started to walk downstairs through the barely lit passageway. He knew he should at least wait for backup, backup being referred to as Steve to show up, but most probably, the old man is being preoccupied at the moment. He can hear Cap at the intercom asking Strucker about the scepter and the enhanced.
The sooner they get the scepter, the sooner they can get out and finish the mission.
The saw light at the end of the tunnel and to his surprise, a museum like dome that houses a dead chitauri leviathan welcomed him.
"Guys, I got Strucker." Cap announced.
"Yeah, I got...something bigger."
He saw recovered artifacts from the Battle of New York. Who would've thought, of course Hydra and Shield would try to harness power from alien life. Scrapped materials also got his attention. They're also trying to replicate his Iron Man armor.
A glowing blue light caught his eye as he spots the scepter being dawned in an energy source. "Thor, I got eyes on the prize."
His eyes lit up as he stepped closer, he can hear Thor on the intercom but slowly the sound fades and now he can hear no one. The area became cold, air becoming brisk. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stood up, then the familiar sound of alien life he once fought came to life. The roaring sound of the leviathan floated in front of him, shocking him that he almost loses his balance. He's not in Hydra's base anymore, he's in space.
What is happening...
Tony couldn't keep his eyes off, he's staring towards a large wormhole exposing Earth, thousand times larger than New York. Too real to even question if this is just a figment of his imagination, a vision, or reality.
Hundreds of leviathan coming over it, ready to invade and destroy his home. He needs to stop it. But he was frozen in his tracks as his whole body started to shake,
It can't be...
His friends, the world's mightiest heroes, all dead and on top of the pile of dead bodies. Sweat dripped from his head as he stared disbelievingly.
Hulk, Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Steve... beaten and lifeless.
He stepped closer.. to see, to check their pulse, to make sure... but he stepped into a stuffed toy that squeaked, he picked it up and noticed it was Peter's favorite toy when he was little. His heart started to panic as he lifted his head up and there he is. NO!
No, no, no.
He tried to run even though it felt like his whole energy is being drained out.
"Peter... Wake up baby. No." He cradled his son. His life. Pure innocent eyes are long gone, joyful smiles replaced by bloodshed suffering. Tony checked for Peter's pulse but none.
He then noticed Pepper and Happy beside them also dead. This can't be happening. His eyes clouded with unshed tears that won't drop because he can't accept.
He can't accept any of it.
Suddenly, a cold hand and bloodshot eyes startled him cold. A faint cry of plead. "Dad, why didn't you saved us. You could've..."
Tony stared at his son completely at a loss as Peter slowly closes his eyes and dies in his arms. Grief, sadness, anger all in a mix that he doesn't even know what to respond, what to do.
And the only voice that clouded his mind was Peter saying... Why didn't you do more?
His breathing hitched as he snaps back into reality. He's back in the base. No outer space, no floating leviathan, no dead bodies. His knees became weak and he stumbled on the floor.
He felt it all too real, a vision, a fake? An illusion from the enhanced? He doesn't care anymore.
The glimmer of the scepter shined in power as he stood back up. In full determination, his armor came to him, and in a swift moment he snatched the scepter into his hand. He cannot let anything like that to ever happen.
Life or death, he'll do everything in his power to prevent it.
"Tony, you okay?," Tony snaps out of his haze as he pilots the aircraft. He can hear the soft bantering of Thor earlier but can't help his mind to wander off. He tried to remain calm when he brought the scepter to the jet earlier but he's been quiet and Steve being all too observant knew something's off.
"You look pretty shaken earlier, something happened?"
Tony masked a smile and tries to act everything's cool. If he tells the things he saw, that he's been compromised, they won't let him anywhere near the scepter.
"No. no. Just a bit tired that's all. In fact, all of us are." He glanced at Clint and Bruce that looks a lot worse than him.
"Yeah, well. If there's anything. Let me know." Cap gave him a sincere smile that he only shows in front of friends and went to talk to Thor.
"Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony asked as he reads the incoming message from Hill. He hired Dr. Cho last year to be one of the Avenger's doctors in case someone gets hit pretty bad. Her medical research on tissue regeneration is greatly beneficial for them, even if he has to fly her from Seoul to NYC every now and then, it won't be a big deal.
"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around."
"Thanks."
Tony turned to his trusted co-pilot and assistant to everything. "JARVIS, tell her to prep everything, Barton's gonna need the full treatment."
"Very good sir."
"Take the wheel." He pressed the last of the buttons that controls auto-pilot and glanced at some of the stickers Peter stacked randomly inside the jet. Somehow, no matter where he is, the silliest of things will always reminds him of his son.
"Yes, sir. Approach vector is locked."
Tony started to walk towards the scepter where Steve and Thor were looking into. All that was needed was to convince them.
"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."
"No, but this...this brings it to a close."
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons."
Tony stared into the scepter, it feels like it's drawing itself to him. He needed to look more into it. Something tells him, it holds the key. He needed a few days, maybe more. To whatever it is, he's going to find out.
"Banner and I'll give it the once before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you? I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?"
Thor grinned, parties on Midgard would be nothing compared to Asgard, but to Hel with it, it's a party still. "Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels."
"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels. Captain?" Tony asked. He needed the full confidence of their Captain if he's going to do this without suspicion and interruption.
"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so. Yes, revels."
As the jet landed at the Penthouse, the more Tony became jittery to go and get out. He knew Peter is okay. He's safe, but to feel and hold him alive in his arms, that's what he need. Assurance.
Clint came off first in a stretcher and was welcomed by Dr. Cho with the rest of her nurses. Nat, Thor, and Bruce came with him.
Cap and Hill started to talk about the enhanced and went off the jet.
When he was finally alone on the jet with no one to see his true emotions, that's when he finally sat and sigh a shudder of restlessness. That vision was completely traumatic. He brushed off his face as he tried to compose himself.
"Dad!" A loud happy voice called out and he turned his chair towards where the voice came from.
Peter's beautiful face welcomed him home. His son, alive, happy, and well running towards him. He doesn't want to let go of the sight. He wants to stop time and let this moment last forever.
He stood up with open arms and they embraced each other. Tony closed his eyes and thanked that this is the one that's real.
Peter felt as if Dad's hug has been tighter than usual. "Dad.. can't breathe."
"Sorry bud." Tony grinned as a tear escaped his eye that he quickly brushed off so Peter won't notice. He caressed Peter's face taking into detail Peter's features in his mind.
I won't let anything bad happen to you, baby.
"What happened at Sokovia? What happened to Sir Clint?" Peter holds his hand as they walk inside the Tower.
"Mission accomplished and let's go check on him to find out. So how's school? What have you been up to?"
"What's the rumpus?" Bruce asked as he and Tony started to walk into the lab where the scepter is. Peter is with Nat and the rest of the team as they share the stories of what happened in Sokovia.
"Well, the scepter. You see, we were wondering how Strucker got so inventive. So, I've been analyzing the gem inside you may recognize,"
Tony brings up a yellow 3D image of Jarvis's consciousness and Bruce easily guessed it. He then brought up another 3D image of what's inside the scepter.
"It's beautiful. It's like it's thinking. I mean this could be a...it's not a human mind, it... I mean, look at this! They're like neurons firing."
"Down in Strucker's lab I saw some fairly advanced robotics work. They deep-sixed the data, but...I gotta guess he was knocking on a very particular door."
"Artificial intelligence."
"This could be it, Bruce. This could be the key to creating Ultron."
They thought it was just a fantasy. Ultron was an idea beyond Tony's dreams. A peacekeeping AI designed to protect Earth from any and all domestic and extra-terrestrial threats coming within the future, making Earth a safer place for everyone. And if this goes well, he'll eventually get to leave the superhero business in peace.
"If we can harness this power and apply it to my Iron Legion protocol."
"That's a mad-sized if."
"Our job is "if." What if you were sipping margaritas on a sun-drenched beach turning brown instead of green? Not looking over your shoulder for VERONICA. What if the world was safe? What if next time aliens roll up to the club, and they will, they couldn't get past the bouncer? We can only do it while we have the scepter here, that's three days, give me three days."
"So you're going for artificial intelligence and you don't want to tell the team."
He doesn't need the team lecturing him on what to do. They're running out of time, if he's going to build this, he needs to do it now, before the chance gets taken away from him.
"We don't have time for a city hall debate. I don't want to hear the "man was not meant to meddle" medley. I see a suit of armor around the world."
"Sounds like a cold world, Tony."
Tony glanced at his son laughing, and then the lifeless face of Peter in his arms flashed back before his eyes. Something that he doesn't ever want to see. Something that no parent ever has to experience.
"I've seen colder. This one, this very vulnerable blue one? It needs Ultron. Peace in our time. Imagine that."
"Wow, Dad. You're still here at the lab? You've been here all night last night. What are you and Dr. Banner been working on?," Peter asked as he went inside the lab and put his bag-pack at one of the chairs. Happy was the one who picked him up from school which he found sort of strange since Dad always insisted on picking him up whenever they don't have missions. He grabbed an apple and took a bite as he stared at one of the calculations displayed on another monitor.
Peter's eyes squinted as he started to wonder why these configurations are somehow familiar to him. "Um, why is this similar to JARVIS's schematics?"
Bruce looked over at Tony waiting if he's going to tell the truth. Peter easily picks up things when it relates to tech and science, something that astonished the entire scientist at the Tower.
Tony hesitated for a second but figured why not. This can also be a learning opportunity for Peter. "Ultron."
Peter looked at his Dad in surprise. Did he heard it right?
"Ultron is real? What? Dad, how? Can I help?" Peter's voice slightly squealed. Something he does when he's excited. Dad said creating Ultron is only a fantasy. It will be impossible to create a high yield level of intelligence in an AI for large scale peacekeeping. If the science bro's are creating the most advanced AI in the world, there's absolutely no way that he's going to miss the chance to be part of it.
There are a lot of papers stacked at the floor and Tony was sitting in the middle of it. "Come over here and check these calculations with me. Oh wait, go do your homework first."
"Already done," Peter sat beside his Dad grinning and Tony shot his brow up at him. "I did it while I'm waiting for Happy to pick me up."
"Atta boy." Tony wrapped his arm around his son and gave him a kiss on his head before returning back to their work.
The next two days were spent trying different calculations, variations, and sentience integration trials of programs that can fit to the Ultron AI. Peter stayed with them helping after school until it's time for him to sleep. Stacks of codes mixed from the three of them, the highest IQ's in the world, and they're still far from completing the AI.
"What did we miss?" Tony asked as he stared into the last of their attempts that still results to nothing. He was the only one left alone in the lab, Bruce has already gone to catch up some sleep before the party begins and Peter's already coming home from school. He was tired with little sleep from the surge of caffeine in his system from the past two days.
"I'll continue to run variations on the interface, but you should probably prepare for your guests. I'll notify you if there are any developments. Enjoy yourself, Sir." JARVIS said and he started to walk out of the lab to have a little nap before the party. It's time to finally accept that Ultron is still far from their reach.
"Thanks, buddy. I always do."