Disclaimer: I own nothing in the MCU or anything drawn from the comics. Unfortunately. Lol. All characters belong to the amazing people over at Marvel! I'm just playing with them for a little bit.
Summary: Homecoming AU. "I swear..." he gasped out between his sobs. "I... I didn't kill Mr. Stark." When the argument after the ferry incident goes horribly awry, Tony is missing and presumed dead, and Spider-Man is suspect number one. Peter believes his mentor is still alive out there, but he'll need help to find and save Tony from who truly wants him dead in time.
Author's Note: Hey, guys, thanks for hanging in there with me! Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites, they mean a lot to me and keep me going! :-) I guess this could be considered our Christmas edition, I tried to make it a little festive for the holiday, lol. Some important things to look for ahead, so keep an eye out! With that said, I won't keep you any longer, and I hope you enjoy! :-)
Chapter 12– The Psychiatrist
"... it was Barnes."
The colonel's words replayed over and over in Steve's head as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black jacket and made his way down the packed sidewalk, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone as he snuck a look at the crumbling, burning building across the street from him from under the brim of his New York Yankees baseball cap. Firefighters were still hard at work trying to contain the blaze, though he had to admit that it didn't appear much more encouraging than it had the night before. It would take quite some time yet to get everything under control and contained, and any sort of evidence they could have gathered, outside of what Sam could have caught on Redwing's camera, was sure to be lost by now.
This was a dead end.
"... it was Barnes."
The Captain cursed under his breath as Rhodey's voice once again echoed in his ears, and he tore his eyes away from the wreckage as sirens continued to wail around him. He'd been stunned, almost numb, to hear those three words only a couple short hours before. Spider-Man had seen Bucky on top of that building with him and Tony before it had exploded? It was impossible, he knew it was, and he'd told them as such. After all, his best friend, his brother, was still in the refuge of the hidden, reclusive kingdom of Wakanda under the watchful, protective eye of its king, T'Challa. At least he was safe there. That's what was most important.
And if he'd somehow left that sanctuary, he was certain their new ally would have informed him. And even if Bucky had followed them to the States in that case, there was no way he would have been responsible for such destruction. He refused to believe it, he couldn't afford to believe it. The Winter Soldier had told him himself that he didn't do that sort of thing anymore, and as far as Steve knew, there was no one around who knew the words to wake up that sleeping assassin within the other man again.
For a moment, he wondered if Rhodey would have believed him if Natasha and Sam hadn't corroborated his statement, if he'd instead think he was just choosing sides against Tony once again, but he stopped that train of thought before it could really get started. They were on the same side with the same objective going forward– to find the missing billionaire. And they couldn't do that if they were at odds with each other.
A quiet though pained gasp caused him to pause, and Steve turned around to see that Pepper, who had been right with him, had stopped, her light eyes wide and her mouth slowly dropping open as she stared at the inferno across from them with her hand hovering over her chest. His gaze faltered.
The CEO had approached him as he was preparing to leave for the harbor, expressing how she'd wanted to go along with him. At first, he'd gently insisted that it probably wouldn't be the best idea, but she continued to push the matter, arguing that she'd go crazy if left to her own devices without doing anything to help since Natasha and Rhodey had left to meet up with Happy in Queens to talk with Aaron Davis, and Sam was burrowed away somewhere in the Tower to go over the Redwing footage. The Super Soldier had finally relented, appreciating the lift to the area that she'd given them, but it was how her face was slowly getting paler now as she stared in fear at the last place Tony had been seen alive that reminded him exactly why he'd suggested she stay behind.
"Pepper..."
However, she seemed not to hear him, and Steve let out a quiet sigh as he took a couple steps closer to her and set a light hand on her arm. Pepper jumped slightly, casting her panicked gaze to him as she reached up with her other hand and grasped his, almost on instinct.
"No one... no one could have survived that..." she whispered, searching his handsome bearded features for answers she knew she couldn't find there before turning back to the collapsing building. She'd seen the news footage of this disaster plenty, but seeing it in person... that was an entirely different matter. "Oh, God... Steve, if Tony... if he was up there when..."
"We don't know if that was the case," Steve gently reminded her. "Until we find out otherwise, we have to operate under the assumption that Tony is alive."
Pepper shook her head slightly as she continued to stare at the ruins. "H-how... how could he have...? His suit..."
Steve took a deep breath. "Spider-Man escaped, it's possible that Tony was able to do the same," he said. "And if someone has taken him, they will likely demand some sort of ransom for his safe return. If not, whoever was behind this is bound to leave some sort of trace of themselves behind. We'll find that. You began a scan of your records for those salvage workers that worked on the Tower after the Chitauri invaded. That's a start. We'll catch this guy. We'll find Tony."
A moment passed before Pepper tightened her hold a little on Steve's fingers. "You're... you're absolutely certain that it... it wasn't...?" she hesitantly started to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to finish the question.
The Super Soldier met her gaze as he squeezed her hand in return, seeming to hear the words she couldn't say. "I swear to you, Pepper, if it was in any way possible that Bucky was behind this, I would tell you," he assured her. "I wouldn't lie to you about that."
Pepper gazed at his face carefully, seeing nothing but silent conviction. Even though the man in question was his best friend. Though there also seemed to be a little bit of guilt underneath that, guilt about what had happened when he'd kept a very important truth from Tony.
She believed him.
"O-okay..." Pepper released Steve's hand then, taking a deep breath before turning back to where the firefighters were working anxiously to get the blaze under control. Her brow furrowed.
"I'm going to get a closer look," she said.
Steve frowned. "I don't know if that's a good idea..." he began.
But the CEO was already starting to make her way across the blocked-off street toward the even bigger crowd that was still gathered at the barricade to get the latest scoop on what had happened with Spider-Man and the missing billionaire. Sighing, the Captain followed after her.
Pepper was almost in a daze as she drew closer, the smell of the heavy smoke hanging over her almost suffocating. Though everyone around her was speaking loudly– either relaying orders or conducting news broadcasts and interviews or protesting in the defense of either Tony or Peter– all she could hear was the deafening crackling of the flames high above her. All she could see was the blinding light they cast.
Fire. Fire and smoke. That's all that seemed to exist as the flames and the haze and the heat consumed her senses.
Was this how Tony had felt? Were these the last things he saw before...?
No, she couldn't bring herself to think about that. Tony was alive, he had to be. She wasn't sure how she knew that, she just did. Tony was alive.
Starting to feel a little claustrophobic around all the people and needing to get away from the intense heat and dense smoke, she began to move away from the crowd, making her way toward a spot a bit away from the building where a bunch of crates were stacked in the direction of the Staten Island ferry port. Her gaze passed over the sparkling water, and she couldn't help but smile to herself as a memory from a couple years before struggled its way to the surface of her racing thoughts. It had been shortly before Christmas, and all the Avengers had been assembled at the Tower to celebrate. Naturally, Tony had wanted to sneak away with her for a bit of time just for themselves since it was just so loud with everyone together, so he'd thought bringing her out into the city to enjoy the lights and decorations would be a good time. LIttle had she known he'd meant bringing her out with the Iron Man suit, and she hadn't been thrilled about that one bit.
Not that she didn't trust him, but flying at such a high speed without any sort of safety measures other than his sturdy, iron arms around her– which had always been a safe place for her– was something she hadn't been comfortable with in the least.
But it had been worth it, as he had flown with her over this very harbor, low over the water, to Staten Island, where they could get a good look at the broad expanse of New York City's bright lights when it was lit up even more than usual from a place of peace and quiet all their own. It had been chilly, but the view and sharing a kiss in the light snowfall with the one person who meant the most to her had been special indeed. Especially since they were greeted with two mugs of steaming, sweet hot chocolate with whipped cream, hot fudge, and mini marshmallows from Bruce when they'd returned, their cheeks flushed from the cold.
Steve slowly approached the CEO, seeing that her gaze was faraway and a thin line of tears were in her eyes, likely caused by wherever her thoughts had taken her. He sighed, not wanting to disturb her and not knowing how to carefully bring her out of her reverie. The quiet sound, however, seemed to be enough, since Pepper startled slightly and turned to look at him, offering a ghost of a smile as she blinked furiously to get rid of the tears.
"This, uh... this is where Happy found Spider-Man..." she began, attempting to inject strength into her voice but not quite being able to do it.
But she stopped when the Captain set a light hand on her shoulder. "Have you eaten anything recently?" he asked quietly. Her complexion was a bit too pale, and he couldn't help but notice that she was wavering a bit on her feet.
The question shocked her, forced her panicked mind to slow down just enough to focus on it since she hadn't been expecting it. Had she? Not that she could recall... Not since she and Tony had gone out to eat the morning before, which felt like so long ago now. "Um... no, not really..."
Steve gave her a gentle smile. "I think that would be a good idea, don't you?" he wondered. He glanced around them, hoping that maybe they could find a food truck or something similar within walking distance since going to a place where there were a lot of people wouldn't be the best idea. He couldn't take a chance and be recognized.
Pepper studied his face carefully, recognizing the look in his eye as well as the underlying message in his words. Her heart faltered as more tears threatened to rise to her eyes.
They weren't going to find anything here. Nothing that could lead them to Tony.
And while she appreciated him thinking of her, she just wasn't hungry and didn't think she could hold anything substantial down since her stomach was just in knots. But, she realized, he was right. If she wanted to actively pursue the chase to find the missing billionaire, she'd have to get some strength in her. And so she couldn't deny that eating something would be a good idea.
"Yeah, I do," she finally agreed, though her heart wasn't in it. "Um, I know this little hole in the wall place not too far from here. We could stop there, if you wanted. Not too many people go there. Or, if not, I can just pick up something on our way back..."
Steve's smile broadened a little. "I think that sounds nice," he told her.
Pepper attempted to return the look. She knew what was going on, as she'd overheard Rhodey and Happy talking the night before about how either one of them– and now one of the rogue Avengers since they were added into the mix– were going to stick with Peter almost at all times to make sure that whoever had attacked them didn't get another chance to go after the web-slinger. Though they'd also mentioned her being kept an eye on at all times, just in case this ambush had been more personal to Tony. Steve joining her for a light lunch, while a pleasant gesture on his part and likely just as genuine, also served this purpose.
Sighing, she glanced over the Super Soldier's shoulder at the burning, collapsing building, and her stomach dropped yet again. She'd wanted to see the site for herself, and now she had. It was just as awful as she'd imagined it to be. But any hope she'd had of finding something useful in their search for Tony had also been taken from her, and she knew there was no reason for them to linger any longer than necessary.
"All right, then," she said, trying to keep her voice as light as she could. "Let's get going."
Steve nodded in agreement, and the pair began to make their way back toward where she'd parked the car a few blocks away. As they got closer to the large crowd gathered in front of the building, he caught sight of a reporter with strawberry blonde hair– very similar in shade to Pepper's, he noted– with a notepad standing beside a bald, higher ranking police officer he remembered seeing the night before as she seemed to take notes of what he was telling her. The Captain offered a quick smile and nod to them when they both looked in their direction, making sure to lower the brim of his baseball cap a little lower over his face before they could get a better look as he continued after the CEO.
However, Steve never noticed the knowing looks that passed over both the reporter's and the officer's faces, the gleam of a new idea in her eyes, and the smirk on his face as they watched the Super Soldier and Pepper cross the street.
"Looks like Captain Rogers has resurfaced," the reporter almost purred as she looked at the scribbling on the page of her notepad. "And since he's poking around here, he's probably looking for any clues to the whereabouts of Stark. This could be fun."
"That it could," the officer agreed with a thoughtful nod. "Despite all that's happened between them, he just couldn't stay away. That man is too noble for his own good." He then reached into his back pocket to retrieve his cell phone. "This game just got more interesting with another player. I think it's time we contact the Doctor."
The drive to the hole in the wall place truly didn't take very long and was overall silent, except for Pepper grumbling under her breath about a notoriously mean meter maid who had almost given them a ticket. But soon, she and Steve were seated at a table in the darkened corner of the small café, both poring over the menus their waitress had given them. The lingering silence between them, broken only by the low murmuring of conversations of other people around them and the classic rock music playing through the overhead speakers, wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but more brought on by the shared knowledge that this was the most amount of time they'd ever spent in the other's company on their own along with the uncertainty of how to proceed with small talk. Besides, what sort of small talk was appropriate given the current situation?
Pepper finally closed her menu and set it aside, still not entirely sure what exactly she could stomach but still knowing she had to try to get something down. Steve glanced at her curiously.
"Find something good?" he wondered.
The CEO gave him a small smile. "I think so," she said. "We'll see."
Steve nodded once as he set his own menu on top of hers. "Yeah, I think I did, too," he muttered.
Silence fell between them once more, and the Captain took a deep breath as he folded his hands on the table in front of him and debated about what to say while Pepper simply gazed at happy couples chatting away at other tables, at coworkers going over notes for an upcoming meeting, at aspiring writers musing over their screenplays. But they were spared for another moment when their waitress came back with a couple glasses of ice water to get them started and asked, with a perkiness neither one of her patrons could match, what they would like to order.
"I'll just take that lunch deal, the cup of french onion soup and half a BLT sandwich," Pepper told her.
"And I'll have the pulled pork sandwich with fries," Steve added.
"Great! Will that be together or separate?"
Pepper and Steve glanced at each other. "Separate," they both muttered at the same time.
"Awesome, that'll be up for you guys shortly!"
The Super Soldier chuckled as the petite, curly-haired woman with pretty features walked away, humming quietly to herself. He then turned back to the CEO, noticing she was wringing her hands a bit nervously. His gaze faltered before a slight smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "That's a pretty necklace you're wearing, Pepper," he said. "It's unique."
A bit startled, Pepper glanced down at the necklace he was referring to– a heart-shaped red jewel encased in small diamonds with a hanging diamond pendant. In the chain were small, irregular pieces of silver. She instinctively reached up and lightly grasped it in her fingers.
"I haven't worn it in... a while," she explained quietly, her tone distant. "Tony gave it to me a few years ago. After he finally decided to have the surgery to remove the shrapnel and Arc reactor from his chest."
It was then Steve understood. His brow furrowed. "Those silver pieces..."
Pepper nodded once, letting out a quiet laugh as a thin line of tears rose to her eyes despite her best efforts to restrain them. "It's a reminder," she replied in a voice just above a whisper. "But also something close to his heart, all the same."
Silence descended once more between them. Then, a small smile appeared on Steve's face. "You know, when Tony told me that you two were taking a break, I thought he was going to tell me that you were pregnant," he told her.
Pepper nearly choked on the ice water she was sipping. "Pregnant?" she managed to ask after coughing a couple times. But then, she chuckled, a smile spreading across her face. "No, no, I don't think... no. You know Tony. He really doesn't consider himself father material."
The Captain took a sip of his own water before shrugging slightly. "Yeah, well... Howard once thought the same thing." His gaze faltered. "I'm glad you're back with him, Pepper. He could use a friend like you, after everything."
The CEO gazed at him carefully, her hand moving its way back to the heart necklace without her fully realizing it. "It wasn't just Tony who lost someone before all this happened between you two," she murmured, hesitating slightly. "You did, too."
Steve stiffened. Peggy. "How did you...?" he began.
Pepper smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry for your loss," she continued quietly. "Peggy Carter was a part of Tony's life, too. I guess he never told you. She was Tony's godmother, his Aunt Peggy."
The Captain took a moment to take in this information. The billionaire had never mentioned her in all the time he'd known him. "I loved Peggy," he finally admitted. "She was my best girl. But we missed our chance, because of my decision. I know that she and Howard were close, too. After I went into the ice, I just assumed they'd..." He broke off with a chuckle. "I'm glad to see that they were able to go on and start something like S.H.I.E.L.D. together. When it was how it was supposed to be, at least. It shouldn't surprise me that Tony loved her, too."
"He did," Pepper assured him. "She was a good woman, Steve."
"Yes," Steve agreed. "Certainly a better person than I've turned out to be." He dropped his head slightly, his hand tightening around his water glass and nearly breaking it. He quickly pulled his hand away. "I should have just told Tony from the start about what happened that night..."
"Tony kept that phone you gave him for a reason, you know," the CEO muttered. "He wasn't prepared to give up on you."
Steve attempted a small smile at this. "I'd hoped he would, though I didn't expect him to," he said with a sigh and a brief shake of his head. "If I could do this whole situation over again..."
"I know." Pepper took another sip of her water. "I almost didn't answer your call. I mean, you lied to Tony about his parents' deaths, you covered for the one who murdered them, you and said murderer left Tony behind alone and injured in Siberia..." Her sentence trailed off when she saw the Super Soldier noticeably flinch under the sting of her words. "But Tony must have seen something in you that was worth something. He kept that damn phone close by. He..."
When she didn't finish her sentence, Steve glanced up to see that she was struggling to hold back the rush of emotions that were fighting to get out. "He what?" he asked.
But Pepper just took another sip of her water, and the smiling waitress returned with their food. "Here you are!" Her voice was much too enthusiastic for the current situation as she set Pepper's cup of soup and half a sandwich in front of her before setting Steve's sandwich and fries before him. "And here's some ketchup for ya, hun! Is there anything else I can get for you?"
Steve glanced at Pepper, whose gaze remained solely on her food, before he shook his head. "No, we're okay, thank you," he replied.
"All right, then! Enjoy!"
The Captain took a deep breath and shook the ketchup bottle while Pepper picked at her soup with her spoon. Before he could repeat his question, her quiet voice gave him pause.
"Where... where did you all go?" she wondered. "After the prison break? Secretary Ross kept trying to reach Tony about it, but he never gave him anything."
Steve arched an eyebrow. The fact that Tony hadn't ratted him out when he'd most likely figured out it was him who had gotten Sam– along with Clint Barton, Scott Lang, and Wanda Maximoff– out of the Raft prison surprised him. "I'm not sure how much Tony told you about everything that happened, but T'Challa granted us asylum in Wakanda," he explained. "We thought it was the safest route at the time. We were protected from Ross and whoever else was out to get us. And Bucky..." He paused when he saw Pepper flinch at the sound of the name. "Well, you heard what I said earlier. T'Challa's protecting him now.
"We stayed for a little over a month before deciding that we couldn't anymore. After all, T'Challa's facing the new responsibilities of being king now, as well as the Black Panther. We didn't want to add another burden on him, and we felt like we were overstaying our welcome. After all, we couldn't stay there forever. Besides, it seems like there's a little disquiet in Wakanda, and that was something we felt like we shouldn't involve ourselves with or get in the way of. So, we left, despite T'Challa telling us we could stay. Sam came with me, and we met back up with Natasha when we returned to the States. Ever since then, we've been wandering around, never staying in one place for very long. Like nomads."
"And... where's Clint now?" Pepper asked. "And the others who were with you?"
"Scott and Wanda?" The Super Soldier paused, taking a bite of his sandwich thoughtfully. "They went with Clint, last I heard. He has a phone like the one I have and the one I gave Tony, just in case we need to get in touch or if there's an emergency. I might give him a call, let him know what happened here... But I'm not sure where they are at the moment."
Pepper nodded, finally taking a small bite of the french onion soup she'd been picking at. "Well, I'm... I'm glad you're here now," she finally said. "To help us find Tony."
Steve smiled slightly. "So am I," he replied.
Then, they ate in silence.
Peter tapped his foot impatiently as he stared at the clock on the wall in front of him. Detention couldn't be over soon enough, he would have skipped it entirely if he wouldn't have been in even more trouble for already skipping it and would likely have to miss homecoming, but at least he'd been able to use the time to review all the information he'd been able to compile on the Winter Soldier. Considering he was some sort of super assassin, he could sort of understand why Happy didn't want him getting involved. But at the same time, he knew that Happy, Rhodey, and Pepper were going to need all the help they could get, even if they did call in Vision like the head of security had suggested. They'd need his help. After all, he'd stood toe to toe with Bucky Barnes in Germany and had come out relatively unscathed.
Though that's what still confused the teen. He'd been able to catch Bucky's metal arm when the other man had meant to punch him with it, and he'd hesitated, not harming him when he'd had the chance to after he'd heard his voice. Heard how young he was. It was hard for him to reconcile the man he'd seen who'd been trying to help Captain America, who'd paused in the middle of a battle, with the cold-hearted, ruthless killer that he'd read about. Who had taken Tony, who had hurt Tony.
It didn't make any sense to him. Something wasn't right. He just didn't know what that something was.
Finally, the hour was up, and Peter stood up at the first possible second before Coach Wilson even had the opportunity to say a word, gathered up his things, and headed for the door. He passed Michelle, who was finishing up another drawing of him in crisis, and stepped out into the hallway, all but running toward the entrance of the school.
However, before he got there, he heard a familiar voice. The teen slid to a stop before cautiously approaching the adjacent hallway, sneaking a look around the corner.
Liz was standing about halfway down, holding some more decorations for the dance in her hands as she smiled and talked with the older man with the cane he'd seen with Principal Morita earlier. His brow furrowed when he heard he spoke with a slight accent, though he couldn't quite place it.
His senses were trying to tell him something again, were trying to warn him, he could feel it. But what they were trying to warn him about, he wasn't exactly sure. He just knew that something about this man didn't settle very well with him, and he certainly didn't like him being so close to Liz.
So, clearing his throat, Peter began to walk toward the pair. "Hey, Liz!" he called.
The senior girl's smile broadened when she saw him, and she gave him a slight wave. "Hey, Peter," she replied. "What is it?"
The web-slinger came to a stop next to her, returning the cheerful look as he kept watch on the older man out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, uh, I just remembered," he muttered, his mind moving quickly to think of some valid excuse for interrupting a seemingly harmless conversation. "I, uh... I'll need your address. You know, for Friday. Homecoming."
Liz chuckled. "Yeah, I'll get it to you," she assured him. "Don't worry."
Peter nodded with a small smile. "Great."
Then, the older man turned his attention to the teen. "Peter Parker, is it?" he wondered. "We met earlier, yes?"
"Yeah, briefly," Peter muttered carefully. "And, uh, who... who were you, again? I don't think Principal Morita mentioned your name."
"Oh, yes, my apologies. My name is Doctor Johann Fennhoff," the man told him. "I am a psychiatrist, and I am filling in for your school's psychologist while she is on maternity leave." He held out his hand.
Peter glanced at it briefly before he reached out and shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Fennhoff replied with a smile. It was a look the web-slinger didn't like. "I was just talking to Miss Allan here about that terrible ordeal in D.C. A near-death experience such as that is something that often sticks with you. You were there for that as well with your decathlon team, were you not, Mr. Parker?"
"I was, yeah. But... but I wasn't actually in the Monument when it happened, I was on the ground," Peter explained. "But, yeah, it was scary knowing that my friends were up there in that elevator."
A look that he couldn't read crossed Fennhoff's face then, and Peter watched as he absently twirled the gold band on his left ring finger. "Still. Your Principal Morita has suggested I speak with each member of your decathlon team this week to make sure you are all coping as well as possible with that near tragedy. Is there a day that would work best for you, Mr. Parker?"
Great. Another reason for a trip to the psychologist was the last thing he needed. Though at least this time, Flash would be included, so the other boy couldn't torture him if word got out. "Well, I really don't think I need to, as I wasn't part of it..." the teen began.
Was it just his imagination, or was there a gleam in the doctor's eyes? "Perhaps not, though you said yourself that seeing your friends in mortal danger was a scary thing," he said quietly. "And that fear can build up if not properly handled. Besides, there is another reason for a visit, no? You were supposed to report to my office earlier today due to a... what was it... a panic attack in the middle of your first period class? Yet you did not. Do not fret. I did not tell your teacher, I assume you had your reasons. But I am told you had an internship with Mr. Tony Stark, yes? You cut most of your after-school activities to allow space for your internship, am I correct?"
Peter stared at the psychiatrist for a long moment before he found his voice. "Uh... um, yeah, I... I had an internship with... with Mr. Stark..." he muttered, glancing at Liz. She gave him an apologetic look, and he swallowed hard. "I'm, uh... I'm sorry I didn't come to your office. I didn't think..."
"It is quite all right," Fennhoff assured him with a smile the web-slinger assumed was meant to be friendly, to be encouraging. But all he saw was something sinister. "Should you report for the session your Principal Morita would like you to attend this week, we may talk about how you are dealing with these distressing reports about Mr. Stark. Does that sound fair?"
The teen slowly nodded. He didn't want to be anywhere near this man's office. Though at the same time, he couldn't deny that he wanted to find out more about him and why his damn senses were on such high alert. "Yeah. Fair," he agreed.
"Good. So, Mr. Parker. Which day works best for your schedule?"
"Um... Thursday, I guess. I, uh, I have a free period, so..."
Fennhoff nodded. "Thursday it is, then. I believe that is also when a Mr. Thompson and Miss Jones have said they can have their sessions as well. Miss Allan here will be meeting with me tomorrow."
So, Flash and Michelle were going to meet with this strange psychiatrist on the same day as he was. Wonderful.
But before Peter could say anything more, Fennhoff reached into his suit jacket pocket when the sound of a phone vibrating reached his ears, and he checked over whatever was on the screen with a smile that told nothing yet everything at the same time.
"Well, it was good to meet you both, but I am afraid I must be going," he informed them. "I look forward to meeting with you and getting to know you more in the face of this terrible ordeal."
Liz smiled. "It was good to meet you, Mr. Fennhoff," she said. "Thank you for wanting to meet with us."
"I assure you, the pleasure is mine." Fennhoff then turned his gaze to Peter. "See you soon, Mr. Parker."
Peter simply nodded, watching as the older man turned and slowly walked away, leaning heavily on his cane for support as he went. He waited until he was out of sight around the corner before turning to Liz. "Am I the only one who thinks he's a little... I don't know, creepy?"
Liz shrugged as she turned back to the decorations she'd been about to hang. "He seems nice to me," she told him. "A little different than who we're used to, but still. That's not a bad thing. Besides, I think it's nice that he and Principal Morita want us to meet with him about what happened last week. I mean..." She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I still have nightmares about that, you know...? I think it'd be good for us all to talk about it with a professional. Someone who can help us work through what we're feeling about... almost dying. I know my dad will appreciate me talking with someone. And you, with all this talk about what happened with Tony Stark. I didn't know you had a panic attack about it today..."
Peter chuckled lightly, though he was sure the sound came off a bit nervously. "It... it's not a big deal," he muttered. But then, his brow furrowed. Something about that man still didn't sit well with him. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It would be a good thing."
The senior girl offered him a small smile as she brushed a couple loose strands of dark hair behind her ear. "So, how about my address?"
When he finally got outside, Liz's address in the back pocket of his jeans, he found the familiar black car waiting, and the teen dashed over and slid into the backseat, shutting the door behind him.
"You could have told me you had detention, you know," Happy grumbled in way of greeting as he put the car in drive.
"Sorry." Peter put his seatbelt on, his mind not really on the head of security's complaining. The short meeting with Fennhoff was something he couldn't seem to shake. "I have it until the end of the week."
Happy glanced at him in the rearview mirror before he started to drive away from the building. "Well, thank you for letting me know." When the web-slinger didn't answer, he decided to continue. "So, we tried your lead on Aaron Davis today, but he wasn't home, so we'll have to go back another day to try again."
Peter looked back at him from where he'd been staring out the window. "Wait, why would you go back?" he wondered. "If the man with the metal arm is the one who–!"
But he stopped when Happy sighed. "W-what...?"
"Look, kid," the head of security muttered, keeping his gaze straight ahead. "I have it on good authority that Barnes isn't even in the country right now."
Not in the country? How was that possible? Peter shook his head slightly. "But... but Happy, I saw..." he began, his sentence trailing off when the man slowly shook his head. And was he imagining it, or was that a look of sympathy on his face beneath his sunglasses?
"Remember, buddy. You were being influenced by a powerful hallucinogenic drug up on that roof," he said gently. "It's possible you could have only thought you saw..."
"No!" The force in that one word from the teen startled Happy, causing him to quickly glance back in the rearview mirror again. Peter was trembling slightly, his jaw clenched tight. "I know about the gas... and I may have imagined seeing my uncle up there, but I didn't imagine seeing the Winter Soldier. I know I didn't. He's so... sharp, so vivid, in my memories from that day, Happy. He shot Mr. Stark... because he was trying to protect me..." His voice broke a little. "How... how is that not real...?"
The head of security's gaze flickered anxiously between the road in front of him and the web-slinger in the mirror as he pulled to a stop at a red light. His face paled a bit. The teen let out a long, shaking breath as he closed his eyes against the onslaught of tears that threatened to fall as he thought about seeing Ben in the same condition as the last time he'd seen him alive as well as the image of Tony in a similar shape.
"I believe you, kid," Happy finally told him. His voice was wavering ever so slightly. "I believe that you believe you saw him. But I swear to you, bud, it could not have been Barnes. I don't know what's going on with that, but we will figure it out. Just like we'll find Tony."
Peter could hear the urgency in the man's tone, the fear that his former boss, one of his best friends, was not only missing but could be critically injured from a gunshot wound. It was a thought that had been haunting him as well, ever since he'd remembered earlier that day that the billionaire had thrown himself in front of a bullet for him. He'd lost his uncle to a gun; he couldn't imagine losing Tony that way as well.
"But... but I don't get it..." the teen was finally able to say in just above a whisper. He sniffed, attempting to force his tears back. "If... if Barnes isn't in the country, how... how could he have done that to us? I swear to God it was him, Happy..."
A car horn blared from behind them, and Happy cursed and ranted angrily at the driver under his breath as he drove through the light that had turned green about a minute before. "I don't know, kid," he replied through a sigh. "As good as an assassin as he is, there's no way he can be in two places at once."
Peter mulled this over for a moment. "So... some guy just... dressed up like him to... to what... get to Mr. Stark?" he guessed. "Why would someone do that?"
The head of security noticeably hesitated, and Peter cracked an eye open as he looked at the back of his head intently. "Happy...?" he pressed.
"Look, bud. I'm sorry, but it isn't my place to say," he finally told him. "There might be a reason for it, but there's a lot here that I'm not understanding myself. Maybe we can get more answers at the Tower."
Peter straightened up a bit with interest. "What's at the Tower?" he asked.
Happy glanced back at him in the rearview mirror. "You'll see."
Cheerful Christmas music played throughout the vast living room as Maria Stark gazed out the window at the night outside. A light snow was falling, the flakes big and fluffy. Her favorite. The world always seemed so quiet in snowfalls like this. And that was when the world was her favorite place.
The smell of freshly baking cookies permeated the room, and she smiled to herself as she turned, humming quietly along with the carol as she took a couple more golden ornaments to hang on their tall Christmas tree in the corner beside the fireplace. She couldn't have been happier. It was almost Christmas, and she was spending the holiday season with the people she loved more than anything else in the world. Her husband Howard, who was appearing a bit more gray these days, was sitting in his armchair near the bookshelf with a glass of bourbon, his lined brow furrowed in concentration as he read over an important article in a scientific engineering journal which he'd hardly been able to put down for the past few hours, claiming the research there would help fuel his own looming breakthrough. Edwin Jarvis, their household butler, was singing along with all the songs that played over the radio in his cheerful English accent while his wife, Ana, tended to the cookies in the kitchen. While he was under their employment, Edwin was much more like part of the family, and he and his lovely wife had even taken such a love to her and Howard's young son that he was almost like their own. It was a bond Maria found particularly important, especially this time of year, since due to serious injury, Ana was unable to have children of her own. And she certainly couldn't say the amount of love her son always received in this house was a bad thing.
Speaking of her son, Maria beamed as she turned her gaze to the lively six-year-old lying stretched out on his stomach on the floor, the tip of his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth in concentration as he carefully colored in the drawing he'd been working on for the past couple hours, wanting to make sure it was perfect. Tony hadn't showed any of them what he was working on, even going as far to hide it when she and Edwin had asked, and she knew it was because the drawing was for Howard.
It was this thought that caused her gaze to falter ever so slightly. Howard loved Tony, she didn't doubt that in any way. The idea of fatherhood had always intimidated and flat out frightened him, as he was one who had never seen himself as the settling down type. But ever since their son had unexpectedly entered their lives, he'd settled well overall into his role as father for this young boy, despite the struggles and uncertainties he often faced. But recently, she'd noticed that her husband had been acting a bit... off. A bit strange. He was more distant from her, but even more so from Tony. She didn't understand it, but he wasn't giving her any answers despite how she would ask for them. Something was different about Howard, and even though it concerned her, she could see how it was even more frightening for him. Something had happened, was possibly still happening, though she didn't know what or where it could have happened.
And it didn't seem like there was anything she could do to help him.
Tony narrowed his eyes a bit as he finished coloring the last bit of blue in that was needed before a broad smile spread across his face as he set the crayon aside. The look lingering, he scrambled to his feet and dashed over to where Howard was sitting, waiting with anticipation right next to his legs. He reached out and set a small hand on his knee.
"Daddy!"
Maria watched her husband carefully, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Edwin was lingering a little closer as he continued to sing quietly along with the song. She knew he'd noticed the changes in his longtime friend as well and was equally concerned as to what could have happened. As to what could have been scaring the other man so. And that he was feeling as helpless as she was about it.
A long moment passed before Howard lowered the journal he'd been reading to his lap and looked down at the young boy. "Yes, Tony?" he asked, his tone still a bit on the formal side.
However, Tony seemed not to notice as he held out the sheet of paper he'd kept so hidden. "I drew this for you, Daddy!" he answered proudly.
Howard's gaze faltered, and Maria's breath caught in her chest when she saw his eyes flit to her. There was terror there, hidden beneath the indifference and the uncertainty.
Tony's smile began to wane.
But the moment was over as quickly as it happened, and Howard turned back to his son. He briefly hesitated before slowly setting the journal aside after making sure to mark his page. "Well, let's see it, then."
Encouraged, Tony climbed up onto his father's lap, settling in securely before holding up the paper yet again. "Here, Daddy!"
Howard took the drawing that was being shoved under his nose with excitement before holding it out a bit in front of him to get a better look at it. He let out a long breath as his gaze passed over the three figures on the page, sketched by the six-year-old's unpracticed hand.
"That's you, Daddy," Tony explained, pointing to the man on the left wearing a nice brown suit. "And that's Aunt Peggy." He moved his small finger to the woman wearing an official-looking uniform on the right.
"And in the middle?" Howard prompted quietly. Though he needn't have asked; he knew exactly who it was, holding that red and blue shield with the star in its center.
Tony beamed as he looked up at him. "Captain America!" he told him as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course it is," Howard muttered.
The little boy nodded enthusiastically. "He was a hero, right, Daddy? America's hero?"
The man nodded. "That's right. Your aunt was a hero, too." His brow furrowed.
Tony met his gaze, confused. "You're a hero, too, Daddy," he said.
"Not like they were," Howard replied, about to set the drawing aside when he paused at Tony's next words.
"You're my hero, Daddy. You're so smart."
Maria smiled as a thin line of tears formed in her eyes, feeling as Edwin patted her lightly on the back as he went to hang another ornament, singing right along as he went. For a moment, she could see her husband's tough exterior crack.
Howard's gaze faltered before he patted the young boy lightly on the head. "It looks pretty good, Tony," he finally told him, setting the picture aside before taking a sip of his bourbon and reaching for the scientific journal again.
Tony frowned a little, but he still leaned into his father and wrapped his small arms around his middle in a hug. Howard briefly wound an arm around him in return.
The small child was about to jump down to the ground when Edwin appeared in front of him.
"How would the young sir like to put the star on top of the tree?"
Tony grinned as he reached out toward his friend and mentor, and Edwin scooped him up and carefully set him on his shoulder so he would be able to reach. But he gave Howard a meaningful look, one that caused the other man's gaze to crumple beneath its weight, before he handed the decorative star to the six-year-old and started to make his way toward the tree.
The distant sound of the doorbell ringing reached them then, and Ana hurried in from the kitchen. "That must be Peggy and Daniel!" she announced before disappearing from sight.
Maria watched as Edwin helped to guide Tony, who appeared to be concentrating just as hard on this task as he was on his drawing for Howard, to put the star on the top of the tree before she once again turned to face her husband. Though she was surprised to see that he wasn't buried in his journal, as she expected him to be.
He was instead staring intently at what their son had drawn for him.
Tony resisted the pull of consciousness for as long as he could. He wasn't sure when he'd drifted off or how long he'd been out for– after all, there was no way of keeping time in this place he was holed up in. And while he was undeniably being dragged out of that blissful realm of sleep, he refused to open his eyes. He knew this Doctor and those cosplayers working for him had filtered more of the hallucinogenic gas into the room, he'd heard it coming through the vents, and he really didn't want to know what he would see if he did.
And, quite frankly, the memory he'd dreamed about hadn't been all that bad. It was a feeling he wanted to hang onto. His sweet, loving mother, who'd always loved that quiet time of year. Cheerful Jarvis, who'd never failed to make him smile, same as Ana. His aunt and uncle and all of the fun, thrilling stories they'd always told for his overactive mind. Even his father, at least in this memory, hadn't been so far out of reach at this point in time. It hadn't been too long after that when the wedge between them had only seemed to divide them more, but he still felt as though there were some definite holes in his memory from around that time.
And there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that those things he was missing were somehow important.
Though something about that memory still unsettled him, and it was that his Bucky and Steve look-alike captors somehow knew about that drawing he'd made for Howard all of those years ago. They knew exactly what he'd drawn, that his father had secretly kept it in his desk for all those years, and they even knew why he had drawn it. There was no way those were lucky guesses, like he'd tried to pass them off as earlier. So that had to mean that Howard really had been with whoever this so-called Doctor was at some point. But when? And what had happened to him? He didn't know the answers to those questions, though the possibilities chilled him.
What did that mean for him now?
The billionaire flinched slightly when he heard the door to the room unlock before it opened, followed by heavy footsteps coming straight for him. He didn't move until he heard raised, angered voices in a language he couldn't understand right before a swift kick to the ribs caused him to gasp and nearly cry out, though he quickly bit down on the sound before it could escape. Pain flared in his abdomen, as the boot had come in contact with the gunshot wound he'd sustained when he'd been on the rooftop with...
Peter. Where was he? Had he escaped? Was he...?
However, his thoughts were forcefully interrupted when a couple pairs of hands grabbed him roughly and yanked him up from the floor without care, starting to drag him across the room. Despite his best efforts, Tony's eyes slipped open, and a jolt of panic ran through him when he saw the rocky walls of a familiar dark cave on every side of him, and that he was being handled by two men whose faces he could not see.
He squeezed his eyes shut again. No, this was the gas, he had to remind himself. He wasn't back in that cave in Afghanistan... oh, God, he couldn't be... he wouldn't survive if he were, he knew that... he was in whatever hideout these... cosplayers and the Doctor were using. He wasn't in that cave... he wasn't in that cave...
Tony felt a draft, likely coming from a nearby staircase or doorway, and saw some light through his closed eyelids, but that quickly faded as he was pulled down a dark, almost suffocating hallway. The two men on either side of him weren't bothering to be gentle as they pulled him along, not caring how he stumbled. He kept his eyes closed, because after all, they couldn't get to him if he didn't see what the gas would make him see. It was a reminder he needed, he couldn't fall for the tricks his mind was playing on him.
Instead, he tried to keep his focus on the smiling face of Jarvis, the mischievous gleam in Ana's eye as she snuck him a warm cookie before dinner, the love in his mother's eyes as she looked at him, the way Peggy's face lit up when she laughed, Daniel's bit of a snort as he did the same, and even, for the briefest of moments, the pride on Howard's face when his guard was let down when he saw the drawing that he had given him as a boy and when he'd heard he was his hero...
He clung to these images, these thoughts, these emotions. He had to if he wanted to make it through whatever they had in store for him now. Even with the hallucinogenic clouding his senses, he knew it wasn't going to be good.
Soon, he heard another door opening, able to tell it hadn't had much use in quite some time by the sound it made as they dragged him through. This room was damp, cold. And somehow, even through his closed eyes, it seemed even darker than the other room he'd been kept in so far.
Tony winced when he was forced down to his knees on the hard floor, his two captors yanking his arms behind his back and securing his hands tightly with rough rope. His breathing quickened. This felt all too familiar...
"Look at me, Tony."
The billionaire stiffened. That voice... he knew that voice...
No, it wasn't him. It wasn't who he'd considered a friend. He knew better. It wasn't...
A sudden hit to the back of his head startled him, causing his eyes to open against their will. He sucked in a breath, knowing what he would see before he even saw it. Yes, the familiar stone walls were still there, the same ones he swore that part of him he'd left behind after those three months still resided in.
In front of him stood Steve... No, not Steve, he quickly had to remind himself. The cheap Steve knock-off. Bao, he thought he recalled his name to be. Nevertheless, he was standing in front of him with a smug smirk that he'd just love to knock off his face since it wasn't worthy of the man he was pretending to be. Next to him, a camera on a tripod was set up facing him, the blinking red light piercing the darkness.
Yup, he knew exactly what was going to happen here. And he didn't like it one bit.
Though he noticed that Bao's light eyes were focused on something on the floor in front of him. Tony knew it wasn't going to be anything good, that it was something he was going to regret looking at himself. But he couldn't help it.
He looked down.
His hazel eyes widened in panic, and his breath stopped short.
In front of him sat a large basin filled with cold water.
Author's Note: Two quick notes here! I know that *technically*, a version of Johann Fennhoff was in the MCU in the first season of the Agent Carter show. However, I'm kinda going along one of the comic lines with him, just using a bit of an artistic license in some cases to make him fit this story more. Also, I'm of the belief that Howard wasn't abusive to Tony as a child. Maybe a little negligent, but not terribly. I feel like he was more emotionally distant than anything, and while he loved Tony, he didn't know how to show it, and so it was shown in a way that as a little kid, Tony wouldn't understand. But Howard's behavior in terms of his parenting toward Tony is going to be tied into everything as well for this story, so this little flashback was important. A million thank yous to CoffeeRanger for her input on the reveal of Fennhoff here, as well as the headcanons involving Howard and Tony and other future things for this story! Thank you guys for reading! As always, feedback is always appreciated. Until next time! And Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!