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. I also don't own the lines taken from Spider-Man: Homecoming.
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! I apologize for the wait. Real life and out of town family have kept me really busy, and not much time and/or energy for writing. I also had to figure out what I wanted to do with the homecoming scene from Homecoming since, unlike the movie, this isn't going to be Peter's defining heroic moment (it'll happen, I promise. Just not at this point since Vulture isn't the main villain in this story, and we still have quite a bit to go here. Just stick with me, it'll happen!), and the fight with Vulture isn't nearly so dramatic like it is in the movie. So this homecoming part starts similar to the movie, but then it changes pretty drastically, I promise. I also had to figure out a good place to split this chapter since it got ridiculously long, and I figured two installments would be easier than the monster chapter this was turning into, lol. So, this is part one of the homecoming part. Part two is also finished, and it will be posted in one week from now! So, with all that said, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for keeping with me and for all of your reviews, favorites, and follows! They keep me going :-)
Chapter 14– Homecoming, Part One (Or, "That Awkward Moment When Your Date's Dad is a Wanted Criminal")
Peter found himself sitting on the couch– Pepper on one side, Rhodey on the other, with Happy standing behind them– facing down none other than Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, and Vision. He wrung his hands nervously, glancing at the small dog who was curled up and napping on the CEO's lap.
"So, yeah, uh... that's all there really is to know about me," he muttered. The awkwardness of explaining to all these heroes who he was, what his powers were, how and why he was sitting in the Avengers Tower right now, and everything in between hung heavily over him like a weighted blanket. All his life, he'd dreamed of being on this super team, but never had he expected it in this sort of situation.
Steve leaned forward a bit. "So, you're the Spider-Man? The kid from Queens?" he asked.
"Y-yeah, that'd be, uh... that's right." Peter swallowed, remembering their interaction from the airport in Germany. "And you're the... uh, the kid from Brooklyn."
The teen inwardly groaned as soon as he said it. That was stupid, Peter. Why'd you do that?
However, whether he found something endearing about what had slipped out or he was just trying to be polite, the Captain smiled. "That's right," he replied. But then, he sighed. "I could tell you were young when we met at the airport. But I didn't know you were this young..."
Peter felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Look, I know... I know I'm young, okay?" he snapped, not able to hold back the frustration at this entire situation any longer. Why did everyone have to treat him like just because he was fifteen, he couldn't handle the responsibilities thrown at him during an important mission? Like he wasn't worth it? Like he was somehow more fragile? "But I've had these powers for a couple years now, and Mr. Stark chose me because he saw something in me. And before anyone says anything, I know most everyone else on the team thought he was crazy for doing so. He told me, okay? I get it. And... I know he also tried to take the suit since I really messed up by going after the guy with wings on that ferry alone, but... I had to prove to him that I can do this, that I can be one of you. I still have to prove that, and I can't do that if I can't do anything..."
The teen paused with a sigh, seeing everyone was still watching him with rapt attention. "The only reason I still have this suit is because we were ambushed by... somebody before Mr. Stark had the chance to take it. I feel like I've been given a second chance to prove myself. And I have to help find Mr. Stark. He might..." He paused, reluctantly glancing at Pepper. "He might be hurt because of me..."
There was a long moment of silence where none of the Avengers said a word. The web-slinger looked at each of their faces anxiously, though their faces betrayed nothing of what they could be thinking.
Finally, Steve gave him another small smile. "Don't worry, kid," he said. "None of us think you had anything to do with what happened to Tony down by the harbor. We're just not sure why you're being blamed, but we'll get to the bottom of it."
Peter met his gaze, his brow furrowing in distress. "Yeah, but... It still might be my fault... He made me leave that building, and–!"
"That's just how Tony is," Steve told him, his features softening with sympathy. "Believe me, that's not your fault. I can guarantee you that Tony doesn't blame you. He would want it this way."
The fifteen-year-old knew the Captain's sentiment was meant to make him feel better, to ease his guilt. But for some reason, it made him feel even worse.
"We're just concerned that with all this negative news coverage blaming you, you being out and about where you could be spotted may not be the best thing," Sam added. "You wanna lay low for a while. Not draw attention to yourself."
Peter slowly nodded, feeling as though it was some sort of gentle rejection from helping out the team. But no matter what they said, he had to help them look for Tony, he just had to... "I was there," he told them in a last ditch effort to get them to listen to him. "I was up on that building, too... And I'll keep remembering more. I can provide details you guys probably couldn't get anywhere else..."
Steve and Sam exchanged glances while Vision continued to silently watch the discussion. Rhodey sighed, glancing over at Happy and Pepper as they all shared concerned looks. Natasha glanced down at the tablet on her lap, which was running some sort of program.
The teen's heart sank.
"Look, kid, we're not saying that your help wouldn't be valuable," the assassin finally said, looking back up from the screen momentarily. "We definitely do want to talk to you about everything you remember from that ambush. I know you're certain of some things you saw, but as some of those things are impossible, we'll have to work to figure out what's real and what isn't."
Peter sighed. "I know, but..."
"We do want you to help us," Steve spoke up, causing the web-slinger to look at him with disbelief and a flicker of hope. "Because we know how much you care about Tony, and we could, quite frankly, use your help. Actually being a part of that ambush is invaluable. What we're saying is that we just have to be careful about it. Not just because of the news coverage, but also because we don't know who these people who ambushed you are or what they could want. We don't know if you're still at risk."
That thought caused Peter's heart to skip a beat, but it was quickly replaced by a feeling of excitement that swelled up inside him. Captain America wanted his help. It was something he'd wanted to hear for as long as he could remember. A dream come true. "R-really...?" he breathed, hardly daring to hope it was real.
Steve nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. "As long as you promise us to be cautious and that you won't take any unnecessary risks. We're a team for a reason."
"Y-yeah, I promise!" the teen said excitedly, causing both Sam and Rhodey to chuckle. "Thanks!"
The Captain laughed a little himself, conceding with a slight nod. "We just need to find a starting point," he muttered. "Any sort of lead. Tell us more about this guy with wings."
Something told him that Steve was hiding something when he mentioned searching for leads, Peter knew it. What it was, he wasn't sure. He arched an eyebrow, thinking about his own certainty about seeing the Winter Soldier on top of that building before it exploded, how he'd been the one to shoot Tony. He remembered how he was the Captain's friend...
Before he could say anything, however, a quiet beeping came from the tablet in Natasha's lap. She glanced back at the screen, a triumphant smile appearing on her face. "Hey, Pepper, I found something," she spoke up. "Finally. That was a lot of files to go through..."
Pepper's eyes widened as she stood with Lily and hurried over, sitting beside the blonde woman on the couch. The latter turned the tablet's screen in her direction, showing her an ID card picture.
"Does this man look familiar to you at all?" the assassin wondered. "According to your files, he was in charge of the clean-up crew after the Chitauri invasion before the team from the Department of Damage Control Tony brought in."
The CEO leaned closer to the screen, squinting a bit as she read the name. "Adrian Toomes..." she muttered, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "It was so long ago... but the name does sound familiar. I think I may have spoken to him on the phone once or twice..."
"I don't know if he's behind dealing the Chitauri weapons or not, but he would've had good opportunity to get his hands on some of the materials. And had possible motive because of losing his job," Natasha continued. "Even if he isn't behind the operation, or isn't the guy with wings, he could've easily helped get things started."
"Do you have an address?" Pepper asked.
Neither woman noticed Peter wander up to the couch to curiously look at the tablet between them. When his gaze landed on the smiling face on the screen, he gasped loudly and gripped the back of the cushions so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"That's him!" he exclaimed when they both turned to look at him, Pepper with slightly wider eyes. "That's him! I saw him on the ferry! He was with the other arms dealers, the ones who got arrested. Karen didn't have any criminal record on him, but I'm almost sure he's the guy in charge. The one with wings! He escaped from the ferry with one other guy, I think..."
"Sounds like we found our man." Natasha turned back to the screen. "Here's the address listed."
Both Pepper and Peter leaned closer to see, but the latter's eyes widened as he took a step back. The CEO glanced back at him with her brow furrowed. "What is it, Peter?" she wondered.
The fifteen-year-old shook his head briefly. The slip of paper in his back pocket suddenly felt pounds heavier. "I know that address," he muttered. "But... no, it doesn't make sense... It can't be..."
Pepper and Natasha exchanged curious glances. "Do you know who lives there?" the latter pressed as she turned back to the web-slinger. "Any information you have will be really beneficial to us."
Peter took a deep breath before he swallowed. "Yeah... my date for homecoming on Friday," he told her. "That's... her dad?"
Sam let out a low whistle. "Damn, that sucks..." he said. "And I thought my first homecoming date was awkward..."
Rhodey arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at the other man. "As interesting as that would be to hear about..." he began, causing Sam to grin.
Steve worried his bottom lip between his teeth in thought. He then glanced at the web-slinger, who appeared as though he were still trying to wrap his mind around this turn of events. "You want to be part of this mission, kid?" he asked.
Peter looked back at him, any uncertainty immediately fading back into excitement. "Yeah, of course!"
The Captain smiled. "Then here's what we'll do."
Peter stood in front of the door of the counselor's office, his mind racing. He found himself wishing that the regular lady was there, for even though he'd never used her services, she seemed nice enough.
This replacement guy, though... He wasn't so sure. What was frustrating to him was it seemed like he was the only one who could see that something was... a little off about him. He seemed nice and like he cared about people, almost like a grandfather would, and like someone that one normally wouldn't give a second glance to. Sure.
But there was just... something not quite right about him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was there. His senses were practically screaming whenever he was around the man. He just didn't know what they were trying to warn him about.
Not to mention, those from his academic decathlon team who'd already seen the counselor seemed a bit... off. Nothing major, as most people didn't seem to notice their change in behavior. Peter knew he probably wouldn't have even noticed if it hadn't been for his heightened senses.
Flash, while still making obnoxious comments about him, wasn't doing it with as much gusto as he usually did and couldn't seem to look him in the eye. Liz almost seemed a little skittish, her laugh seeming a little forced. The only one who seemed to not be affected was Michelle, but knowing her, she probably just skipped the session, feeling like she didn't need it.
Honestly, the web-slinger would've done the same thing if he thought he could get away with it without getting in even more trouble. He couldn't risk missing the homecoming dance, especially now that Captain America had given him a part in this mission to take down Toomes and his operation. Since he couldn't be completely sure who'd had a hand in the ambush up on top of that building because of the hallucinogenic gas– since everyone kept telling him it was impossible that it was Bucky Barnes, even though he was so sure that he'd seen him– he couldn't not say that Toomes' hands were clean in what had happened to Tony. It was still a possibility. So by him helping to take down Toomes, they could potentially have their first real solid lead to finding the billionaire. Or, at the very least, they'd be getting a dangerous criminal off the streets.
So, here he was. Standing in front of this pretty much unknown psychiatrist's office, just wanting to get the session over with but not wanting to go in. At least it was during his free period, if he had to find a bright spot. And maybe he could find out more about this guy, find out why he was setting his senses off all the time...
Peter than quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket when he felt it vibrate, seeing a text from Ned had come in. He couldn't deny he'd hoped to see something from Happy or Pepper or Rhodey or someone, something that could have gotten him out of this appointment...
Wait... so the dude with wings is LIZ'S DAD?! Dude that's so crazy! Ur gonna stop him right? Like you said she told u he was bringing you guys to homecoming. Dude! This is ur chance! And DUDE! I'll be ur guy in the chair! Every hero's got one. Dude this is gonna be awesome!
Sighing, Peter sent a quick text back.
Sure. Talk more at lunch. Busy.
The fifteen-year-old knew his best friend would wanna help him catch Toomes if he'd told him about who he actually was, and he knew he'd somehow get involved even if he hadn't told him. So, he figured the best way to keep Ned somewhat safe was telling him that Toomes was the guy with wings and that he'd be trying to to help take him down. That way, he could at least hopefully keep somewhat of an eye on him, and maybe he really even could have used the other teen's help, even though he knew he was getting some Avenger backup.
Peter raised his gaze to the door in front of him again, taking a deep breath. May as well get this over with... He quietly knocked a couple times before grasping the handle, pushing open the door as he stepped into the counselor's office.
He wasn't sure what he expected, but as he glanced around at the interior of the office, he found that it wasn't too far off from what he thought a psychiatrist's office would look like. A few motivational posters– one, he found with amusement, that had Captain America on it– along with what looked like some framed degrees Fennhoff had earned over the years hung on the wall. He turned his attention to the desk across the room from him, seeing that it was neat and orderly– a pen holder, desk calendar, a mini zen garden, and the almost stereotypical device that had five metal balls hanging from strings on it.
But the psychiatrist himself was absent.
With a sigh, Peter approached the desk and dropped his backpack in the chair in front of it. He looked at the device with the hanging balls, lightly picking up the one on one end before releasing it. He watched as the ball on the other end swung out before sending the momentum back the other way, causing the ball he'd initially grabbed to move. His eyes followed the back and forth movements for he wasn't sure how long, finding it to be almost hypnotic...
"Oh! Mr. Parker. You're early."
Snapping out of what almost felt like some sort of a trance at the sound of the accented voice, the teen gasped as he reached out with his quicker reflexes without thinking and grabbed the metal ball he'd initially swung to stop the momentum before he turned to look over his shoulder. Johann Fennhoff was standing in the doorway with a small, friendly smile on his face. He was leaning on his cane with one hand, holding a steaming mug of coffee in the other.
If he'd noticed anything weird, he didn't say anything about it.
"I'm, uh, I'm sorry," Peter mumbled, awkwardly turning to face him. "I should have, um, waited..."
To his surprise, Fennhoff chuckled lightly. "Nonsense. There's nothing wrong with being early," he said. He took a few steps further into the room, the door closing behind him as he made his way toward his desk. "I'd just stepped out to get some coffee from the teacher's lounge. And, well, as you can see, it takes me a while to get anywhere."
Peter nodded, noting the problem his leg seemed to be giving him. But even still, his senses were once again screaming at him. He just had no idea why they would be. The old man truly didn't seem like he could be much of a threat...
"It's all right," he finally replied with a quiet clear of his throat. "No problem. I haven't been here long, so..."
Fennhoff's smile returned as he made it to his desk, setting the mug down next to his calendar before he lowered himself into the cushioned chair behind it. He then looked up at the fifteen-year-old, giving him an almost studying look. "It doesn't take someone in my profession to tell how uncomfortable you are," he muttered good-naturedly, gesturing to the chair across from him with a wrinkled hand. "Go ahead. Take a seat, relax. We're just going to have a little chat today. Just to get to know each other a little better. Nothing major."
"Oh, yeah... Um, thanks." Peter tried to return the look as he moved his backpack to the floor before taking its place in the chair. He leaned back, resting his slightly fidgeting hands in his lap as he looked at the psychiatrist expectantly.
"So... you said that you yourself weren't in the elevator when it got stuck and nearly fell with the team inside while you were in D.C., is that correct?" Fennhoff asked, taking a notepad out of one of his desk drawers.
Peter nodded. "Right," he answered. "I saw it all from the ground..." He sighed. "I'm just glad that... that Spider-Man showed up when he did and managed to get my friends to safety before anyone got hurt."
"Hmm." Fennhoff peered up at him. "Yes, your friends have mentioned Spider-Man in their sessions with me, as well. They've also mentioned that... you said you know him?"
The fifteen-year-old nodded. "Yeah... I do," he confirmed.
"And how did that happen?"
Peter hesitated. "I met him through the Stark internship," he finally told him. "Good dude. I, uh... I don't believe what they're saying about him on the news."
Fennhoff nodded thoughtfully as he made a couple quick notes in his notepad. "That is mainly what I wanted to discuss with you today," he told the teen. "As we've already briefly mentioned, I imagine these news reports about Mr. Stark and your friend Spider-Man must be distressing for you. What with Mr. Stark missing, and your friend being... according to you... wrongfully blamed for the incident. Which, in the notes I received from your teacher on the day you were first supposed to visit me, caused you to have a panic attack in her class, am I correct?"
"Y-yes..."
With a nod, Fennhoff set his pen aside and took a cautious sip of his still hot coffee before he leaned forward, locking eyes with the student. "Tell me about your internship and your friendship with Mr. Stark."
Peter took a deep breath, glancing at the clock on the wall. Couldn't it move any faster? The ticking echoing loudly in his ears was going to drive him insane. Well, Mr. Stark randomly showed up at my apartment, knowing I was Spider-Man, and recruited me to help stop Captain America... but he recently tried to take my suit from me since he's not sure I deserve it, which I'm currently not sure of, either, and he might be dead because of me...
"Well... I applied for the Stark internship not too long ago, and I was lucky enough to get it," he explained instead, pushing the thoughts that had come dangerously close to coming out back down. There was just something about the psychiatrist's voice... "It went well until.. well, until he disappeared. I thought I was going to lose the internship for a little bit there, but his CEO took over. Said she wants me to still be in the program..."
Fennhoff leaned back in his own chair. "You must be very concerned about him," he said quietly.
The teen nodded, lowering his gaze. "I am," he agreed. What if he hadn't gotten off of that rooftop...?
"You must feel like you're close to Mr. Stark," Fennhoff continued. "After having worked with him like you have."
Peter looked back up after a moment, hoping to keep his face as impassive as possible. "Yeah, I... I think so," he murmured. "He's taught me a lot, and... he's helped me out quite a bit."
Fennhoff nodded, mainly to himself. "You're fortunate to have him as a mentor," he replied, leaning forward on the desk. He absently twirled the gold band around his left ring finger, drawing the fifteen-year-old's attention. "If I remember correctly from your file, Mr. Parker, your father died when you were very young, am I right?"
No matter how much he tried, Peter couldn't move his gaze away from the ring's shine. Warnings were going off in the back of his mind, but he couldn't really hear them. "Yeah... my parents died in a plane crash when I was a kid," he told him, his tone a little flat. "I don't really remember them. But that's why I moved in with my aunt and uncle."
A small, sympathetic smile appeared on the psychiatrist's face. "And then your uncle, Ben Parker, was murdered about eight or nine months ago, correct?" he wondered. "Tell me about that."
Distress crossed Peter's face. The vision of his smiling uncle when he and Tony had been up on the top of that building by the harbor before it had exploded flashed across his memory. He didn't want to answer that. And yet...
"Uncle Ben and I were out together for a fun day. I think we went to see a movie, or something, I don't remember, exactly... We were walking to the subway to come home, and a man robbed a woman's purse. My uncle went after him to stop him, but... the thief shot him... before the man ran out into the road... He didn't get away, though... a car hit him, I think... I tried to help him... my uncle... but they both died before the rescue squad could get there..."
And then I became Spider-Man... to stop that from happening to anyone else...
Fortunately, he managed to keep that thought from spilling out.
"I'm sorry to hear it," Fennhoff said, twirling the band again. Slowly. "It sounds like it's a trauma you haven't really worked through fully... We'll work on that. But you have some fond memories with your uncle, yes? If I remember from some of the things I've seen in your file, you first met Mr. Stark because of your uncle, yes?"
A tear leaked from the teen's eye before he realized any had formed, and he quickly blinked the rest away before wiping his cheek with his sleeve. "Yeah... that's right," he muttered. "Uncle Ben took me to Mr. Stark's Expo when I was a kid. He signed my toy Iron Man mask that day. He knew Mr. Stark was my hero, I'd written him so many letters. And then when Uncle Ben took me to Hammer's Expo, Mr. Stark saved me from one of the suits that was going to kill me since I was wearing that Iron Man mask. But I doubt he remembers any of that..."
"What makes you say that?" Fennhoff asked curiously.
Peter shrugged. "It was a long time ago," he answered. "He got fan letters from a lot of kids, mine probably got lost in the shuffle. He's not going to remember signing one mask for one kid when he's probably signed thousands. And with as many people as he's saved, he's not going to remember one kid's life he saved, either."
Fennhoff stopped twirling the gold band, and the fifteen-year-old blinked drowsily, confusion crossing his young features. "It appears, Mr. Parker, that you've grown attached to Mr. Stark as your mentor since you've had other important male figures in your life taken away from you," he commented. "He's filling an important role in your life because of that. It's a loss that we'll work through in any follow-up sessions that your principal, aunt, and I think may be necessary. You've kept these traumas close to you all this time, though you haven't really addressed them. And that will be a productive step forward for you to sort out some of your concerning behavior as of late that Morita has mentioned to me. I'm hoping for the best in this incident with Mr. Stark, but should the worst news come out, I believe that will be something else to be addressed. We can work on your panic attacks involving your concern for him in the meantime. How does that sound?"
More sessions? Peter dreaded the thought. But if May knew that they were supposed to happen, and wanted them to happen, she'd kill him if he didn't follow through. It was self-preservation alone that caused him to nod in answer. "Y-yeah... sounds good," he replied despite how lost he felt.
What had they just talked about that needed to be worked on?
His senses tingled. Something wasn't right...
Fennhoff smiled. "Good." The look broadened when he heard the low sound of the teen's stomach grumbling, causing the latter to chuckle nervously. "I believe that is enough for one day. You don't want to be late for lunch."
Peter smiled back awkwardly, trying to push his concerns aside. He didn't want to appear suspicious. "No, definitely not," he agreed. "Sorry about that..."
"Not a problem. Go enjoy your lunch hour," Fennhoff told him. He watched as Peter stood from the chair and grabbed his backpack before heading for the door. "Until next time, Mr. Parker."
"Bye." Peter offered a quick nod before he opened the door and hurried out into the hall. He couldn't get out of that office fast enough.
Fennhoff's smile lingered until the door shut behind the fifteen-year-old. He then reached over to the mini zen garden, switching off the micro recording device hidden under the first couple layers of sand.
"Yes," he murmured under his breath, hiding his smirk behind another sip of his coffee as his gaze traveled to Captain America's smiling face on the motivational poster. "Until next time, Mr. Parker."
When Adrian Toomes opened the door of Liz's house on the night of homecoming, Peter was ready for it.
Or, at least, he thought he was.
But knowing who was behind all the alien tech-based weaponry– and possibly had something to do with, or could have at least known, what had happened when he and Toy had been on top of that building by the harbor– and being face-to-face with the guy who was running around the city looking like a demonic vulture were two completely different things. He hadn't necessarily expected him to be the one to open the door. He hadn't expected to see him so early in the operation.
And, though he hated to admit it, he was flustered.
Head in the game, Peter... You wanted this. You wanted a big mission more than anything. And now you've got one. Cap himself had enough faith in you to do this. And, like, that's huge! You can't mess this up. You're kind of an Avenger now, and the Avengers are counting on you not to freak out. Mr. Stark's counting on you... You have to show him you deserve this suit. Head in the game. Don't freak out, Peter... You got this.
But what was he supposed to do, exactly? Waltz in and say, "Hey, your daughter looks really pretty tonight. I'll have her home by, say, ten? Oh, and by the way, you're under arrest for making and selling illegal alien weapons. And where's Tony Stark?"
The teen inwardly berated himself. Wow, Peter, that was dumb... Get it together, c'mon!
Though, granted, Steve hadn't really given him much to go on when he'd told him that he could have a part in this mission. Just go to the dance with Liz and get Toomes alone. He'd have backup for the rest since they couldn't take any chances of him escaping, just in case the man did know anything about Tony's disappearance. Simple enough. He'd just have to go with the flow and figure out a way to do just that when they got to the school.
Stay cool, Peter...
If Toomes noticed any of his racing thoughts, or the red and blue suit he felt he was obviously wearing under his tuxedo, he didn't show it as he instead gave him a welcoming smile. "You must be Peter. I'm Liz's dad. Put 'er there."
He held his hand out toward him.
Peter gazed at it for a moment before he reached out and grasped it. Tightly. Not breaking eye contact.
You're goin' down.
Toomes seemed amused. "Hell of a grip!" Not releasing his hold on his hand, the man started to pull him inside. "Come on in here. Come on..."
Inside the house, Peter thought, was even rougher than those few minutes at the door. Toomes had to notice he was acting weirdly, or something, he had to. But other than commenting on how pale he looked, and teasing him about having an alcoholic beverage, he didn't say a word about it. Not as he intentionally got his name wrong to his wife, not when they were complimenting Liz on how beautiful she looked in her pink dress, not when Liz basically had to tell him to give her the corsage he'd bought for her, and not when they took a couple of awkward pictures before they left in Toomes' car since he said he had an errand to run anyway.
Something wasn't right. Peter could feel it. He had to know that something was up. It was so obvious to him...
The car ride, if possible, was even more awkward. The fifteen-year-old tuned out most of the conversation, keeping his gaze on the guy with the wings in the rearview mirror before moving it out the window to the night outside as Liz took a couple pictures of herself from the seat beside him.
His eyes narrowed slightly when he thought he noticed a small red and black device hovering a few feet above the cars below, seeming to be tailing them. Redwing. Which meant backup wasn't far behind.
But then, Peter was pulled back into the conversation when Toomes directed a question at him about what he was planning on doing after he graduated high school.
"Oh, um... I don't, I don't know..." he stuttered.
But Liz came to his rescue. "Peter has an internship with Tony Stark," she said, almost sounding proud. Though her small smile wavered as soon as she said it, and her brow furrowed. "Oh, well... I mean..."
"I... I still have it," Peter supplied, attempting a smile of his own. "Just, uh, with his CEO instead."
"Really? Stark?" Toomes asked, glancing back in the rearview mirror at him. Peter bristled slightly. There was something about his tone he didn't necessarily like. It almost sounded... taunting. "It really is such a shame what happened to him... But I'm sure you've heard all about that, and hell, probably know more about it than the rest of us do. What do you do for that company, Pete?"
Peter studied the older man's face in the mirror, trying to read anything he could in his expression. But it was mostly smooth while showing some genuine interest, giving nothing away. It unsettled him. "Oh, uh, well... you know," he muttered. "Stuff around the Tower. Whatever she needs me to do, really... Tech stuff. I'd help Mr. Stark directly with things sometimes."
Keep it cool, Peter...
Toomes raised his gaze to his again. "Must be hard, hearing about what happened to him and not really knowing for sure what happened," he said. "I'm sure you're worried."
"Yes. Of course." There was a look in the man's eyes eyes he couldn't quite read, but it caused his heart to skip a beat. What was he getting at? Maybe... maybe Toomes was somehow responsible for what happened on top of that building after all?
"So, what do you make of those reports that the, uh... the Spider-Man is responsible for Stark's disappearance?" Toomes wondered as he turned onto another street. "That's who you like so much, isn't it, gumdrop?"
"I don't believe he did it," Liz spoke up, glancing up from whatever she was looking at on her bright phone screen. "Peter said the same thing, and he'd know."
The fifteen-year-old's stomach dropped.
Toomes raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"
"I... well, I..."
"Peter gets to hang out with Spider-Man through the internship," Liz explained. "He knows him pretty well."
His jaw clenched tight, Peter watched Toomes carefully as he raised his gaze to the rearview mirror yet again. There was something like curiosity... no, suspicion... in his eyes. He curled his fingers into a fist. Not good.
"Really?" the older man asked lightly. "Wow... what's he like?"
Peter attempted to keep his breathing even. If Toomes wasn't on to him before... "Yeah, he's nice," he answered, his voice catching ever so slightly as he looked away. "Nice man. Solid dude."
"Hmm." Toomes did a double take in the mirror. "I've seen you around, right? I mean... somewhere. We've, uh... Have we ever? 'Cause even the voice sounds..."
That was it, Peter was sure of it now. Toomes knew that something was going on, who he was, everything. He had to... Or, at the very least, he had to strongly suspect something. He glanced out the window to where he'd seen Redwing before, but the drone was nowhere in sight.
As Liz jumped to the rescue yet again, telling her dad that they were on the decathlon team together, the teen didn't feel any better. He could almost see the wheel in Toomes' head turning, putting pieces of a puzzle together. If he hadn't gotten to the big picture yet, it wouldn't take him long.
Especially when Liz started lightly teasing him about how he tended to disappear from parties and when they had been in D.C. He awkwardly bantered back with her, trying to downplay her claims, but with every word, he could see that Toomes was getting steadily closer to figuring out his secret.
The older man came to a stop at a red light, letting out a quiet sigh as he briefly shook his head. "That was terrible what happened down there in D.C., though," he muttered, glancing back at both teens. Though his focus was on Peter. "Were you scared?" When he saw the fifteen-year-old's slight nod, he continued, his tone dropping to a level Peter didn't like. "I bet you were glad when your old pal Spider-Man showed up in the elevator though, huh?"
Peter glanced at Liz beside him before turning back to Toomes, unsettled by how the glow from the red light illuminated his face. "Yeah, well I... I actually didn't go up. I-I saw it all from the ground," he told him. Toomes continued to stare at him intently through the rearview mirror. He stared right back. "Pretty lucky that he was there that day."
The light turned green, reflecting off the older man's face as a knowing gleam appeared in his eyes. "Good ol' Spider-Man," he murmured, a slight grin spreading across his lips.
A feeling of dread crept up from the back of Peter's mind, sending a chill down his spine. Toomes knew his secret. He knew he was Spider-Man. There was no doubt about it. That wasn't part of the plan, he wasn't supposed to know so soon... But what could he do about it now?
Keep it together, Peter, breathe... Remember the plan. You still got this...
Liz looked between Peter and her father curiously, not seeming to notice the intensity behind their stare down. A car horn blared from behind them. "Dad," she prompted with a note of impatience. "The light."
Toomes' grin broadened ever so slightly before he turned his attention to the road ahead of them, pulling through the light.
Peter took a deep breath as he attempted to calm his racing heart, settling back against the seat as they drew closer to the school. He finally had the mission he'd so desperately wanted, and needed, in order to prove himself. In order to show the rest of the team that he belonged there. Captain America had entrusted him with this. But already, he felt as though things were spiraling in a way they weren't supposed to. What if he was getting in over his head after all...?
"If you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it."
Tony's words from shortly before they'd been ambushed, from when he had tried to take his suit from him, came back to him then. Perhaps... perhaps the billionaire had been right...
But deep down, Peter knew that wasn't the case. He was worthy of the suit, he just had to prove it. To convince himself and everyone else. Tony may have been taken, had been hurt, because of him, but this was his chance to show what he had to help get him back.
Keep to the plan... This is just a small setback... Keep to the plan, Peter. You got this...
But as the bright lights of the school came into view, the teen couldn't help but feel as though he was walking right into Toomes' metallic claws.
The shield was pulled with a jerk out of the Arc reactor in his suit...
"That shield doesn't belong to you..."
The man in the red, white, and blue hesitated...
"You don't deserve it..."
The man in the red, white, and blue shared a look of regret with the man he was supporting, the one who'd just lost his metallic arm...
"My father made that shield!"
A bruised and bloodied Howard Stark was grabbed roughly by a metallic arm before being pulled out of sight...
The man in the red, white, and blue paused with a heavy sigh...
The shield hit the hard, snowy ground...
Steve.
Tony gasped as his eyes snapped open, groaning as he tried to move his stiff body. He shivered slightly, his dark shirt still wet from the recent water boarding. It took him a moment to remember that no, he wasn't back in that cave in Afghanistan, as much as Fennhoff and his merry bunch of costumed goons were trying to bring him back there. One quick glance around told him that he was back in that small, dark room that he'd first woken up in.
He passed a slightly shaking hand over his sweat-drenched face. He tried to forget the feel of the ice cold water consuming his senses, his lungs burning with the need for breath...
No. He wasn't there. That cave was far behind him.
If he could just remember that... if he could just keep himself centered... then he could focus enough on getting himself out. He could beat this doctor's twisted game.
But it was something Fennhoff had said that stuck with him now. Something that had brought him back to a more recent time he'd been left for dead. To another betrayal by someone he'd believed he could trust.
Steve.
Even now, Tony wasn't sure if he could have possibly heard Fennhoff right. The man was a known manipulator, a man who relied on attacks on the mind and psychologically destroying those who dared to oppose him. He'd read the file on this particular high-level Hydra agent many times over the years since aligning himself with S.H.I.E.L.D., almost like it was a compulsion since the moment he'd seen Fennhoff's name. Though he never understood why he kept returning to that particular file ever since it had been made available to him. Sure, he was as frustrated as any of the other agents that the doctor had never been caught by the agency, or even by the Avengers. But his need, his near obsession, to scour the file whenever he could went further than that. There was something buried deep in the back of his mind, something that had been attempting to claw its way out of the recesses of his memory, back again ever since he'd been in the old man's captivity. He just had no idea what it was, or how to find out. And while he remembered nearly ever word of that file, he didn't think the answer he'd been searching for was in there.
But... Steve?
That had to be some sort of trick... right? Steve couldn't possibly...
No. It had to be a trick. A tactic by Fennhoff to give him false hope of rescue. By telling him that Steve had been spotted, that Steve was looking for him, it would make him feel that maybe, just maybe, he'd be getting out of there after all. Too bad the old man didn't know how that would actually work against him. If only he'd known just what had happened in that frozen Siberian wasteland...
At that, Tony's heart slowly sank as his breath hitched. Because, he realized... Fennhoff did know.
From the very beginning, the doctor had been feeding him images and reminders of the secret that had changed his life, and of those who had played a role in it. Sure, he'd brought him back to that cave in Afghanistan with the Ten Rings flag, the car battery, the water boarding. But up on that rooftop... Arsen had dressed like Bucky Barnes to attack and to bring him to his hideout. He'd watched the man kill Howard. And now that he was in this place, Bao dressed like Captain Steve Rogers to help his Bucky counterpart...
There was no doubt in his mind that Fennhoff knew all about Siberia. The question was how.
Unless Zemo...
Tony shook his head. He'd figure that part out later. There were too many other things that demanded attention, and his brain felt like it was about to explode. But if the doctor knew that telling him that Steve had been spotted wouldn't give him a sense of renewed optimism...
Was the other man actually around? Was he actually looking for him? Fennhoff seemed almost pleasantly surprised by the news when he'd heard it. So maybe... it wasn't a trick?
At that moment, he didn't know what possibility was worse. A trick he could handle. But the possibility of actually being face to face with Steve after... Sure, he kept the flip phone the other man had sent him after what had happened in Siberia, just in case it was needed for some reason, but he'd never been able to call him, to reach out to him, on it... He didn't know if he could ever do it...
Why would Steve want to save him?
But then, his hazel gaze rested on the vents above him, and dread flooded through him when he saw the fine mist filtering through into the room. The gas. How long had that been happening? He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he couldn't say for sure...
A blue glow not too far away caught the corner of his eye then, and Tony turned to see his Arc reactor was lying on the floor a few feet away from him, flickering ever so slightly. His heart nearly stopped, his hands anxiously pawing at his chest as his eyes widened. How long had that been out? He needed to get it back before...
He couldn't breathe... his chest hurt... sweat began to break out on his forehead... he felt lightheaded...
The billionaire started pulling himself along the ground toward the Arc reactor, toward salvation. He was so close, yet he felt so far... How had he not noticed before now...?
Something in the back of his mind slowed his pace, and Tony paused, confused. Wait... hadn't he had all the shrapnel removed from his chest...? So the Arc reactor... It was something he didn't need anymore...
He let out a quiet sigh of relief, letting his head drop to rest on his arms as he willed his heart rate to slow to normal and his breathing to settle. He was okay. He wasn't going to die at any moment because shrapnel was going to tear his heart to shreds. He didn't need the Arc reactor. Not anymore...
But yet... The faint pain in his chest felt... real. It didn't happen often, but ever since he'd had the surgery to remove the pieces of shrapnel and basically the giant hole in his chest that had held the Arc reactor, he'd had minor chest pains that had come and gone. It never lasted long, it had never gotten too serious. But still, it was something that happened. Especially lately, with all the stress from the matter of the Accords, the chaos surrounding Bucky Barnes, Steve's betrayal... It was all taking its toll, and he knew it.
Maybe... maybe the Arc reactor would help...?
"See this? That means I'm here. As long as you see this, you know I'm alive..."
Tony's eyes narrowed. He remembered saying those words, but he couldn't quite recall to who. Or what he was talking about. He raised his head, his gaze lingering on the soft blue glow of the Arc reactor, feeling as though that light was important.
"As long as you see this, honey, you know that I'll always find a way to come back to you..."
Pepper. That's who he'd been talking to, he was sure of it. And that soft glow of the Arc reactor, that light... that meant he was alive. That he'd get back to her...
He had to keep going.
Deciding that doing something was better than nothing in that moment as that slight pain in his chest briefly flared again, Tony pulled himself along a little bit further before he paused and reached out for the glowing blue sphere.
Suddenly, he let out a pained cry when a large, heavy boot came down on his hand. He thought for sure he'd felt a couple of bones crack in his fingers before the foot was lifted off him, and he pulled his hand close to his chest in a protective way. He then watched, wide-eyed, as the same boot came down on the Arc reactor, crushing it completely as its light died.
Then, he grunted when a fist grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground easily. Tony struggled for a moment before he stopped, his stomach dropping and his face draining of color when he found himself looking back into the familiar, cruel grin of Obadiah Stane.
"Hey, Tony. Remember me?" the bald, broad-shouldered man– once his father's best friend and business partner, his own godfather– asked with a chuckle. "You may have gotten out of that godforsaken cave when you weren't supposed to all of those years ago... that was my bad, I didn't expect you to build something that would end up saving your ass, I should have planned better... but this time..." He paused, his grin broadening. "This time, you won't be so lucky. Boss said no mistakes this time."
Tony's heart raced as he resumed trying to fight out of Obadiah's iron grip. "Boss, huh? You mean Fennhoff?" he wondered, attempting to keep his tone light. "Since when were you someone's lapdog, huh, Obie?"
The punch to his ribs robbed the billionaire of breath as the healing gunshot wound throbbed with pain, causing him to stop struggling as he coughed forcefully. Solid hit... The man was real...
But how was that possible? Obadiah was dead...
"Oh, you'll pay for that one, Tony," Obadiah murmured. "You're going to die here, all alone. And your little friend? Captain America? Steve? When he finds your broken body, he'll be next."
... Steve...
... Please don't find me...
... Not you, too...
A small smirk appeared at the corner of Tony's lips. "You don't have the set to do something like that yourself, Stane," he said, hoping his tone sounded as confident as he tried to make it. "Not without someone to get their hands dirty for you... Not without a suit."
To his surprise, the other man let out a boisterous laugh, causing his false self-assurance to falter. "You willing to bet on that?"
... Steve...
... I'm sorry...
Tony's eyes narrowed back at him as he continued to gasp for breath. But before he could say another word, Obadiah's larger fist wrapped tightly around his throat.
Author's Note: I really don't have a defense for this last part... But the second part of this homecoming part (along with everything else) will be posted one week from now! So there won't be a long wait to see how this turns out. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Until next time!