A/N

Italian to English
Non mi spaventa come quello nuovo. - Never scare me like that again.

A dark unsettling feeling hung over Steve like a thundercloud, and no matter how hard he tried he found it hard to shake as he saw how the last part of Obadiah's speech mirrored the last part of his apology letter after the Civil War.

Tony had to know I was being sincere right?

I'm not like Stane, Tony knows that. He knows I'm- I was his friend despite how we disagreed and how we fought.

It's not like Tony would remember that conversation with Stane, he tried to reassure himself. He wouldn't have drawn the same parallels as me.

I'm still mad at his actions, and about how stubborn he's being now about how he thinks he was right. But he obviously knows he was wrong otherwise he wouldn't have brought us back.

He knows we were only trying to protect the people. The Accords as they originally were would've tied our hands and made Ross's lapdogs of all of us heroes.

'A hero- like you?' Tony's words from their first proper argument echoed then in his mind with a surprising intensity, he swallowed heavily to restrain a wince. The incredulous note present in Tony's voice back then, upon reflection showed how bitter Tony was towards him - and the fact that he didn't believe heroes existed at all.

Maybe Stane's influence combined with Ultron pushed Tony's opinion for the Accords.

Now Steve could see that it was mostly Obadiah's fault that Tony thought that way.

Meanwhile, a stunned Bucky found it hard to speak as both he and Soldat processed the news that Tony Stark had owned merchandise of him.

"He had merchandise of me? People considered me a hero..." He paused to digest this before shaking his head. "I shouldn't be, I think all I really did was get captured, shoot a few people and then fall off that blasted train."

"You did more than that. They made merchandise of all the Howling Commandos Buck." Steve gave his best friend a soft smile that did very little to reassure him. " After mine, yours were the second most popular type of toys on sale. In the Captain America museum you're shown as a war hero as well as my best friend. The people love you too - you were a great man Buck and you still are. Even with Winter."

"I'm not though! And I shouldn't be seen as a hero! I became a murderer in the war- I know that's different because we were soldiers, it was kill or be killed. We fought for our country." Bucky's face became darkened and grim. "After that... Hydra didn't discriminate between men, women and children. If you are a target, you die. And chances are I would've killed you. I've even taken the life of someone that I should've seen as a friend, although not a close one by any means. I should've been able to stop myself. He was a nice man when I knew him, and he had a wife who saw the whole thing so I killed her too. All Soldat could see was how to end them. He.. he didn't feel a thing."

"But you-" Steve was about to argue before the words died on his tongue when he found Soldat's cold eyes staring emotionlessly back at him.

"I was created by Hydra programming then locked into the mission protocols. How was I meant to feel afterwards? Guilt does nothing to undo the event so there was no point feeling it. I prefer to leave that pointless exercise to Barnes." Soldat had taken control rapidly and now folded his arms, watching the others' dumbfounded expressions with a cold clinical detached nature. "Stark helped me hide many of my experiences from Barnes so that he could still function. If he knew those things... let's just say he'd have a lot more ammo for self-hate than he already does."

The group fell into an awkward tense silence which made Scott fidgety as he tried to think of a way to lighten the tense atmosphere that Soldat's confession brought.

"Man, that Stane guy is creepy." Scott grimaced as he thought about how he had acted around young Tony.

"I agree and the whole touching thing," Spider-Man shivered. "Ugh, not that hugging and kissing isn't fine, it's just the way he did it to Mr Stark just made it look gross."

The others made noises of agreement, appearing to be of a similar mindset.

"What do you wish to see next?" A few of them jumped as the Being appeared in the centre of the group without warning.

"Can you show us how Tony stopped Jarvis from being shot?" Bruce asked softly. It was one of the things that was concerning and intriguing him since Tony mentioned it in the last memory.

The Being nodded and they vanished, along with their surroundings.


This memory clearly didn't belong to Tony, but they all felt a ghost sensation of scarily strong fear.

It could have belonged to Howard, Jarvis, or Maria, as they each appeared equally on edge, gathered around the kitchen table staring intensely at something.

Darkly intrigued, the team moved forward before freezing at the sight of the note - it was made from letters obviously taken from different newspapers.

Howard Stark
Your weapons took away
my son
One will take your son
in front of you
for the world to see.

"What the hell? He's receiving death threats at thirteen?!" Rhodes eyes were stuck on the note with a outraged expression.

They were all shocked. How did they not know about this?

"Double the guards Jarvis, this fucker isn't getting anywhere near my son. Be sure of it, stick to Anthony like glue during the press conference."

You can't be seriously thinking of going ahead with this Mr Stark.

"Jarvis." Vision muttered, smiling slightly. This memory belongs to the original Jarvis.

"Mr Stark, it would be prudent to cancel the conference, in light of recent developments." Jarvis cast one last fretful glance at the note before looking up at Howard with a stern expression, lined with worry. The note was the latest in a series of intimidation attempts, delivered by unknown means to their private address.

"And let the world think they've scared us into submission?"

YES. Anthony could die!

"I believe saving face should be the least of your concerns at this moment Sir. This person seems a credible threat and we have no way to tell how much help they have."

Maria laid a hand on Jarvis's arm to try and calm him down as Howard continued failing to sound reassuring. "I'll have both you and Ana there, Jarvis. And I've called in Pegs. She's bringing in some of her best agents to scout for threats."

"I hope it'll be enough." Jarvis muttered, "I'll get Ana and Tony. She'll probably want to wait outside to grab the attacker if they try and sneak inside the conference."

Maria nodded in agreement as the scene faded out.


Feeling a million dollars, Tony leant backwards against the wooden podium traditionally used for these conferences with a cocky grin on his face, while a swarm of reporters clamoured for his attention. Jarvis hovered beside him, impassively scanning the crowd. Each of the mass of press tried to gain the advantage until, noticing the odd one out, Tony gestured to the anxious, inexperienced, middle-aged reporter a couple of rows back from him.

That's weird. Normally the inexperienced ones are young, but she seems near Madre's age... Maybe she just had a career change of something. Whatever, I'll try and make her feel more at ease.

"M-Mr Stark-" The woman blushed a light pink, all the way up to the dark brown roots showing through her dyed blonde hair, before reaching into her bag.

"Call me Tony." He gave the woman a side wink full of the Stark charm to try and ease her nerves, and her eyes brightened considerably as she clasped what was inside her bag.

"Alright Tony," The woman's eyes smiled but it was a nasty one. The Avengers, and Jarvis, came alert as her anxiety vanished. "How do you feel now, knowing that it's your father's fault you are about to die?"

She didn't give him a chance to answer, sliding the gun out of the bag and without hesitation shooting at him.

BANG!

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jarvis diving towards him, fully intending to knock him out of the way and take the hit himself.

No way, I am not going to let Jarvis get shot, not acceptable.

Jarvis almost reached him but Tony harshly shoved him back and the bullet slammed into its target. It tore through the slight bulk of the bullet proof vest - the team suddenly recognised the weight - slid through as easily as paper. Pain tore through their stomachs, and Tony stumbled backward, shakily holding a hand to the wound. Then pulled it away.

Transfixed, Tony stared at his palm, which came away a deep dark red.

The scene froze as young Tony's voice sounded around the team. It was clear that they were listening to his internal monologue.

You've just been shot. You can't do anything about that but what you have to do is identify the type of wound so you can choose how to fall.

I think the bullet was from one of your Pegasus line or was it the Griffin series? I don't know it was-

Forget the fucking gun! It was in your stomach. No lung damage, luckily. Did the shot go through you?

No, I would've heard the wood podium behind me splinter if it had.

You know what you have to do then. Fall backwards now.

The scene unfroze.

Horrified, Jarvis's eyes were fixed on the growing red pool coming from Tony's stomach as his charge began to sink backwards against the podium, like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

At this the Avengers noticed several things happen at once.

Peggy, at the far right side of the crowd, was shoving her way through the herd of shell shocked reporters in angry frantic movements, whilst Howard had stilled in shock before tearing his eyes away from his son and ordering the other Agents on the comms what to do.

Pulling the rich red curtains at each side of the room across in front of Jarvis and Tony, Howard then made his way in front of the curtains to deal with the frightened reporters. He warned them not to publish the events that occurred here unless they wanted to deal with SI's legal team. Fury and a team of roughly ten others helped keep the reporters in, making colourful threats and smashing the cameras of any who thought taking a photo was a good idea. Maria had tears rolling down her cheeks as she held the wall phone to her ear, calling for the ambulance and begging them to hurry up.

SMACK!

Peggy's punch sent the woman straight to the floor just behind the crowd. Sprawled across the floor, she was dazed for a second before she lunged to try and get her gun from Peggy, who kicked her in the face in retaliation.

"Attempted murder of a child. If your story is to be believed you are no better than the man who used Stark Industries weapons to kill yours. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Stark deserves this suffering...the death of his brat will allow him to feel what I felt. To see how he wrecks lives..."

"You disgust me. Take her away, boys."

The Avengers cautiously approached Tony and Jarvis through the red curtains.

"Jarv's, you're ok." Tony's lips twitched up before his eyes became wet and he grimaced. "Ah!" He tried to curl in on himself but Jarvis held him down, then moved him so he was lying flat on the floor.

"Don't try to speak Sir and stay still. The paramedics will be here soon." Jarvis hastened to try and reassure him.

"It hurts...it hurts so much... Jarvis." Tears leaked out of his eyes as he gasped, which caused something steely and murderous to creep into Jarvis's face.

"She will get her just desserts Sir. I will personally make sure of it." The look in Jarvis's eyes promised vengeance of a uniquely savage kind - which all of them found weird to see in his normally kindly face.

"Jar-vis, I feel cold."

"Help me hold this on your stomach. The ambulance your mother called should be here soon." Jarvis kept hold of his limp arm using the movement to press two fingers against Tony's wrist.

With that Tony began to go limp and his eyes glazed over. He blinked heavily, slowly.

"Tony, keep focused on me alright? Try to keep awake. Where is that blasted ambulance?"

"'m sorry J."

Tony lost consciousness.


"What the hell were you thinking?" Howard hissed at a pale, unconscious Tony, with thick bandages wrapped around his stomach. "For fuck's sake Anthony, what good is it having a bodyguard if you won't even let him save you!"

"He was trying to make sure his friend didn't get hurt," came Peggy's voice from above; she gave him a half smile before sighing and taking a seat at the foot of Tony's bed. "We both would've done the same."

Sighing, Howard swiped a hand down his face. "Jarvis has that effect on people."

"How is he?" Peggy looked to Tony's unnaturally static form lying limp under the white sheets of the hospital bed.

"He is lucky the bullet missed all his vital organs." Howard pulled a flask of scotch out of his pocket that Peggy nimbly snatched from his fingers. "But Anthony lost a lot of blood so he fell unconscious soon after I walked in. Trust him to be awkward like that."

Peggy gave Howard a half smile before glancing at the windows that showed Jarvis, Maria and Ana talking anxiously outside.

"Why didn't you cancel the conference Howard?" Peggy tried to keep calm but her voice was brittle and tight with repressed anger. "Mr Jarvis told me that he warned you not to go ahead with it. Why did you? Do really care about making money and saving face more than you care about your child's life?"

"Of course I bloody well care! He is my son!"

"Then why don't you show it?"

"I do show it!" Howard exploded out of his seat and started pacing, gesturing to emphasise his points. "I get him the best things, he goes to the best boarding schools. I make sure he has all the things I wanted growing up and more. I tell the press how proud I am of him-"

"It all seems a superficial way of demonstrating love, Howard." Peggy replied softly, turning a cold face to him.

"Parenting doesn't come with a manual Peg! This is the first thing I have ever encountered where I actually don't know what I'm doing!"

"Why don't you try spending more time with him? Your parents surely-"

"Sure, I'm really going to take parenting advice off of the abusive father and the mother who enabled it because she was too busy and frightened..." He trailed off as he realised how much he revealed.

"What?!" Both Steve and Bucky burst out, and stared at the memory version of Howard with anger and shock split across their faces.

Steve's whole body tightened in rage and he clenched his fists. One thing that he couldn't stand was people who hurt children, and to think that another one of his friends had been hurt like that angered him greatly.

Bucky's eyes hardened. He was in no way close to Howard during the war - not like Steve - but he had insisted on meeting the man who had helped super juice his best friend. He was happily surprised to find not the snotty scientist he expected, but a charming, admittedly arrogant, young man who shared a good sense of humour and the appreciation of good drink with him.

He wouldn't have guessed Howard had suffered like that at all.

At least his behaviour towards Tony makes more sense now.

"Shit! ...Pegs look I - forget this ok? You can have some alone time with Anthony now. I'll just-" he began to nervously edge towards the door.

He made one last grab for the flask in her hands, but she used this motion to grab his wrist. "Howard, did he hit you?"

"Give me the flask."

"No. Sit down." Despite the situation most of them felt a small stab of amusement at Peggy's strict scolding voice.

Sighing heavily, he dropped himself into the chair next to Peggy's.

"Fine. We do this without alcohol, we'll both need some after it anyway. You know what I told you about my parents professions, how I grew up on the lower east side, but if the topic came up about them I was always vague. Ever wonder why? My dad- Walter Stark- was a nasty piece of work, my mum always said the war changed him. Complete bull in my opinion, there had to have been something nasty in him already to-." He shook his head and snatched the flask from Peggy's hands to take a deep swig. "My mum tried getting in the way once. It wasn't pretty. She didn't make the same mistake again. So I grew a hard thick skin, insults, hits, they roll right off me. I know a part of me is twisted, even now, thanks to that sadistic bastard." Howard's voice became very bitter, "I had to get out. Mum died from TB when I was 17 so I made a run for it. I was gifted and I knew it. I wanted so much more from life. I could do so much. But people then judged you based on your class and your status so I lied, made powerful friends and lied some more, up the American ladder like a pro."

Peggy had been silent throughout the explanation. She stared at her friend, reconsidering him, putting this new information into place, before snatching the scotch back and taking a long swig herself.

"All those Artic missions.. and all that extra business, with SI and SHIELD?" Peggy questioned.

"I won't become my father. Anthony needs to be tougher, but I don't want to hurt him to make that thick skin appear. He's been through a lot, we all have. I don't know what to do when I'm around Anthony. I keep myself away. I drink. Then I come home to see my butler raising my child better than I ever could. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for Jarvis but that kills, it really does. Anthony- Tony can't love me, not after everything, after how much I've distanced myself. Besides I know better than anyone how others can manipulate that, so it's better, safer to play the cold distant parent."

"Howard-"

"There are days when I wish that I never became a father." Howard stared at his son as Peggy's features became enraged, they could feel Tony's groggy horror, hurt and indignation hit them straight in the chest as he began to stir.

What the fuck? Why?

"Oh shit." Peter grimaced heavily under the mask as he looked around at the others who were cringing too.

"That had to be the only bit he heard out of that whole conversation. The universe hates the Starks so much that it's not even funny." Agitated, Rhodes muttered as he clenched his jaw and folded his arms.

"I have heard you say and do some pretty stupid things in our friendship Howard but that has to top the list." Peggy rose from her chair and snarled. "After all the things you've just told me, how could you then come out with that? Tony is a credit to you. Ana and Jarvis would love to be in your position. You have no idea how lucky you are."

"I didn't mean it like that! Tony wasn't exactly planned and when Maria told me she was pregnant I was horrified alright?"

"Why did you agree to keep him then? Did Stark Industries need an heir, is that it?"

"What the hell do you think of me? Fine they did," while Peggy shook her head Howard insisted vehemently, standing up too then. "That was beside the point. Maria was delighted when she found out she was going to have a baby. I couldn't take that away from her. Truth is that no I didn't really want kids and I thought that-"

"You could palm Tony off on Mr Jarvis too, just like you did with your exotic pets when we were younger."

"Peggy-"

"You knew full well that he would take care of Tony for you, because he actually wanted children. No, don't deny it. That's exactly what you've done. Like it or not Tony is yours! I thought you were better than to let yourself be controlled by fear. Clearly I was wrong."

With that she twirled around and marched to the door, slamming it behind her with a bang.

Glancing over Tony one last time, Howard appeared conflicted, but sighed and followed her out the door.

Once he was confident he was alone, Tony's eyes opened and he swallowed heavily.

At least Peggy defended me.

Why doesn't he love me? It's me isn't it? What did I do?

You better not start crying.

They could see a tear fall out of one of his eyes despite his best efforts before he pulled the pillow from behind him and shoved it on top of his face.

Weakness.

Stark men don't cry.


"NO! Jarvis!" Panicked, Tony bolted straight upright in his hospital bed as he looked around the room. It was clearly nighttime; the white hospital room was mainly lit by dim yellow lights, causing Tony's pallid face to shine.

Tonys eyes darted around the room while Maria leapt to her feet at Tony's shout and moved over to her son.

"Tesoro," Maria touched Tony's shoulder and he flinched minutely, she dropped her hand and swallowing the hurt they could tell she felt at that, she moved her chair closer towards the bed. "Calm down. Edwin is fine."

"But the gun- that woman she shot at me- then Jarvis leapt towards me. Madre, I dreamt that he-. Where is he? Tell me he's alright."

"Tonio he is completely fine. We're all shaken by what happened, but the only person who got hurt unfortunately was you. Non mi spaventa come quello nuovo. " Maria held his gaze intensely, then looked down at the red seeping through his dressings and swore in Italian. Startled, Tony looked down at himself before back up at Maria. "You've torn your stitches. Lay backwards carefully and I'll go ask the nurse to redo them. Stay still whilst I'm gone." She paused. "I'll get Edwin too, you look like you need to see him."

"Thanks."

She smiled and blew him a kiss before she then disappeared through the door.

A gold strand of light flashed across their view, temporarily blinding them before the memory continued.

"Sir are you well?" Jarvis entered the hospital room, shutting the door carefully behind him. He appeared nearly as white as Tony, with dark purple bags hanging under his eyes. "Mrs Stark insisted that I needed to see you at once, alone, and that after all that happened you needed me now."

"Can you come here please?"

Jarvis approached his bed and upon seeing Tony reach for him and try to sit up, he halted him with one hand on his charge's chest and half a smile.

"Sir, if you wish to hug, I must insist that you let me do the hugging. I will not be responsible for giving you extra pain and giving the poor night nurse more work. Do you wish to hug?"

Tony nodded and Jarvis's didn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around Tony gently. Tony pressed his face into Jarvis's chest, making him slightly muffled when he began to talk.

"Jarvis are you mad at me?"

"I am angry that you got hurt Sir. I failed to protect you-"

He's avoiding the question. That means he's mad doesn't it? Wait. He blames himself - really J?

"I pushed you out of the way-"

"With all due respect I should be stronger than a thirteen year old-"

"Jarvis."

"Yes Sir."

"Stop talking, more hugs."

Jarvis smiled down at the head tucked into his chest and obliged.


They were now back in the Stark Mansions garden but in a part which they hadn't seen before. Tony and a handsome man they hadn't seen before, with greying brown hair and dark eyes, were sat next to each other on deck chairs by the pool.

"I don't see why everyone's so mad Uncle Daniel." Tony whined, "I only did what Cap would've done, besides, there was no way I was going to let Jarvis get shot was I?"

"Uncle Daniel?" Confused, Scott frowned.

"That's got to be Daniel Carter Sousa, the man Peggy finally settled down with after - after me." Steve's eyes glinted with a reopened loss. He really was happy that Peggy got to be happy and move on with her life, but seeing Daniel, it had really hit home for him that his girl had gone.

"They aren't really that mad, kid. " Tony turned his head from the pool to raise an eyebrow at him and Daniel looked across at him seriously. "You scared everyone, including me, but I'm proud of you for pushing Jarvis out of the way. "

"Really?"

"Really," He smiled slightly. "But in no way do I ever want to see ever want to see a repeat of a stunt like that. Are we clear, young man?"

"Sorry."

"We were all just as bad once. Apology accepted." Daniel ruffled Tony's hair.

Poking his tongue out in reply, Tony leant back against the seat, looking down at his bandaged stomach self-consciously. "Do you think it'll scar?"

"Maybe, but if you find someone who really loves you they'll love you no matter how scarred and battered you may get." Daniel paused before he smiled, hoisting his leg up and rolling up his one of his trousers to reveal a state of the art prosthetic limb. "Your aunt Peg fell in love with me despite the fact that I was missing a leg and people could be quite horrible about it back then."

"They're the stupid ones. You aren't any less of person without a leg."

Proudly Daniel beamed as he rolled down his trouser leg. "You sounded so much like Peggy then. You're a good kid Tony, never change."