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Useful Terminology for this Chapter
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) - is a U.S. regulatory regime to restrict and control the export of defence and military related technologies to safeguard U.S. national security and further U.S. foreign policy objectives


No copyright infringement intended...
All Movie Scenes used here belong to Marvel Studios and their respective owners, I'm not out to profit from this work.
I made it purely for enjoyment purposes.


It seemed to take an age for the aircraft doors to finally open, Tony stood stubbornly upright as soon as they did and Rhodey grabbed his hand as he insisted on supporting him.

'I am finefinefine.'

The proud part of his mind tried to weakly argue that he should let go of Rhodey's hand, however another part of him actually held tighter and relished the fact that Rhodey was here and had succeeded in bringing him home.

Rhodey smiled widely at that and his eyes burned suspiciously bright.

Although the brightness of the outside world had blinded him a little, he could make out a bright vibrant head of strawberry blonde hair a short distance away and it made his heart leap to his throat.

Pepper.

He was distracted from his sudden leap of joy at seeing her by Rhodey suddenly moving his arm to try and guide him over from a gap in the ramp.

"Watch it coming up here." Rhodey murmured in a protective low voice.

Tony's eyes looked across to Rhodey as he continued to walk over the connecting bump in the railing but as he did he spotted a couple of paramedics with a gurney rush up to him.

"Are you kidding me with this?" Tony asked Rhodey in a flat annoyed voice, he unlinked their hands to wave the bed away, then adjust his sling as a wordless reminder to their conversation earlier while he was still in that blasted wheelchair. "Get rid of it."

Letting out a sigh, Bruce's lips twitched as he watched the scene intently. "I guess you called them?"

Rhodey looked back to him, "I called Pepper and told her of his state, then I called them." His defensiveness flared as did the intensity of his voice. "Of course I did he'd just got out of 3 months of Captivity-"

"I wasn't implying it was the wrong thing to do." Bruce responded softly. "Tony would have never stood for it but I would have done the same."

Rhodey shut his mouth, instantly feeling bad for snapping.

Rhodey gave an almost inaudible annoyed sigh as he walked away from Tony to deal with the paramedics. Tony kept walking straight towards Pepper who was smiling and biting her lower lip.

Concerned, he stopped a few feet from her and tilted his head down once he noticed her normally clear brilliant blue eyes were bloodshot as if she had been crying.

"Hmm. Your eyes are red." He noted before trying to cover his concern with a joke. "Few tears for your long lost boss?"

Pepper's smile grew wider as she answered in an amused yet tender tone. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting."

"Obadiah took away her job?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, "I thought he would have transferred her to his section or had her do odd jobs for him."

"Oh he did, both." Rhodey answered darkly, "Pepper hated it, Obadiah wasn't the nicest boss. Borderline creepy at best. Angry and aggressive at worst."

"She shouldn't have had to stand for that." Steve frowned. "Wasn't there anyone she could have complained to?"

"Tony was gone. She talked to me but I couldn't do anything." Rhodey answered with a sad sigh.

He was relieved by the fact that she left what she really meant unspoken, it was familiar and comforting.

Tony found he needed that normalcy after everything, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

'Even if you don't deserve it.'

"Stop that. You do." Peter hissed back, in a surprisingly stern voice he had picked up from Aunt May.

"Yeah, vacation's over." He found that even though Pepper gave a radiant smile at this, he couldn't stir one himself.

'You know who should have got out and it wasn't you.'

He refused to let himself dwell on the thought, there were too many emotions tied to it and he didn't have time to break down. He just moved to the car with Pepper at his side.

Peter swallowed around the renewed tightness in his throat as he felt the scene shift around him. But this time the shifting felt harder, as he and the whole team would have to fit in the small space of the car.

It had happened before. Still the disconnect, the sensation of being without even the projection of a body and having only a vague awareness of his teammates was something he wasn't sure he could ever fully get used to.


"I hate this sensation. Stark needs to stop getting into such small cars." Then Scott hissed to the projection of Tony, "Get a limo man, you have enough money."

Bucky just managed to stifle a snort.

"Where to, sir?" Happy asked, he sounded professional as ever but he was wearing dark shades that Tony knew were hiding misty eyes underneath.

Pepper answered for him in a soft voice. "Take us to the hospital, please Happy-."

Tony cut her off firmly, "No."

He got that she was trying to care for him, but right now he did not appreciate it at all. 'I've just escaped from being prodded like a-' Tony forcefully squashed down that anger before it could fully come up. 'What's wrong with me?'

'PTSD.' Sam mentally answered but he didn't have time to voice this as Pepper spoke up quickly.

"No?" Pepper's voice turned from soft and surprised, to a stern tone that Tony had often heard from Madre, Peggy and Ana growing up. "Tony… You have to go to the hospital."

"I don't have to do anything." Tony turned to her as he answered in a stern voice of his own, one that would normally end arguments.

Pepper tried to insist in a pleading voice and wide anxious blue eyes that looked from his sling to the small cuts maring his face. "The Doctor has to look at you."

"I was in captivity for three months." Pepper swallowed and moved back a little at that reminder. He tried to soften his voice a little as he continued to look at her. "There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger…" He blinked wondering how to best ask what he was going to say next without sounding completely insane. "And the other…"

Pepper turned away sounding sharp and a little disappointed. "That's enough of that."

He realised quickly that she thought he was going to ask her to organise an orgy. 'Like I have any desire for that right now. I have work to do.'

'That's a definite sign of change.' Steve directed a proud smile to Tony. The selfish arrogant man that he had been shown videos of when SHIELD had first defrosted him wasn't what he was seeing in Tony now at all. 'Or was the Tony I had seen to be purely invested in his own pleasures the Mask rather than the real Tony all along?'

Tony didn't look away from her though, "It's not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."

Bewildered, Pepper looked back to him. "Call for a press conference-"

Tony cut her off, turning to look to Happy now. "Yeah. Hogan, drive."

"What on earth for?" Pepper questioned, he felt her eyes on him but he didn't look to her.

"Cheeseburger first."


Tony felt a pit in his stomach as the car pulled up and he saw the crowd watching and clapping, Obadiah standing front and centre of the mass. He couldn't help but think how fake it all was and how none of the strangers that were clapping and smiling probably even cared that he was back, that he was home.

'How many of them wish I was rotting in the sand?'

Thor felt himself cringe, despite his experience with the Warriors Three, there had been plenty of people in the past who had tried to fake being friendly to him just because he was the Prince.

He just wanted to go home and seek the familiarity of his workshop - of JARVIS, DUM-E, U and Butterfingers - but this was something he had to do.

Sam sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Go home Man, or better go to a hospital. It can wait."

"Look at this, huh?" Obadiah cheered as he opened the door for Tony with an overwhelming grin plastered to his face.

Tony stepped out of the car to be swept into a hug by Obadiah. It should feel comforting but instead it felt weird and overbearing.

The group cringed at that, Wanda's eyes flared briefly red as she stared hard at Stane.

"At least he's started to realize, if only subconsciously," Natasha mutterd.

"We were going to meet at the hospital?" Obadiah questioned him as he pulled away.

"Yeah, nah, it's-it's fine" Tony muttered as he shifted uncomfortably, turning around to look for Happy and gratefully accepting the next burger he held.

"Oh, a burger, you had to have a burger." Obadiah said as he saw the greasy packaging of the drive through burger. Tony thought his tone sounded vaguely derisive, but told himself it was just teasing.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Clint spat and he kept his narrowed eyes on Obadiah.

"Well, come on," he shrugged, feeling slightly annoyed anyway.

"Did you get me one of those?"

'Oh so now you want one?'

"There's only one left, I need it," he rebuffed. He might regret it later, but damn if he was going to give up one of these burgers right now. They were the most delicious thing he'd tasted in three months. The only thing that wasn't rice and water or the bland broth they'd given him at the airbase.

"Yeah, he needs it more than you!" Peter protested indignantly.

"Technically true." Bruce nodded, "but it's really not a good idea for him to be eating all those burgers after nearly three months of starvation… he's going to be very sick later."

The team followed carefully between Obadiah, Tony and Pepper as they were lead through the hallway to the conference hall.

The front of the group narrowed their eyes at Obadiah, who stuck behind Tony like a malicious shadow, whilst putting on a scarily convincing farce of celebration.

Rhodey just managed to hold back a growl.

Meanwhile the others towards the back were warmed at seeing Peppers genuine joy at watching Tony.

She sighed in relief whilst Obadiah clapped loudly and laughed as he presented Tony to the room of reporters, "Hey, look who's here!"

"My God he's like an embarrassing soccer mum." Peter hissed.

Embarrassed for Tony, Clint quickened his pace as he, like the rest of the team walk by behind Tony who was parting the press like the red sea.

He was thrown when Natasha suddenly tugged on his arm and inclined her head to their left. When Clint looked over his mouth went dry as he saw Coulson talking to Pepper at the back of the conference. Nat hissed to him, not unkindly, but subtly, out of the corner of her mouth. "Take note but keep walking."

Natasha had to guide him forward, as Clint was too shocked by the sight of his dead best friend and handler to take much else in. It reopened a wound that he had long since tried to bury. Clint felt a pang in his chest when the swarm of reporters blocked out his view of Coulson. He swallowed heavily.

Natasha's grip on his elbow became less firm and more of a comforting hold before she dropped her grip, squeezed his hand and moved away.

He looked around to see why and saw Tony hesitate almost unnoticeably, as he walked up to the crowd. If he wasn't able to feel Tony's unease at the sight of the group with their microphones pointed threateningly at him he would have passed it off as nothing.

Clint realized that a large group standing in front of him and pointing objects at him wasn't a very comforting sight so soon after Afghanistan. Clint wouldn't have been surprised if Tony had fled there and then.

But he didn't. Instead Tony walked in front of the podium and sat down, making an effort to look as casual and comfortable as possible.

'I remember watching this. I thought you had a lot of balls, man. Apparently you had even more than I thought.'

"Jesus," Scott muttered, "I think I would've just run."

The group divided around either side of Tony, into what subconsciously appeared to be their civil war teams.

"Are you alright?" Wanda inquired to Clint in a low voice as they sat on the podium by Steve's side, "Who was that man?"

Clint just shook his head.

"You'll find out later." Natasha answered shortly for him, from where she was perched nearest to Tony on Steve's side.

"Hey," Tony called up from where he was sat. "Would it be alright if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can… A little less formal…"

Obadiah moved to the side, with a tight indulgent smile and took a seat on the steps.

Natasha's lip curled at having to move for him whilst Cap had to stand to scramble out of the way. Though she was pleased to note Tony's tension regarding the crowd lessen as they all sat on the floor and that she had ended up conveniently sitting between Tony and Obadiah. She refrained from sneering towards Obadiah when Tony turned to him, looking through her, seeking a familiar face away from the crowd to settle himself and take a moment to dissociate the crowd from the memory running through his head.

"Good to see you." Tony greeted Obadiah softly, giving his godfather a long meaningful look.

'Thank God you're here by my side.'

Obadiah's whole face crinkled in a closed lipped smile, something in Tony's chest warmed at the sight as Obadiah echoed the sentiment and clasped his shoulder. "Good to see you."

Natasha grimaced and shuffled forward to escape the odd feeling of his arm passing through her.

"I never got to say goodbye to dad." Tony said in a low, tight voice to Obadiah.

The colour drained from Steve's face and he looked down at his lap, but Bucky straightened and moved his gaze from Obadiah, straight back to Tony. Bucky refused to shy away.

"I never got to say goodbye to my father."

The press shifted awkwardly at the revelation.

The brief beat of silence that followed was heavy, even the Avengers didn't make a sound to break it.

"There's questions that I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what this company did…" Tony took a moment to try and keep the waver from his voice as he continued. "If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts."

'If he was like you.' Steve blew out a quiet exhale, before he would have stepped up to defend his old friend and say that obviously he had done. However, he saw that the hallucination of Howard that Tony had imagined didn't. 'What would have given Tony that idea?'

"Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed… by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them."

Despite how much he was reining himself in, the team could hear and feel the raw emotions behind the words and see the haunted look hidden in his eyes. Wanda in particular couldn't help but become misty eyed. Meanwhile Natasha looked to Stane, she saw something calculating flicker across his face, as if he was reassessing Tony.

"And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability."

The reporters broke out in quiet murmurs as one man at the front raised his hand. Tony pointed to him. "Hey Ben?"

"What happened over there?"

'OK. Nope, Not going there.'

Tony stood and moved to the podium, putting it between him and the group, there was an audible shift in his voice as he sounded stronger, more vehement and determined. "I-I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I'm shutting down-"

The uproar was immediate as the press clammered to their feet and Obadiah hastily got up when Tony's plan became clear. However, Tony plowed on regardless.

"-the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International…" Obadiah ushered him away from the podium in an attempt to shut him up but he only raised his voice over Obadiah's and the crowd. "Until such a time, as I can decide what the future of this company will be, what direction it should take, one that I am comfortable with, and is consistent with the highest good of this country and the world."

As he swiftly walked through the centre of the press, the Avengers made to follow him but looked back as they heard Obadiah take over in a powerful voice.

"What we should take away from this… is that Tony's back!" He flung his arms out toward where Tony was leaving. "And he's healthier than ever. We are gonna have a little internal discussion and we'll get back to you with the follow-up."

"Healthier than ever?" Sneered Rhodey around the subtle ache in his chest, an echo of Tony's now constant pain.

Rhodey couldn't help but notice his own frowning face at the edge of the crowd.


The scene reformed around them, they could hear and feel a low electric hum vibrating through the room.

Bruce looked to the centre of the room, he knew what he was looking at but almost couldn't believe it. However the blue glow from the huge machine was unmistakable as the arc reactor.

Clint and Scott whistled as they saw the reactor.

"He made this small enough to fit in his chest!" Scott cried in awe as he stumbled up to the railing and looking up to the machine that dwarfed the entire team.

"Wow…" Peter whispered with a grin as he stepped up to Tony.

'I can't believe it took getting waterboarded and my chest ripped open to see the potential of this. I was so stupid before.'

Bruce wavered where he stood, he almost forgot himself and walked forward to remind his friend of the memory he had seen and how Obadiah had steered him away, when the man himself walked in.

Tony straightened and tensed a little as he looked to Obadiah.

"Well that... err... that went well." Obadiah said around a cigar before removing it. Sensing the restrained anger within Obadiah's words, Tony looked to his hands on the railing, he felt his mental guard go up.

"Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?" Tony questioned tightly as he moved away from the bars and loosened his shirt.

"Your head?" Obadiah dismissed, strutting behind Tony. "What about my head? What do you think the over-under on a stock drop is gonna be?"

"Selfish bastard," Sam growled.

Tony hummed, taking off his tie and laying it next to his jacket. "Optimistically? 40 Points?" It would be a big loss, but not unrecoverable, they had other divisions, weapons wasn't all they did. He had made sure of that and it was time to remind the world.

Wanda gave a brief fleeting smile at this thought even though that reminder hadn't reached all of the world, certainly not Sokovia.

"At minimum." Obadiah almost growled, leaning forward into Tony's space slightly.

"Yep."

"Tony," came Obadiah's firm tone, sounding like he was lecturing a child. Tony hated it when he started talking like that, it reminded him of when his dad would talk down and dismiss his ideas. But he was determined not to give in this time. "We're a weapons manufacturer."

'No, not anymore,' Tony thought with exasperation. "Obie, I just, I don't want a body count-"

"That's-" Obadiah started trying to talk over him, but Tony carried on undeterred. He almost snarled, his throat tightened and the fingernails of his free hand dug into his palm.

"-to be our only legacy!"

"That's what we do. We're ironmongers, we make weapons."

"It's my name on the side of the building-" Tony pointed out. His name, his company and his decision. Obadiah would have to pry that from his cold, dead hands.

Vision grimaced, the bits of JARVIS's memories he had recovered hinted at how ready Obadiah was to do that.

Obadiah carried on as though he hadn't heard him, sounding like he was speaking to a particularly ignorant child. "And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos."

"Not from what I've seen." Wanda snarled, her own experiences with what she had thought to be SI weaponry and Stark's own, weighed heavily at the back of her mind.

"Not based on what I saw." Tony argued. He'd been there, he'd seen the way his weapons were being used. Something had gone wrong and he wouldn't be an engineer if he didn't fix it. "We're not doing a good enough job. We can do better, we're gonna do something else."

Wanda blinked and her lips parted in shock at how her words basically mirrored Tony's own.

"Oh, like what? You want us to make baby bottles?" Obadiah said dismissively.

"Oh my god... he's always putting him down and I'm sick of it." Peter hissed whilst he twisted his arms tightly around each other.

Tony inwardly seethed at the condescension. He released a hiss of breath between his teeth, his fingers forcefully uncurling and used the opening to present the idea swirling in his mind. "I think we should take another look into Arc Reactor technology."

"Oh, come on," Obadiah grinned and chuckled like Tony had made a joke. "The Arc Reactor, that's a publicity stunt!" He swung his arm out to gesture to the machine. "Tony, c'mon! We built that thing to shut the hippies up!"

Incredulous, Scott's eyebrows raised into his hairline as he looked back up at the arc before he gave a long, impressed, low whistle.

"It works." Tony said whilst looking up into the glowing blue.

"Yeah, as a science project!" Obadiah replied as he moved around behind Tony, "The Arc was never cost-effective. We knew that before we built it. Arc Reactor technology, that's a dead end, right?"

"Maybe,"

"Huh, am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in that, in what... 30 years?" He wheedled as Tony turned to face him.

"That's what they say," Tony narrowed his eyes sharply. "Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you?"

"Never mind who told me. Show me," he demanded, pointing to Tony's chest.

Winter growled at the obvious manipulation, "liars like him are always the worst ones, they let you see the harmless lies so you think you have them figured out. It makes them even more dangerous."

"It's Rhodey or Pepper?" Tony questioned, feeling a little stung. He'd told them both not to tell anyone. He had planned on telling Obadiah eventually, but he hadn't wanted him to know yet.

"I wanna see it." Obadiah demanded whilst deftly avoiding the question.

"Okay, Rhodey," Tony grimaced, knowing Pepper wouldn't have asked him to hid the fact that she had told him.

Rhodey shifted uncomfortably under some of the teams sharp looks. "He had me fooled as much as Tony and I thought he needed to know."

He removed the sling and unbuttoned the top two closures, eyeing the area uncomfortably to make sure no one else would see. Obadiah stared at the device before glancing around and stepping closer to Tony. He fiddled with reclosing the buttons on Tony's shirt as he gave a wide grin and a muffled laugh and threw a nervous look around the area.

"Eww...is it just me or is everyone else getting strong pervy vibes here?" Scott shivered.

"It's not just you." Rhodey answered in a strained voice that radiated discomfort as everyone else glared at Obadiah.

"It works," Tony said forcefully as he pushed down his rising discomfort and the odd urge to run before he became prey.

'This is ridiculous. It's only Obie. Stop it.'

Obadiah sighed and slung his arm around Tony, drawing him closer as Tony tensed. "Listen to me, Tony. We are a team, do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I."

"So now he plays the team card," Natasha sneered.

Tony wanted to curse at the mention of his father, he hated how Obadiah always insisted in bringing him up. It always had the effect of making him feel inadequate, bitter or raw.

The corner of Winter's mouth twitched upwards into a nasty sneer, he recognised immediately that Obadiah was again using the memory of Howard to manipulate Tony. 'Much like Pierce had done to me with Steve, in a more obvious way.'

"I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up, okay? But if I had…" 'You would've stopped me, you never would've let me do the conference.'

"Tony, Tony, no more of this 'ready - fire - aim' business. Do you understand me?"

"That was dad's line,"Tony smiled stiffly, wanting to scream at another comparison and the insinuation that he was being impulsive. He had had three months to think this over, he knew exactly what he wanted.

"You gotta let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now." Obadiah said, sounding concerned and caring. "We're gonna have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low."

Natasha scoffed at Obadiah's sudden change in tune. "Like he wasn't just completely against Tony's idea. It's clear he doesn't know the meaning of teamwork and he just wants Tony kept quiet and out of his way."


Scott heaved a sigh as their awareness once again formed inside the tight space of the car.

"Mr Hogan slide down the divider and take me to my office." Obadiah watched Happy do as instructed before he turned to Tony. "Tony you have been out of sorts ever since you've gotten back. I feel like there's something you're not telling me-"

Tony had to restrain a shiver when he felt Obadiah look to him and touch his leg in a gesture that he presumed was meant to be comforting but now only served to creep him out.

However his feelings of anger and suspicion weighed heavily on his chest like the arc.

"Focus on that feeling, friend Anthony." Thor rumbled worriedly, "pull yourself away from this fiend."

"Not nice being on the other foot is it?" He asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at Obadiah who drew the heavy hand away.

"What are you on about?" Obadiah asked, Tony noted something calculating enter his eyes back in response but it was difficult to tell what Obadiah was thinking at the best of times.

"In Afghanistan, the Ten Rings somehow managed to get a hold of a bunch of my weapons. I want to know how and why because I sure as fuck didn't approve of terrorists grabbing my stuff." Tony demanded angrily

"Neither did I." Obadiah frowned, he sighed and Tony thought he could see regret flash across the other man's face.

"He's a good actor." Natasha acknowledged coldly.

"Dude has to be half snake to slither his way out of this though." Clint had an element of forced hope in his voice. "Come on Tony."

"What? You know why they had it don't You?" Tony's voice dropped to a low warning growl. "Obie-"

"There was a stolen shipment about 4 months ago."

"I fucking knew it." Tony whispered as he slumped down in the seat.

"No you don't." Winter's lips twitched, it was a lie but one that could be plausible and what he knew would be a preferable alternative for Tony.

"God, Obie! Why would you cover that up?," Tony grit his teeth. "You know how damn stupid that is! I know you do. Fuck just telling me, you needed to report it to ITAR! How have they not started an investigation already?"

Sam chuckled, "He's caught, he's got to be caught. He can't talk his way out of this."

"Well until you announced it to the world, no one knew they had our weapons."

"How?" Tony yelled. "They blew up a convoy and killed dozens of people!"

Obadiah's lips thinned, "we said they were fakes, well made copies. It's not the first time people have tried to profit off fakes. There wasn't anything intact for them to examine anyway."

Wanda grimaced at remembering how she had been fooled by one of those fakes.

Tony shook his head askance, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

"I only hid it to protect you and the company. If people found out we'd been stolen from not only could we lose contracts but we'd be inviting more thieves. We can't show weakness Tony." Obadiah soothed, his tone dripping with 'I know what's best for you'. "I just wanted to protect you. And you know I like dealing with these issues myself, you had enough on your plate Tony."

Steve mentally shifted uncomfortably and resisted turning his awareness to Wanda, after Lagos and Sokovia he had actively done something similar with her and the media to shield her from what he believed were unfair consequences.

Tony's lip curled up slightly before he lent in towards him, "You know also that I am not a child. Your protection is not needed or warranted especially not in the case of my own stuff being taken. I trust you to deal with it on the condition that you tell me each time it happens and that you actually do your legally required job. You have violated that trust once. And you have covered up a crime. Report it, hand over the evidence to the authorities and maybe we can clean this up."

Tony gave him a long intense look that Obadiah matched and a very heavy silence fell between them.

"I know you've always put profits above just about everything else, but profits and your reputation do not come above the law. We are all accountable. This will not happen again." Tony was stiff as he waited for Obadiah's brief nod, then sighed tiredly. "It's only because of who you are that I am giving you a second chance. Don't fuck it up."

Sam let out an exasperated groan and swiped a hand down his face.

Bruce sighed heavily. "He's like weasel. Or a cockroach."

Meanwhile, Thor's lips twitched in understanding as he thought of Loki.

"I assure you, my boy I had only the best of intentions-"

"-Isn't that what they say about the road to hell?" Tony snarked in reply.

"That's certainly where he should be, if not in the pit." Peter muttered darkly under his breath.

Thor answered in with a thunderous voice. "I don't know about any pit, young Spider but it is my belief that Son of Stane's soul resides in Helhiem."

"I won't as you so eloquently put it 'fuck it up'." Obadiah smiled, he pat Tony's shoulder briefly before be looked out the window. "I should be arriving at the office soon. Tell me honestly, are you alright?"

"Fine."

"You don't appear fine to me. You forget I know you, Tony." Obadiah pressed, his voice rumbled with an authoritative yet gentle tone that he had heard often utilised both in the AI and the Human Jarvis's.

"Unfortunately so. Manipulative fuck." Sam hissed.

Normally that would have softened something in him but now it only made him feel more like an exposed nerve.

"I'm sorry but was being held captive for three months and having a device shoved in my chest not enough for you?! What do you want me to say-" Tony stopped himself and tried to contain the anger that had unexpectedly taken a hold of him again. "Sorry… I normally have more of a lid on it."

"Given the situation I'll forgive you." Obadiah's voice stayed warm and reassuring despite the hard offended edge. A strong feeling of regret swept through Tony's stomach.

"Remember we are in this together." He felt Obadiah's hand pat his own briefly and managed to direct what he thought was a realistic smile back. "You need to be open and honest me about what you intend to do forward."

"That goes both ways." Tony responded, he looked Obadiah up and down to try and detect any lie but all he could see was sincerity when Obadiah nodded his head.

"You'll have more luck drawing blood from a stone than having people like Stane be honest." Natasha sighed.

He felt something warm in his chest at his godfathers agreement before the car ground to a halt.

"We're here, Mr Stane." Happy's voice came over the cars intercom, "Can I raise the divide? It makes me feel weird not to know what you both are doing and saying back there."

Tony cringed at that, knowing that he only usually had the privacy window down when he decided to have a one night stand in the back of his car.

Clint inwardly snorted.

"Eww. Is that true?" Peter mentally turned to Rhodey and Vision for an answer, who both sent back impressions of a shrug, so he focused back to the scene.

The intense look Obadiah gave him did nothing but heighten the weird atmosphere. It made Tony feel on edge, like he was naked or being x rayed.

Reaching out, Obadiah pressed a button on the side of the window to lower the divide then he brought his hand to Tony's face.

"You are so much like your father, not just in appearance." Tony felt the bottom of his stomach drop out and he was sure it showed on his face. "He never liked asking for help either, that led to him dealing with a lot of things alone even though there were lots of people around him. Granted he never went through anything quite like you have but I don't want that for you."

Tony gave him a incredulous look, as he grasped Obadiah's hand and took it from his face. "Then come back with me. I'm sure the bots have missed you..."

'Don't leave me alone.'

Rhodey let out a long pained sounding exhale when he realised that was exactly what he and apparently Pepper, had done. Selfishly, he first hoped that Obadiah did leave Tony at this moment before remembering that being alone would be worse.

"Your recent publicity stunt has left me with a lot of work to do, my boy." Appearing firm, Obadiah stepped away from the car. "It can't wait otherwise we will be more of a laughing stock."

"Right." Tony nodded whilst he hastily rebuilt his uncaring mask. "I get it. Later Obie." Tony waved him goodbye before he slammed the door shut.


Tony walked into his large, open living room alone, looking around the seemingly untouched space as the lights brightened. He heard the door lock soundly behind him and his lips twitched sadly.

"Welcome home sir,"

Tony closed his eyes as he heard that voice for the first time in three months. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached up to loosen his tie and cleared his throat.

"It's good to be home J," he replied softly as he quickly blinked his eyes.

"Based on news reports, I calculated your safe return at 0.25%."

"Was it really that low?" Peter asked in a soft voice. Vision only nodded in response, his gem glowed slightly as a new selection of memories from his father were unearthed for him.

All that time JARVIS spent waiting and longing for Tony to be alright; trying to keep his siblings calm, finding out and assisting all he could with Colonel Rhodes's missions, making sure Peg Leg was keeping Daniel and Peggy informed of new developments and progress. The emotion's slammed into him like a ton of bricks.

Vision found that he had to consciously remind himself to breathe and focus on the sight of Tony in front of him. He felt himself shiver and his eyes stung harshly, although there was no physical reason for it.

Tony swallowed and twisted his tie as he heard the more robotic tone JARVIS was using. The young A.I. was trying to seem unaffected but Tony could practically feel the worry and fear he was trying to hide behind calculations.

Most people would say that JARVIS doesn't have emotions because he was an A.I. Tony knew better.

"That's actually quite a human response. A lot of people deal with things by using facts and distancing themselves like I was taught to." Natasha volunteered as she looked to Vision.

"I'm glad you both understand. Most people would have just used this as confirmation that AIs are less than 'real people'." Vision's gaze lingered on Steve for a moment longer than usual before he looked back to Tony.

"I missed you too," he said as he shrugged off his sling and rolled his shoulder, conscious of all his bodies various aches. He spoke softly but earnestly, "I'm back now, I'm here J. I'm safe and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Sometimes he wished he'd built JARVIS a body.

Bruce grimaced at that, he couldn't help but give Vision a subtle glance as he noted that the Android really wasn't what Tony had intended when he had put JARVIS in Utron's vision at all.

He waited longer than usual for an answer, no doubt JARVIS was running all manner of scans to ensure his health. The absence of an immediate answer was proof enough of how the last three months have impacted JARVIS. Sometimes it was easy to forget that for all JARVIS' development and that he wasn't human, he was only fourteen. In so many ways JARVIS was still just a child trying to figure himself and his emotions out.

Peter was suddenly very glad none of his teammates could see his face whilst he connected the parallels between himself, JARVIS and Tony thinking they had lost or actually lost their father figures at that age. 'I thought thirteen was meant to be the unlucky number not fourteen, fuck.'

"I'm detecting the presence of electromagnetic energy?"

Tony reflexively placed a hand over the reactor, "I'll explain that later J, but it's not a danger, promise."

JARVIS hesitated again, "very well."

Tony smiled weakly, "I'm home JARVIS."

JARVIS dropped the mechanical tone and stated softly, "they're waiting."

Amazed yet unnerved, Steve looked up at the ceiling where he supposed that JARVIS once resided. "He mimics humanity so well it's uncanny."

Thor gave a low, disgruntled laugh, "Aye… but JARVIS has a soul, so how could he not? Naturally made beings aren't the only ones with that essence, I've told you before."

He was still amazed and impressed that Tony was capable of creating such beings. Even Asgardians were not capable of creating beings capable of true emotions. Thor could not understand why the Captain was not as amazed as he was.

Despite the fact that Tony could see a small parcel on the other side of the room, he turned and headed straight to the lab. The parcel could wait.

The bots couldn't.


DUM-E, U and Butterfingers rushed him as he walked through the workshop doors. They circled around him whirring and beeping in their little language. They were happy and sad and frantic and it made his heart clench as he knelt and desperately stroked their arms.

Rhodey and Sam recognised scenes like this when they saw their comrades return home and their children had rushed up to them.

Recollecting fondly, Rhodey remembered that after some missions, his niece, Lily, would excitedly shriek his name and jump into his arms. The bizarre mental image of a bot trying to do something similar to Tony very nearly made him snort.

Meanwhile Clint's mind immediately went to the the Farm, and how excited his children were to see him again whilst fighting Ultron. Then there was the cruel reminder that excitement was gone after he had come back from Wakanda, all that he had faced was anger, resentment and distrust after he had broke their trust and left them for two years.

The bots babbled at him with with their mess of beeps, his mind translating bits of the chaos. "Missedyou,"he heard. "Worried… gone… where were you?… hurt?... home… stay… Daddy... Daddy. Daddy. Missed you daddy."

Having taken a stuttering inhale, Scott wrapped his arms around himself as he remembered Cassie's phone call to him when he got back. 'Why did you leave? You promised you wouldn't go away again. I missed you, daddy.'

Meanwhile Steve had to swallow a lump in his throat, 'Oh god. He was their dad… there's no denying it now.'

He glanced across to Vision who appeared to be struggling to hold himself together. Several members of the team, including Wanda and Bruce who could barely stand to look at each other on the best of days, had now moved to a position close to the Android where they could offer comfort if needed whilst they paid attention to the intimate scene before them.

Tony's throat clogged and his eyes stung as he leaned into one of their chassis. They closed in further around him, their claws touching and petting. Butterfinger's claw started running through his hair.

Normally he wouldn't let them call him that. He wasn't Howard and he was terrified of what being a father meant, certain that he would screw it up. But just this once, it didn't make his blood freeze.

He couldn't deny them this, not today.

It made his tears run faster, his throat clench around sobs and his nose clog. He clung harder to their metal bodies as they in turn pressed closer, enveloping him. It made his heart burn with something he couldn't describe.

The team felt uncomfortable to be watching something so intimate.

A wave of guilt went through Rhodey, he wondered if being there would have helped. He should have been there.

He sobbed harder as his body trembled, flashes of the last three months were chased away as the bots beeped and cooed, as Butterfingers gently clawed through his hair and U ran his claw softly down Tony's wet cheek, with DUM-E pressed tightly around him in a hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tony began babbling, "I won't leave again, I'm so sorry…"

Clint blinked at remembering holding his children similarly after he got home from Loki, although he was proud that he had never broken down quite like that.

JARVIS' voice washed warmly over them, "you're safe, you're home. Nothing will harm you here. We will protect you father."

A strangled sound came from Vision's throat, he stepped back but his wide eyes were stuck on Tony.

"Vis-" Wanda started in a soft voice.

"I remember this. I remember feeling this." Vision voiced in a shell shocked tone. "But the memory isn't mine… When the time came for me to step up later I didn't protect him. I didn't push enough-"

"-after Ultron, he didn't want you there. You told me." She tried to remind him.

"I should have insisted, held him like they did perhaps, like my uncles did or - or something of that nature." The fact that Vision had stuttered, his hands were shaking minutely and that his gem had taken on a brighter hue alarmed the group.

"Uncles?" Steve questioned quietly, he was ignored by Vision and most of the others but Winter who only shrugged in answer with a pensive look on his face.

"It would have only made things worse if you had. Here," Rhodey answered as he gestured to the bots, "he needed them and they weren't part of the trauma. You on the other hand were. So don't blame yourself for backing off after a while, it was the right call."

Vision stopped shaking.

His mask of dignified composure went straight back up, the only sign of his continued turmoil was the stubbornly shining gold stone in the centre of his forehead.

In that moment as he knelt surrounded by the bots with JARVIS watching over them, nothing else mattered to Tony, not the fact that his workshop was a mess, that Rhodey hadn't even talked to him after the conference, how Pepper had looked annoyed. Or that it was his first night back in three months and none of his friends were here.

Rhodey flinched.

Meanwhile, Thor thought of his family and how great a comfort his mother and his brother were to him until their untimely deaths.

He just clung to this tiny, cobbled together family that he had created with his own hands.

He was home.