A/N: TW: Mentions of flashbacks and mild panic attack. Gun violence and other violence occurs as well.
A few things:
1. I don't really understand politics. If the negotiations around the Accords aren't perfect, please know I did my best. I'm a work in progress.
2. I have a clear plan for how this will all unfold. Believe me... not all will be as it seems.
Chapter 3: Hopeless
Tony's head was throbbing. It was as if he could feel his own heartbeat behind his tired eyes. He grumbled a little as he listened to Sam Wilson try to be the voice of reason with Thadde-ASS Ross. The corners of his mouth turned up in mild amusement. " Thadde-ass Ross… I'm gonna have to tell the kid about that one," he thought, knowing Peter would find it amusing.
"Something funny, Stark?" the man barked at him in annoyance.
Tony scrubbed a hand over his face. "Maybe," he admitted. "But I doubt you'd laugh." He looked over at Sam Wilson, noticing that the other man was shooting him a look of disapproval. "Damn… Wilson really is the new Cap. He has Steve's bitch face mastered."
Ross interrupted his thoughts. "Well, while this may not seem serious to you, Stark, the rest of us are actually trying to be productive."
Nope. He disagreed, and he wouldn't let that slide. He was at his breaking point now. This had to end. "Productive?!" Tony nearly shouted. "You're calling the last hour productive?" He looked at the Avengers there with him. "We are the ones who are actually trying to make progress here, Ross. You're the one who is too damn stubborn about not getting your own way. The rest of us…" He pointed to the team and some other members of the Security Council. "... are ready to move forward. YOU are the one insisting on keeping us stuck on the same damn topic."
"Mr. Stark," Another member of the council reprimanded. He couldn't even remember her name. "Might I remind you that these proceedings are meant to be civil?"
Tony clenched his jaw tightly and took a deep breath. He looked like he was about to say something else, but Rhodes spoke instead. "I apologize on my friend's behalf, mam. What Tony is trying to say is that we are still focusing on the past when we should instead be discussing the future."
There were murmured agreements from the other Avengers that were there to support the amendments. Everyone was eager to see the changes made, so they were happy to come along and support Tony in his quest to make those changes happen sooner rather than later. Sam Wilson was sitting off to the left of Tony, at a table of his own, along with Bucky Barnes.
Rhodes was sitting to Tony's right at the same table. Behind Wilson and Barnes, Wanda Maximoff sat quietly, only there to speak up if they tried to bring up her old mistake in Lagos. Scott Lang had also tagged along and was sitting next to her. Behind Tony, a rather green Bruce Banner was there as well, his damaged arm still in a sling.
Barton was noticeably absent, but the man didn't much care to attend. He preferred to soak up every possible moment with his family, wanting to make up for lost time. He trusted his friends to settle the situation with the Accords once and for all.
Dr. Strange couldn't be bothered with the proceedings. The man was constantly going on about protecting their reality or something, spouting magical jargon that Tony had no time to even begin to understand. Tony was a man of science, logic, and numbers. He'd leave the mystical world to Strange.
Thor was off gallivanting around the cosmos with the Guardians of the Galaxy. It wasn't as if the God of Thunder had to be too concerned about the Accords anyway, especially if he wasn't spending time on Earth.
It was much the same for Carol Danvers, who spent most of her time off-world as well. Tony couldn't help but to feel a little bitter about her lack of involvement, though. Since the world learned that she snapped away Thanos and his goons for good, she was worshipped like a god. People praised her heroic efforts all over the planet, and it would sure be nice to have her influence to finally push the amendments through once and for all.
Perhaps that is what annoyed him more than anything else. He was Tony Stark! He shouldn't need anyone else's influence!
He sighed, missing Natasha. She would've found some way to manipulate Ross into just moving on by now.
He was pulled from his thoughts when Ross spoke again, his face red with anger. "Well, that would be convenient. Let's just forget all of the DAMAGE caused by the Avengers and their enhanced friends. It doesn't matter if there were INNOCENT people acting as collateral damage, right? They saved the universe, so ALL should just be forgiven?!" The man shook his head. "No… we MUST keep you all accountable. No one should enter a fight without explicit permission from this council!"
Tony shrugged, "At least you finally admit that we saved the universe."
Ross' face went darker, and he looked like he was ready to explode. "That wasn't a compliment, Stark! You don't get credit for fixing something that you broke in the first place!"
Rhodes frowned. "I wasn't aware that we were the ones to originally snap away half of all living creatures in the universe," he argued defensively.
"This isn't helping," the same council woman said again. Tony really wished he could remember her name. "Secretary Ross, are you seriously implying that the Avengers are responsible for what occurred as the result of an alien attack?"
"Of course I am!" The man replied in frustration. "If they are half the team that they claim to be, this never would've happened!"
"Ah hah!" Tony cried out, standing to his feet so quickly that his chair nearly fell over. "There it is! That is the problem, Ross. We WERE half the team… long before that big purple dinosaur snapped his fingers! And do you know who is responsible for that, Ross? You!" Tony shook his head. "You labeled Rogers and the others as criminals! We should've been fighting together, but YOU insisted on tearing us apart."
Ross scowled at the retired Iron Man. "Me?" He let out a humorless laugh. "Really, Stark? I don't think I am the one to blame for YOUR team falling to pieces. Remind me, Tony… who signed the Accords?"
Sam Wilson chimed in before Tony could argue back. "Tony's right," Wilson commented, earning a surprised look from the engineer. Sam shrugged, "It's true. Tony… and Steve, if we're honest… they didn't agree. We fought. We split apart. But, to Stark's point, YOU were the one who gave us something to fight about, and you gave us no shot of working things out. You wanted him to arrest us the moment we tried to step back on American soil."
Rhodes nodded. "You can't deny that, sir. You wanted me to arrest them after the first attack from Thanos' army… when we needed them the most!"
"And you deserved to be court martialed for ignoring that order!" Ross spat angrily. "Instead, you're all worshipped as heroes after failing so spectacularly in the first place."
"We are still talking in circles here," Bruce commented. The large, green man stood to his full height, stepping forward to stand next to Tony. "What we're saying is that the team needs the freedom to work together when a crisis occurs. We've seen just how bad things can get. Do you really want Earth's mightiest heroes to sit around twiddling their thumbs and waiting for approval before intervening? What if an even bigger threat attacks?"
That was a disturbing thought. Terrifying, actually. Was it normal for Tony's arm to tingle when he got anxious? He rubbed his right arm in discomfort.
Ross frowned as the security council made comments to one another and contemplated the Hulk's words.
Another member of the council (Tony thought his name might be Bast or Best or Beast or something) spoke next. "We've heard the proposal. The Avengers aren't asking to be let loose without consequences. They've agreed to remain accountable. I propose that we trust the Avengers to respond appropriately and immediately to any imminent threat. Afterwards, they will sit before this council and face any consequences that may be necessary."
Tony snapped his fingers at the man. "Exactly! Yes! The Avengers realize that it is our job to protect the people. If we hurt the people that we are trying to protect, then we agree to be held responsible for that."
"You can't just throw money at it, Stark!" Ross growled. "Those consequences will likely be more than just a fine and slap on the wrist!" He looked at the council members. "If innocent lives are lost, they deserve to face incarceration… just like anyone else!"
A few council members nodded. The woman spoke again. "Mr. Stark… Dr. Banner… please, have a seat."
The two friends shared a look, but then sat back down.
"Thank you," She smiled respectfully. "Most of us on this council…" She frowned at Ross. "... understand and appreciate the sacrifices that you've made." Ross grumbled but she continued. "However, we are responsible to the people we serve. They deserve to be protected." She glanced at Barnes, aware of his past. "Sometimes, feeling protected means that there are checks and balances in place to protect them if their heroes step out of line. It is not our intent to impede your ability to protect the people. Therefore, I say we take a vote to approve the following…" She took a deep breath. "... Anyone who signs the Accords reserves the right to respond when the people are in immediate danger. Once the threat is eliminated, those individuals will report to a delegate or delegates of this council to determine if there is need of a formal reprimand or hearing. If anyone causes unjust harm, they will be held accountable. They have a right to be tried before a jury of the people. And they will understand that the consequences could be as severe as being detained indefinitely." She studied the group. Upon hearing no objection, she said, "So… do we agree to vote on the matter?"
Tony cleared his throat. "I would like to make a request." He glared at Ross. "Secretary Ross doesn't have a good track record with the team. I would like to note that Ross should not be permitted to serve in any capacity where the Avengers must answer directly to him."
"Excuse me?!" Ross bellowed, clearly intending to interrupt.
Tony continued. "We will agree to literally anyone else. Ross' behavior has proved to be controlling. The Avengers, and any other enhanced individuals, are not his puppets. We cannot be ordered to stand against our own ever again."
The other man spoke… Tony was sure his name was Baste now… maybe. "Sounds fair. Are we ready to take a vote?"
"Now hold on just one damn minute!" Ross complained.
"Secretary Ross," the man continued. "You've had your chance acting in a supervisory role with the Avengers. Your history with them is less than ideal. If we have any hope of making progress with these Accords, then we need to give someone else a chance to serve in that position."
"My history? Wh-"
"-You're lucky to have the opportunity to remain involved at all," the council woman insisted, sending a disapproving look in the arrogant man's direction.
"You can expect me to have words with the President about this," Ross complained.
"And it will change nothing," she insisted.
Tony really liked her. She had the same steel and grit as Natasha Romanoff. He really should make a point to learn her name.
Colonel Rhodes cleared his throat. "So… you'll take a vote, then?"
The council members nodded. "Indeed," the woman affirmed. "All in favor of approving the First Amendment of the Sokovia Accords-"
A shrill ringing sound interrupted the proceedings, making Tony blush when he realized that it was his phone.
Ross scoffed in annoyance. "Leave it to Tony Stark to cause an interruption." He waved a hand at the phone. "Please… don't let us distract you from your call, Stark!"
Tony frowned. "It's set to remain silent unless there's an emergency. I assure you that it wouldn't be going off unless there was a problem."
The members of the security council sent one another nervous glances. "Go ahead, Mr. Stark. What appears to be the trouble?" the woman asked him.
"Oh god," Tony muttered, barely loud enough for those around to hear. He was pulling up holographic images above his phone screen. His friends anxiously looked over his shoulder, craning their necks to see the situation.
"Is that the museum?" Barnes asked, sending a worried look over towards Sam.
"Don't just stand there all slack-jawed, Stark! Tell us what's happening!" Ross commanded impatiently.
Tony sent an annoyed glare to Ross before looking back at the device in his hand, manipulating the images in hopes of getting a better idea of exactly what he was seeing. "It's the Infinity War Museum upstate," he explained. "My A.I. indicates that a large group of unknown individuals just entered into the building with a small arsenal."
"What the hell?" Sam muttered in surprise. "Who would do something so… stupid?"
Bucky shrugged next to him. "Maybe they got a little confused about where they are?"
"What could they even want there?" Wanda asked. "There is nothing but old equipment and useless replicas."
Bruce frowned. "I don't like it."
"Me either," Rhodes agreed.
"Uh guys... " Scott spoke up. "... maybe we should do something about that. Isn't Midtown there today?" he asked, knowing Peter's school was going. His own daughter was jealous, wishing her school wasn't on the other side of the country. Cassie and Peter texted and stayed in touch, so he knew for sure this was the day Peter's classmates were visiting.
Tony paled, fearful for Peter and Steve. "We should go," he said, preparing to make his exit.
"Stop!" Ross called, halting the group of heroes in their tracks. "You have no right to storm out of here and investigate. No vote was taken, and you are still under our jurisdiction!"
Various members of the council looked at each other in discomfort, unsure of how or if they should really get involved and stop them.
"That's our museum!" Tony argued. "That's my building! I have every right to be there!" He looked around frantically. "Plus… I signed! Rhodes signed… we're going!" He and Rhodes made a move to leave.
"I thought Iron Man was officially retired, Stark? Inactive… merely a representative overseeing Avengers business?" Ross questioned with an accusing tone, probably in hopes of catching Tony in some kind of lie.
"For Christ's sake, man!" Tony threw his hands in the air in frustration, turning a bright shade of red that was sure to compete with the green color of Banner's skin. "This IS Avengers business! Inactive or not, this is my business! There is a school visiting the museum today! We need to stop this before it goes too far."
"Wrong!" Ross persisted. "We need to stop you before YOU go too far!" He looked toward the council members. "A break-in with armed individuals is a matter for the police or FBI. There is no reason for the Avengers to intervene. This is not some alien invasion!"
Boost… Bost?... whatever his name was… he spoke next, looking concerned. "Mr. Stark. Do we have any reason to believe that these individuals are enhanced or inhuman?"
"Seriously?" the hero asked in confusion. "Is that important right now? These guys are practically coming into our house and threatening our guests! I don't care if they're nuns, I'm going to stop them!" He took a few steps towards the door before Ross was shouting at him again.
"STARK! If you interfere in a police matter without authorization, you are in direct violation of the Accords!"
Tony spun around. "You've got to be kidding! You all were literally just about to approve the amendment! This falls under that change! If I'm out of line, you can punish me later."
The woman who previously spoke on their behalf frowned. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. That amendment hasn't officially gone through. Even if it does, there doesn't seem to be clear indication that the occupants of the museum are in imminent danger. I must agree with Secretary Ross. We need to give the authorities a chance to take care of this situation."
"Not in imminent danger?" Rhodes spoke up. "No disrespect, but I think you missed the part about these people entering inside with a small arsenal. We have the opportunity to intervene before it becomes any more dangerous than it already is for the visitors inside."
"Stand down! That is an order!" Ross insisted.
Tony growled in frustration and lifted a hand to pull at his hair anxiously. "We don't have time to argue about this!"
"Notify the authorities, Mr. Stark. At least start there. If necessary, you may yet intervene," the councilwoman assured him.
He shook his head. "I don't need to call them. My system is set up to alert the police immediately if there is any suspicious activity."
"So what's the problem, Stark!? Let them do their job. I'm sure they'll notify you if they need any information from you." The Secretary of State looked far too smug as he said this.
Tony hated Ross. No. He loathed the man. Despised him with every ounce of his being. If that pompous ass hadn't slowed down the proceedings earlier, they might have pushed the amendment through by now. They would be free to ask forgiveness rather than await permission. "This is Peter! The kid might need me… I cannot let anything happen to him!" These thoughts were swimming through his mind as his best friend laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Again…" Rhodes tried. "I respectfully disagree. We should at least make our way up there so that we can offer assistance. Even if it is just from the outside. That is our turf. We can help make sure that no one gets hurt."
"I agree," Sam added. "I know most of us have yet to sign since we were waiting for the amendment to go through. We don't need to actively participate, but we can certainly provide assistance to the police."
Ross shook his head. "Bullshit! No way you will sit outside quietly and let the police handle the scene. Your presence will simply serve as a distraction and put people at risk. You will stay here and let them do their job."
"God damn it!" Tony cursed, gripping his phone like a lifeline. He tapped the screen and addressed his A.I., not caring if the officials in the room could hear. "FRIDAY, I need updates. Be my eyes, girl. What the hell is going on inside that museum?"
Peter's chest was tight with anxiety. His spidey sense was screaming at him to move… do something! But he couldn't do anything, and the inactivity was practically causing his muscles to spasm and twitch in response.
"Deep breaths, son," Caps voice directed him softly. "Just stay calm, Peter."
Peter nodded at him, forcing himself to take a slow, deep breath.
Ned whimpered nearby. "Peter…" He whispered to him, fear evident in his shaking voice. "Peter… wh- what do we do?"
The sound of his best friend's anxious voice halted his attempt to be calm. His breathing picked up again and he lifted his head to watch the intruders. He frowned as he saw a few of them carrying thick zip ties in their direction. He turned his nervous eyes to meet Steve's blue ones, noticing that the old Captain looked equally unsettled.
Steve did his best to give him an encouraging look. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the woman's harsh voice.
"Listen up!" She called out. "In a moment, my team will be collecting all cell phones, smart watches, or other tech you might try to use to communicate with someone outside. The only people you need to listen to are in this building! My team gives the orders around here now!" She smirked at Steve. "We're your new tour guides for the foreseeable future. The only thing that matters here is the truth!"
Peter frowned. "The truth? What the hell?"
He noticed that his older companion looked equally confused.
The scary lady continued. "Once my team has collected your devices, they will be securing you and moving you deeper inside the museum." She glared at them all. "It would be in your best interest to comply. We have no qualms about hurting any of you. Make no mistake… we will do WHATEVER it takes to get the answers we want."
"Shit," Peter breathed out nervously, looking around the room at all of the scared faces.
In addition to his school, there were other hostages. It appeared to be mostly families or young couples who were taking advantage of a nice day trip to the new museum. Peter's heart broke as a young girl (no older than Morgan) whimpered in fear. There had to be at least 20 others in addition to his classmates. He had a sick feeling that these people wouldn't hesitate to hurt or kill any of them. His senses told him they were all in very real danger.
He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't see the man and woman who approached to collect his stuff. "Hand it over!" The woman said. She had long, blonde hair that was falling down her back in a tight braid. She was wearing a baseball cap and bandana over the lower part of her face. Her hazel eyes glowed with anger and hatred, so much so that it shocked him. He had no idea what could make someone look at a teenager with that much disdain.
"NOW!" Her companion ordered.
Peter and his friends fumbled to comply with the directive, their shaking hands struggled to grab and surrender their electronic devices.
"Throw it in the bag! Let's go!" The man ordered. He was shorter than the woman, but his shoulders were broad. The man was built like an ox, and Peter had no doubt that he could hurt his friends if he wanted to. He was wearing a baseball cap and bandana just like the woman. He thought perhaps they entered with the dark-haired leader. Surely someone would've noticed their disguises if they were just wandering around inside like that. He decided to call these two Ox and Blondie.
Ox had dark brown eyes that were now looking at Peter in annoyance. "Take off that fancy looking watch, dumbass! It goes in the bag!"
"Damn it! Not good!" Peter thought as he forced himself to remove the watch. He and Mr. Stark designed it together. There were nanobots within the watch that could form a new prototype of his web shooters. All he had to do was smack his wrists together and the nanobots would form one on each wrist.
He caught a sympathetic look from Steve as he gave it over. He felt naked without it.
"Hold up!" the leader lady called, stepping over to them. "Did you get the old man's phone yet?"
"Right here, boss," Blondie told her, holding up the device in question.
Boss lady snatched the phone from Blondie. She smirked at Steve. "Pretty nice tech for an ancient old man like you." She eyed him suspiciously. "You're the tour guide for this group, right?"
Steve kept his mouth shut and simply nodded his head in confirmation, a quiet defiance detectable in his demeanor. Even as an old guy, it had to be difficult for Captain America to stand back and let this happen.
A taller man with an uncovered face stepped closer, he simply wore a beanie and a pair of glasses. If that was his attempt at a disguise, Peter thought it was pretty pathetic. Peter couldn't see his hair, but the guy had freckles on his face that made him look deceptively innocent. "Boss… I was listening to this guy as he came inside. He talks like he knows Stark and the Avengers well," Freckles reported.
"Oh… so he was already inside," Peter thought.
"Hmm…" the boss lady hummed (he really needed a better name than boss lady). She eyed the phone carefully. "Is Stark's number on this phone?"
Steve stayed quiet, merely glaring at Boss Lady.
Oh yeah, Captain America still had fire in those eyes.
Boss Lady let out an impatient sigh, pulling out her gun. Peter's senses sent a sharp warning through his core, but he forced himself to remain still as she pressed the cold metal into Peter's forehead.
"Everyone stay where you are! Chill the F out!" The memory surged through Peter's mind without warning, making him shiver. This wasn't Quill. This woman would most definitely hurt him. He needed to focus. He didn't have time to deal with flashbacks right now.
"Alright," Steve put his hands up. "No need to threaten the boy. Put the gun down and I'll answer any question you have."
Boss lady cocked the gun. "Tell me what I want to know."
"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear I'm gonna french fry this little freak." Peter squeezed his eyes shut. Now really wasn't the time! Focus, Peter! Breathe! If Quill freaked him out on the spaceship upon their first meeting, then this lady was beyond terrifying.
"His number is on the phone, but I will have to unlock it. It uses both facial and voice recognition." Steve told her, sounding more nervous. "Now, please… lower the gun."
She glared at him, calculating whether or not he might be trying to trick her. She let out an agitated breath before finally lowering the weapon. Neither Peter nor Steve had time to feel relieved, however, because she then swung her hand up hard and cold-cocked Peter on the side of the head, near his left ear. Peter's senses had tried to warn him, but he ignored it thinking it was because there had just been a deadly weapon pressed to his forehead a moment before.
The young hero dropped to the ground as Steve and his friends called out his name in horror at the rough treatment. Peter lifted a hand to the wound and fought the dark fog that threatened to overtake him.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" Steve bellowed, sounding far more menacing than any man over one hundred probably should.
The woman stood dangerously over Peter's prone form. "Next time, don't make me ask twice." The old Captain and the woman stared at each for a few beats, as if threatening the other person to make a move. Steve broke her gaze and sighed, he couldn't risk Peter's safety.
"Fine," Steve relented. "What do you need me to do?"
She smiled at him with sickening sweetness, took a step away from Peter, and passed the device back to Steve. "Unlock this." She looked at Ox. "As soon as he has that open, have him alter the settings to keep it unlocked."
"You got it," the man confirmed, keeping a firm grip of his own weapon.
Steve wanted to argue. It wasn't a good idea for these people to have full access to his device. It wasn't just Tony's number on this phone. Not to mention that Tony's drones could be controlled by the device. However, he took one look at Peter and complied. The teenager was down on his side with his knees pulled towards his chest, holding his head and groaning in pain. He could see that the hit had been hard enough to break the skin as blood trickled out beneath his fingers. He promised Tony that he would look after his kid, so that is exactly what he needed to do.
He let a nervous sigh as he glanced at the modern device in his hands. He lifted it so that his face filled the screen and muttered, "Grandpa." Blushing a little as Blondie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Tony thinks it's funny," he shrugged.
As soon as the phone screen powered on, Ox snatched it away. As he was giving orders for Steve to help him keep it unlocked, Blondie started to secure the wrists of those around them with the zip ties. Fortunately, the hands were secured in front.
Peter forced himself to take deep breaths to fight the nausea that threatened to overtake him. He hated taking hits to the head. He would heal quickly enough, but the dizziness and nausea were always annoying. He noticed that Blondie was just about to secure his wrists when Freckles started speaking again.
"You should be careful with that one, Boss," the man called out. Both Blondie and the Boss Lady turned to give him questioning looks. Freckles nodded towards the pictures on the wall. "Looks like that one has some value to our dear Iron Man."
Boss Lady glanced towards the wall, moving to take a closer look at the dedication and sentiments that Mr. Stark had placed there just for Peter.
Peter looked up towards Steve from his position on the floor. "Oh shit," Peter thought, sending a nervous look to his friend.
Steve didn't look any happier about it. By now, Ox was moving away with Steve's unlocked phone and tucking it into his pocket for safe keeping.
Boss lady chuckled. "Well, well, well…" she shrugged, moving back in their direction. She sauntered over looking far too pleased. She raised her chin to Blondie. "Please be sure to take extra special care of this one, Marna."
Blondie, or Marna apparently, smiled cruelly. "With pleasure, mam." She immediately grabbed at Peter's wrists and roughly forced them together before securing the zip tie until it was far too tight. Peter hissed in pain, but kept his mouth shut. He could easily break this apart or push her away, but Steve was giving him a look that clearly communicated Peter's need to play along.
The Boss Lady was glancing between Peter and Steve, clearly realizing that there was more to figure out about their connection. She looked at Ox and Marna. "Keep these two together." She looked around the room and Peter followed her gaze. In all the confusion (and thanks in large part to his throbbing skull), he missed the fact that every hostage was now secured and being moved. "Alright, team… let's keep this moving. I have a call to make."
Ox roughly manhandled Peter to his feet as Marna was now securing Steve's wrists with the zip ties. The two undercover Avengers stayed quiet, opting to instead observe what was happening as they were ushered forward.
The hostages were taken deeper inside the museum, and away from the doors. People were being separated into groups anywhere from 2 to 4 people and propped around various exhibits. Peter would've been impressed if the situation weren't so dire. Not by the cruelty of their captors, but by the exhibits dedicated to each Avenger.
Uniforms and gear were on display for every one of them, encased in glass and viewable from all sides. It was amazing. If these people hadn't shown up, Peter would've been thrilled to check it all out.
He was pulled from his thoughts as he and Steve were roughly pushed to the floor in front of one of the cases. Peter couldn't help but to glance over his shoulder to see which Avenger's display was there. He barely concealed a bark of laughter upon the discovery that it was Steve's uniform from the battle and his broken shield. The older man, however, was clearly far from amused.
Apparently, the intruders weren't done securing them. As soon as they were on the floor, Marna and Ox bent down to zip tie their ankles together. As this was happening, Peter glanced around and noticed that all hostages were getting the same treatment. Flash, Ned, MJ, and Mr. Harrington were together about 10 yards away from them. They were situated in front of another display case. This time, Peter could've cried because, of course, they were placed in front of his own Spider-Man display. From what Peter could see, Mr. Stark had put a lot of time and attention into his display. There was a replica of the Iron Spider suit visible. Plus, there was some of his old gear and trinkets surrounding the suit. A thrill of excitement went through Peter as he saw an older version of his web shooters. His fingers were tingling as he itched to get his hands on those. Or… maybe the feeling in his fingers was simply from lack of circulation.
Peter almost laughed again when he noticed Flash craning his neck and looking over his shoulder in an attempt to better view the Spider-Man display that he was parked in front of. Instead, he was pulled from his thoughts as Ox kicked at his feet. "There!" He grumbled. "I don't expect that you'll be going anywhere soon. Sit tight, boys." At that, the man turned away to assist others with securing the hostages.
For now, Steve and Peter had some level of privacy and Peter couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped from his lips. "You alright, Queens?" Steve asked gently. "The cut on your head looks painful. I'm sorry about that," he confessed, sounding guilty.
Peter shrugged. " -t's no' y'ur fault," he told him. His voice sounded far more slurred and shaky than he would've liked. He cleared his throat a little and tried again. "I… I heal quickly. It's f-fine."
The captain frowned. "That may not be such a good thing. Let's hope no one notices."
It took Peter a moment to realize that Steve was talking about his accelerated healing. If at all possible, he paled a little more at the thought. It could be awfully hard to explain if his skin decided to knit itself back together too soon. "Yeah…" Peter agreed, carefully pulling his legs up so that he could rest the uninjured side of his head on his knees. He studied Steve Rogers for a moment. "... we're in a bit of trouble here, aren't we?"
Steve had been scanning the room, but stopped and turned towards Peter. He gave him a sad smile and chuckled softly. "I would say that is a bit of an understatement, Mr. Parker." He studied Peter a little more, and his face grew concerned. "You sure you're gonna be alright? You look… far away, kid."
"Hm?" Peter frowned. He was literally sitting right next to the man. Oh wait, that's not what Steve means. It was entirely possible that he was slightly concussed. "Uh… yeah. My head hurts, but it will be fine. Honestly."
Steve shook his head. "Tell me what you're really thinking, Peter."
"Everyone stay where you are! Chill the F out!" Peter frowned and let out a shaky breath when the old memory returned once again. "It's like… sometimes the past gets… it gets all mixed up in the present." He shut his eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I won't be much help getting us out of this one. I'm a mess."
He kept his eyes closed, but he sensed the older man shuffling closer. "Peter…" A pause. "Peter, look at me."
He peeled his eyes open, hoping to keep tears at bay.
"You don't need to do anything right now. We're going to wait for the others, okay? There isn't anything that we can do here," Steve explained.
"But I'm…" Peter lifted his chin in the direction of the Spider-Man display. "Once my head isn't spinning so much, I can help. I can't just let these people hurt my friends."
Steve shook his head and glanced over their shoulders, nodding towards the Captain America gear behind them. "You think this is easy for me? I get it, Peter, but…" He broke off and studied the room again. The woman was still barking orders and making sure the hostages were spread out and secure. "... assess the situation, Peter. What do you see?"
Peter blinked in surprise as his companion had suddenly gone into full Captain America mode. Steve was giving him an expectant look, so he tried to answer. "Um… I see over a dozen of armed intruders, and they're securing hostages."
"What else do you notice?" Steve prompted.
Peter frowned. "We're being separated… spread apart." Steve was quiet, expecting him to continue. Peter focused in on another sense and listened. "Boss Lady is telling her goons to make sure everyone is tied at their hands and feet. She wants no mistakes." He focused. "I think… I think I can hear people outside, too." He gave Steve a hopeful look. "I think the police are here." The hope died instantly. "They can't come in here. It's too risky."
Steve nodded in agreement. "And what makes it too risky?"
Peter looked around again and growled in frustration. "It would be impossible to get to the hostages without other ones being threatened. That's why they're spreading us out."
"Agreed," Steve told him. "Although, I doubt the police are the ones to worry about. They'll secure the scene, but I think our hosts are far more worried about our friends trying to bust in here."
"And they could never get to us all at once," Peter added, picturing the Avengers attempting a rescue.
"Bingo." Steve took a deep breath. "I hate to say this, but these people were smart. They clearly have a plan here. We just have to trust the team to make a plan of their own and get us out." He studied Peter again. "And no good can come out of us trying anything, either. If I break out, there will be questions. Questions that I cannot answer. And you? If you bust out, they could kill some of your classmates before you ever get a chance to help them all. We need to wait this out, Peter. Do you understand?"
Peter swallowed nervously. "Yes, sir." Captain America was seriously intimidating when he wanted to be.
The older man softened his features. "Good. Now… let's address when the past gets mixed up in the present. Do you know what triggers it?"
Peter closed his eyes, feeling pathetic. "I mean… I don't know. It just… happens?"
It was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, son. I had no idea it was that bad." Steve lifted his bound hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes. "I never should've agreed to bring you here. I'm sorry. Those battle holograms couldn't have helped."
Peter thought for a moment. "Actually… that wasn't too bad." Steve gave him a surprised look, and Peter continued. "It was kinda nice to see what happened from another point of view, honestly." He shrugged. "I just wish… I just wish we could… you know, be more… accurate about it all." It was challenging to find a nice way to say, "We shouldn't have to lie."
"I understand," Steve told him. "It's not easy."
Peter swallowed hard, forcing himself not to cry. He would NOT let himself cry. He kept his voice just barely above a whisper, not wanting to be heard. "But… do you understand, sir? Can you understand? I literally woke up 5 years in the future, and I can't even talk to anyone about how it actually happened."
Steve smiled gently and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Try waking up 70 years in the future."
Peter lowered his head at that. Of course, Steve knows better than anyone what it is like to fell out of place and in the wrong time.
"I'm sorry, Peter… I didn't mean for it to come off sounding like a competition. 5 years is a long time, and your circumstances are different." The older man shook his head sadly, "It's not easy living in this world, son. I'm sorry for all you've had to go through. It's far more than anyone your age should have to deal with." Steve gently used his shoulder to nudge the young man next to him. Peter looked up at him, his eyes sad. "You can talk to me, Queens. I'm old and enjoy the company."
That made Peter smile a little. He enjoyed the older man's company as well. "Thanks, Grandcap," he told him quietly.
After that, they sat quietly for a bit, each one trying to shift into a more comfortable position. They kept their eyes on the woman and her team of armed misfits. Most weapons looked pretty straight forward: handguns and a few semi-automatics… a taser here and there. And yet, Peter was sure that he caught sight of different weapons earlier. They still carried bags. He couldn't be sure, but he suspected that they had something far more dangerous up their sleeves.
His senses flared as the Boss Lady stepped back towards them with Ox nearby. "Comfortable?" She teased.
The question set off some kind of snarky reflex for Peter, the kind he uses when he hides his nerves behind Spider-Man's quips. "Very cozy," he told her, adjusting his bound hands a little. "I guess you're really going for that 5-star rating, huh?"
Her mouth quirked into an amused grin. "I see someone is feeling better." She knelt down in front of him so that she could poke at the cut on his head. "That's the thing with head wounds. The smallest little inconvenience can make the most trouble… it just gets messy." Her hand fell to his shoulder as she used her thumb to scrape at some dried blood on the collar of his shirt.
Peter hadn't even noticed that the blood had made its way to his clothes. However, he somehow felt like her words weren't solely related to the cut on his head. He had a feeling that she was, in fact, calling him an "inconvenience." The hint of warning in her tone let him know that it would get even messier if he caused even a hint of trouble for her. He suspected the same thing was meant for Steve.
His suspicions were confirmed when she suddenly gripped his chin and forced him to look at her. "But you won't make any trouble for me, will you?" Peter frowned as she started to caress his cheek. "Are you going to be a good boy?" she asked.
Peter's mouth went dry as he stared into her cold, green eyes. He simply nodded his head at first.
"Use your words, little boy, Will you be good?" She squeezed his face roughly as she awaited his response.
Peter glanced over to Steve, noticing that the man seemed to be holding back a few biting words of his own, if the clenched jaw and tight lips were any indicator. He lifted his eyes back to the Boss Lady. "I won' be 'ny tr'uble," Peter muttered out. It wasn't easy with the crazy woman squeezing his face so tightly.
She feigned a sweet smile. "Good." She released his face and gave his cheek a small slap as she stood back to her full height. "Then I expect no more smart remarks out of you."
As she took a step towards Steve, Peter caught a glimpse of his best friend. Ned looked pale and anxious, and Peter was quite sure that his friend was shivering with nerves. He did his best to offer him a reassuring smile before turning his head to see what was happening with Steve.
Boss Lady had grabbed Steve's phone back from Ox, and she currently seemed to be looking for his contacts. "Now then… Tony Stark's number better be in here, old man." She glared at him. "If it's not, I WILL kill you." She scrolled around for a bit and then said, "Here we are… let's see…" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Oh she had definitely found the contact list, no doubt about that.
"Banner… Barton… Bucky… " She scrolled. "Lang… Maximoff… Rhodes… Stark… Wilson…" She clicked her tongue. "My oh my… you sure have a lot of Avengers in your phone, Gramps." She studied him, looking even more suspicious. "Who the hell are you?"
Peter thought the mere fact that Bucky Barnes was the only contact listed by nickname instead of by last name could be a pretty big hint. And yet, she (fortunately) still seemed clueless.
The older man cleared his throat and prepared his answer. He wasn't going to risk Peter's safety again by dodging her question. "I'm Steve. I've known the Stark family for years. I've supported the Avengers since they went on their very first mission. When Tony wanted to build this museum to commemorate the events of the Infinity War, he asked me to act as tour guide. Very few people know the team like I do."
Peter felt a cold sweat break out and trickle down his back as he sat there… in front of the display for Captain America… as Steve Rogers was literally holding very little information back about who he was. "I'm gonna die," Peter thought. "Again."
"Just Steve?" She queried.
Steve swallowed nervously, and Peter closed his eyes and held his breath. If he was forced to give his last name, then it was game over.
"Well… just… Steve the tour guide, mam" He tried, seeming to try to make himself sound smaller and appear more helpless. What harm could an old man do anyway, right?
"Hm… Well, Steve the tour guide. I want answers. I planned to call Stark, but… perhaps I should try one of these other numbers?"
"Tony…" Steve suggested. "Uh… I would call Tony Stark."
She smiled at him again, her green eyes twinkling dangerously. "You're probably right. After all, I have his lifelong old friend and his.,." She eyed Peter again. "... just what are you to him anyway, boy? Intern? Son?" She licked her lips. "His play thing?"
Peter flinched at the implication of the last suggestion. This woman oozed danger. She expected an answer, so he followed Steve's example and went with the most honest one. "I'm… uh… I guess you could say I'm family. Just… not by blood."
She seemed pleased by the answer. "Well, there we have it. A family friend and family member." She smiled at her team. "This really is going to be my lucky day. I may just get what I want after all." Without wasting anymore time, she pressed on Tony's number and let it ring through the speaker so that everyone could hear.
"Oh god," Peter thought. "Please don't answer as if you think it's Cap." He had this sick feeling that his mentor might answer with one of the nicknames reserved specifically for Captain America. These people did not need any more clues about who the older man truly was.
Soon there was an audible click as the phone was answered. Peter's heart skipped a few beats as he waited to hear Mr. Stark's voice. "Steve?"
"Thank god. He must know what's happening. He would never answer the phone without a lame nickname unless he suspected it wasn't really Cap calling," Peter thought. He caught Steve looking equally relieved out of the corner of his eye.
"Hello, Stark. Sorry to disappoint you, but your buddy is a little tied up right now," Boss Lady cackled cruelly.
"You're kidding, right? Was that line supposed to be clever?" There was a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Let me save you some time, sweetheart. I know you broke into our museum. I know you have hostages. Let's skip the monologue and get to the part where you tell me who you are and what the hell you want so we can get everyone home."
Boss Lady didn't like that at all. "You don't seem to realize the gravity of the situation, Stark. If you did, you wouldn't be so quick to tell me what to do."
"I understand just fine. I've been down this road before. You're not the first person to want something from me, lady. I'm just trying to get to the part that includes real answers. How about we start with a name… yours preferably."
"DON'T act like this will be predictable for you, Stark! You have no idea what's coming for you."
Tony practically growled on the other end of the phone. "So enlighten me… seriously, we're dancing around in circles. I'm dying to know."
"You'll know me quite well, I think," She said after a moment. "I was on the verge of releasing a ground-breaking technology before the Avengers stepped in and ruined everything."
"I still didn't hear a name…"
"Oh, come on… Surely, the great Tony Stark can guess."
Tony cursed on the other end. "... and here comes the monologue no one asked for."
"Shut up!" Boss Lady growled. "You know me… you ALL know me."
Peter and Steve shared a quick look. Neither one had a clue who this crazy woman was.
She continued. "I was going to help people… take away all of their pain. No more grief over lost loved ones. All the pain… forgotten!" She began pacing back and forth. "All they needed to do was download my app!"
"You're that woman that wanted to erase people's memory with her tech, aren't you?"
"There was a plan! We had a plan, and you ruined it! You people destroyed my name and my life's work!" She cried.
"I gotta be honest with you… I'm having a little trouble with names today. It was like a holiday or something, right?"
Boss Lady was not amused. Her cheeks flushed red and her green eyes were full of fury. "Valentine! My name is Grace Valentine! Don't you people even have the decency to know whose life you're ruining?!"
"Valentine! That's the one. Listen, Grace… your tech was dangerous. We spoke out against it, and your idea didn't go through. These things happen. Why don't you let those people go and come by Stark Industries some time? I'm sure we can help you come up with something better."
Grace shook her head wildly. "I'm sure you would love for it to be that easy. As if I'm going to walk my ideas into your company!" She sighed. "Besides, this isn't just about how you ruined my work! You ruined so many lives with your arrogance and heroics! Did it ever occur to you to give the people a choice? Maybe they didn't want people disappearing and reappearing without warning! Maybe there were better ways to move on, but, no… leave it to the Avengers to decide what is best for the people!"
"I'm not following you, Grace. If you don't want tech, what do you want? Good, old-fashioned revenge? Fine… come and get me. Leave those people alone. I'll send you an address and leave my door unlocked. I've got a bad habit of doing things like that with people who hate me. You might recall that little incident with the Mandarin?"
"Shut up!" Grace complained. "Now who's the one monologuing, Stark?" She paced around, pulling out her gun and holding it in her right hand while the phone was held up in her left. "I'm a woman of science and numbers, Stark. Not so different from you. My issue is with heroes that no one asked for… doing things we didn't ask you to do! You claim to be the saviors of this world… hell… you claim to be saviors of the whole damn universe! Well… I don't buy the story that you assholes are selling. Not one bit! The variables don't add up!"
"Just what is it that you are accusing us of?"
"LIES!" Grace yelled, hurting Peter's sensitive ears.
She wasn't totally wrong. After all, Peter had just been talking to Cap about those lies and how much they bothered him. His senses were dialing up rapidly. Her heightened agitation and the gun in her hand did nothing to calm Peter's nerves.
Valentine continued. "You people stepped in, saved the day, but your story… The heroics don't make sense. I want the truth! We all want the truth!"
"Grace… This has been a long day, and I'm getting to be an old man. I really need you to be more specific. Just what is it that you think we need to come clean on here?"
"Where are the Infinity Stones, Stark?" Valentine demanded.
"Well, shit!" Peter thought. He didn't see that coming.
"Excuse me?" Tony asked, not even trying to hide his surprise.
"Do you honestly believe that we would fall for the lie about Captain Marvel using the stones to destroy the stones?! What kind of lame bullshit is that? You people are hiding those stones, and we deserve to know what you did with them!"
"Those cursed stones no longer exist, Grace. That's the truth! Believe me… we NEVER want to lay eyes on those things ever again. And since they're gone, we don't have to see them! We prefer it that way. No one needs that kind of power."
"LIES! It's all lies! You will bring us those stones or else your kid, your senior citizen pal, and all these innocent people will start painting these floors with their blood. Do you understand?!"
"No… not really. I can't bring you something that doesn't exist!" Tony sounded desperate now. "What is it that you think I can do? Manufacture the most powerful stones to ever exist out of dirt? They're gone! Finito! Over! I cannot give them to you because it is a literal impossibility." Tony sighed. "Are you sure you don't want to make a deal about your tech?"
"Once I have the stones, my old work won't matter to us anymore!" Grace told him. She gripped her gun tightly. "Are you refusing to bring me the stones, Stark?"
"Are you deaf? I can't!"
"Then someone dies!" Grace swung her gun around wildly, looking for a victim.
"Woah, No! Let's talk about this. Maybe we can get you something else?"
"No! We want those stones! Nothing else matters! Whoever has those stones has the power! You will bring them to me!"
"THEY NO LONGER EXIST! What do I need to do to convince you of that?"
Grace clutched the phone tightly in her hand for a moment. "I'll make you a deal, Tony. You and your sorry excuse for heroes have one hour to think about telling me the truth. If I don't get the truth from you at the end of that hour, then someone dies. After that, someone will die every 15 minutes until you give us the stones. We have plenty of hostages, Stark." She glanced over at Peter. "It's my understanding that you care a great deal about a couple of them in particular." She sauntered over to Peter.
"You will gain nothing by hurting any of those people!"
"Perhaps little Petey can help you make the right decision." She was once again kneeling in front of him. "He promised me to be a very good boy, Stark." She looked at Peter. "Go on… tell him to make the right choice, boy."
She was giving him an expectant look, but Peter felt lost for words. He knew that there was no conceivable way to give her the stones. "Um… Mr. Stark?"
He heard his mentor let out a shaky breath over the phone at the sound of his voice. "Pete? Kid, are you alright? How are you and your friends holding up? Has anyone hurt you?"
Peter's head throbbed a little, but he knew better than to mention that right now. Especially since Grace Valentine was giving him a murderous look. "No, sir. We're alright."
"But he won't be alright if he doesn't behave like a good boy," Valentine growled, still holding out the phone expectantly.
"She wants the stones, Mr. Stark." Peter told him. He gulped nervously. They were all so screwed. "Please, Tony… do the right thing…" Save us. "... this won't end well." She's going to kill people.
He really hoped that his mentor understood the hidden message behind those words.
Grace smiled at him. "Such a good boy," she cooed. She pulled the phone closer to her again and stood up. "You heard the sweet boy, Stark. You have an hour to think things over. And by the way… I'm sure you've found some way to spy on us. If that's the case, you know we have this place secured and the hostages spread out. If anyone, law enforcement or Avenger, tries to get inside, you will only shorten the length of time that you have before the first person dies. Am I clear?"
"Crystal," Tony told her bitterly. "But you should know… if any harm comes to my kid.. Or to my friend… there is nowhere on this earth that you can hide from me."
Grace laughed. "Well then, Mr. Stark. Let the games begin." She hung up the phone and looked at her team.
They all just smiled at her as if she had just won a victory, and she moved away from Steve and Peter to talk to them and start giving orders for their next move.
Peter leaned his head back on the display case behind him and closed his eyes, feeling defeated. He hated this. The demands were literally impossible. His friends were in mortal danger, and he didn't even know if Tony could help them. He would need to do something. He had to find a way. His heart was beating wildly. This felt as hopeless as that moment when Thanos was trying to blast them during battle.
"It'll be alright, Peter." Steve tried to reassure him. "The team will figure this out."
Peter shook his head. His senses were fully dialed to eleven now. This situation screamed danger. Peter was stuck with no way to help without exposing his secret and getting some of his friends hurt or killed. He was helpless. Doomed.
Like Titan.
He would die here. He could feel it.
"Peter… please, kid… focus on my voice. You're on the verge of a panic attack," Steve tried again.
He wasn't listening. He promised himself that he wouldn't cry, but his senses and emotions finally got the better of him.
So they fell. Peter didn't stop the tears. He let them flow.
He wasn't Spider-Man. He was just a pathetic kid.
He survived the last time he was fighting here, but he wasn't convinced he would survive this time.
A/N: Anyone know Grace Valentine from the Captain Marvel comics? The character lacks any real development, in my opinion. She does get angry about an app she created in the comics. I've altered the character a bit to suit my storyline, and I changed the premise of her app why it's shut down. I know you probably still have questions about her tech and why it would be relevant. Well... you'll see. I have numerous puzzle pieces, and I intend to put them together. I just hope poor Peter can sort through his issues and keep himself together as those pieces come together. Stay tuned! And please don't forget to review!