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For a moment all Tony could do was stare at Thor in stunned silence, his hand clutching Peter's shoulder so hard that the boy flinched.
"Ow, Dad," Peter whined, breaking Tony from his stupor. "You're squishing me!"
"Sorry, bud," Tony murmured, his brow furrowing in disbelief as he loosened his grip, not taking his eyes off of Thor. "Okay, let's get one thing straight right off the bat. Can we expect to see your maniac, wanna-conquer-the-world brother showing up here anytime soon?"
To Tony's shock Thor's broad shoulders sagged and his face fell. "No," he said sadly. "Loki is dead. He was stabbed by Malekith as I attempted to destroy the Aether."
"Oh," said Tony, wincing. "Uh, I'm sorry… 'bout that." Not really, but…
"His was a noble sacrifice," Thor stated. "Loki was not of his sound mind when he attacked this world, I know this for a fact."
Can't really argue with that one, Tony thought, his hand unconsciously going to his throat, remembering when Loki threw him through the very windows he was standing next to. "So, this Malekith guy is who, now? And he's got… what?"
"Pardon me, sir," cut in JARVIS. "But Dr. Banner is inquiring if everyone is all right, in regards to the lightning."
"Yeah, tell him we're fine, J. Just entertaining a visitor." Tony said. "Is Bruce okay?" Steve was off on one of his missions for the STRIKE team, or Tony was sure he'd be freaking out too.
"Dr. Banner is reporting that he is in good health, sir."
"Thanks, JARVIS."
"My pleasure, sir," JARVIS said.
"Okay, Point Break. What were you saying?" asked Tony.
"Malekith of the Dark Elves has stolen the Aether—" Thor began.
"Yeah, yeah, I got that much," Tony interrupted. "But just… back up a bit. What exactly is a dark elf, and what the hell is the Aether?"
"Ether?" Peter piped up. "You mean, like the stuff doctors used to use to put people to sleep for surgery a long time ago?"
"I beg your pardon?" Thor asked, confused. "I don't believe I mentioned anything about sleeping? It has now been several days since I've been able to rest."
"Somehow I don't think that's what Thor's referring to, Pete," said Tony. He patted Peter's back, keeping him close to his side. "Why don't you start at the beginning, yeah?"
Thor sighed. "Very well, but I must be quick. For every moment Malekith is in possession of the Aether, his strength grows, and the time for the Convergence is rapidly approaching."
"Why don't you start by explaining just who this Malekith is?" Tony said, rapidly losing his patience. Why do crises always have to happen around bedtime, for Christ's sake?
"Very well, Stark," Thor said. He huffed out a deep breath. "Malekith is the leader of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. Prior to the last Convergence, he and his fellow elves forged a weapon from the Reality Stone called the Aether."
"Okay, let me pause you right there for a second," Tony said quickly. "Convergence?"
"Oh, that's when all of the Nine Realms are in alignment. It's supposed to happen every five thousand years," Peter said. Tony's head snapped back in surprise as Thor gave Peter a wide grin.
"That is correct, young Starkson!" Thor exclaimed. "Your boy is well-versed in his studies, Stark. I am impressed!"
"How'd you know that, Pete?" Tony asked.
Peter shrugged, trying to look modest, but Tony could tell he was glowing from Thor's praise. "I read a book about it. You know I love mythology, Daddy. The Norse gods and goddesses are really interesting! But the book I read didn't say anything about an Aether-thingy."
"Well, where I come from, myths and reality are often one in the same, small Peter," said Thor, carefully patting Peter's head. "Now then, as the boy said, every five-thousand years the Convergence causes the Nine Realms to become aligned. In the year 2988 B.C., Malekith planned to use this event to release the Aether and plunge the nine realms into eternal darkness. However, the Asgardians—led by Bor, my grandfather—intervened and took the Aether from the Dark Elves by force, watching as their race was apparently decimated in battle. Bor then had the Aether hidden away where no one could find it, and over the following five millennia, its story faded from most known history, until it became a legend only spoken of by the very old."
"But I'm guessing now that's no longer the case?" Tony asked. His heart started to thud erratically, and he pressed his fist to his chest, trying to remember to take deep breaths. The last thing he needed right now was for some nasty bunch of homicidal elves to start attacking Earth.
Or to have a panic attack in front of freaking Thor, for God's sake.
"I am afraid not," Thor said. "For the time of the next Convergence is now upon us. Portals connecting the various Realms have already begun to form, and it was through one of these portals where the Aether's long-lost hiding place was discovered." He paused then, looking uncomfortable as he cleared his throat.
"Who discovered it?" asked Peter.
"Jane Foster," answered Thor. "She is an astrophysicist, and… was a person of interest of mine, until—"
"Until, what?" Tony prodded.
"Until she told me—quite emphatically, I might add—to go to Hel," Thor said sadly. "She stated that a two year gap with no communication from me whatsoever was unacceptable, and that she was ending our acquaintance. Although, now that I think about it, it is more likely that she meant your hell here on Midgard rather than the Asgardian Hel. That would make more sense, given that she is a human and not—"
"Thor!"
"Forgive me, Stark, I am rambling. I am apparently not well-versed in the proper methods of your human courting rituals here on Midgard."
"Well, I can give you some pointers on that later if you want," Tony muttered. "But for now let's just concentrate on the problem at hand, yeah?"
"That is a grand idea," Thor agreed. "So, once I realized Jane had become infected with the Aether, I took her to Asgard, hoping my father could remove it from her. While we were there, Malekith sensed the Aether's activity and was awoken from his deep sleep. He attacked Asgard, intending to reclaim the Aether for himself." Thor dropped his chin down to his chest, slumping even further into the chair. "My mother, Frigga, was killed during the battle."
Damn, that's gotta hurt. "Wow, big fella," Tony murmured. "That's a tough one. I'm sorry."
"As am I, Stark," Thor said in a wretched voice, tears clouding his blue eyes. "As am I. My mother was a most remarkable woman."
"Moms usually are," said Tony, hugging Peter to his side. "So, where's this Aether now?"
Swiping at his nose, Thor jerked his head absentmindedly towards the windows. "Dr. Erik Selvig believes that Malekith will be making his final stand at a place called Greenwich, which he has calculated as the center of the approaching Convergence."
"Dr. Selvig?" Tony asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Last I heard about him, he'd been arrested for running naked through Stonehenge. Apparently your brother's glow stick of destiny did quite a number on his mind. Are you sure he knows what he's talking about?"
"That is one reason why I am here, Stark," Thor said heavily. "I understand that you have a background in this discipline of physics as well?"
"Yeah, I do," answered Tony. "But—"
"Then I would be very grateful if you could take a second look at Dr. Selvig's predictions," Thor said. "For if we are wrong, and Malekith is successful in unleashing the Aether, then—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Tony said quickly, holding up his hand. "You've already scared the snot outta the kid once tonight, let's not go for two. Got it?"
Thor's eyes flitted quickly between Tony and Peter. "Ah, yes. I understand. Or, at least I think I do."
"Are you hungry, Mr. Thor?" Peter asked. "I can get you something to eat, if you want."
"That would be most kind, young Peter. Thank you."
At Tony's reassuring nod, Peter flashed a quick smile and scurried away towards the kitchen. Tony watched him go, leaning in as soon as he was out of earshot.
"So," he said quietly to Thor. "Tell me straight out, here. How dangerous is this stuff?"
"The Aether was forged through the use of the Reality Stone," Thor answered. "Its power is quite formidable. However, if Dr. Selvig is correct and Malekith does intend to make his final stand at this place called Greenwich, then I am confident I can stop him."
"By yourself?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are ya sure?"
"Quite sure," answered Thor. He clapped Tony on the shoulder, nearly knocking him sideways. "I would not ask for any human to attempt to engage in battle with a Dark Elf, for it would be suicide. Even for a brave and powerful warrior such as yourself, Stark. As such, I will be attempting to ensure that as much of the battle as possible takes place outside of Midgard."
"Well, if you're sure," Tony said, relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about leaving Peter behind. "But what if we come across one of these portals that you mentioned?"
"Assuming Dr. Selvig's predictions are correct, we should be able to contain the portals to the immediate area of the Convergence," Thor assured him. "You and young Starkson or anyone else in this area will not have to be concerned."
"Fair enough," Tony said, just as Peter returned carrying a sandwich, a sliced apple, and a big glass of orange juice.
"I hope you like peanut butter, Mr. Thor," Peter said, handing the plate to Thor. "It's one of my favorites."
"Then I am sure I will enjoy it," Thor said, biting off nearly half of the sandwich. "You have my thanks."
"You're welcome," Peter said with a wide smile. "Are you gonna be staying with us now for awhile? I know Ned would love to meet you again!"
"Yeah, about that," Tony said to Thor, now gulping down the orange juice like he hadn't drank anything in days. "Look, it's past the kid's bedtime. Can you give me a bit to tuck him in?"
"Aww!" Peter protested. "But I wanna stay up and help!"
"Of course," replied Thor. "And I wish you a fair sleep, young Peter."
"Please?" begged Peter. "I wanna help! Please? You know I'm good at physics too!"
"Not this time, buddy," Tony said, ruffling his hair. "You should've been to bed almost an hour ago."
"Hmph," Peter grumbled as he stomped off towards his bedroom. "Fine!"
"Your boy has a sharp wit and a strong mind, Stark," Thor said, popping the last of his peanut butter sandwich into his mouth. "You should be proud."
"Damn right I am," Tony replied. He gestured towards the couch in the living room. "Um, just go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I should be back in about twenty minutes."
"Thank you, Stark."
"Oh, and one more thing," Tony said as Thor sank onto the couch, lifting his feet onto the coffee table. "Try and keep your shoes off of the furniture, yeah? Pepper's not home this week, but she's kind of a stickler for that stuff."
Thor's eyes widened as he immediately snatched his feet from the coffee table. "Ah, yes, I do apologize. My dear mother was forever telling my brother and me to keep our feet off of the furniture. I see this is common for your Earth women as well?"
"Aahh, yeah," Tony answered with a smirk. "Especially for badass Earth women like Pepper."
"Ah. Then I will make a note of it," said Thor. "I do not wish to draw the wrath of any badass Midgardian women."
Shaking his head, Tony headed for Peter's bedroom, pleased when he found him already in his bed, wearing his Iron Man pajamas with George the polar bear tucked in his arms. Climbing in beside him, Tony's throat tightened as Peter crawled onto his lap, resting his curly head down on Tony's chest over his heart. Even now that he was starting to heal from all of the horrible traumas he'd endured, Peter still loved snuggling to sleep, and Tony was going to enjoy it for as long as Peter would let him.
"Daddy, Thor looks really sad," Peter murmured after a few moments of comfortable silence. "I feel bad for him."
"Yeah, buddy, me too," Tony said. He closed his eyes as he wove his fingers into Peter's hair, inhaling its calming scent. "He's had a rough time of it lately."
"Do you think he's gonna stay here with us now?" Peter asked. "Since his momma is dead?"
"I don't know, Pete. I suppose he could if he wants to," Tony replied. Remembering how awful he felt when his own mother was killed, Tony could understand if Thor wasn't in too much of a hurry to return to Asgard once this Convergence thing was over.
"I think it would be fun," Peter said. "But we'd have to set some rules about the lightning and stuff. Right, Dad?"
Tony grinned, kissing the top of Peter's head. "Absolutely, Pete. Now, go to sleep. It's late."
But Peter lifted his head, his sweet brown eyes boring into Tony's. "Thor said you just needed to double-check some stuff, right, Daddy? You're not gonna leave again. Are you?"
"Nope, not this time, buddy," Tony said. "So you won't have to worry about trying to track me."
Peter's entire body froze, causing Tony to chuckle as he ducked his head back down. "Um…" he stammered.
"What, you thought I didn't know about that?" Tony asked. "You should know better, Peter. You can't hide stuff like that from me."
"Yeah. I guess not," Peter whispered into Tony's chest.
"It was very impressive though, I have to admit," Tony said soothingly, patting Peter's back. "You're pretty smart, buddy."
"Mmm, okay," grumbled Peter. "But I'm still glad you don't have to leave."
"Me too, Pete. Me too."
"G'night, Daddy. Love you."
"Love you too."
"So from what I can tell, it looks like Selvig was correct," Tony said, looking up from his tablet covered in complex calculations. "This Convergence thing should center up right over Greenwich."
"Very well," replied Thor. "Then that is where I must go." He stood up from the couch, lifting his hammer. "I am grateful for your assistance, Stark."
"Aahh… wouldn't you rather stay the night first," Tony asked. "You said you haven't slept in awhile. It'd probably be good to be at your best if you're gonna take on these elves alone, don't you think?"
"The small amount of respite and nourishment I've received here already should be enough," Thor said with a rather condescending smile. "My body is not as fragile as a mere human's, Stark."
Tony shot him a scowl. "All right, if you're sure. Just… don't be too loud on the takeoff, yeah? Pete's asleep, and he gets grumpy as hell if you wake him up before he's ready."
"Ah, yes. I would not want to wake the sleeping child. My mother used to tell me that I would be angry as a bilgesnipe if she woke me before I had completed my proper rest as a boy. In fact, she would often send in Loki to wake me to avoid the unpleasantness of it. Although to be honest, Loki always seemed to rather enjoy it." Opening the door to the platform, Thor clapped Tony on the shoulder, spinning his hammer in his other hand. "I bid you farewell, Stark. Until we meet again."
"Good luck," Tony said, shielding his eyes as Thor took off from the platform in a blinding flash of light, the roar of thunder echoing in the dark as he disappeared.
"Good morning, sir," JARVIS's calm voice said as Tony entered his lab, chuckling at heavy snowflakes falling outside of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Even though it was technically now springtime, New York apparently hadn't yet received the memo that winter was supposed to be over.
"Morning, JARVIS," Tony replied, taking a sip of his coffee and sitting down at his monitor. He could hear Steve, Peter, and Bruce talking in the kitchen as Steve prepared breakfast, something they'd just sort of fallen into on the weekends at the Tower. Thor even joined them about half of the time, when he wasn't out "exploring the vastness that was Midgard," as he put it. And it hadn't escaped Tony's notice that Peter would often ask if he and Ned could have a sleepover during the weekends that Thor was around.
It also hadn't escaped Tony's notice that Thor didn't seem to mind Ned's hero-worship at all. Or Peter's, for that matter.
"Got anything of interest for me this morning?"
"One message from Miss Potts, stating that the new Stark Industries building in D.C. passed its inspection and will open according to schedule," stated JARVIS. "Another from Colonel Rhodes, saying that the orbital launch for the Hulkbuster armor has finally been approved by the Senate Armed Forces Committee. And a third bit of information that you might find interesting, sir. I have already sent it to the monitor."
Tony's jaw clenched as he leaned in towards the monitor, his eyes narrowing as they scanned over the displayed file that carried the old, original version of the SHIELD logo. "What am I looking at, JARVIS?"
"I am unsure how much you wish me to say aloud, sir," JARVIS answered, his mechanical voice nearly at a whisper. "It is in regards to some new information I was able to uncover."
Taking another sip of his coffee, Tony paused, listening to the playful banter coming from the direction of the kitchen. Peter was busy regaling Bruce and Steve with the story of how two of his classmates nearly blew up one of their classrooms earlier in the week when they inadvertently mixed two incorrect chemicals together. He smiled as he heard Peter laughing. He had such a sweet, innocent laugh.
"Should be okay as long as you're quiet, J," Tony said quietly. "But make it quick. Cap's almost done with breakfast."
"Very well, sir," said JARVIS. "I have only this morning been able to decipher some additional text on the old SHIELD file pertaining to Richard Parker."
Tony's heart lurched as he sank down into a chair. There were many a day—actually most days, if he was truly honest with himself—where Tony tried to forget that Peter ever had another person in his life that he'd once called "Dad". It wasn't fair in Tony's eyes that this other man got to see Peter be born, take his first steps, and say his first words, and he didn't.
Even if the kid never did shut up sometimes.
"Okay, JARVIS. What am I looking at?" asked Tony.
"I have been able to uncover some of the redacted text, sir," JARVIS said. "My analysis has shown that different areas of the document were redacted at different times, potentially even years apart from one another."
"Huh?" Tony said, his brow furrowing as he scanned the document, which didn't honestly give any further information than he'd already gotten from both Bruce and Nick Fury. There were a few sentences describing Parker's research lab, complete with a hand-drawn picture that showed what appeared to be an almost barracks-like structure, with heavy concrete walls and wide, hanging overhead lights. Metal cages of all shapes and sizes lined one of the walls, with several old computer monitors along the opposite side.
"That doesn't make any sense," Tony said, tapping his chin. "Why would SHIELD go back later on and redact even more of it. Change in leadership, maybe?"
"I am unsure of the motivations, sir."
"Hmm. How long has Fury been in charge of SHIELD, JARVIS?" Tony asked.
"Since the mid-to-late-1980's, sir," JARVIS answered after a short pause. "Prior to that, SHIELD was headed by one Alexander Pierce. When Mr. Pierce was promoted to the Secretary position on the World Security Council, following the successful rescue of hostages from Bogota, Columbia, Mr. Fury was promoted to Director of SHIELD in his stead."
"Uh huh," said Tony. "And what do we know of this Alexander Pierce guy? Anything?"
"According to the SHIELD personnel files, Mr. Pierce's father was in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Mr. Pierce was a member of the State Department prior being promoted to Director of SHIELD."
"So he's just another goddamn politician," Tony grumbled, his upper lip curling in disdain. "Figures. And Fury was what, CIA before he became a SHIELD agent?"
"That is correct, sir," answered JARVIS.
"But the World Security Council has authority over SHIELD. Correct?"
"I believe that is also correct, sir."
"Dad!" Peter yelled from the kitchen. "Food's done!"
"I'll be right there, Pete!" Tony called back, tapping the monitor to remove the file. "All right, so, I'll… um, talk this over with Steve and Bruce at some point and see what they think. Thanks, JARVIS."
"Always a pleasure, sir."
It never failed to amaze Tony how much food Peter could put away. Steve always ate like he was never going to eat again, which Tony had come to expect given his enhanced metabolism. But watching Peter eat four large pancakes and six strips of bacon like it was absolutely nothing only showed Tony how quickly he was growing up. At ten-and-a-half years old Peter still looked like a little boy, with his round face, narrow shoulders, and skinny limbs. But Tony knew it was only a matter of time before all of that started to change, and he was in no way ready for it.
"What's wrong, Dad?" Peter asked around a mouthful of pancake. "You look like you don't feel good."
"Nah, I'm okay, buddy," Tony replied, sipping his coffee and trying to smile. Maybe he should just quit looking into this whole Richard Parker thing altogether. It's not like finding out what he was really up to before he was killed was actually going to make a difference. Even with the not-so-veiled threat by Aldrich Killian all those months ago, Tony couldn't see how any further news about Peter's birth father could actually change anything.
Could it?
"Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Steve said, polishing off at least his tenth pancake. "Director Fury told me yesterday that I'll be leaving on another STRIKE mission on Tuesday. He says it should take about a week, so you guys will be on your own for breakfast next Saturday."
"Then I sure hope you showed Pete how to cook, old man, 'cause you know damn well that Banner and I can't," Tony said. "Why do you think we get our food delivered most of the time?"
"Pepper knows how to make pancakes," Peter piped up. He ran the pad of his index finger down his plate, gathering up the rest of the syrup. "I'm sure she'd make us some if we asked."
"Yeah, you go right ahead and do that, Pete," Tony said with a wry grin. "'Cause apparently you're a lot braver than I am. 'Hey honey, I know you're exhausted from running one of the largest companies in the world, but can you get up and make all of us men some breakfast? We're hungry!' Yeah, I think not. Besides, you're the chemist in the house, and cooking is basically just chemistry that's edible. Right?"
"They really aren't that hard, Tony," Steve said, laughing. "Probably a lot easier than some of the stuff you do."
"Yeah, well, maybe Thor knows how to cook," said Tony. "He's always going on and on about his grand Asgardian banquets and how Earth food can't hold a candle to them."
"Somehow I doubt it," said Bruce, shoving the last piece of bacon into his mouth. "Thor doesn't seem like the type who you'd find bumming around in the kitchen unless he's looking for ale or something."
"When's he supposed to get back?" Steve asked. "We were going to start sparring together, but with my missions and all of his sightseeing, we haven't had a chance yet."
Tony shrugged. "I think he's down in Australia somewhere. He mentioned something about wanting to visit there while the weather was still warm. And about wanting to see a wallaby in person."
"I thought wallabies were just small kangaroos," Bruce said, looking confused. "Aren't they?"
"'Cause it's their autumn now, right Dad?" Peter asked. "Just like it's supposed to be spring here?"
"'Supposed' being the keyword in that sentence, Pete," Tony said, ruffling his hair. "Now, if you're done licking your plate clean, I need you to go and clean up that room of yours before Pepper gets home this afternoon. And make sure you get all the Legos off the floor. I think I still have two or three embedded in my feet from last night."
Peter scowled, and it was all Tony could do to not laugh at how utterly not fearsome the boy looked. "Fine," Peter grumbled as he slid off of his chair. Depositing his plate into the sink, he shuffled off towards his room, muttering under his breath the entire time about how he didn't mean for the Legos to get all over the floor, they just happened to wind up there.
"Okay, so I need you two to listen up," Tony said as soon as Peter was out of earshot. Both Bruce and Steve turned to him with wide eyes. "JARVIS was able to decrypt some more of one of the SHIELD files on Richard Parker this morning."
"Yeah?" prompted Bruce when Tony paused. "What did he find?"
"Nothing much of any use," said Tony grimly. "But the thing I found interesting is that according to JARVIS, the file had been redacted more than once. Which I personally find a bit odd, considering this guy's been dead for over seven years now."
"I'm not sure I'm following any of this," said Steve, looking frustrated. "Why would SHIELD alter a file that was already redacted?"
"Well, that's the big question, Steve," said Bruce. "If SHIELD just wanted to hide Parker's research—for proprietary reasons or security reasons, for example—that's one thing. But why then go back in and hide even more of it later on? Presumably after the man is already dead?"
"And leave only the evidence that he was a traitor clearly visible," Tony added, pursing his lips. "I don't like any of it. It all smells fishy to me."
"I'm not sure I like what you're implying, Tony," Steve said in a low voice. "It sounds like you're saying that SHIELD might've been complicit in Parker's death."
"Steve, we're not saying that," Bruce said. "But at the same time, we can't be sure. I've been on the wrong end of government interference in my research before, and I gotta say, there are some ruthless people out there who will stop at nothing to prevent this stuff from getting out. Now, whether or not Fury's involved in this, we can't say—"
"Fury was the director of SHIELD when Parker was killed," Tony said grimly. "So to an outsider, it would look as though he was either ultimately responsible for Parker's death, or that he failed to protect him from getting killed. But, in our conversation after the whole Mandarin mess, Fury did tell me that he'd been chasing some rogue ghost organization for the last several years who likes to go in every now and then and stir up trouble. He said that Parker was one of their casualties."
"So then what you're saying is that someone—or something—is potentially working outside of SHIELD's confines," Steve said. "But using their resources? Tony, this isn't good at all!"
"Something like that," answered Tony, touching his fist to his chest as he felt that horrible shaky, crushing sensation threatening to overcome him. Goddamnit, I hate this! "And I know it isn't good, Rogers. Especially since we still don't know whether or not Parker involved Peter in any of his research. I haven't been able to find a single goddamn conclusive piece of evidence about that yet, either for or against." He glanced quickly towards the direction of Peter's bedroom, letting out a slow breath. It wouldn't do any good for Peter to see him upset. "Let's table the rest of this discussion for another time, yeah?"
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Bruce said, looking at Tony with concern. "You gonna be okay there, Tony?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Tony sputtered. "Once I know that my kid's gonna be fine. Right now it's like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, ya know?"
"Peter is going to be fine, Tony," Steve said firmly. "We'll all make sure of it, you know that. No matter what."
"Yeah," Tony whispered. He should've waited to talk about this once Peter was asleep and Pepper was home. "Thanks, Cap."
"Well, I hate to eat and run," Bruce said. "But I gotta get back down and start on some more data analysis. There's a new bigwig working on Loki's scepter now and Fury wants me to double-check the new data package he sent over."
"Hmm, sounds like fun, big guy," said Tony, smiling as Peter came bounding back into the kitchen. The two of them were going to be working on DUM-E and U today, upgrading their operating systems and getting them used to the Tower apartment.
"I should get going too," Steve said. "I need look over the specs for the upcoming STRIKE mission."
"Aww, can't you guys stick around for a little while?" Peter asked. "We're gonna work on the robots today!"
Steve gave Peter a wide smile, a smile Tony had noticed that he usually reserved just for Peter. "I'm sorry, Peter. But I promised Director Fury that I'd be ready for this mission, so I need to look a few things over. But I am looking forward to our chess rematch tonight. Bruce said he might even stop by to watch."
"Yeah, okay," Peter said, sticking out his bottom lip. "I guess I'll see you later."
"C'mon, Pete," Tony said after they'd gone. "No need to be pouting. You're gonna have the entire evening to tell Bruce and Steve all about the robots while Pepper and I are out."
"Yeah, I know. I just like it when we all hang out together," Peter said. "And when Pepper and Happy and Colonel Rhodes are here. And Thor too. I like having our big heroes family all together."
Gah, Tony thought as he pulled Peter into a hug, kissing the top of his head. I can't even with this kid. "Me too, kiddo," he said fondly. "Me too. But now, let's go play with some robots."
"No, no, DUM-E, not yet," Peter said patiently, carefully removing the test tube from the robot's mechanical appendage and replacing it in the wooden rack. The two of them were surrounded by a complex set-up of beakers, Bunsen burners, and glass tubing. "The whole thing will blow up if you put that in now, and then Dad'll get mad at both of us. We need to wait another fifteen minutes until the reaction's done."
DUM-E let out an apologetic beep, and it was all Tony could do to keep his shoulders from shaking with laughter. He was on the other side of the lab, putting some finishing touches on his newest suit, while Peter and DUM-E were working on Peter's new formula for a special glue that he was submitting to his school's end-of-the-year science contest.
"I told you that one has a mind of his own," Tony said over his shoulder. "You need to keep a close eye on him."
"Aw, Dad, he's trying his best," Peter said, patting DUM-E on his mechanical neck. "Just needs a little help is all. Once we're done here I'm gonna try upgrading his iOS again, see if that helps."
"Yeah, okay," Tony replied, shaking his head. "You're a lot more patient than I am, kid. But once you're done with that, remember you still need to pack. We're headed north as soon as Pepper gets home."
"Oh, I will!" Peter exclaimed. "I can't wait to try out my new bike!"
With the new building finally completed upstate, Tony, Peter, and Pepper had made plans to head up there for the weekend, both to inspect the technical aspects and laboratories and to get out of the city for a couple of days. Tony had even bought Peter a bicycle, thinking it was high time the kid learned how to ride one.
"If you can do a flip on the balance beam without breaking your neck, I'm sure you'll have no trouble riding a bike," Tony said fondly. And I know it'll be a lot easier for me to watch. As much as Tony knew Peter enjoyed his complicated gymnastics routines, they still were nerve-wracking for him to watch without wanting to cringe.
"Yeah, like you don't perform extraordinary acrobatic feats every time you put on one of your suits, Dad," Peter retorted, stirring the liquid in one of his beakers.
"Yes, but I'm completely encased in a very strong, very pliable but protective metal, young man," Tony replied. "You're in nothing but your underoos when you're up there on that balance beam. At least when you're on the bike you'll be wearing a helmet."
"Aw, Dad, helmets make my hair look all funny," whined Peter. "Do I have to?"
"Your hair usually looks funny anyway," said Tony with a wink. "And yes, child, you have to wear a helmet. Pepper says so too."
Peter wrinkled his nose. "Fine."
The new building, which Peter promptly dubbed "The Compound" as soon as it came into view, truly was spectacular. Remodeled with their entire Avengers family in mind, it had branches off of the main living area that led to separate suites suited to each member. Thor's suite was decorated to look like one of the drawings from Peter's Norse mythology book, while Cap's suite was a near-replica of his apartment in the Tower, even boasting a small art studio complete with supplies. The main floor of the massive building was devoted entirely to research and development, with a fully-equipped lab for Tony, another for Bruce, and a mini-lab for Peter tucked off in the corner, so he could work on his chemistry stuff nearby. There was also a huge gym, outfitted with a track and plenty of punching bags for Steve and gymnastics equipment for Peter.
But for this first weekend, it was just the three of them. And they made the most of it.
As Tony suspected, Peter picked up riding a bike very quickly, barely even needing Tony to help him balance before he was off and racing around on the dirt paths that surrounded the compound. Afterwards, Pepper gave Peter a swimming lesson in the indoor pool while Tony worked out a few of the building's quirks with JARVIS, and after watching a movie in the screening room, they built a bonfire in the backyard and roasted marshmallows. Peter was so exhausted from the day's activities that he fell asleep in Tony's lap before they even made it back inside, giving Tony and Pepper some very much-appreciated alone time.
The following weekend they returned, this time with Bruce, Steve, Thor, Happy, and Rhodey in tow. And while it wasn't as intimate as it had been with just the three of them, it was still "loads of fun", according to Peter. Steve got a few pictures drawn during the nights that Peter promised to hang up in the common areas, and Thor was able to keep Peter entertained learning how to play chess long enough for Tony and Bruce to start going over the new defense program that Tony was developing.
It was almost enough to push all the questions Tony had about Richard Parker and Nick Fury and SHIELD out of his mind.
Almost.
Steve had said that he'd keep his eyes and ears open during his missions with the STRIKE team, but so far hadn't been able to learn anything of value. And Bruce, growing frustrated with the increasing demands on his time from SHIELD, especially in regards to Loki's scepter, was contemplating resigning from the agency so he could devote all of his time to Stark Industries and the work he and Tony were doing together. And while Tony was reluctant to push Bruce too hard into a decision one way or the other, he did tell Bruce that he had about a dozen projects waiting in the wings for when he was able to find the time. Including, of course, his new global defense program that he'd decided to name Ultron.
"Sir, Miss Potts is on the line," JARVIS said one sunny fall afternoon, breaking into the blaring AC/DC Tony was playing down in the Tower garage. One of the cars was acting up, and Tony was trying to diagnose the problem.
Removing his protective goggles, Tony wiped the sweat from his forehead with a rag. "Yeah, JARVIS, put her through."
"Good afternoon," Pepper said as her beautiful face filled the viewscreen. "I see you're putting your free afternoon to good use."
"Hey, you're the one who volunteered to pick Pete up from school today," Tony said. "Which he's really looking forward to, by the way. Probably because you always end up taking him for ice cream on the way home."
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that's why I'm calling, Tony," Pepper said as the smile faded from her face. "I just got some heads-up news that some old, renegade Stark Industries weapons were used in a terrorist attack over in Eastern Europe."
"What?" demanded Tony. "I thought we'd found all the old weapons caches and had them destroyed! How could this happen?"
"From what I've been able to find out, it looks like this was another one of Obadiah's under-the-table deals," Pepper said grimly. "But the news is gonna be all over this in about an hour, Tony. We need to respond somehow."
Tony shook his head, his upper lip curling in anger. "But we don't even make weapons anymore! Stark Industries hasn't produced a single military weapon for years now! How can anyone think I had anything to do with this?"
"It's the media, Tony," Pepper said firmly. "And you know the media can twist things however they choose to. And there's still plenty of them out there who don't like you, regardless of how many good things you've done recently. And not to mention that reporter you punched out on the street—"
"That asshole put his slimy hands on Peter!" Tony snapped. "And he got what he deserved!"
"I don't have time to argue logistics with you, Tony! We need to come up with a response, and we need to do it right now. Before this has a chance to explode in our faces."
"That's not funny, Pep," Tony warned.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've said that," Pepper murmured, looking chagrined as she covered her mouth. "But I am serious. How should we respond?"
Tony breathed in, squeezing his eyes closed. Reliving through both his capture and torture in Afghanistan and Obadiah Stane's betrayal had absolutely not been on his agenda for the day when he woke up that morning.
"Where's the Stark Relief Foundation working right now?" Tony asked.
"We have some workers wrapping up a project in southern Greece," Pepper said. "That's not too far from the site of the attack."
"So do you think any of them would be willing to take a quick hop over and try and help?" asked Tony. "If we made it worth their while?"
"Probably," Pepper said with a nod. "That's a good idea. I'll get on the phone with the coordinator right away and get the planes ready as soon as it's deemed safe for them to enter the country. But Tony, I should probably also put out a press release, reiterating that it was Obadiah who was responsible for all of the under-the-table weapons deals and not you. I know you said you never wanted that stuff mentioned again, but—"
"Yeah, I got it," Tony whispered. "It's okay, Pep. Do what you gotta do."
"Okay, but I don't think I'll make it out of here in time to pick Peter up from school," she added, frowning.
"Nah, I'll get him. It's okay."
"Tell him I'll make it up to him. Please? I hate when he gives me those puppy-dog eyes of his, it breaks my heart."
"You and me both, honey," Tony said. "I'll tell him you're too busy saving the world again to come and pick him up."
"Tony!"
"Just kidding!" Tony said, holding up his hands. "By the way, where did all of this happen? I'm sure Pete will ask."
"Someplace called Sokovia," answered Pepper. "It's odd, because its just a small, landlocked country, but there's historically always been a lot of unrest there for some reason or another."
"Hmm. Haven't ever been there."
"No, I don't suppose you would've ever had a reason to go there," Pepper said. "I better get going, Tony. Will you be all right?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks, honey."
"I'll check in with you later. I'll probably be late tonight."
"I'll wait up for you."
"Hey, Tony," Steve said as he stepped into the apartment, the blinking lights of the Christmas tree throwing a kaleidoscope of colors across the taller man's tight white t-shirt. "I'm sorry it's so late, but I wanted to make sure Peter was asleep before I called."
Steve's somber tone immediately put Tony on edge. "Oh? What's going on, old man?"
"You know, Tony, technically I'm still younger than you—"
"Yeah, yeah, but we don't need to get technical now," Tony retorted. "Do we?"
"No, probably not," Steve replied, his frown deepening. "Look, I don't have a lot of time. I'm shipping out again tomorrow morning, and—"
"Tomorrow? You were gonna take Peter out ice skating tomorrow at Rockefeller Center! He starts school again in less than a week, so you won't have another chance."
"I don't think Director Fury cares too much about ice skating, Tony," Steve snapped. "Or the school holidays. He's got another series of missions for me, and this time he's stationing me in D.C. I'm gonna be down there for at least the next few months."
Tony blinked, shuddering as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. There was something about Steve's entire countenance that was very disturbing. He hadn't seen Steve this jittery since the Battle of New York.
"Okay, so what do you think Fury's up to?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even.
"I don't know, Tony. The missions don't seem to be anything different than what I've been doing these last several months. But during my Army training we were taught to always trust our instincts. That no matter how easy or harmless something looked, there could still be a deadly trap lurking around, just waiting to get set off. And right now my instincts are telling me that there's something else going on here. Something big."
"Any thoughts on what it might be?" asked Tony, trying to ignore the way his heart was thudding. Why did there always have to be something?
"Not yet," answered Steve. "Right now what I do know is that Fury has been sending me out on a lot of missions that didn't exactly require someone with my skill set. It's almost like he's using me as his own personal janitor, and I don't like it. It doesn't make sense."
"Or, maybe he's just trying to figure out who to trust," Tony said quietly. "Fury told me himself he'd been trying to root out this ghost organization for a long time. Maybe this is his way of ensuring he's got a trustworthy agent on his side."
Steve's eyebrows knitted together, and he shook his head. "I don't know, Tony. All I know is that I don't like it. But unfortunately my intuition isn't a good enough reason for me to refuse a direct order from my commanding officer."
"Pardon me, sir," cut in JARVIS. "But I have some information that may pertain to your current conversation."
Tony's eyebrows shot up as he headed into his lab, indicating for Steve to follow him. "Go ahead, JARVIS."
"The decryption program that you placed on the SHIELD helicarrier has returned some new information, sir."
"Oh yeah?" said Tony. He'd almost forgotten about that. "Talk to me, J!"
"It may be nothing, sir. But apparently the upgraded SHIELD helicarriers containing the new repulsor turbines are now being used for a specialized operation that has been assigned a classification of the utmost secrecy."
"Really. And I don't suppose that I have access to this secret classification?" Tony asked.
"No, sir," replied JARVIS.
"Hmm. You know anything about this?" Tony asked Steve. "Those repulsor engines were just delivered within the last few months."
"No, nothing," Steve answered. "Do you think it means anything?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking so," stated Tony. He pressed his fist to his chest, trying to remember to keep his breathing steady. "Banner and I designed those engines for SHIELD under the assumption that they'd be upgrading all of their carriers, not just a select few. And the fact that I now don't have access to what my proprietary technology is being used for does not sit well with me at all. That was not part of the agreement."
"I'll see what I can find out when I get there, Tony," Steve said. "But I can't guarantee anything. Even with all of the help Peter's been giving me, I'm still not the best with computers. Natasha's been responsible for doing all the computer stuff on our missions."
"No, but your instincts are usually spot on, like you said. Just… follow those and make sure to keep me in the loop."
"I will, Tony. And please apologize to Peter for me. I'm leaving at 0500 tomorrow, so I won't be able to see him before I go."
"Yeah, well, maybe I can get Thor to take him ice skating instead," Tony grumbled. "Either that or I'll have to."
"I'll be in touch, Tony," Steve said as he headed for the elevator.
"Yeah, good luck, old man," replied Tony. "Watch your back."
"I always do."
Tony watched him go, that simmering feeling of dread always present down in the pit of his stomach threatening to bubble over. Up until now the communications with SHIELD regarding the new repulsor turbines had been very open and forthcoming. For Fury—or whoever else—to suddenly classify his and Banner's work beyond their clearance levels without warning was both unexpected and damn well just not okay.
"JARVIS," Tony said in a low voice as he stepped into his lab. "What else can you tell me about this new specialized operation? Did Fury authorize it?"
"That is unknown, sir," answered JARVIS.
"Call Fury, JARVIS," ordered Tony. "Let's see what he has to say about it."
"I am unable to reach Director Fury, sir," JARVIS said a moment later.
Huffing out a sharp breath, Tony logged into his secure SHIELD account, searching for the schematics on the new helicarriers. He wasn't too shocked to now find them password-protected, but was surprised when he couldn't immediately break the encryption. Whoever had done this was damn close to being on par with Tony's intelligence level, which only served to hasten Tony's growing alarm.
Two more cups of coffee and more than a few harsh curse words later, Tony was finally able to break through the firewall, pulling up the blueprints that he and Banner had submitted to SHIELD when they first broached the upgrades. At first glance the drawings looked mostly the same, save for a small, hastily scribbled something in the upper left-hand corner. Tony squinted as he leaned closer, trying to decipher it.
"JARVIS, any way you could decode that chicken scratch up there in the corner?"
"Give me a moment, sir."
Tony drummed his fingers against the counter as he waited, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth were scraping together.
"Sir," JARVIS finally said. "I believe it says, 'Project Insight'."
So those of you who live in the US may have heard that Hurricane Florence is on the way, and she's actually predicted to hit the US not too far from where I live. If the current predictions for the storm path hold true, I likely won't have power next Monday when it comes time to post, so I'll post the chapter as soon as I can after that. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. :/
As always, I can't wait to see what you think! Please don't hesitate to leave me a review! :)