A/N: I don't know why I felt the need to mess with Peter a little in this chapter, but the idea and dialogue entered my mind, and I just had to go with it. Don't hate me. This chapter isn't as long as some others, but there should be just enough to keep us moving in the right direction.
Chapter 15: The Call
Peter was cold. "When did it get so cold?" he thought to himself.
He was lying on his back, and he noted that the sleeping accommodations were anything but comfortable.
He went to wipe his hands over his face, but he couldn't seem to move them from his side. "Strange," he thought.
He opened his eyes to figure out what was happening, and he realized that he was no longer in his cell. "How the hell did I get here? Where is here?" he wondered to himself.
Looking down, he saw that he was strapped down to a cold table. Oddly enough, the table was in an upright position so that it was more like he was standing.
The most alarming part, however, was Peter's reason for being cold. "Where did my shirt go?" he wondered. He looked further down. "and where f**k are my pants?" The only comfort was that he could see that his boxers were in place… it was a very small comfort.
He sensed that someone was about to walk into the room, and he turned his head in the direction of the door. A woman in a white lab coat walked in with a tablet and what looked to be some small electrical device. He still felt the collar around his neck, so he hoped it wasn't something to activate that unpleasant contraption.
"You're Spider-Man!" Peter told himself. "You got this. Don't let them scare you!"
He cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. She looked up at him with a quirk in her brow.
"Ahem…hi there, I don't suppose you're going to tell me what the room change is all about?" he quipped.
She looked bored. "My name is Dr. Connelley. I am simply here to run a few tests and make some notes to your file." Her voice was monotonous, and her manner was clinical. "I do apologize for the change of scenery, but the cells really aren't conducive to my research." She made a note on the tablet (it reminded him of an iPad, only a little more advanced).
"Right… How did I get here exactly?" he asked.
"Hmm…" The doctor didn't look up, but stayed busy on her tablet, hitting things on the screen. "The guards brought you in. I didn't really ask them for details."
"Uh huh… and you took my clothes because?" he was growing impatient with the doctor.
"It's easier to study your muscle growth and physique," She answered. "I must say that I do not know too many young men your age with this kind of muscle definition and strength. Tell me… is this something that came about as a result of your mutation?"
Peter just gaped at her. Was she seriously expecting him to talk to her as if this was some kind of routine check-up with his family doctor? "Umm… yes… maybe… I… uhh…" He really didn't want to cooperate and play along, "You know… I do appreciate that you allowed me to keep some of my clothes, but I think there are still laws against staring at kids in their underwear."
"Oh, but you're not a normal kid, Mr. Parker," She finally stopped to look him in the eye. "And the typical rules don't apply here." She shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, I am a professional. I've already seen it all, and nothing surprises me."
"Ok…but you haven't seen all of me, though… right?" He swallowed. He wasn't really comfortable with that.
She simply shrugged and started tapping on the tablet again.
"What the hell? She's kidding with me, right?" he swallowed. He would keep joking… he would show no fear. "Listen, I think I should know what all you examined. I'm still just 15! I've barely reached first base with my girlfriend, so I think I should know…"
"I think I prefer it when you're unconscious." She said, cutting off his rambling. "Is all this talking a product of your enhanced abilities, or an unfortunate side effect of your youth?"
"Hah! Yeah… you're funny, doc! Listen… if I'm going to be put through an examination, I just think I have a right to some answers!" He looked down, "…and maybe a little dignity!" he added.
"Perhaps, I haven't been clear," she said. "In here, you have no rights. Things like you… don't really qualify for the standard human rights. I've seen your DNA. I'm not even sure you can be considered 100% human. Your blood is clearly mutated." He didn't miss the way she spat out the last word.
Peter blinked at her, dropping his jaw open. That one hurt a little, but he was not going to let it show. Instead he just looked at her and said, "It's called bedside manner, doc. Look it up!"
She held up the other electrical device, causing Peter to shrink back in fear.
She gave him a curious look and pressed a button, "The subject appears to have enhanced muscle formation for his age and development…" she walked off through the door from which she had entered earlier.
Peter let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "It was a voice recorder. Thank god!"
His relief was short lived. Wilson walked in with the other remote. "Time to go back!" he said cheerfully and held the remote.
"Aw…come on!" Peter complained. Then came the pulse and Peter's world was dark again.
Tony once again found himself in the same room where he and Pepper had met with Ross earlier. This time, however, Tony had even more support with him. Rhodes, Vision, and Pepper were there to help Tony face Ross the second time.
Ross had the same men; although, Wade seemed to have more influence than the other men in the group.
"A little early, aren't you?" Tony spat. "How's Peter?" he added with concern.
"You know I'm not a patient man, Stark, and the kid is fine," Ross stated. "I'll even give you some proof." He nodded to Wade, who pulled out a laptop. He was clearly getting something ready to show the others.
"If you plan to get anything from me," Tony warned. "The kid better be unharmed."
Before long, Wade pulled up a picture saying, "This is only from a short time ago. I think you'll like it."
The Avengers in the room stepped forward to get a closer look. None of them were happy about what they saw.
Tony's face grew angry. "Why in the hell is he strapped down? Why did you take his clothes? What's the matter with you, Ross! He's a 15-year-old kid!"
"Relax, Tony!" Ross said, clearly enjoying the anguish in Tony's voice. "Can't you see? No bruises. He's fine. He was just getting a little physical exam from one of our doctors. We have a right to learn more about his enhanced abilities. We need to know more about what makes him so dangerous."
This time it was Rhodes who spoke, "And what do they have to say about this in Washington? Do they even know what's going on in that prison? With a minor?"
Ross looked a little more uncomfortable with Rhodes. He knew that Rhodes had some strong connections in D.C., so he answered the question carefully. "Colonel Rhodes, the raft prison exists to contain enhanced individuals that are deemed a threat to the general public. I have detained an enhanced individual who is in clear violation of the Accords. Age is of no importance when it comes to enhanced persons, especially when their abilities violate the rights of other human beings. I am willing to negotiate the terms of Mr. Parker's imprisonment if" he looked at Tony, "Mr. Stark agrees to tell me what he knows about Rogers and the prisoners he broke out of the raft after Germany!"
"Peter hasn't violated the rights of anyone!" Tony protested. "He's only ever wanted to help people in their pursuit of happiness… or whatever you want to call it!"
Rhodes cut in, shaking his head, "You can try to hide behind the Accords all you want, Ross. But this is kidnapping and ransom. You took a kid against his will. You locked him up. And you're asking us to give you Rogers and the others in exchange for his release. You can try to hide behind your supposed 'criminal charges,' but there will be people who see this for what it is… as long as I have something to say about it!"
Ross looked smugly back at Rhodes, "His release? Hmm… I don't know if I really said anything about his release."
"It was clearly implied when we spoke earlier you son-of…" Tony was cut off.
"As long as Colonel Rhodes wants to make threats against my reputation, any thought of release may be off the table." Ross explained.
"Then you're getting nothing on Rogers!" Tony argued. "I want Peter's guaranteed release from that prison. No! I want any charges dropped, so that he can't just be transferred somewhere else. He needs to be allowed to come home. Give him the chance to sign the damn Accords and promise that the kid will be able to come home!"
Ross and Wade exchanged a look. "Colonel Rhodes?" Ross asked.
Rhodes sighed, "Do the right thing, Ross. Tell us the kid can sign and come home. Do that and I'll back up whatever story you feed back to D.C."
"You'll tell me how to contact Steve Rogers?" Ross asked.
Vision had been listening along with Pepper. Neither one felt the need to speak until now. "Is it not better to put this agreement in writing?" Vision asked.
"You'll get my word," Ross said. "My word will be enough."
Tony scoffed, "Your word means shit!"
"You just don't want a paper trail!" Rhodes accused.
"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Pepper spoke up suddenly. "What do you want next, Ross? The next steps… what is it that you want? How do we start the process of getting Peter home?"
"It's rather simple…" he looked at Tony. "…you put me in contact with Rogers. Tell me where he is."
"I don't know where he is," Tony said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the flip phone, allowing Ross to see it. "But I do have a way to find out."
"Not really your style is it, Stark?" Ross asked Tony. He knew Tony wasn't the type to carry around outdated technology.
Tony wasn't in the mood. "Steve Rogers sent this to me!" he snapped. "For Rogers, this device is pretty advanced."
"Call him!" Ross demanded. "Make sure it's on speaker. Get him to tell you where he is and who's with him." He looked over toward Wade and the laptop. "Get ready to trace the call. We want to be sure that we are given the correct location."
Tony briefly thought about saying something about having his own equipment to trace the call but thought better of it. He flipped the phone open and scrolled to Steve's number. He stared down at the phone, hating what he was about to do.
"What are you waiting for, Stark?" Ross demanded. "Make the call. Now!"
Tony finally hit the button and placed the phone on speaker.
Pepper could see the pain and anguish all over Tony's face. She knew he wasn't ready to talk to Steve, especially under these circumstances. Steve had betrayed Tony's trust, and now Tony was about to do the same thing back to Steve. She couldn't help but wonder if the two men would ever be able to mend their broken friendship. Her thoughts were interrupted when the voice of Steve Roger's answered the ringing phone.
"Hello?" Steve's voice was surprised. "Tony? Is that you?"
Tony's face went white, and his breathing went shallow. He didn't expect the flashbacks. He could still feel the blows that rained down on him from Barnes and Rogers. This man was supposed to be his friend, but he had lied and hurt him badly in Siberia. He knew he needed to speak, but this was all so complicated. He just couldn't seem to find the words.
"Tony? Are you there?" Steve tried again.
Tony looked helplessly at Rhodes, who answered instead. "Cap, this is Rhodes," he said.
"Rhodes? What's going on? Is Tony ok?" Steve asked.
"Yeah… he's here… he's ok," Rhodes told him. "He's just having a little trouble with his words, I think. It's been a rough 24 hours."
Steve was quiet for a moment, likely absorbing the fact that Tony couldn't quite bring himself to speak. "What's going on, Rhodes? How can I help?"
"We're in a bit of trouble here," Rhodes said. He looked up to see Ross giving him a threatening look. He knew he shouldn't give away what was really going on. "We could definitely use some reinforcements. Is there anyone else there with you?"
"Sam and Natasha aren't far away. We haven't heard an update from Wanda yet. You sound distressed. Mind telling me what we're dealing with?" Steve said.
The others noticed Vision relax a little, knowing that Wanda wasn't there.
"It's too dangerous to talk about over the phone," Rhodes lied, noticing that Ross looked pleased. "I think we should talk in person. Can you tell us where you are?"
Tony was still quiet. He felt sick. The whole situation felt surreal. He looked over and saw that Wade was making progress on tracing the call, so they would find out if Steve's response was honest.
"We're in South America. We're not far from Belem in Brazil." Steve told them.
The others looked over towards Wade, who was working furiously on the computer. Wade gave Ross a nod, indicating that Steve was being honest.
"That's great, Steve. We'll be in touch again as soon as we are closer to you." Rhodes said.
He noticed Ross mouthing the words in a few days.
"Uh…it could be a few days, Steve. It seems we need to take care of a few things before we can make our way to you," Rhodes added.
Tony looked over towards Ross, confusion all over his face. Would Ross really wait that long? He hated to leave Peter on the raft prison any longer than necessary.
"Copy that, Rhodes. I'll talk to Sam and Natasha. We'll be ready." Steve confirmed
The guilt was overwhelming, but Rhodes said, "Thank you, Steve. We'll be in touch."
Tony reached over and ending the call.
There was silence in the room.
"You made the right decision," Ross said smugly.
Tony doubted that. He had to ask, "Why wait a few days? What game are you playing here?"
"I need to send a team down to Brazil. I want no mistakes. I'll have my team make sure that they can take them without any problems; therefore, they will need a little time," Ross explained.
"And what happens to Peter during that time?" Tony asked enraged. "I don't want that doctor examining him, Ross. Let the kid have some peace!"
"I can't make you any promises," Ross said. "…but if you cooperate and keep Iron Man and his buddies at home, then I'm sure Mr. Parker will be just fine."
"So, what? We're on house arrest?" Tony said angrily.
"Not at all. I'm just warning you to stay out of it from here. It's the best thing Iron Man can do for Spider-Man. Understood?" Ross asked, not bothering to veil the threat behind the words. "Oh…" he added. "…and we'll be confiscating this." Ross picked up the phone.
Tony wanted to protest, but he was just too tired.
Ross and his men gathered up their things and made their way back out of the compound.
The others weren't happy, but there was nothing else to be said. They felt completely lost and defeated. They could only hope that Cap and the others would be able to take care of themselves from here.
Tony, Pepper, Rhodes, and Vision were making their way back to the command center when Happy stopped them in the hallway, looking distressed.
"Happy?" Pepper asked, "Is everything ok? I thought you were looking after May?
"That's why I'm here. She's really sick, she seems to have a high fever. I contacted Dr. Cho. She's going to check on her, but I'm really worried," Happy explained.
"That's great…" Tony said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's exactly what we need!" He scrubbed a hand over his face.
"Tony…" Pepper said. "You're exhausted. Let me take you upstairs to rest. If May's sick, we all need to be careful. We can't help Peter if we get sick as well. If you don't sleep, your immunity will be down even more than it probably already is."
"She's right, Tony. There's nothing we can do right now anyway." Rhodes said.
"I think I shall head up to my room," Vision said. "Perhaps I can help upstairs. I am not at risk of developing an illness."
They nodded to him and watched as he floated up and fazed through the floor. Tony just shook his head and watched him leave.
"You sticking around, Rhodey?" Tony asked his friend.
"Yeah, Tony. I'm not going anywhere," Rhodes confirmed. "I think I'll try getting some sleep as well. We can meet up later and see if there is anything that we might be able to do. I don't think any of us are in a condition to formulate a plan right now."
"It's settled then," Pepper said. "We'll get some rest. Happy, are you able to meet with Dr. Cho?"
Happy looked a little tired himself, but he had managed to rest more than the others. He agreed to meet with the doctor and give them an update once they had gotten some rest of their own.
Everything was a blur for Tony as Pepper led him to their private area on the fourth floor. He got off the elevator and looked around. He heard Pepper say something about getting the shower ready for him, but he didn't move. He felt numb. Slowly, he made his way over to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and grabbed something to stop the headache that was starting to form.
As he swallowed the water, his eyes caught sight of something stuck to the side of the refrigerator. Magnets were holding the plastic frame containing the picture that was made by a younger Peter. He looked at the picture on the front and thought about the words that he knew were written on the back. Tony choked back some tears.
"I'm so sorry, kid," he thought. "Iron Man hasn't helped you at all."
The guilt shot through him in waves and made him crumble in grief. He placed his hands on the counter to steady himself. He barely noticed when Pepper came out and led him by the shoulders to their room.
She helped him clean up quickly before guiding him to the bed. They laid down together, with Pepper holding Tony close. She rubbed his back as the exhaustion took him over and he fell into a sleep full of nightmares and visions of Peter suffering in that god forsaken prison with no sign of Iron Man coming to help.
Peter was relieved to find himself back in his cell with his prison attire intact. He supposed the examination by the doctor could have been worse.
He hated that he wasn't able to do more to protect himself. The combination of little food and the cursed collar made it difficult for him to fight back.
If only he could find a way to get the remote out of Wilson's hands. Maybe then he would be able to fight back and find a way out.
Of course, that didn't solve the problem of being weakened by a lack of food. "But surely I could still over-power them," He thought, "And there's no way these guards don't have some way of getting themselves off this raft and back to land."
Peter knew the likelihood of getting a chance to escape was slim, but he allowed himself to imagine what he could do to fight back and get out. It helped pass the time and gave him some sense of hope. Plus, he knew Tony and Aunt May would never let them keep him here. Surely, they were doing something for him back home. They must know by now what was happening, right? He shuddered at the thought of being stuck on the raft without their knowledge.
His thoughts were interrupted by a guard approaching with a tray of food. When it came into the room, Peter was surprised to see a heartier meal. He had twice the amount of bread, and the bowl was large and contained more than broth. He could see noodles, meat, and vegetables filling the bowl. Plus, there was a small pitcher to refill his water.
Peter walked towards the meal eagerly and looked up at the guard that brought it to him.
"Compliments of Secretary Ross," The guard said. "Apparently Tony Stark is cooperating." He shrugged, "And the doc says you should eat more." With that, the guard was gone.
Peter grabbed up the food and immediately began to eat. As he ate the meal, he thought, "So Mr. Stark does know I'm here! He's trying to help!" He tried not to think about what that might mean. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what it meant if Iron Man was cooperating with Ross. He also realized that the doctor's exams weren't so bad if it meant she ordered them to give him more food.
"They may just give me a fighting chance after all," he thought to himself with a small smile.
"It was late on Sunday morning when Tony awoke. He hated that he slept for so long, but Pepper insisted that it was necessary for him to rest.
FRIDAY informed him that Dr. Cho was with Happy and Rhodes on third floor, and she wished to speak with him.
After he and Pepper made themselves presentable, they made their way down to meet the others.
"Mr. Stark," Dr. Cho greeted Tony with a shake of his hand before repeating the action with Pepper, "Ms. Potts." She looked at them seriously, "I do hope you were both able to get some rest. Mr. Hogan and Colonel Rhodes filled me in on the situation you're dealing with. You're going to need your strength to manage Ross. Plus…" She looked towards May's room, "I'm afraid Mrs. Parker has come down with the flu. It's a little late in the season, but we have a particularly nasty strain of the flu going around this year. It's not surprising."
Tony took a deep breath. He wasn't worried about Helen Cho's knowledge of the situation with Ross. He knew he could trust her. He just wished that the news on May were better. "Will she be alright?" Tony asked, "With the kid… being away… I was hoping to take care of her. She's the only family that he has left."
Dr. Cho offered him a knowing smile, "I understand, and you do not need to worry. I expect that Mrs. Parker will be fine. I have set her up in her room with an IV drip that is giving her some helpful fluids and vitamins. I can also give her what she needs to rest, so hopefully her recovery will be quick." She looked at the others. "My main concern now is all of you. I'm glad you were able to rest, and I will have to ask you to continue to take care of yourselves. It would do Mr. Parker no good to have anyone else taken out by illness. I suggest you stay out of her room. You should be ok on this floor. I had someone come up and disinfect the main area here. Mr. Hogan has agreed to help me look after her moving forward."
"Rhodes filled me in, so I can give May an update on getting Peter home the next time she is awake," Happy offered.
Tony and Pepper nodded. "Shouldn't she be in the medical wing of the compound?" Pepper asked.
"I do not think that is necessary. She is comfortable in her own room for now. If she shows signs of getting worse, then we can think about moving her. For now, I think it is best to let her rest in a place where she is comfortable," Helen explained.
"Ok," Tony said. "Thank you for being here, doctor."
"I'm glad to help," she said. She gave Tony a look. "I know you, Mr. Stark. I will be keeping a close eye on you. If you don't continue to give yourself the time to rest, I'm not afraid to give you something to make you sleep." She smiled before adding, "Now, have you had anything to eat? Your body will need food to stay strong, too, you know?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom. I do know how that works!"
She gave him a look before he admitted, "Yes…I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria with Pepper now. Rhodey… care to join us?"
The man nodded his head to accept the offer. "Yeah… we can discuss some important new developments as we eat."
"What's up?" Tony asked, not bothering to hide his concern. There were any number of things that could be wrong.
"It's Vision," Rhodes said.
Tony looked around and realized for the first time that the android was missing. "What about Vision? Where is he, anyway?"
"That's just the thing," Rhodes explained. "He's not here, Tony. I think he may have gone to look for Wanda."
Tony rubbed his hand over his face. "That's just great," he said, being completely facetious. "Do you know when he left? Or worse… do we have reason to believe that Ross knows he left?"
"I'm not sure," Rhodes admitted, heading towards the elevator. "Let's talk about it more downstairs."
Tony nodded as he and Pepper followed his friend, leaving Happy and Dr. Cho to look after May. Tony couldn't believe all this.
Peter was still trapped on the raft.
May was really sick.
Ross was preparing to take down Steve, Natasha, and Sam.
Vision took off to find Wanda.
And the rest of them were stuck at the compound to figure it all out.
"I hope we can figure this out," Tony thought, "And soon! I can't take this much longer! There has to be a way to sort this out. There just has to be!"
Will Ross succeed in his mission against Steve, Natasha, and Sam?
Did Vision really go to look for Wanda?
Will Peter get an upper hand against his captors?
Will the sickness spread at the compound?
And just who was watching Tony's back?
Stay tuned to find out! :)
A/N: This chapter was more of a challenge than I anticipated. It's hard to give just enough information to keep the story moving without giving away all my secrets. Don't forget to review and share your thoughts. The next chapter should help to answer a few burning questions.