Disclaimer: *sigh* Yes, Mickey still owns Marvel, that greedy mouse.

Chapter Six: Wind River

Wyatt pushed her glasses up from her nose. Her sharp green eyes scrutinised him. Tony wondered how she could pull off being so nice and soft around her patients and being a literal T-Rex when people disagreed to hospital regulations. The brave soul attempting to do that being of course, him. But then again, he lived with Pepper.

"I understand why you would want to move him. But he's still unstable, you saw that. Moving him is too risky."

"I just want to get him the best medical help hcan get, preferably in New York." Tony countered and added as an afterthought, "No offense to you or your staff, of course."

"None taken," Wyatt said. "I hope we both don't regret this decision. By the way, there's somebody here to see you." She had stood up, hands in her coat's pockets.

"Oh?" said Tony in surprise. Pepper, Rhodey and Happy were practically the only ones who knew where he was.

"The Feds," the redheaded doctor clarified for him. "They want to ask you questions about Peter." Seeing the grimace on his face, she added, "No information was given out. We value our patients' privacy."

"I see," Tony expressed doubtfully. Wyatt eyed him again and promptly departed from the office with a "I'll let her come in."

The Feds. Peter had been on the FBI's missing persons list so it kinda made sense. That didn't mean the intense uneasiness he felt at the moment disappeared. Rather, it gathered in the pit of his stomach, waiting to roll out of him in waves. It grew worse as seconds ticked by. His mind couldn't help but wander back to Peter.

Wyatt had quickly marched him out of the room after he had relentlessly tried to make Peter recall even a little bit of who he was. Needless to say, his attempts had been futile. The boy had just looked confused by everything happening around him and was soon injected with a sedative. Didn't mean it had hurt less. What had they done to him?

He shifted his attention to Wyatt's cramped office. Overflowing cabinets, brochures and files heaped on the table, children's paintings on the wall. An old copy of Medical Journal laid cracked open in front of him.

The door creaked open and a blonde head popped in. "May I come in?"

Tony recognized her almost immediately. The prominent cheekbones, baby blue eyes and sharp nose belonged to none other than Agent Sharon Carter. She didn't wait for an answer and invited herself in. Her dark blue windbreaker read FBI in golden font.

"Peggy Jr. How are you? When did you join the Feebs?" The two questions were fired rapidly without preamble.

"I didn't. Its a cover." She replied.

"For what? Law and Order?"

"Very funny." It was then that Tony noticed the file she was clutching to her side.

"Whadya got for me? I've got a kid to take care of, so stating your business right away should beneficial to both of us — saving time."

She plopped down on the seat beside him and sighed. "I'm sorry about your son. Really."

"Business first," Tony insisted. He didnt need pity. Peter would be fine. He and Sharon weren't close and he liked it to remain that way. After all, the woman once worked under Fury.

"I assume the cops told you on how they found Peter. Wounded, starving... With no idea of who he was. Or where he was."

"Seconds ticking by, Sharon..."

She gave him a disapproving glare. "SHIELD has been investigating a certain corporation called Transigen. You might've heard of it."

Tony nodded. "Biogenetics company. Proposed a deal a while back; turned it down."

"They have a research facility near Wind River. Fairly small, not a lot of people. Registered it under a different name, Pendleton. We found something rather odd in their business dealings — things get bought in bulk by who seem to be intermediaries of companies which have no business in the biogenetics industry. Money swindled out of profits, blind eye being turned to off the page business relations. Illegal scientific experimentations pushes under the rug."

"Sounds shady. What's all of this got to do with me?"

Sharon held in her breath. "Transigen is believed to be associated with Secret Empire."

"Also shady name, but I still don't know where this is going."

"Transigen is on of the few companies which supply medical drugs to enhanced individuals. Secret Empire is considered myth by other intelligence communities but we at SHIELD know better. It buys out several organizations and government branches, controlling them from within. Creating legitimate corporations as fronts to hide illicit activities. Transigen is one of those corporations. Secret Empire is a branch of HYDRA..."

The word HYDRA knocked the air out of him. Something affiliated with them was never good news. "Clarify a little more, please. I still don't get it."

"For years Transigen has been buying private info from hospitals, pharmacies, medical institutes. Everywhere. They make drugs specifically for the enhanced. They wanna know where it ends up." Sharon leaned in, looking at him carefully. "Tony, out of the hundreds of children that went missing this year in New York — more than half were enhanced. Pendleton is a HYDRA experimentation base."

-Line Break-

HYDRA. Experiment. Peter. HYDRA had found out about Peter's abilities and had kidnapped him for the sole purpose of using him to their own twisted ends. His stomach was in knots, a bitter taste forming in his mouth.

"We raided the facility under the FBI cover a day ago. It was abandoned. Every sample, every surveillance record, every file; all scrubbed clean. It was all done in a hurry though, so there's still a chance we might find something useful."

"I see," Tony put his head in his hands, trying to slow down his rapidly beating heart.

"It what's we found underground that's worse." Sharon said softly.

"There's worse? Didn't see that coming, huh?" The man's voice was bitter.

"Two dozen."

"What?"

"Two dozen children. All killed. Along with bodies of scientists and guards, if that makes you feel better."

Tony wanted to throw up. He imagined Peter bloody and dirty and laying on a cold floor, a bullet hole through his head, his eyes open...

"Peter... He's the only one who got out alive, unscratched."

"Unscratched?" Tony fumed. "He was tortured, for fuck's sake! He was out there alone, afraid, cold—"

"And forced to run dozens of miles until he got help. I know. He could've died but he made it. He's a fighter."

Tony pulled in a sharp breath. "I think we're done here, don't you think?" He stood to leave.

"I need to interrogate him."

The philanthropist laughed hollowly. "You're fucking kidding me."

Sharon's eyes didn't waver from staring at his own.

"Goodbye, Agent Carter."

"There are still parents out there, looking for their kids."

Tony turned to her so quickly he is surprised he don't get whiplash. " Sorry, but guilt tripping me isn't gonna make me change my decision. You aren't seeing Peter, period!"

"He is the only one who might know what happened out there. Children are still missing, children HYDRA won't hesitate to make weapons out of!" argued Sharon.

"He doesn't know that!" Tony bellowed in her face.

She flinched. He growled and haphazardly ran his hands through his hair, turning his back to her.

"I'm just trying to do my job."

"He doesn't know anything." Tony repeated. He then added quietly, "He doesn't even remember me."

He refused to look at her but nonetheless pictured the look of utter pity she was giving him at the moment. And he absolutely loathed it.

"I'm sorry."

The heavy, desperate silence was broken buy Sharon shuffling some papers. "We found a hint on what they were working on. Just a few papers so the theory is still that, a theory. They dubbed it Project WIND RIVER. Have a look at it and if Peter recalls anything, feel free to contact me."

She walked to the door and gave him a sideways glance. "Goodnight. I hope your son makes a full recovery."

The door clicked shut, leaving Tony alone with his thoughts. He let tears fall free, for his kid and what he'd gone through, and mostly for not being there when he was needed the most. For every scream, every drop of blood that Peter had shed, every hurt. For every night when he looked up to a blank ceiling in despair. Tony cried, for what he couldn't prevent and the aftermath.

Far away, the Wind River was silent, the remnants of a scared boy wading through it completely forgotten. He hadn't been the only one since the day the water had flowed for the first time.

A/N: How was that? Sorry for not posting. Lot of things on my too small hands. I haven't read Secret Empire no do I intend to, bit I have a rough idea of what went on. This fic isn't canon compliant. Civil war never happened. The land around Wind River (to my knowledge) is under federal reserve so I doubt any corporations exist there. However, this is fanfic so yeah... Doesn't matter. Anyways, enjoy, R & R!