A/N: He's a more sweet chapter, which will be followed by what I hope is a heart clenching one. Because, I'm evil. :D Nah, but I love seeing how much everyone likes this fic! And since I got full points on a big class assignment, and then finished some homework a week early, I let myself work on this with reckless abandon! So here you guys go!
Unbeta'd, and Marvel owns more of this than I do.
Also, if you go to my Tubmlr page (megaranoelle. tumblr. com) you can catch some behinds the scene stuff about the fic. No spoilers, promise. Maybe you can influence the story.
"What were you thinking!" The car had barely started moving before Pepper had started yelling at him. After what had happened, they weren't going to stay longer in Monaco. Happy and Pepper picked up Tony from the prison, where had talked to his mystery assailant, Vanko apparently, and Mary and Peter were already back at the jet. Now that Tony was no longer bristling with the anger for the Russian man, he was antsy. He wanted to hold onto Peter, to know that he was alright, to know that he was safe.
"I'm thinking that I stopped a mad-man," Tony answered, not looking at Pepper, watching the roads, timing how long until they got to the airstrip.
"What were you even doing out there?" Pepper looked like she was ready to murder him with her eyes alone. Tony glanced around, not seeing Rushman, but she hadn't been on the jet with them on the way to Monaco either. Just one more person he didn't have to explain Peter and Mary, too, to keep them safe from.
"I thought that I was going to have some fun." Tony didn't want to have this conversation. At all. "It's not driving is hard."
"Tony!" Pepper practically screeched. He was already done with this. He couldn't stop thinking about Vanko's words.
'Hey, Tony. Palladium in the chest, painful way to die.'
Tony absently tapped his finger against the arc reactor, looking out the window. If things kept progressing the way they were, he wasn't going to be able to give as much time to peter as he'd like. He needed to set up a legacy for him, to be even more of a role model, an example. Not a disappointment. Tony needed to make up for not being able to spend more with his son.
When Tony saw the jet, he sat up a little more. He hadn't listened to anything Pepper had said, knowing that he had probably head it all before from her through their years. As soon as Happy pulled up, Tony was practically flying out the door. "Sounds, great, Pep." Tony said. "Don't do it again, stop putting yourself in danger, the usual." His voice faded off as he went for the stairs of the jet, pulling himself inside.
"Tony!" Pepper was following him closely from the car. She was clearly upset, angry, whatever.
Tony heaved a sigh and turned to face her in the doorway of the jet, thankful that no cameras were around. yet. "Pepper, you can yell at me all you want later, but right now, I need to see my son. A combination of things happening, only some of which is my fault, has guaranteed that my time will once again be limited with Peter." Pepper blinked, stopping in front of him on the steps. There might have been a slight pleading tone in his voice. "I am going to be hearing about this psycho having arc reactor technology within the next hour, and the press is going to descend upon me like vultures in the desert. This plane ride home is going to be the most time I get with Peter for a long time, Pep." Tony glanced back inside the jet a little. "I need this time right now."
Pepper sighed a little and waved her hand, the promise of a future conversation there, but she understood. Tony leaned forward to kiss her cheek and hurried inside once again.
Mary was waiting in front of the door to the private room in the back of the jet, and looked at Tony, stepping forward to hug him tightly. "Are you insane?" She whispered shouted at him as Tony hugged her back.
"I should be asking you that," Tony shot back, leaning back a little to make sure she wasn't injured. "Who just runs into a dangerous situation like that." Mary raised an eyebrow, mouth open about to say something before Tony stopped her. "That isn't already involved in said situation."
"A SHIELD agent," Mary shot back. "Are you okay, though?" She lightly touched the cut that was around his eye. It had been cleaned and was looking much better than before, and they had put a couple of bandages over it too, hiding it a bit better.
"Just a little sore, nothing I can't deal with," Tony said with a shrug. "What about-"
"Just a little shaken, wants to see his Daddy." Tony nodded to Mary's words as she stepped aside to let Tony go through the door. Peter was sitting on the little couch, and nearly flew off of it when Tony walked in.
Tony scooped the little boy into his arms, holding him tightly to his chest, sticking his nose in Peter's hair. "Daddy." Peter mumbled the word into his shirt, wrapping his arms tightly around Tony's neck. "I was scawed." Sometimes Peter's R's turned back into W's when he was really upset, and it pulled at Tony to hear that, thinking that he helped cause that.
"I'm know, I'm sorry, Petey." Tony sat down on the couch, holding Peter close to his body, never wanting to let go. "But everything's okay now, I'm right here." Peter practically curled up into a ball in Tony's lap. "I'm not going anywhere, bud." He dropped a kiss on the top of Peter's head. Tony moved to put his feet up on the couch, back leaning against the arm, pulled his knees up and just let Peter use his body as a seat, cuddling the boy. Peter's hand was covering Tony's arc reactor through the shirt and Tony let out a little breath.
He felt the jet start, and eventually take off, but Tony didn't move. Peter started to drift off in his arms, and for just a moment, Tony could forget everything else that was happening. Inside the jet, inside that room, on that couch, in that moment, Tony was just like any other father. He was holding onto his son, his child, that he would do anything for. His fingers started to card through Peter's hair, idly thinking that it was getting long, a bit shaggy. He could see the waves from the natural curls that he had inherited from Tony. Tony liked to keep his hair short so he didn't have deal with those curls anymore.
Tony moved his head a little when he saw Mary walk in the room, sitting in one of the seats across from the couch. Mary looked at Peter, watching him as a mother does sometimes, eyes soft, a little smile on her lips. Tony wondered if she wanted more kids. He knows that she surely hadn't planned on having Peter, still lost in the grief of losing her husband. Perhaps they had talked about it, maybe they didn't, but Tony knows that she had not been planning on this, least of all with someone like Tony Stark.
Having Peter in his life had changed Tony, there was no doubt about that. Even before Afghanistan happened, before Iron Man, Tony had started changing, for the better. Maybe, if Tony really got dug deep down, he could admit that it wouldn't be so terrible to actually have a family, with maybe another kid. Not that that would be happening anytime soon. He couldn't even promise to keep Peter safe, much less another kid. And technically, he was a single parent. Yeah, Mary was there to do most of the work, and sometimes Tony felt horrible that he couldn't do more, but Mary was dating Coulson, and Tony was single.
Of course, thinking about a family, even if that's just Peter, (because even Tony could admit that Peter was absolutely perfect), had Tony thinking about The Neighbor, and that just had to stop. Things hadn't exactly gone well with George, his attempt at dating again, went down in near flames a month after it had started. Turns out that George was not as good an actor as he thought, and Tony was able to see that Tony Stark was just another name for money, and sex. Tony was glad that he hadn't mentioned Peter to the man.
But, Tony thought he didn't really have to worry about that at the moment. Jarvis was still running the equations for different elements to replace palladium, but so far there was nothing even close. It didn't mean that Tony was giving up, not by a long shot; he planned on being around for Peter, and Mary, but Tony was a futurist. And if he didn't find something soon, Tony wasn't going to have a future. Why drag someone else down with him in some kind of relationship, only to possibly break their heart? Not worth it.
"Tony?" Tony looked up and over at Mary's soft voice. Some of life came rushing back at Tony as he focused on her. He was in a jet, his own private jet. They were flying back to New York from Monaco, after someone had tried to kill Tony. Once the jet landed, life was going to catch up with Tony.
"I'm sorry," Tony whispered to her, looking back down at Peter, who was still sleeping against his chest, little hand on the arc reactor, safe in his arms. "I keep making things hard."
"I don't think that you do it on purpose," Mary told him. "It's not like you put out an invitation for people to come after you."
"Didn't I?" Tony looked back over to her. "I made the suit, I put on the suit, I made myself a target."
"By trying to make a different legacy," Mary argued. "For Peter, and for you."
"And look where its gotten me, again." Tony wrinkled his nose a little. "It's going to be hard to get to see Peter, and I can't stand when that happens. I asked Pepper to be CEO so I could focus on the important things in my life, to make time to be a better Dad, and somehow I managed to draw even more attention to myself."
"You were raised in front of the cameras." Tony glanced at Mary as she crossed her leg over her knee. "You're a constant for the press, and I think that even if you weren't Iron Man, the cameras would find a reason to take your picture anyway. You keep sleazy reporters, journalist, and paparazzi with a job, and they wouldn't have it any other way. You're not the only one, but you're the most popular at the moment."
Tony let out a sigh. "One day, we won't have to worry about any of this. I won't have to worry that Peter thinks I don't spend enough time with him, or that I don't love him enough."
"Tony-"
"Still dealing with my own Daddy issues, thanks Howard," Tony muttered and rubbed circles on Peter's back. "But, I'm trying, and I gotta think, that maybe, that counts for something. Right?" Tony looked back at Mary, the question in the air, the question in his eyes, lingering inside of him.
Mary moved from the seat to kneel in front of Tony, putting hands on his arm. "I've said it once, I've probably said it half a dozen time, but I'll say it again," Mary started, her voice soft, but confident. "You may not be a conventional father, but you are one, and you are a damn good one. Are you perfect? No, but I'm not a perfect mother either. Do you intentionally hurt Peter?" She shook her head. "You want nothing but the best for him, and you want to keep him safe. You're trying to spare him the kind of childhood that you had; trying to keep him out of the camera's eyes, which has to be extremely hard.
"When we first met, I was a mess, and you were slightly misogynistic." Tony wrinkled his nose at her words, but didn't deny them. "But in the nearly six years that we have been in each others lives, you have become one of my best friends, Anthony Stark. And that's something I never thought that I would say."
"Not the only one," Tony murmured quietly.
"You do spoil Peter a bit," Mary held up a finger when Tony went to protest, "but, I expected that from you, honestly. I'm just glad that you don't let it get out of hand."
"More like you don't let me let it get out of hand," Tony corrected, a small smile on his lips.
"We're co-parents," Mary shrugged a little, like everything she did was no great trial. Dealing with Tony Stark was always a trial. "We have to present a united front to raise our little boy. Not only do we look out for Peter, but we look out for each other."
Tony pursed his lips a little, then drew them together tightly, fighting off the tingle and burn that moved up towards the back of his eyes. Why would he feel the need to tear up at this? Oh, right, because until Tony had a son, these were some of the nicest things that Tony could ever remember being told to him. The only other person he had heard something like this from was Jarvis, the live man, when he was just a little boy.
"I'm trying," Tony whispered to her, and Mary smiled softly at him.
"That's all I can ask of you." She stood up, kissing the top of his head, in probably a habitual move because of Peter, and proceeded to prove him right by kissing the top of Peter's head. Tony looked back at the sleeping form of his son as Mary left quietly, shutting the door.
"I love you, Peter," he said softly.
"Love you too, Daddy," the little boy murmured sleepily, snuggling in further to Tony's chest, warm and content. Tony would give away everything he had, if it meant that he would be able to stay with Peter, to keep his little boy.
Steve frowned as he watched another news station. It had already been a week after Monaco, and Anthony Stark was still one of the top stories. The cameras hounded him at every turn, so much that you could barely see the man when they showed him on TV; cameras, and microphones, cellphones, and recorders shoved in his face, Steve was surprised the man didn't start exclusively using the Iron Man suit to get around. No matter what he thought of the man as a person, Howard's son didn't deserve to be hounded as he was.
Stark seemed to be taking in stride though, and Steve wasn't sure how. Even he would have had to have words by now with the reporters. It looked like the man was barely able to move from the car to the door of Stark Industries with all the people surrounding him, and Steve felt a pang of sympathy for the man. He had been through that once, when he was the showman for the Army. But his admirers were kind, they were mostly fans.
But, Steve could see that Stark wasn't the only one being affected by the events of Monaco. Peter was a little more morose as well, and Steve figured that with all the trouble going on, it must be negatively affecting his Dad's work as well. Steve hadn't seen Tony come to the building since the mess started, and if Steve tried to spend a little more time with Peter to help him try and forget about it, then it was worth it if it worked.
Mary had said that the press was trying to get anyone from SI to talk to them, anyone that might even be hinted at having a relationship with Anthony Stark was being hounded. Steve asked Mary how she knew all of this, and she told him that another SHIELD agent was undercover with him as his PA right now. SHIELD had their own interest in Stark, a little differently than the Governments', and this was an easier, and slightly safer, way for them to keep an eye on him. Steve thought that the agent might be able to help Tony if he needed it, too.
Turning off the TV, sighing a little, Steve grabbed his keys, and messenger bag with a couple sketchbooks in it, and left the apartment. He was starting to feel cooped up in the apartment, and Peter didn't get out of school for another couple of hours. Mary was working with Coulson today, and Steve had eagerly volunteered to watch Peter. Drawing seemed to distract Peter from remembering that his Dad was unable to visit right now.
Steve decided to walk to the park that was down the street from Peter's school, passing by the school on the way, but stopped when he saw a familiar hat sitting on a bench at the corner. The man wore dark sunglasses, and a well worn blue Captain America hat. "Tony?"
The man on the bench jumped a little when Steve called his name, walking over to him. "Oh, hey," he said, sitting up a little bit straighter, fidgeting, and looking around. Steve walked over, sitting down on the bench on the opposite side. Tony looked like a skittish cat getting ready to run away.
"No worries, I haven't seen any cameras around," Steve said, and noticed how Tony's shoulders came up a little, the man slinking down, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've been guessing that's why you haven't been around the apartment?"
He watched Tony's nose twitch a little, before nodding a couple times. "Bad time at work," he mumbled, and Steve nodded. They both heard a whistle being blown and Steve looked across the street at Peter's school, and saw why the man was sitting where he was. "It's the closest I can get to him right now." Steve's heart broke a little at the older man's tone. He wanted to be with his son, but he didn't want to subject him too all the backlash that Stark was facing right now with the press. "I call him of course, but..."
"Yeah, I get it," Steve nodded, watching Peter play with another little boy. He was taller, with sandy blonde hair, and he was pushing Peter on the swings.
"That's Wade, by the way," Tony said. "That's his best friend, and I guess his crush."
"The one we made cupcakes for, right?" Steve asked, and he saw Tony nodded out of the corner of his eye.
"They're pretty much inseparable." Tony smirked a little happily, watching them. They watched as Wade moved to the swing next to Peter, pushing the empty seat until he got it to flip over the bars several times, making the swing higher up. He was taller than Peter by at least four inches. He hopped up on the swing, Peter watching him while he pumped his legs, keeping his own momentum. Wade worked his legs, too, getting higher and higher, until he started to slide back on the seat. He suddenly flipped upside down, wrapping his legs around the chains, and using his arms to keep up the momentum. He grinned over at Peter, and Peter laughed loudly.
Steve's eyes widened when he saw the kid pull the stunt, like it wasn't dangerous at all. Tony must have felt the same way. "They're inseparable at school, because apparently Wade spends a lot of time in detention for, inventive, stunts."
"I'm beginning to get an idea of what that means," Steve said as a teacher rushed over to the boys, trying to get Wade to sit properly on the swing. Steve glanced over at Tony, the man still slumped into himself on the bench, and he remembered the talk he had with Mary at SHIELD.
"I hope it's okay that I've been picking up Peter from school lately," Steve hedged out. Tony turned his head a little towards Steve, before turning it back to look at the school playground again.
"Someone's gotta do it," Tony said. His tone wasn't bitter, sounded more,... resigned, than anything. "Since I can't do it at all, and I know that Peter likes you, I'm not too worried."
"Still your son, though," Steve said gently."He still talks about you all the time, says he had fun with you last week, until you guys had to come home." Tony nodded but didn't anything, but Steve didn't feel as much tension rolling off of the man as before.
The two sat in, not a companionable silence, but it wasn't awkward, until the teachers blew their whistles. All the kids ran back over, the end of recess, and got ready to muddle through the rest of classes. As they marched back inside, Tony stood up from the bench. He gave a little side glance over to Steve, silent for a second.
"Uh, thanks," Tony said, and Steve blinked. "For keeping an eye out for Peter, you know, when I can't." Tony shrugged a little, put his hands in his pockets, and walked off down the sidewalk, already crossing the street by the time Steve had gotten to his feet. He could see the man was having a hard time dealing with unable to be with his son, and Steve felt for the man. He didn't know how he would be able to deal with it if he was in the same position. If Steve had had a kid when he was still Captain America, and in the spotlight. He wouldn't want them to know about his son or daughter, to keep them safe, but he was also making some frightening enemies at the time too, and he wouldn't put his family in danger.
But, Steve supposed that in this different time period, the same could be said for what Tony was doing for Peter. Enemies of Anthony Stark might go after his workers, and someone like Tony if his work was really that important, and that could lead to a possibility of going after Peter. He knew it was far-fetched, but a parent would do whatever they had too to keep their children safe. Steve knew that first hand from his Mother.
Steve sat back down on the bench, looking back over at the now empty playground, and the two swings still moving from where Peter and Wade had been swinging. He pulled out his sketchbook, and began to draw them.
June 2010
Tony chugged down the rest of his glass, the green liquid making his taste buds revolt, as Dum-E rolled over with a fresh glass. He was helping Jarvis try to come up with elemental combinations now that they were done with the single elements, for the arc reactor. He was also getting ready to start working on his new pet project, Stark Tower. The plans were done, and the supplies were being delivered to the site, and the next day, Iron Man would show up to start construction. Tony was going to be involved in the Tower, since he couldn't get over to see Peter yet. Maybe this would get the press off of his back, again.
"Colonel Rhodes is approaching, Sir," Jarvis intoned, and Tony pulled the elemental demonstration away and onto the computer, hiding it.
Rhodey punched in his number at the door, and it unlocked, letting the uniformed man inside the workshop. "Sugar bear!" Tony called out, setting the chlorophyll filled glass down on the desk. "I missed my snookums."
"Tony," Rhodey sighed out a little, and Tony leaned back in his chair.
"So, not a social call, then," Tony said, then shrugged.
"Not a social call," Rhodey agree. "I don't think you can keep this away forever, Tony." Tony knew what he was talking about. They wanted one of the suits. Pepper could only fight off injunctions, and subpoenas for so long.
"Yeah, I figured." Tony slid the chair out, walking around the desk, Rhodey following him. "So, I've been thinking about it." He could practically feel Rhodey's eye brow raising. "Tomorrow, I want to start working on my new project. Stark Expo is already underway, nothing else I can do about that until more of the construction comes along, and people start sending me their ideas for presentations. And," Tony turned around to face Rhodey, stopping in front of the display cases of the Iron Man suits, "I want to see my son again."
"How are Mary and Peter doing with all this?" Rhodey asked. He loved his little nephew, and Tony thought that he would take care of Peter if anything ever happened to Tony. He could trust Rhodey.
"Now that Peter's older, old enough to know that I'm not around as often as I used to be, he's a sad little sack of child, and it's killing me." Tony managed to pull off an epic pout that Rhodey could easily imagine on Peter's face. Like father like son. "But, that's where my genius comes into play, once more. I'm going to strike a deal with you, Papa bear-"
"Don't call me that."
"-that's gong to make everyone happy." Tony walked over to one of the cases, pressed his hand to the glass, and Rhodey heard the hiss of something unsealing. The glass in front of Tony's Mark II started to rise up. "I introduce to you, the Mark II."
Rhodey looked at Tony, eyebrow raised. Tony knew the look on Rhodey's face, he had seen it often, well, often enough. Rhodey was assessing the situation. To him it looked like Tony was giving everyone exactly what they wanted, but that wasn't how Tony Stark operated; in fact he often did the opposite of what people wanted him to do. Tony tried not to smirk, practically seeing those thoughts go through the military mans head.
"I have had a contract drawn up, and it's just come back from Legal," Tony continued after a few moments. "I am willing to relinquish the Mark II into your custody, and control, under a couple of very specific details."
"Alright, this is sounding more like you, but I'm still confused," Rhodey told him.
"I'll never stop being hounded until I either give a suit up, have on stolen from me, or have the walls broken down by a tank, because someone else like Vanko decides to do something." Rhodey nodded at Tony words. "So, I'm going to do what they want, on my terms." Tony smirked.
"Now, this is more Tony Stark," Rhodey said nodding. "What are your conditions?"
"This is important," Tony told Rhdoey, leaning in a little. "Justin Hammer is not allowed to touch this suit. I don't want his squirrelly little fingers anywhere near my baby. This is the first suit that I built after getting out of that gods forsaken cave." Tony spit off the side just thinking about the little weasel. "And, this next condition, is even more important than the first one."
Tony looked at Rhodey, his expression serious, no room for error, no misinterpretations. "You are the only one allowed to use the suit." Rhodey blinked. "I trust you, Rhodes, whole-hearrtedly. And I won't let any other person into this suit." Tony turned back to the Mark II, putting a hand on the chest piece. "This suit, it's a weapon in their eyes, and they'll use it in ways I never want to see it used. I'm trying to destroy the Merchant of Death, but I can't if i think for even a second if I'm going to be manipulated, again." Tony tried not to think of Obidiah.
Rhodey put a hand on Tony's shoulder, and he looked over to the taller man. "No one else will get in the suit, Tony. I promise you." Tony nodded, letting out a breath.
"That's really the only condition that I put in the contract," Tony said, his voice lighter now, a bit of the show Tony coming out. He couldn't stop himself sometimes, Tony didn't like to do emotions. "Legal said I couldn't keep the part about Justin Hammer in there, but I thought I'd tell you."
"As soon as I find out what the plan is, I'll let you know, Tony." Rhodey looked over at the silver suit. "I know that this is taking a lot for you to do."
"Yeah, well, the sacrifices we all have to make sometimes," Tony muttered. "If I wasn't so sure that they wanted to make an army of my suits, I would have done this sooner.. I just want to see my son, again." Rhodey wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulders now. "Phone calls just aren't cutting it, anymore. And I keep running into The Neighbor whenever I go stalk the playground."
"There are so many things wrong with that last sentence," Rhodey said, hanging his head, causing Tony to grin. "And one day, you'll have to call him by his real name."
"Nah," Tony shook his head. "I don't see that becoming a thing. I mean, look at how often I call you by your name."
"Only when you're being serious," Rhodey said, and Tony nodded. "Let's get this contract out of the way." Tony smiled at the change of subject, and moved back towards his desk. One step closer to Peter.
July 2010
The suit going to the Military, the Air Force with Rhodey more specifically, and Iron Man showing up to break ground and get started on a new project was enough to deter the media vultures, a little bit. Tony was no good at pouring the concrete, and let the professionals handle that, but he was masterful at the frame foundation, and lifting the steel bars without the use of a crane. He was trying to keep one of the safest construction sites around.
And while Tony was excited about the start of this new project, he was even more excited to see that enough cameras had backed off enough that they weren't surrounding the site, or the Manor, anymore. Tony was nearly giddy when he discovered that he would be able to sneak out of the house again.
Or more specifically, he could sneak people over. It was the Fourth of July, and Tony had set up a spectacular fireworks display for Peter, but had cleared with all the officials of New York as well. Traditional hot dogs and hamburgers were set up, along with other stuff that Pepper and Rhodey assured Tony was common for the holiday. He just wanted to make up his absence to Peter.
"Sir, Ms Parker and Young Master Peter have arrived," Jarvis told him. Tony grinned, slipping his t-shirt on and grabbed his phone, slipping it in his pocket.
"Are they coming in through the garage?" Tony asked, as practically hopped down the stairs. At the bottom though he took a deep breath, feeling a bit of tightness in his chest. He shook his head a little, before heading down the hall."
"Yes, Sir. Shall I direct them towards the kitchen?" His AI asked, and Tony shook his head. He put a hand out as a wave of dizziness floated through his head. "Sir?"
"J," Tony breathed out. "Scan." A small green light moved down and back up Tony's body.
"It would seem another core has been depleted, Sir," Jarvis said seriously. "It has happened faster than our last calculations. I would suggest up the dosage of-"
"Yeah, go ahead," Tony said, nodding. His eyes were closed and he was rubbed between his eyes. He needed to get to the workshop first. He forced his eyes open, keeping close to the wall and headed down the hall. The workshop was close tot he garage, so he had been heading in the right direction.
When Tony got to the door, he slid his hand up for the scanner, and the door opened almost immediately. Tony almost lost his footing, but caught himself on a nearby table. He cursed under his breath. How long had the core been like this? His feet slipped, and Tony let himself sink to the ground, putting his back against his desk, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.
"Tony?" Tony's eyes shot open at Mary's voice. Well, it felt like they shot open, but his body was moving sluggishly, even his eyelids.
"J," Tony said quietly. "J, get the door for the lady." He was tired, and he needed the help. No use in denying it, not when it would keep him from Peter. As Mary came down, he was happy to see that Peter wasn't with her, but he wondered why she was alone.
"Tony?" She frowned as she stepped inside, hurrying over to him. "What's wrong?"
"Just, need your help," Tony said, taking her hand, trying to pull himself up. Mary quickly adjusted her position and helped him up, a hand staying on his shoulder when he wobbled a little. "Over on my desk, there's a wooden box." Mary helped him over, sliding him into the chair and pulling over the wooden box. She opened it as Tony reached underneath his t-shirt, with unsteady hands, and slowly unlocked the arc reactor from its casing.
Mary frowned and pulled out what looked like a camera battery, noting that two slots were already empty. "Tony, what is this?" She looked over and saw him looking at the glowing reactor, something brown, and smoking, sliding up out of it. "That was inside of you?" She exclaimed quietly as Tony took the disfigured item out, dropping it in a red container on the floor.
"Core for the arc reactor," Tony said breathlessly, his hand out to Mary. She let him take the new palladium core and insert it into the arc reactor. "Regular double A's don't work as well, sadly." He gave her a little smile, slipping his hand back under his shirt with the reactor. She listened to the click, and then Tony pounded on his chest a little, letting out a cough.
Dum-E rolled up, a bottle of green liquid in its claw, and Tony easily accepted it, taking a large drink. Mary was used to drinking some strange stuff, and she just raised a concerned eyebrow at him. "It's not alcohol," Tony told her, even though he knew that wasn't what she wanted to hear.
"Tony," she looked at him evenly. "You can't have that in your body, whatever it is."
"Without it, the reactor doesn't work," Tony replied back, taking a second to lean back in the chair. His chest was feeling better, and the drink was helping to clear his dizziness. "I'm working on it, but I wouldn't be too concerned."
"Too concerned?" Her eyes widened a little at his words. "Tony, you just pulled out a smoking core from your chest, I think I have right to be concerned."
"I'll let you know when its time to be concerned," Tony told her. "But, I think the most important question is; Where is Peter?"
Mary gave him the stern mothering look, and Tony almost wilted under it, until she had given in. "He's upstairs, being entertained by Jarvis right now."
"I admit that I missed interacting with Young Master," Jarvis said and Tony raised his eyebrows. "It would do you well to stop getting into so much trouble, Sir." Mary had to laugh at the AI and Tony frowned, almost pouted.
"Community College, Jarvis, right along with the bots!"