Chapter 3 Down to business

Tony's Point of View

"Let's see what this weasel has to say for himself"

"What is your full name?"

"Nicholas Joseph Fury"

"Your age?"

"68 years old"

"Ser number?"

"A 07458876"

"Clearance?"

"Level 10"

"How did you lose your eye?"

"A cat/Flerken known as Goose scratched it out"

"Yep, it's working"

"Good… Mr Fury, we are going to ask you some questions, and you will answer them honestly, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand"

"Mr Fury, Are Howard Anthony Walter and Margaret Elizabeth Stark still alive?"

"Yes"

"Do you know where they are?"

"Wakanda, East Africa."

"What happened on the night of December 16th 1991?"

"The Winter Soldier and I ambushed the car that Howard and Peggy Stark were travelling in. On the orders of Strucker and Rumlow."

"Why?"

"Hydra had a plan in place to bring together the greatest minds of our generation. To achieve that, I needed certain members to be vulnerable. That's why we came up with the plan we came up with".

Pepper's point of view

I could hear Tony's raw anger coming through the soulmate mind link. Panic and devastation accompanied it.

"I told myself that my parents were indestructible. They're gone, but they aren't. How can this awful thing be true? It's not true. You were manipulated. Nothing you believe is true. Every day of my worthless, pathetic life is a lie. Do you think Howard and Peggy are even my real parents? Pepper is my soulmate, right? Who is Tony Stark? I have many questions, more than the entrance exam for MIT. All I have are questions that are impossible to answer."

His breathing grew shallow, sweat gathered on his brow, he was suddenly ice-cold, he was trembling uncontrollably. I recognized the impending anxiety attack as it began.

"We have to prepare, we have to ready ourselves and our children for what's coming. Loki paying us a visit was just the beginning. I don't know what is coming, but I know something big is. I know something is coming. When it does, it's going to be absolutely cataclysmic. It will change everything, and maybe not for the better… I don't know that yet. What frightens me is that I might not be able to fix it, I might not be able to prevent it, I might not be able to stop it. We might not survive it."

"Tony… Tony, look at me… stop… look at me… match your breathing to mine"

It was too late. It was too far gone for me to be able to pull him out of the anxiety attack before it happened. Every so often it triggered a migraine.

I did the only thing I could. I reeled Tony in and held him until he was calmer.

"We're going to figure this out, I promise. I'll make sure everything is okay, Tony."

"Where are my parents?"

"Wakanda."

"Really? You sent them to Wakanda?"

"Yes I did. It was for the best. King T'Chaka refused to put them in cryostasis, as did his successor, King T'Challa… I suspect Queen Shuri will do the same."

"What happened to T'Challa?"

"He got very ill and died. There was nothing anyone could have done".

"You're going to answer for this Fury. Mark my words, you'll pay."

Tony stood up and punched Fury on the nose, and he kept right on punching until Bruce and Jay pulled him away

Peggy's point of view

*Flashback: 3 weeks earlier*

Howard and I were on our nightly stroll along the beach.

We had found the most beautiful, secret little cave, up the coast from Birnin Zana. It had become something of a secret rendezvous point. After dinner, we would walk, spend a couple of hours in our secluded haunt, with a blanket, some alcohol-free wine, some chocolate body paint, and chocolate coated strawberries and just… be a couple.

This one night was slightly different.

We woke up cuddled close, under the blanket, completely naked, giddy with the thrill of our actions…

Another tender romp begins when his lips gently nip at the sensitive flesh under my neck. I whimper, aching with desire, begging for release. Soon he has me melting and seeing stars… I recover, and return the favour. Next, he reels me in close, our lips meet. A seismic shift takes place, he's throbbing and weeping as he plunders my depths. Our thrusts in sync, hardening, accelerating, deepening.

The moment comes, and the dam breaks, shrieks of ecstasy from both of us. Recovery comes next.

We glance at the time, quickly helping each other into our clothing. Once we're dressed, we shake the sand from the blanket and our shoes.

He slips his arm around me, reeling me in close. My head gently settles on his shoulder, the fingers of his right hand caress my butt cheek. My right hand instinctively reaches up to caress his face. He pauses, pulls me even closer and kisses me hard. I slip my arms around him tightly, he is solid again, painfully so.

"Peg" he whimpers

"We're nearly there Howard" I reassure…

"I can't wait until we get back to the room…"

"We have to"

"I can't, it's not only majorly noticeable, but it's incredibly painful… we need to find somewhere to…"

"OK"

We rush back towards the palace, Howard spies a small enclosure nearby. We sneaked in to the enclosure. Howard pulls me up into his arms and slips deep within my folds.

Holding me tightly and balancing me as we complete our ministrations. We try to keep the moans, yelps, and screams of ecstasy inside… Sated, we release again, in sync. He lifts me down carefully, we rearrange our clothing, just in time. We hear footsteps approach, hastening. Howard pulls me into his arms, I lean against his shoulder.

"What do we tell them if they ask where we were?"

"We got lost"

"They'll never believe that, you have an eidetic memory."

A firm hand closes on my shoulder, startling me. A brightly glinting spear thrust under my chin. It's Okoye.

"We went for a walk."

"Queen Shuri checked the cameras, she saw you walking towards the caves, have you been doing so regularly?"

"Forgive us, Okoye, but Howard and I wanted some time to be alone, somewhere that wasn't our room and was somewhere where we couldn't easily be interrupted. It's palatial, and we're grateful for it, but occasionally, it's nice to just… go back to nature."

"I see… you should know Mrs Stark, Nick Fury was discovered by the Jabari skulking around the shores of Wakanda. Then we discovered that you were not in your room. Had he stayed there any longer, then our true enemy — the one whose name we never mention. We don't mention him because he will turn up and cause chaos if we do. Your friend's daughter has agreed to come to Wakanda to apprehend the prisoner."

The Dora Milaje had Nick Fury trussed up like a turkey, ankles, and wrists shackled, his one good eye covered with a blindfold. Okoye had confiscated the eyepatch he usually wore. She was holding it high above her head like a trophy. She had a triumphant grin on her face.

"You haven't told Tony the truth, have you?" I snarled, glaring at the prisoner.

Fury said nothing.

"Have you?" Howard asked, sneering at the imprisoned former Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division director.

"No"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not time for them to know"

"You mean it's not convenient for your plans"

"Exactly"

We were taken to the main throne room. Queen Shuri didn't say a word to us.

When Okoye told her what we had been doing, she giggled, and then she turned to Fury, her eyes ablaze. "You will go to New York right now, and you will tell Tony and the others the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You will apologize to him, and then you will go directly to jail. You will wait on Rikers Island for your real punishment. Ms Romanoff is on her way to escort you back to New York. You will answer for your crimes".

"There is just one thing I would like to ask Your Highness"

"Yes?"

"May I give Mr Fury the nut-shot he deserves for keeping my children in the dark about this?"

"Of course, Mrs Stark"

I kick Fury as hard as I can below the belt, and Howard and I go upstairs to our room. He opens the door, carrying me bridal style across the threshold. Our lips meet, tongues wrestling for dominance, fingers speedily extricating buttons from their buttonholes and removing layers.

Once we are naked, we climb under the covers and once again we begin the act of cementing our physical relationship. Another tender romp begins when his lips gently nip at the sensitive flesh under my neck. I whimper, aching with desire, begging for release. Soon he has me melting and seeing stars… I recover, and return the favour. Next, he reels me in close, our lips meet. A seismic shift takes place, he's throbbing and weeping as he plunders my depths. Our thrusts in sync, hardening, accelerating, deepening. The moment comes, and the dam breaks, shrieks of ecstasy from both of us. Recovery comes, and with it the blissfulness of sound sleep. Unfortunately, as we see through the soulmate link, our son is not sleeping well. None of them are, but Tony's nightmares concern and frighten me.

"Don't worry Peg" Howard whispers, kissing the side of my neck and making me shudder with ecstasy, "We'll figure this out"

Tony's point of view

My nightmares always start the same way. With a horrific recounting of my past… Tonight was different for some reason. The first nightmare was the same horrifying mess as always, but the second one… was different.

*NIGHTMARE 1*

2am, 17 December 1991

"Master Anthony, you must wake up at once sir, the police are here"

"What's going on?"

"I'm afraid something bad has happened. Your brothers and sister are downstairs, as are your godparents. Ms Potts is on her way, as is Captain Rogers. You must get up at once, sir, and go downstairs".

"OK, but what's going on?"

"The police wouldn't tell me"

"Edwin, you're as much a part of this family as any of the rest of us!"

"I don't know what the police were thinking, but it's OK, I'll go to the kitchen and see that everyone has refreshments."

"Thank you"

Ten minutes later, Pepper arrived. As always, she looked beautiful. She was wearing a pants suit with a white t-shirt under it.

"Hello beautiful" I murmured, reeling her in and kissing her hard on the lips. My hand closed on her butt cheek, and she moaned into the kiss. I sat down and pulled her onto my lap. She giggled, and her fingers caressed my cheek.

"Hi Tony, what's going on? I got an urgent call from Mr Jarvis and I hurried over here as fast as I could." she whispered.

"I missed you" I replied

"I missed you too."

"Can you stay? If this is bad news, I am going to need you."

"Of course, I can stay."

I sat on the sofa and pulled Pepper onto my lap so that she was straddling me. Edwin came in looking rather harried and carrying a tray of refreshments. Pepper turned and kissed me again.

"Let me help Edwin, he looks like he's struggling"

"OK"

"Edwin, what's going on?"

"The police asked to meet you in the living room"

"OK"

"I'm afraid there's been an accident"

"Who?"

"Your parents"

An eruption of emotion which felt as though it came from hell itself began within me. I felt like there was no oxygen left in my body.

Pepper sat on my lap again, leaning into me.

"Tony" she whispered, "Take a breath! Come on!"

Panic rose painfully within me, followed immediately by anger and a new emotion: Grief. The weight of it was excruciating. I had to get out of there. Pepper stood up and helped me onto my feet.

"I'm going to take Tony back to bed"

"We should all get some sleep and figure this out in the morning."

"Exactly"

Pepper helped me upstairs and into bed

I took off my shirt. She rifled in the wardrobe for a pair of her pyjama trousers. When she found a pair, she went into the bathroom. I let out a whimper.

"I'm just doing my teeth, Tony. I'll be right through OK" she said.

When she finished, she wiped her mouth and came into the bedroom. She climbed into bed beside me, half-naked.

She lay on her back and pulled me into her arms. On any other night, I would have insisted on holding her, but I didn't have the strength.

I felt just awful, everything hurt. My mind was a whirling tornado of thoughts and feelings.

I felt as though I was suffocating quite violently under the sheer weight of my emotions, I couldn't speak, I couldn't even cry.

Peggy's point of view

After the last time Howard and I had alone time, we went to Queen Shuri.

"What do we do? Do we go back to New York and tell Tony and the other kids the truth, or do we wait?"

"I'm afraid you need to watch some memories before you can go back."

"This should be interesting Peg"

"I hope so"

Tony's point of view

I tried everything I could think of… hot chocolate, books, intimate time with Pepper, pro-wrestling, a hot bath with lavender, running on the treadmill, an electric blanket and classical music but none of it worked. I *STILL* couldn't sleep.

Queen Shuri called me.

"Tony, I need you to get the team together and come to Wakanda… we have memories that we believe it would be useful for you to watch"

"We can do that, no problem, your Highness. Would you like to come here, or would you prefer for us to come there?"

"I think you should come here…"

I went down to the lab.

Wanda was waiting for me, her eyes were like fire… She seemed thoroughly distressed.

"Tony" she whispered, her breath catching in the back of her throat. "I did something terrible…"