Author's Note: Hello, hello, readers! Welcome back to The Many Adventures of Iron Dad and Spider Son! We are back with Part 4 of Kidnapped! We're going to check in with May, Pepper, Happy, Ned, and MJ to see how they are dealing with Tony and Peter being kidnapped and how the police are doing what they can to find them! I hope you all enjoy it! BUT before we get to that…REVIEW REPLIES!
Wandamarie: Thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kidnapped! Part 4 (March 26, 2017)
As much as May, Pepper, and Happy didn't want to be apart, they knew it was best to go back to their respective homes. It made sense. Neither of them had an extra guest room. There was only Peter's bedroom and the couch in May's apartment and the guestroom and the living room at the penthouse. It wouldn't be fair. Plus, Chief Harrison advised them to do so, so that if the kidnappers called either May or Pepper, they could answer the phones. Chief Harrison also had his colleagues monitoring the phones for that reason. Thankfully, Happy and Pepper gladly dropped May off as soon as they were done at the police station promising to call in the morning. May tried to get some sleep, but it was too difficult. All she could think about was Peter…not in his bedroom sleeping…how Tony was supposed to bring him home so that they could have dinner together, but that didn't happen. Tony and Peter were kidnapped and taken to who knew where, and for what reason, nobody knew.
Tears formed in her eyes as she buried her face in her hands sobbing. She prayed that this was all a bad dream…that she would wake up, and Peter and Tony would come through the door and be perfectly safe.
"Ben, please," she said quietly looking up at her ceiling, "please, don't take Peter from me. He's all I have left. Please just let him come home safely…please."
As soon as she said that, her phone rang, and May quickly picked it up only to see that it was…Pepper. She breathed a sigh of relief before answering.
"Hey, Pepper," she said answering with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, May," Pepper replied. "I'm betting that you couldn't sleep either."
May exhaled as she ran a hand through her hair. "Not a wink," she said tearing up even more. "I just…kept…I didn't want to miss the phone ringing…or Peter and Tony walking through the door."
Pepper sighed shakily. "I know," she said. "I…I was thinking the same."
"I-I can't lose him, Pepper," May said looking at Peter's closed bedroom door. She had to close it once she got home. She couldn't stand to look in her nephew's empty bedroom knowing that he was taken to God knew where. "I-I can't. He…" She sniffled.
"I-I know," Pepper said eying the empty side of the bed she sat in…the very side Tony usually slept in. "May…I-I'm so sorry. I-I never should've made them go to that fucking gala. I-I should've—" She began to cry. "I'm so sorry."
"Pepper, no, no," May said quickly but firmly, "you have nothing to be sorry for. This is not your fault. Whoever did it is to blame, not you. We…we have to keep the faith that the police will find them…and Rhodey too."
Pepper sniffled and nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I-I appreciate that."
"You know, ummm…" May said after a moment, "when…when…when Tony was kidnapped in '08, I…I know you two weren't dating yet, but…I could only imagine how you felt. Now that I'm dealing with it along with you…I…I hate how it feels."
"Yeah…it was the worst feeling in the world," Pepper said running a hand through her blonde hair. She chuckled. "Then it became a whirlwind of good and bad when he came home and threw himself into the superhero life."
May nodded. She couldn't help but think back on Peter's journey into the superhero life. Her husband, Peter's uncle Ben was taken from them so cruelly. Peter blamed himself for what happened, and in doing so, he threw himself into the superhero life as well. She couldn't help but marvel over how very much alike Peter and Tony were. Perhaps…that was why their relationship was so deep…so strong. "Between you and me," May said after a moment, "I sometimes wish that Peter would stop being Spider-Man…and just live a nice, quiet life, you know?"
Pepper chuckled shaking her head. "Believe me," she said, "I sometimes wish that too. For years, I've tried to stop Tony, and I've failed every single time. It's just impossible, you know, to…drag either of them away from it."
May knew that Pepper was right. She knew from the moment Peter and Tony came clean about the former being Spider-Man that she could never convince her nephew to walk away from it…not when it was one of the many things he and Tony had in common. She knew Peter needed Tony to guide him, and she would be forever grateful for that. "Just as it's impossible to separate them," she said after a moment. "I know Tony was protecting him, but there was no way Peter would let him go without a fight."
"I know," Pepper said chuckling. "Tony is the same with everyone he cares about…especially Peter."
The brunette nodded in thought. "They really do have a great relationship," she said, "like we said last night. I think it might be…deeper than we realize."
"Honestly," Pepper began, "I think they may not even realize it yet either. It just sort of…happened. It's happening even now."
May was just about to answer when…her phone rang again. "Hang on a sec, Pep," May said talking the phone away from her ear. She looked at the screen, and sure enough, it was…Chief Harrison. "Can I call you back? It's the Chief calling me. He probably wants to follow up."
"Okay," Pepper said. "Let me know what he says."
"Of course, I'll talk to you later," May said.
"Bye," Pepper replied.
"Bye," May said before switching to the Chief's phone call. "This is May Parker."
"Mrs. Parker," the Chief replied, "it's Chief Harrison I was wondering if I could stop by. I wanted to ask you some more follow-up questions about Peter."
"Oh, of…of course," May said. "Yes, please. Whatever you need me to do."
"Has there been anything new on the case?" May asked as she allowed the chief to come in.
"Nothing as of yet," he replied, "but we're doing everything we can. We're still looking at the footage and witness reports."
"Okay," May replied as she walked him over to the table before they both sat down, "you said you wanted to ask some follow-up questions."
"Yes, just to make sure we didn't miss anything," Harrison said as he took out his notebook.
May nodded giving the police chief the all-clear. First, he asked her to confirm how Peter spelled his name, and once May confirmed that, he moved onto the next questions.
"Date of birth is August 10, 2001, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Any nicknames he goes by?"
"Sometimes Tony will call him 'Pete' or 'kid.' Umm…that…that's it really."
"Okay," Harrison replied as he wrote down her answers. He then went on to ask about Peter's description…what he looked like and what he was wearing.
She remained calm keeping her tears at bay as she continued to answer questions about her nephew. He asked her about his school, his social media, what Peter had on him aside from his phone—which they found in the alley alongside Tony's—hobbies, and if he had been missing before to which she mentioned Washington D.C. and the day of the ferry incident.
"So, he went missing in Washington D.C. and the day of the ferry incident?" the Chief repeated.
May sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, but…" she began, "it wasn't for too long. In D.C., his teacher Mr. Harrington told me that he was missing for 12 hours give or take, and the day of the ferry incident, he missed most of the school day and came back later that day."
"Did he say why he went missing on those two days?" Harrison asked.
May knew the reasons why he was missing on those two days, but…she couldn't let the police chief know that…not if she wanted to avoid revealing her nephew's alter ego. However, she also couldn't make it look like she was lying or put Tony in a bad light. "Well…you know…he…didn't ever fully say why," May finally said after a moment. "It's not that I didn't want to know. It's just…I thought he would come clean and explain why if I gave him space, but…it never came up again. Since then…he's been more honest, more open. I…I would like to think that his internship helped him out in a way."
The Chief nodded. He couldn't help but note how May paused before answering if she knew why Peter disappeared, but…for now, he would let it slide and focus on the task at hand. "Can you tell me what it was that Peter and Tony were working on during their lab days?"
Normally, she would have panicked at that question, but thankfully, she remained calm. She had to for Peter and Tony. Not only that, but Tony and Pepper provided paperwork and a cover story to ensure that Peter's identity remained a secret. "Uhh…yes," May quickly answered, "umm…Tony mentors Spider-Man on the side, and Peter had the chance to speak to Spider-Man. So, they often make his suits for him and suits for Tony and do upgrades and such. Peter loves it."
The Chief nodded. "Okay," he said. "Now, have you noticed anything off this past week with Peter? His mood? His eating habits? Has he seemed nervous or agitated?"
May thought back on the past week trying to see if there was something out of the ordinary with Peter. However, she couldn't think of anything that rubbed her the wrong way. "N-No," she said, "I…I can't think of anything. It…It was all so normal last week. We just did our thing, you know? I-I'm sorry."
"That's okay," the Chief said. "If anything comes up, just let me know. Now, I also have to ask this: can you tell me what his schedule is like during the week?"
"Yes," May began before going over Peter's schedule with Harrison.
"Okay, great," Harrison said as he closed his book, "that should cover everything. Do you mind if I look around?"
"Not at all," May said as the Chief stood up and walked toward Peter's bedroom. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"Anything to rule out that this was a runaway case," Harrison replied as he studied the teen's bedroom. As he looked around, he noted that it seemed like any other teenaged boy's room, messy clothes and all. There was nothing to show that the teen was looking to get into something bad. He even noticed the pictures of him with his family and Tony. This was not a runaway case as he thought back on the video. After searching for a little longer, he finally decided to leave. "Everything looks clear. We're going to keep going forward and looking at all the evidence. We'll let you know once we find something."
"Okay, thank you, Chief Harrison," May said nodding as she walked back to the door with him.
"Not a problem," he said as he moved toward the door and walked out. "Give a shout if you need anything or if anything comes up."
"I will, thank you," she said again before closing the door after he walked out. "Oh, Chief?"
Harrison stopped and turned around to look at May.
"I know you may already know this, but…" May began, "Tony is a great man. He would never do anything to endanger Peter's life, and I know my nephew. They both really care about each other."
The Chief smiled and nodded before turning around to walk back out leaving May alone.
As soon as he was done with May, the next stop was the Stark Tower, where he would find Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts. Since Happy was the last person to see Peter and Tony before they were taken, it was protocol to ask him some questions. From what the video showed, the men who grabbed Peter and Tony knew who they were, but evidence wasn't linked to Happy, May, or Pepper. However, they needed to make sure, and he knew that Happy and Pepper thought so too. So, once he got to the tower that morning, he was signed in at the front desk and escorted to the penthouse, where Happy and Pepper greeted him. After talking for a few moments, Pepper left Harrison and Happy alone to talk.
"Thank you for speaking with me, Mr. Hogan," Harrison said as they sat down at the table.
"Yeah, of course," Happy said, "anything to help Tony and Peter."
"So, since you were the last one to see Tony and Peter," Harrison continued, "I wanted to see if you could take me back through the night. What was the plan for last night?"
"Okay, well, uh," Happy began, "I drove Tony to May and Peter's apartment to pick up Peter. We got there early so that Tony could help Peter with his tie at around 6, and we left around 6:30. We got to the hotel around 7:00. The paparazzi was already there in front of the building trying to get pictures. I asked if Tony needed me to come in with them, but he said I didn't need to and asked me to come back to pick them up in two hours. I did, and…that was when I saw you and your guys."
Harrison nodded. "Now, can you tell me about the security of these events?" he asked.
"Yes," Happy replied, "they always hire this one company to be security guards…uhh…Citadel Security Agency. Sometimes, if politicians are there, their secret service will be there, but not at this time."
"So, Tony didn't see the need for you to come," Harrison stated.
"No, which—you know—happens," Happy replied. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe things would've turned out differently…if he insisted on going in with Tony and Peter. Would they have still been kidnapped? Could he have protected him?
The Chief nodded as he wrote in his notebook. "Now, after you dropped them off," he began again, "where did you go?"
"I parked the car in the parking garage," Happy said, "and then I went to a Five Guys to get a burger and waited there until it was time to pick them up. Then I got the car and drove back to the hotel."
Harrison made a mental note to ask his guys to check security cameras and such to confirm that that was where Happy was. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Okay," he replied nodding, "now I must ask, how did Stark seem to you? Like…how was his mood? His demeanor? Did he say or do anything strange?"
Happy shook his head. "No, he was completely fine," he replied. "The whole day, he dreaded the gala—he always does when Pepper makes him go to these things. He hated the idea of dragging Peter to another one, but…honestly, I think he was thrilled he and Peter were going to another one."
"Would there be another reason as to why he hated bringing Peter to another gala event?" Harrison asked.
"Well, the first one Peter went to with Tony and Pepper," Happy said, "I don't have all the details, but I know they ran into Normal Osborn. I think the asshole said something that made Peter uncomfortable."
"What makes you think that?"
"That's what Pepper told me that night. Also, when I was driving Peter and Tony to the gala last night," Happy replied, "Tony was going over some ground rules with Peter, and one of them was that they would steer clear of Osborn and that if Peter felt a panic attack coming on, to give Tony a signal so that they could go somewhere private for the kid to calm down."
Harrison nodded. "Seems like Stark really looks out for Peter," he said. "What did you mean last night when you said that their relationship was rocky at first?"
Happy chuckled and at the same time mentally kicked himself. "Nothing bad," he said. "It's just…when Tony and Peter first met, Tony was also dealing with the drama with the Accords and the Rogue Avengers, and Peter wanted to show Tony his potential. Tony tried to keep his distance but found that he missed having the kid around and started to open up around Peter. Since then, they've been the best of buddies."
The chief nodded. "Since Peter has encountered Osborn," he said, "have there been any other rivals or enemies of Stark's that Peter may have spoken to?"
Happy thought for a moment and shook his head. "Not that I can think of," he said. "Most of Tony's enemies came and went before Peter came into Tony's life, especially this one guy, who was an absolute lunatic, but…he was fired last year before the whole thing with the Accords. Peter wouldn't even know who he was."
"Okay, well, even so," Harrison said as he leaned back in his seat, "I'm going to need that list from Ms. Potts. This way, we can start looking into suspects."
"Absolutely," Happy said. "FRIDAY, can you tell Pepper?"
"I will pass along the message, Mr. Hogan," FRIDAY replied.
Within minutes, Pepper came out of the office carrying a piece of paper. "Sorry about that," she said. "I wanted to make sure I got everyone."
"Not a problem, Ms. Potts," Harrison said as he stood up.
"I wrote down former employees and their last known addresses," Pepper said. "I also included enemies, who are in prison, but I don't know how much help that is. I thought I would be writing a novel."
"It's okay," Harrison said nodding as he took the list. "Even from jai, people have connections to the outside world. Thank you both for your time. I'll get this to my guys and keep you and May posted on anything that comes up."
"Thank you, sir," Pepper said nodding as she walked with him to the elevator.
"Have they heard anything yet?" MJ asked as she spoke to Ned over the phone.
"I just got off the phone with May," Ned said as he walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. "They haven't yet. The Chief came by to her apartment and Stark Tower to ask follow up questions earlier, but that's it."
"That's it?!" MJ asked incredulously. "It's like they're not even trying to find them."
"Come on, you know that's not true, MJ," Ned said sadly. "You heard it on the news. The guys had masks. Peter and Mr. Stark's phones were found in an alley, and the van had no license plates. It's almost as if they vanished out of thin air."
MJ sighed as she ran a hand through her curly hair realizing that Ned was in fact right. Ever since news broke that Peter was kidnapped alongside his mentor and boss, Tony Stark, the police didn't stop their investigation for anything. Unfortunately, even with evidence…the video, the masked men, and witnesses…it was still not a lot to go off on. There was no evidence as to who was behind it or why they did it. "I know, Ned," she replied. "I'm sorry. I just—"
"I know, MJ," Ned replied. "I'm worried about him too…I mean I'm worried about both of them, but you know what I mean."
She nodded. MJ had only known Peter since the beginning of the year, and she had grown to like hanging out with him. He always talked about his internship with Tony Stark, and she never really minded the billionaire. Sure, he used to sell weapons, but with the arc reactor technology and the BARF technology Peter told her about…she saw how the billionaire was turning things around. Not only that but Peter mentioned that Tony gave him the boost to call her…although she wasn't sure why. She sighed after another moment. "Did she say if it was a ransom or something?" she asked.
"The police aren't sure yet," Ned replied as he plopped on his bed with the phone. "They're thinking it's one of Tony Stark's enemies."
"Well, no shit, who else would it be?" MJ asked. "Stark is a freaking billionaire and has screwed people over before. How could someone like Peter make enemies? The most dangerous thing he did was disappear in Washington D.C. and play hooky?"
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Ned thought to himself. He couldn't help but feel grateful that Peter Parker and not Spider-Man. Everyone knew Peter Parker was not able to be around and that he was kidnapped, so May, Pepper, Happy, and he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally exposing Peter as Spider-Man. However, that didn't mean the kidnappers didn't know. Why else would they take Tony Stark and his intern?
"There's all kinds of theories running around though," MJ finally said again. "Some people are saying that this is all some ruse for Stark to get more money or attention or something. Others are saying this is all one huge stunt to distract everyone from something with the Avengers. Oh, and then there's the one where it's part of Stark's plan to reveal Peter is his lovechild."
Ned scoffed. "Man, people will think of anything," he said.
"Oh yeah, and there's the one where people think that this is all some plan to draw Spider-Man out," she said.
Ned couldn't help but chuckle at that especially when he knew who Spider-Man was. "Maybe we should just let the police do their job," he said.
"As much as I hate that idea…you're right," MJ replied. "I just hope Peter is okay…wherever they are."
"I hope so too," Ned said sadly.
"I can have Happy bring some food over," Pepper said as she sat down next to Happy as they ate Chinese food.
"No, no, it's okay," May said as she cooked in the kitchen in her apartment. "I need to keep myself busy, you know? All this waiting has been driving me crazy."
"Believe me, we know the feeling," Pepper said sadly. It had been quite a few hours since they last spoke to Chief Harrison and answered his follow-up questions. "They probably have to make sure everyone's addresses are accounted for."
"I hope so," May said quietly. "Ugh…I hate that we have to be at home, but…I also hate the idea of missing the phone if they call."
"We do too," Pepper said sadly.
Another moment of silence passed over them…before Happy finally spoke up. "I never should've let them go in alone," he said aloud.
"What?" Pepper and May said in unison.
"Happy, what are you talking about?" Pepper asked after another moment of silence.
"What do you mean what am I talking about?" Happy asked suddenly. "Pep, I let them walk in there alone. I'm the head of security. I should've been there to protect them. I could've done something."
"Happy, Happy," Pepper said holding his hand up to calm the forehead of security down, "there was nothing that you've done."
"They had weapons," May added. "They threatened to shoot people if Tony and Peter didn't reveal themselves, Happy. They would've killed you."
"But—" Happy tried to protest only to be stopped by Pepper.
"No buts," Pepper suddenly said, "and there had been plenty of events Tony and I had gone to and you didn't come in. Everything went fine at those events."
Happy stared at Pepper and then at the phone on the table. "I know, I know, but—"
"This is not your fault," May said firmly, "and I know for a fact the last thing Tony and Peter are doing is blaming you. Trust me, I know my nephew."
Happy couldn't help but sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. He knew May and Pepper were right. There was no way Tony and Peter would blame him for what happened, and that made him feel even worse. He hated the idea that they were in this mess, and…he was sitting in the tower completely helpless.
"I just feel so helpless," Happy said looking at Pepper. "I…I should be out there looking for them."
"I know," Pepper said gently rubbing his back, "but the police are going to do whatever they can to bring them back home. I promise you though, no one—not even Peter and Tony blame you for this. You couldn't have possibly known that this was going to happen."
"She's right, Happy," May added. "You're not to blame. The only one who is to blame…is the asshole, who took them to begin with, and we won't ever stop until Tony and Peter are home safe and sound."
Author's Note: Annnnnnnnnnd that's all for now, boys and girls! I want to give a huge shout out to a friend of mine, Iron Mum for all her information on how police work in a kidnapping case! She really helped me in making it as accurate as possible and read this before I posted to make sure I didn't miss anything! So, thank you so much, Kat! Up next is PART 5, where we will be back with Peter and Tony as Hammer makes Tony starting meeting his demands! Let's see if Tony has any plans up his sleeve! Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys! See you in the next chapter!