Author's Note: Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to latest installment of The Many Adventures of Iron Dad and Spider Son! We have finally arrived to the LAST part of the Kidnapped Arc…PART 7! We finally made it! Fasten your seatbelts for this one because this is a long one! Also, there's a spcial Easter egg for my Raise Me Up readers. See if you can figure out what it is! I hope you all enjoy Part 7 of the Kidnapping Arc, BUT before we do that…REVIEW REPLIES!
Wandamarie: Thank you so much, friend! I hope you enjoy the rest!
Neville'sEcotopia: Not necessarily. The way I always pictured it is that the police can trace where the call is coming from but can't listen in unless they have consent for one or if it was from the kidnappers. But if that's not the case, then Tony always has a back-up server so that Pepper and May could talk privately.
Percy04: Oh, get ready for this one! I hope you enjoy it!
Radiant Arabian Night: Thank you so much, friend! I can't wait for you to read the rest! Enjoy!
Sillysammijo: YEESSS! The last part is here! I hope you enjoy it!
Bavarianreadinggirl: You're welcome! Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kidnapped! Part 7 (March 27-28, 2017)
"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked as he gave Tony the pair of plyers to work on the wiring for the arc reactor.
"Yeah, kid?" Tony asked as he took the plyers and worked on the wires.
"What's going to happen to us…after this…after we give Hammer what he wants?"
Tony froze in what he was doing as the memory from his kidnapping in Afghanistan.
"No, he won't."
"No…he won't."
As the memory faded back into his mind, he sighed not knowing how to answer that question. Should he lie to Peter or tell him the truth? That seemed like a stupid question, but he knew he should be honest with his intern.
"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked again causing Tony to jump.
The billionaire sighed as he worked on the arc reactor. "Kid…" he said, "I-I don't want to scare you…but…" How was he supposed to explain to a 15-year-old kid that they could potentially die once Hammer was done with them?
"He's going to kill us, isn't he?" Peter suddenly asked.
Tony stared at Peter in complete shock. "Kid…" he said simply.
"We've seen his face…" Peter continued with tears in his eyes. "He…He knows we can identify him…rat him out. He's not going to want to go back to prison. As soon as we do what he wants—"
"Peter," Tony said immediately dropping his tools and moving over to his intern grabbing his shoulders so that they were looking at each other. "Peter…listen to me, okay? That's a possibility, I'm not going to lie to you, but we're not going to focus on that right now, okay? All we're focusing on now is both of us getting out of here together no matter what, okay?"
Peter shakily nodded and quickly wiped his tears away. "Okay," he said sniffling, "I-I'm sorry, I—"
"No, no 'sorry,'" Tony said. "You're scared. I'm scared, too, but we can't let the fear cripple us. So, as long as we're together, we can do anything. We're a team, you and me, right? Iron Man and Spider-Man?"
Peter nodded feeling himself calm down under Tony's grip and smiled. "Yeah, Iron Man and Spider-Man," he said. "So…how are we getting out of here?"
"With the suit we're about to build," Tony replied with a smirk. He leaned in close and whispered, "It's big enough for two people."
"Really?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, last time I was kidnapped, I built a suit to escape," Tony explained, "but a certain someone ended up dead. I refuse to let that happen now. We're both getting out of here together, but we're going to have to work fast. We need to finish the arc reactor, and then we'll get to work on the suit."
Peter nodded. "I'm with you all the way, Mr. Stark," he said.
Tony's smile widened as he wrapped an arm around Peter guiding him back to the workstation.
A few hours passed before Tony and Peter finished the arc reactor…and one of the many suits that would be part of Hammer's Iron Legion. However, that wasn't the case now. The large, bulky gray suit was about to become Tony and Peter's ticket to escaping…to freedom. Once the remaining plates and bolts were in place, Peter and Tony pushed it to stand upright against the wall, and Tony couldn't help but think back on the suit…the Mark I suit he made in Afghanistan with Yinsen. He thought that Yinsen would stick to the plan and escape with him, but Yinsen had other plans. It ended with him dying, but Tony refused to let that happen with Peter. With the suit, they would be able to escape together and go home together.
"Okay," Peter said breathing heavily even though it was practically effortless for him, "now what?"
"Now," Tony said picking up the arc reactor, "for the final piece of the puzzle." The billionaire then placed the arc reactor in its socket…only for it to glow and hum to life as the eyes lit up in blue.
Peter could only stare in absolute shock with his eyes widened and jaw dropped. "We did it," he said breathlessly. "Mr. Stark," he turned to Tony, "we did it! It worked!"
"Of course, it did," Tony said wrapping an arm around Peter. "We're geniuses after all."
Peter's smile widened as he leaned into Tony's side. "I know," he said, "but still…I can't believe we did it. We…we might actually get out of here."
"We will get out of here, kid," Tony said. "It won't be easy, but we will."
"What's the plan?" Peter asked.
"It's another simple plan," Tony replied. "We're going to get in the suit and wait for Hammer to come back in. Once he does, we'll knock him out with the arc reactor, and then we'll fight our way out. We're got a repulsor blast, and a flamethrower that we can use for weapons."
"What about his goons?" Peter asked raising an eyebrow.
"That's part of why we're getting in the suit," Tony explained, "because when Hammer comes in and sees that we're not here, he'll want to send some of his men away—"
"—to look for us," Peter and Tony finished in unison.
"Exactly," Tony replied. "Once they start to spread out, we knock Hammer out and fight our way out. The suit also has flight power, so we'll be able to fly as soon as we're outside."
The smile never once left Peter's face as he nodded. He knew that Tony would find a way out for them. That was just how his mentor was. No matter what, it always seemed like if one plan failed, he would have a back-up plan not too far behind, especially when it involved people he cared about. The teen still couldn't believe how quickly Tony was willing to give up his company and work for him…someone, who was just his intern. He of course had come to care about the billionaire over the past few months or so, but it was hard to figure out if it was mutual. Not that he thought Tony didn't care, it was just something one hardly discussed with anyone.
"You think this can get us back to the city?" Peter asked after a moment.
"At the very least," Tony began, "it's big enough for someone to notice and call for help." It wasn't perfect, but it was something. He wished he had more confidence in the suit, but without his technology and based on his experience with scrap metal suits, the chances of the suit remaining intact were slim.
"It's going to work, Mr. Stark," Peter said jolting him out of his thoughts. "Whatever happens…it's going to work because we worked on it together."
Tony couldn't help but smile at his mentee pulling him back close to his side. "You're right, kid," he said. "It will…It will work." He took a deep breath. "Well, it's now or never. We don't know when Hammer's coming back."
Peter nodded realizing that his mentor was right. "So, we should get in then," he said.
Tony nodded and winked at Peter. He then pushed a button causing the suit to open. "We'll get in and wait for Hammer and his guys to come back," he said.
"Sounds like a plan," Peter replied. With that said, he was just about to get in when…he froze. His senses were tingling.
"What is it?" Tony asked quickly. "Are they coming back?"
"Yeah," Peter replied, "and he's got his guys with him again."
"Well, good thing this suit is metal," Tony said quickly pushing Peter into the suit before getting in himself so that he was in front of his mentee while operating the suit. As soon as they were both in, he pulled the suit closed…just before they heard Hammer punching in the code.
Then…the door opened, and from what Tony could see through the face mask…Hammer walked in first with his men holding their guns behind him. He exhaled shakily as Peter gripped onto Tony's jacket tightly as he stood behind him.
"My good man, Stark, how are we—?" Hammer stopped as he walked in and saw…no sign of Peter and Tony in the room. The only thing he found was a large Iron Man suit in front of him. "NO! NO! NO!" he shouted. "WHERE ARE THEY?!"
Peter jumped a little at Hammer's shouts while Tony tried to steady his breathing. The billionaire tried with all his might to stay calm for his intern.
"Sir, the door was locked," one of the men said to him. "There's no way for them to get out."
"Well, somehow they did," Hammer retorted, "so do the job you agreed to do and…GO FIND THEM!"
Both Peter and Tony let some relief wash over them as they listened to the footprints run away from the door and down the halls, but they couldn't relax yet because Tony could clearly see that Hammer was still there in the room…just as they predicted. Tony slightly turned to look at Peter over his shoulder, and when Peter looked up at him, he gestured to a red button on the inside of the chest plate. Thankfully, Peter got the hint and knew what his mentor wanted him to do. So, he hovered his hand over the button and waited.
"Well," Hammer said as he eyed the Iron Man suit, "at least he got one done." He walked over to it smiling. "Looks like holding a gun to his kid's head really did the trick, but it still wasn't enough. You would think he would've thought twice after that. Oh well…I'll just have to think of something else for his kid to get more." As soon as he got close enough, he reached out and touched the metal chest running it down until he touched the arc reactor. Hammer couldn't help but smile seeing the glow.
Tony wasted no time and flicked the switch inside the right arm causing the suit to activate. Then he nodded at Peter, who wasted no time in pushing the red button…causing the arc reactor to emit an electric shock…zapping Hammer and knocking him out. As soon as he fell to the ground, Tony maneuvered the suit so that they walked out of the room.
"We did it, Mr. Stark," Peter said happily as he continued to grab Tony's jacket.
"Still not out of the woods yet, kid," Tony said. "We still need to get out of here."
"Well, let's go then," Peter replied as Tony continued to maneuver the suit.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Tony said as they continued to walk down the hall. "Hang on tight, kid."
Peter did as his mentor said and wrapped his arms around Tony's middle holding him as tightly as he could without crushing him.
Sure enough, the men in black came running down the halls and began shooting the suit, but the suit would not back down and moved forward. Tony threw one arm up and fired a repulsor blast stunning them and causing them to fall to the ground unconscious. Tony and Peter wasted no time in moving forward as their window of opportunity to escape opened wider and wider once they reached the garage.
Once they reached the garage, Tony wasted no time in firing another repulsor blast into the garage door blasting a hole in it letting in the daylight. Then…within minutes, the suit ran through it and into the outside world. From the inside, Tony could see that the sun was coming up signaling that it was morning—early morning, but he didn't care. He still needed to make sure he and Peter got home safe and sound…no matter what. Once they were outside, Tony activated the suit's thrusters, and the suit shot up into the air.
Peter held on even tighter as the suit ascended higher and higher into the air and swayed back and forth while Tony tried to stabilize the suit. He could've sworn that his stomach churned, but he kept his eyes closed to avoid potentially throwing up on his mentor.
"Hang on a little longer, kid," Tony said through clenched teeth. "I'm trying to stabilize it. Just hang on." Within minutes, he maneuvered his body in the suit and was able to steady it so that it could fly smoothly.
Both mentor and mentee breathed heavily as the suit finally began flying steadily in the air. The thrusters continued to roar keeping them in the air.
"Okay, that…that was terrifying," Peter said after a moment of silence.
"No kidding, buddy," Tony replied. "Tell you what…I'll carry you with my suit as soon as we get home to make it up to you."
"Sounds good to me, Mr. Stark," Peter said with a small smile.
They both chuckled at Peter's comment. However…the moment didn't last long as they heard a strange noise outside the suit.
"W-What was that?" Peter asked as his heart pounded.
"I-I'm not sure, kiddo," Tony said as his heart pounded too. He tried to steady it for Peter's sake but to no avail. He felt and heard a shuddering in the suit's right arm. "Shit…the power is failing in the right arm's thruster."
"Can we fly without it?" Peter asked with widened eyes.
"Well—" the suit suddenly jerked to the side, "not really! Hang on tight, kid! Brace yourself!"
Peter did as his mentor instructed and closed his eyes as the suit began to fall…fast. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what Rhodey felt when Vision suddenly shot him out of the sky…by accident, but he would never ask Tony that…not now at least. The nausea returned in full force as he fell and heard Tony trying to with all his might to keep the suit in the air…to slow down their fall, but it all appeared to be in vain as the suit continued its fast descent to the earth below.
BOOM! The suit hit one tree…
BOOM! …then another tree until…
BOOM! …it hit the ground…breaking apart…causing Tony and Peter to come tumbling out of the suit and rolling on the ground until they landed on their backs.
Both mentor and mentee gasped for air trying to process the fact that they were still alive. Their bodies ached as they were sure they would have bruises all over.
Tony looked over to his left seeing his mentee lying on the ground next to him looking up at the sky and trees above them. "K-Kid…" Tony said with a whisper.
Peter turned to look at him allowing Tony to see the blood trickling down the side of his head. "M-Mr. Stark…" he said. He noticed the cuts on Tony's face but didn't say anything. He was just thankful that they were both alive.
"You okay?" Tony asked as he reached a hand over to grab Peter's shirt.
"Y-Yeah," Peter replied with a smile. "How about you?"
"Never better," Tony replied with a smile of his own. He didn't care about the suit now. All he cared about was that he and Peter were still alive. They survived the fall and still had a chance to get home. Yes, they would have some cuts and bruises, but that could be fixed. "Can you walk? Or move?"
"I think so," Peter said, "but—" he moved an inch, "ahh…" he hissed in pain feeling it in his left arm.
Tony felt his heart drop as he struggled to sit up on his elbow. "What is it?" he asked quickly. "What's wrong?"
"I-I-ahh…I think my arm is broken," Peter replied.
Tony looked at Peter's arms, and he quickly noticed that his left arm was swollen and bruised. The billionaire widened his eyes before quickly taking off his tie and grabbed a nearby branch tying it to Peter's arm. "We'll have to keep it still with a splint," he said. "I'll get Cho to look at it when we get back, okay?" He brought it to Peter's chest and tied it across so that his arm rested against it.
"O-Okay," Peter said hissing in pain some more. "W-What about you? Are you hurt?"
"It's nothing Cho can't fix," Tony replied quickly. He couldn't afford to worry about his injuries. He needed to focus on getting himself and Peter home. "We got to get moving, bud. I don't know how long it's going to take for Hammer to come for us."
Peter nodded before he and Tony slowly helped each other to stand up. He could see that they were covered in mud, cuts, and bruises. His body ached, and he could tell that Tony's did too. As much as he hated that Tony was ignoring his injuries, he knew that his mentor was right. They needed to get moving and find help.
"Where do we go now?" Peter asked as Tony wrapped an arm around his waist holding him close.
"We'll find the road," Tony replied as he and Peter started walking through the dense woods. "There's bound to be someone, who will see us and call the police."
Peter couldn't help but notice that Tony was limping alongside him, but he didn't say anything.
"Keep an ear out for sirens or cars, kid," Tony said as they walked.
Peter nodded yet again as they walked. He used his one good arm to keep his mentor close hoping that his super-strength would keep him upright. They just escaped their captors, and he refused to let them be separated…not now after everything they went through and were going through together. They just kept walking straight until they miraculously came to a hill much like the one the car crashed when they tried to escape before. Peter couldn't help but notice how long ago that and the gala felt. It couldn't have been more than a day or two, but it felt like it was a lifetime ago…maybe months or years—he wasn't sure.
"Look, kid, I see the road ahead," Tony said as they came to the hill. "We're almost there. We're almost there."
"Okay," Peter replied as he looked up at the sky. He could see that the sun was rising allowing morning to come over them. "I knew we could do it, Mr. Stark."
Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Your optimism is outstanding, buddy," he said. "Personally, I'll feel even better when we get a car back to the city."
"Trust me, I'm looking forward to it, too," Peter replied as they climbed the hill to get to the road. Of course, it was empty. There was no sign of any life in either direction. "Which way should we go?"
The genius billionaire looked up at the sky and saw a smoke trail from where they flew and lost power in the thruster. "We came from that way," Tony said before looking down the opposite direction, "so this way is our best bet. We didn't get very far, so we'll need to get moving."
"How long before they come for us?" Peter asked as they continued walking.
"At this point, I'm not sure," Tony replied, "but if they do, I want you to run as fast as you can, okay? Don't do anything else but run, you understand?"
"Yeah, I understand," Peter replied, "but you…you won't leave me, right? W-We're still a team, right?"
"Don't worry," Tony said. "I'm never leaving you for a second. We're going home together, okay? Now, come on, we got to get going."
With that said, the billionaire and his intern made their way down the street. They kept an eye out for any signs of cars or helicopters, but so far…there was nothing. They had no choice but to keep on walking down the long road. It was so quiet that the silence was deafening. There was no sign of life anywhere, and it creeped Peter out. He was relieved because it meant that Hammer was nowhere near them yet, but on the other hand, it meant that they were likely miles from any civilization. How long until they would find a cop or a good person who would help them? By the time that happened, would Hammer catch up to them? His question was answered when…he heard something.
"Mr. Stark…" he said looking around with widened eyes, "I-I heard something."
"What do you hear?" Tony asked.
"It…it sounds like a car," Peter replied, "but…I…I'm not sure where it's coming from. It might be Hammer, but—"
"Okay, let's not waste any time trying to find out," Tony said as they began walking again. "Let's keep going. We'll…we'll just keep moving."
"Okay," Peter said nodding. He wasted no time in walking alongside his mentor again.
Sure enough, as soon as they started walking again, the sound got louder and closer...from behind them. Peter looked over his shoulder, and his eyes widened. There were Humvees in the distance…moving at a fast speed right toward them. The teen felt his heart drop to his stomach seeing their captors catching up to them. "M-Mr. Stark…" he said.
Tony didn't say anything as he looked behind them as well and saw the cars coming toward them. "Kid…run…RUN!" he shouted gently but firmly pushing Peter into a run. He knew that he could start running once Peter did what he was told. They ran as fast as they could, but Tony knew it wouldn't be enough. Hammer was catching up. He had to think of something to keep Peter safe. He wondered if they could go back into the woods, but what if help came and missed them because they couldn't see where they were? However, they couldn't run forever…away from Humvees…containing men with guns. What could they do? There was no other option. They didn't have their suits or weapons. "Come on, kid! Make a beeline back into the woods! We can take cover in there!"
"Let's go!" Peter shouted nodding at Tony.
Both mentor and mentee made an abrupt left down the hill making their way back toward the woods. However…just as they were about to go into the woods, Peter heard Tony scream and a thud. He stopped and looked to his right only to see that Tony had fallen and was struggling to stand up.
"Mr. Stark, are you okay?!" Peter asked frantically kneeling next to Tony and placing his good hand on Tony's shoulder. "What's wrong?!"
"Agh…it's my fucking leg," Tony replied cringing in pain. "I must've fractured something in the fall." He looked at his intern. "Pete…kid…you have to go on ahead. I'll catch up with you. You need a head start."
"No way! I'm not leaving you!" Peter replied firmly.
"Kid, it's okay," Tony said. "I'll still be right behind you. I'll just—" He stopped when he heard cars…skidding to a stop behind him.
They looked…only to see that Hammer and his men caught up with them. As they got out of their cars, Tony wasted no time in angling himself so that Peter was behind him. His heart pounded realizing that they might've just failed to escape…again. Hammer caught up to them again, but he glared and continued to shield Peter. He refused to give up in protecting his intern. He was going to do whatever it took to protect Peter.
Hammer didn't say anything as he and his men advanced on them.
"Mr. Stark…" Peter whispered in fear.
"I'm right here, kid," Tony whispered back as he grabbed Peter's right hand behind him. "I'm right here."
Just as he said that and just as Hammer reached the bottom of the hill with his men in black…a repulsor blast was fired from the sky causing everyone to jump and look up only to see…
"RHODEY!" Tony shouted at the top of his lungs as the War Machine suit flew down towards the earth and landed near them with his gauntlets pointed at Hammer and his men.
Rhodey didn't say anything as he focused on the enemy. "Drop your weapons, get on the ground, and put your hands," he demanded, "now."
"This has nothing to do with you, Colonel," Hammer said smirking at the man in the suit. "Just fly on out of here and forget what you saw."
"Sorry, Hammer," Rhodey retorted not even flinching for a second. "I can't do that…not when you're threatening my best friend and his junior lab partner. Now, do what I said, and drop your weapons, get on the ground, and put your hands up."
"And who's going to make us?" Hammer retorted. "You and what army?"
As soon as Tony's rival asked that, Peter peaked when he heard something else coming. His eyes widened when he realized that Rhodey didn't come alone.
"Mr. Stark," Peter whispered, "I—"
As soon as he said that, sirens were heard as police cars, FBI trucks, and an ambulance skidded to a stop at the top of the hill…making sure that Hammer and his men had no way to escape. The doors opened, and the police officers, detectives, and FBI agents poured out of the cars and ran down to Hammer and his men with their guns raised.
"Me and this army," Rhodey said as he glared at Tony's rival.
"Freeze! NYPD! FBI! Drop your weapons!" they shouted at Tony and Peter's captors. "Down on the ground! Drop your weapons!"
Sure enough, Hammer and his men's eyes widened in fear as they did what they were told, dropped their weapons, got down on their knees, and put their hands up in surrender as the police and FBI swarmed them.
Tony and Peter could only watch in complete shock as they listened to what they said next.
"Justin Hammer," Chief Harrison said as he handcuffed his hands behind his back, "you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Tony Stark and Peter Parker. You have the right to remain silent." He forced the man to his feet and brought him up the hill away from Tony and Peter. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you."
Peter could've sworn he would've passed out if he was standing up as he and Tony watched the police officers dragged Hammer and his men away and into the cars. Was it really over? After everything he and Tony endured together in Hammer's clutches…was it really and truly over?
"Rhodes…" Tony suddenly said in astonishment jolting Peter out of his thoughts as he looked up at Rhodey.
"Shit, you two," Rhodey said kneeling down in front of them. "You look like crap."
"Yeah, we figured," Tony said nodding. He couldn't help but smile as tears formed in his eyes. "It's so good to see you, man."
"You too, buddy," Rhodey said with a smile. "You too, Peter."
'Yeah, you too, Col. Rhodes," Peter said with a small smile breathing shakily.
"I have some medics from the Compound just in case," Rhodey said scanning both Tony and Peter. "Are you guys hurt? Any injuries?"
"Uh, yeah, Peter has a broken arm," Tony said, "and…I think my leg is fucked up. We…had a pretty nasty fall. We tried to escape in a suit and—"
"Okay, okay," Rhodey said nodding as he looked them over noting Peter's arm in a makeshift sling and Tony trying to prop himself up. "We'll get you both in the ambulance and get you to the compound, so Cho can look at you. It's over, okay?"
Tony could only nod still not fully believing Rhodey's words. He couldn't believe this was happening. Was it really over? Or was it all a horrible dream? Would he wake up and see that he and Peter were still in that room? He didn't even have time to ask or say anything as the paramedics from the compound rushed over with gurneys. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as they helped Tony and Peter onto the gurneys and wheeled them up the hill to the ambulance. They managed to fit the billionaire and his intern into one ambulance which they were both grateful for because neither of them was ready to let the other out of his sight again. Tony doubted that they ever would again. He looked to his left and saw Peter looking at him as the paramedics worked on his leg and on Peter's arm. He wanted to hug Peter so badly. He wondered if Peter did too, but with the paramedics working, it was hard to get their respective gurneys closer. For now, all Tony could do was hold his hand out to Peter as tears formed in his eyes and as he beamed from ear to ear.
Peter wanted to hug Tony so badly as tears formed in his own brown eyes, but as soon as he saw Tony reach out with his hand, he knew that should have to do for now. So, he wasted no time in grabbing his mentor's hand and holding it for dear life. After everything they went through, it was finally over. They were going home… Rhodey and the police found them, and now…Peter and Tony had the chance to go home…together…just as Tony said.
The ride to the Avengers' Compound was a few hours long as Rhodey flew over the ambulance and an NYPD detective and an FBI agent followed from behind. Tony and Peter refused to let go of each other's hand for any reason unless instructed by the paramedics, and if they had to, they quickly grabbed each other's hands again refusing to let go for a second. The paramedics did what they could to at least keep an eye on their vitals and injuries until they could get to the Compound. Once they arrived, Peter and Tony were wheeled out of the ambulance and into the Compound with Rhodey walking beside them and Cho waiting in front of the building.
"They're going to take you in to get X-rays and tests," Rhodey quickly said, "and then Detective Dodds and Agent Powell are going to talk to you after."
"Okay, can you get me a phone so that we can call Pepper and May?" Tony asked as they were about to wheel him and Peter. "And make sure Peter and I are in a room together?"
"Anything you want, man," Rhodey said. "I'll see you guys when you're done, okay?"
Unfortunately, Tony and Peter needed to be separated again when Cho and her team took them in for X-rays and tests and to get cleaned up. Peter had a broken left arm as he and Tony figured, and Tony fractured his right foot. Further tests showed that they each had cuts, bruises, and fractured ribs, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed. However, they couldn't be together in the room yet as Detective Dodds and FBI Agent Powell wanted to talk to Peter and Tony separately to get their statements regarding what they endured the past two days. Powell spoke to Peter while Dodds spoke to Tony, and they both told them everything. Of course, there was still one thing…that Tony wanted to know.
"Alright, well, thank you, Mr. Stark," Detective Dodds said as he stood up from his seat. "I'll let Agent Powell know we're done, and then Peter can come back in here. I truly hope you both feel better soon, and we'll keep in touch regarding court proceedings and Hammer's sentencing. Although…based on what happened, I'll have to talk to the ADA, but I don't think there will be much trouble."
"Can I just ask you one thing, Detective?" Tony asked as he sat in the bed with his leg raised.
"Yeah, of course, what's up?" Dodds asked.
"How did…how did Hammer get out of prison?" Tony asked after a moment. "D-Did he escape?"
"Uhh…well, he…he actually got parole," Dodds replied sitting back down in his chair.
"Parole? When?" Tony asked sitting up in complete shock.
"In November 2016," he replied.
"Well, why…why wasn't I notified? Why wasn't Pepper at least notified?" Tony asked. He felt his heart pounding as he tried to process the idea that Hammer got out on good behavior and that he never knew about it. If he did, he could've protected Peter. He could've prevented everything they just went through from happening.
Dodds sighed clearly not sure on how to answer his question. "T-The thing is, Mr. Stark," he replied, "you were. Ms. Potts, Mr. Hogan, and Chief Harrison went into your email and found an email from the prison Hammer was in inviting you to the hearing. However, it was marked unread in your spam folder. They didn't receive a response and…assumed that you were okay with it."
Tony stared at the detective with widened eyes. The prison had notified him about Hammer, and he missed it. He sat back in complete shock as he realized that he and Peter were kidnapped because of him. He let out a shaky breath.
"Is…is there anything else you would like to know, Mr. Stark?" Dodds asked.
"Uh…uh…n-no…no, thank you, Detective," Tony said with a small smile.
Dodds gave a small smile and stood up again. "You're welcome," he said. "If you need anything else, give a shout. Welcome home."
"Thank you," Tony said distractedly as the detective left.
Thankfully, he wasn't alone for long as the door in the room opened.
"Hey, Tones," Rhodey said as he opened and closed the door, "look who I got."
Tony looked up only to see…
"Peter…" Tony said with a small smile on his face. His face fell however when he once again saw his intern's condition. He was thankfully cleaned up of all the mud and grime and given a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, that Tony had given to Rhodey to give to him. His hair was combed back and clearly still wet. However, he still had cuts and bruises on his face and arms. His left arm was in a cast in a sling, and it was all because of him.
"Hey, Mr. Stark," Peter replied as Rhodey pushed him in a wheelchair. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
Tony couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at the teenaged vigilante. "I'm fine, kid, don't worry," he replied. "I should be asking how you're feeling. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Peter said as Rhodey wheeled him to the bed and helped him back in. "Just a broken arm and some fractured ribs, but Dr. Cho said it was nothing that couldn't be fixed with my healing and some rest. Sorry, we took so long. Agent Powell wanted to talk to me for a bit about what happened, and she said that Detective Dodds wanted to talk to you too."
The billionaire couldn't help but smile and shake his head again listening to Peter return to his usual verbose self. It was hard to be chatty when held captive with your mentor. He had to wonder what kind of path to recovery Peter would take from his experience being kidnapped and imprisoned by Justin Hammer…if the kid would be even more traumatized than he was after the Vulture incident… "Uh…yeah," he said after a moment, "it was just to—you know—follow up on a few things that happened."
Both Peter and Rhodey looked at each other hearing the shakiness in Tony's voice and then back at Tony.
"What?" Tony asked after a moment.
"You okay, Tones?" Rhodey asked raising an eyebrow at his best friend.
"Yeah, I-I'm great, never better," Tony replied with a smile, "just…just relieved to finally be home…that Peter's okay, you know?" He could tell that neither Rhodey nor Peter believed him as they looked at each other and then at him again. However, he didn't leave them any time to pursue the subject. "Uh…listen, platypus, not that we don't love talking to you, but Peter probably wants to call his aunt. Not to mention I also would love to call my fiancée to…you know…let them know we're alive, but the big, burly guys threw our phones away. So…"
Rhodey chuckled and shook his head as he took his phone out of his pocket. "Okay, okay," he said, "you can use my phone. Just no funny business."
"Can't make any promises," Tony said with a smile.
"Thanks, Hap," Tony said to his forehead of security over Rhodey's phone, "we'll be here at the Compound." He paused before chuckling with relief. "Yeah, it's good to hear your voice, too, buddy. Okay, see you later. Bye." With that, they both hung up the phone.
"They're coming now?" Peter asked.
"Yep," Tony said placing the phone on the table next to him from where he sat in the chair right next to Peter's bed, "Happy is bringing them here as we speak." Rhodey thankfully gave him and Peter some time alone to call Pepper, May, and Happy. Peter of course had a turn to talk to his aunt before passing the phone onto him.
"That's good," Peter said with a smile. After being kidnapped for a few days and being threatened, he wondered if he would ever get to hear his aunt's voice again, so to hear her on the phone after being rescued…was a great feeling. She promised to call Ned and MJ as well to give them the good news, which was good because he only wanted to focus on his aunt, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Tony for now. "Something tells me that they'll be all over us."
"Yeah, I think so," Tony replied nodding. He then paused once again contemplating what the detective told him earlier…and where that left him and Peter. He didn't want the kid to think less of him, but…he certainly wouldn't blame him after the massive mistake he made. "Um…kid, listen, there's something I want to…talk to you about…before they get here…and before Rhodey comes back."
"What is it?" Peter asked.
"Umm…well," Tony began after a moment of silence, "I was…I was talking to the detective before, and…I asked him how Hammer got out of prison." He managed to look up a little despite the overwhelming feeling of shame and guilt as he looked at Peter.
The teen's brown eyes widened when he realized what his mentor was talking about. "Oh…yeah…" Peter said, "I…I asked the FBI agent, and…she told me too." He then scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That was so stupid though. That prison should've tried to follow up with you when you didn't answer. A phone call would've been better."
"No, no, they're not to blame, kid," Tony said. "They did what they were supposed to do. If there's anyone to blame, it's me. I'm the one who didn't see the email and got you dragged into this mess."
Peter stared at Tony with widened eyes as he realized that his mentor was blaming himself for what happened. Yes, he didn't see the email about Hammer's parole, but that was a mistake. Hammer was the one who was responsible. "Mr. Stark, that's not true," he said. "It was an honest—"
"Yes, it is…it is true," Tony interjected. "If…if I had just read that email, Pepper and I could've prevented this whole thing before it even started. He wouldn't have gotten out. He would've never associated you with me… Y-You wouldn't have been kidnapped right alongside me, and I'm so…so sorry that happened, kid. So…if…if you don't want to," he took a deep, shaky breath, "if you don't want to be my intern anymore or see me less, that…that's completely fine, kid. I'll understand."
"What?" Peter asked feeling as though he was punched in the stomach. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Pete, I have a huge target on my back because of my past…and because of who I am," Tony replied completely unfazed by Peter's widened eyes. "You heard what Hammer said. He wanted to go after Pepper and me, but…" he breathed a shaky sigh remembering how Hammer was convinced that Peter was actually his son, "just because he had some jackasses watching us, he knew that you were important to me and dragged you into this. He threatened…he threatened to kill you just to get me to do what he wanted. The last thing that I ever wanted for you was for you to get into such a dangerous situation because of me. God only knows how many more of my enemies or disgruntled ex-employees or whatever are still out there and won't hesitate to take advantage of you to get to me." He sighed again as he hung his head running a hand through his hair. "So…if you don't want that hanging over your hand…then…then I'll understand, kid. You know, I can keep my distance, and—"
"No, absolutely not!" Peter interjected firmly.
"Kid—"
"No, this is where you zip it," Peter interjected again. "The kid is talking."
Tony stared at his intern in shock over his sudden outburst.
"I'm sorry for that, sir," Peter quickly said, "but you need to listen. You flew me to freaking Germany to fight the Rogues. I stopped a weapons-smuggler with my freaking onesie…even after he figured out who I was. I had a building collapsed on top of me, and I lifted the rubble with my bare hands. I'm always putting my life on the line to help the people in Queens. I came out of hiding when they threatened you. So, if you think for one minute that I'm going to just bail on you all because we were kidnapped by some crazy douchebag from your past…then you got another thing coming." He breathed heavily once he finished…hoping…praying that his mentor would understand…would see that he meant it…every single word.
"Pete…" Tony began.
"No, don't 'Pete' me!" Peter suddenly said. "What happened to us was not your fault, Mr. Stark! It was Justin Hammer's! He's the one responsible. He could've decided to move on after he got out of prison, but he didn't. He made that choice to kidnap us. We protected each other…kept each other safe. We were a team…just as we have been for the past year or so, and I don't want to give that up. I don't ever want to give that up. I don't want it to change all because we got kidnapped. If anything, this proves how much we need each other…how we can rely on each other…how we need each other in our corners. I don't want that to change, Mr. Stark."
Tony felt tears form in his eyes as he listened to Peter's passionate speech. Hearing this kid he met months ago…the very same kid, who was so much better than him in every way…sound this passionate about sticking around and continuing to work with him made his heart swell. Of course, he hated the idea of never seeing Peter again—whether he was being threatened with death or if he decided not to get involved with Tony anymore. Ever since they first met…ever since they started seeing each other and talking more frequently after the Vulture incident, it was getting harder and harder to imagine his life without Peter and May in it. However, even though it would've hurt, he would've understood if Peter didn't want to experience something like that again…and be associated with Tony anymore. "God, kid," he said with a smile, "you…you're worse than Cap."
Peter himself chuckled as tears formed in his eyes relieved that Tony was listening to him. "Well, I mean it," he said. He wanted to say what he had been thinking for the past month or so. "I…I've lost three adult figures in my life, and…now…all I have Is you and May. When that guy put that gun to your head at the gala…I…couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again. The thought of losing either of you guys for any reason makes me sick to my stomach. I don't want any of it to stop…our lab days…our movie nights…our weekends…any of it." He then paused realizing what he was saying. "I mean…unless…unless you do at any point, and you're just—"
"No, no!" Tony suddenly said. "I don't want it to stop either, Pete. I never want it to stop. I want you around, kid. I just…I wasn't sure if this changed anything for you, but I can't stand the thought of never seeing you again either."
"It doesn't," Peter said. "It never will. I'm in this for the long haul, Mr. Stark."
"Good," Tony said, "because I am, too, kid. I'm not going anywhere." He reached forward wrapping his arms around Peter—while minding his broken left arm—pulling him close to his chest hugging him. "Never."
Peter felt tears in his eyes as he buried his face in Tony's shoulder feeling the warmth in his mentor's arms. It was a lot like whenever Ben hugged him. He felt safe, protected, and cared for as he wrapped his good arm around Tony. Since they started talking and seeing each other more frequently, they had fist-bumped and wrapped arms around each other. When they were kidnapped, they hugged each other clinging to each other like a lifeline…to give and receive comfort and protection…to keep each other grounded, but this time…this hug felt different. It felt like something that was deeper than an internship or even a friendship, but neither Peter nor Tony could put it into words. However, they didn't care. All that mattered was that whatever this was…they were both in it for the long haul…which was miles away from how they first started…in the car after the debacle with the Rogue Avengers.
"That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you…We're not…we're not there yet."
"Mr. Stark," Peter finally said still not pulling away, "are we there yet?"
"Yeah, kid," Tony said, "we're there."
It took some convincing, but Rhodey managed to get Tony back into his bed once he promised that he would move their beds closer together. Not that Rhodey blamed either of them. After everything they had been through, Tony and Peter had every right to want to be attached at the hip, and it was only fair that their respective families would want to join in on that. That was precisely what happened when he led a very impatient May, Pepper, and Happy to the room.
"Hey, guys, you got some visitors," Rhodey said to Tony and Peter as May, Pepper, and Happy rushed in.
"May!" Peter said with a huge smile on his face.
"Pepper! Happy!" Tony added with a smile of his own.
"Oh my god," May said with tears in her eyes as she rushed over to her nephew hugging him tightly. "Oh, baby, you're okay."
"I'm okay, May," Peter said with tears in his eyes burying his face in her shoulder. "I'm okay. Mr. Stark protected me. We protected each other."
"I have no doubt about that," May said looking over Peter's shoulder smiling at Tony, who smiled in return.
However, that was interrupted when Pepper practically threw herself at Tony hugging him tightly.
"Oh, Pep," he said as tears formed in his eyes.
"Tony…" she whispered kissing him on the cheek. "Are you okay?" She pulled away from him placing her hands on his cheeks. "Are you two okay?"
"Pep, we're okay," Tony said placing his hands on her wrists. "A little worse for wear…but we're okay."
Pepper sniffled before placing a kiss on his lips. "I'm so sorry, Tony," she said resting her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry I made you two go to that stupid gala. I—"
"Honey, honey," Tony said backing away a little so that he looked right at her, "no, no, it's not your fault. It's not your fault. It…it's not my fault. It's not anybody's fault." He looked at Peter, who smiled and nodded. "The only one to blame is Justin Hammer…no one else but him…"
"And now, he'll definitely go back to prison," Peter said.
"Absolutely, Peter," Pepper said with a tearful smile, "and we'll make sure he never gets out again."
"Sounds good to me, Ms. Potts," Peter said. "I could also go to the prison and web him there for good measure."
All the adults laughed at his comment.
"Now, I would pay good money to see that," Happy said with a smile of his own.
"Same here, heck, maybe I could buy the prison," Tony said earning more laughs from his fiancée, his forehead of security, his best friend, his intern, and his intern's aunt. For the first time in a few days, everything felt as though everything would be okay.
A couple hours had passed since May, Happy, and Pepper arrived, and after a small celebration and a few check-ups on Tony and Peter by Helen, Pepper, and Rhodey decided to have some rooms set up for May and themselves to stay over, while Tony and Peter stayed in the Med Bay overnight for observation. So, they went to the living quarters to get everything ready leaving Tony and May alone with a sleeping Peter in between them in the bed.
"You know, he's actually adorable when he's sleeping," Tony said watching May run a hand through Peter's brown hair.
May chuckled. "And you haven't seen him as a baby," she said with a smile. "Thank you…"
Tony furrowed his eyebrows together at Peter's aunt. "For what?" he asked with confusion. What could he have done to earn a thank you from May Parker?
"For protecting him…while you guys were…you know…" May said. "We saw the video at the station, and I know you did everything to protect him from that asshole. I-I mean…not just that, Tony, you've done so much for him these past few months, so…really, thank you."
Tony couldn't help but smile. "You have a great kid, May," he said. "He…he kept me sane. Honestly, not just throughout this whole thing with Hammer…just with everything these past few months." Tony paused as he fiddled with the covers on his legs. "You know…before you guys got here, I was…I was telling him that if he…if he didn't want to intern for me or wanted to keep his distance because of what happened…then I would understand…"
"What did he say?" May asked.
"He was very adamant," Tony replied. "He said that if anything, this whole thing proved how much we need each other in our corners, how we can protect each other, and so on. He said that he couldn't stand the idea of losing you or me and that he didn't want any of it to change, and honestly, I feel the same. I…I can't stand the idea of never seeing him or you again. It's getting harder to imagine life without you two."
"I'm glad you feel that way," May said nodding. "That…That only means that what I'm about to ask you now much easier." She slowly stood up and walked around so that she was facing Tony directly.
"Uh…w-well, May, I'm flattered, really," Tony said as confusion trickled into his voice yet again, "but I don't think Pepper would appreciate it or even Peter for that matter."
"You don't even know what I'm going to ask, dummy," May said crossing her arms.
Tony stared at her with widened eyes realizing that he jumped to conclusions. "Right, sorry," he said, "I'll shut up."
May nodded. "So…this is something that I've been thinking about for a while now," she began. "You know, Ben—my husband—and I were really the only relatives Peter had growing up, so…it made sense that we would take him in when his parents died. Then…you know…Ben was a police officer, so…we always talked about what would happen if…you know…Ben was to…not come home one night. And…we don't have any other family. You know, Mary—Peter's mom was an only child, so that only left us, and we could never really figure out…what would happen if both of us weren't around anymore before he was old enough."
Tony stared at May and then at Peter before looking back at May. Peter had mentioned that his parents and his uncle Ben were dead, but he never took into consideration that Peter had no other family members around outside of his aunt. It made his outburst more understandable earlier…how he didn't want to lose what he and Tony had…how he didn't to lose Tony and May…or one of them. Yes, Tony and Peter weren't blood-related, but it didn't matter. They cared about each other, and Peter didn't want to lose that. "I…I don't think I ever realized," he finally said. "I…I guess…I just…I…but what…what does this have to do with me or what you want to ask me?"
"It's something I've been thinking about for a few months now," May said, "and after what happened with Hammer…it's made it all clearer what I need to do." She paused and took a deep breath. "I…I want to change my will…so that you can be named as Peter's back-up guardian in case something ever happens to me."
Tony stared at her with widened eyes completely shocked at what she was asking. "M-Me…?" he asked.
"You," May replied firmly.
"May, I-I don't know…" Tony said as he looked between her and Peter, who was still sound asleep next to him.
"Tony," May said cutting him off, "don't you see how much you mean to him? He trusts you implicitly. He cares about you…just as you care about him."
"Of course, I care about him," Tony reaffirmed, "but…"
"But…?" May asked urging him to continue.
"I'm not exactly…parent/guardian material. I never really was…"
May chuckled as she perched herself on the foot of Tony's bed while minding his fractured foot. "How do you think my husband and I felt when Richard and Mary named us Peter's guardians in their will? We obviously never expected anything to happen to them, but we were scared out of our minds. We didn't think we'd be good guardians for Peter. We didn't have any children of our own, and before they died, Rich and Mary brought Peter over for us to watch for a few hours and on holidays and birthdays."
Tony didn't dare say a word allowing May to continue.
"And then we realized that we would do anything for Peter, and that we only would've needed to try our best to care for him and love him, which we already did," May smiled at the veteran superhero. "And you just said you care about him. You gave him a new suit with all these fancy gadgets and gizmos. You took his suit away when you felt he was getting in over his head. You've been mentoring him, training him, and supporting him for almost a year. He talks to you about things and asks for advice."
Tony released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He had no idea May viewed him in this light.
"And let's not forget that you just fought tooth and nail to save him and to get the both of you out of there not too long ago."
"Well, I mean, there was no way I was going to let anything happen to him. All I could think about was getting Peter out of there…getting us both out of there." Everything else she had mentioned…he didn't think much of it. All he knew when he first discovered this vigilante on YouTube that he needed an upgrade…an assurance of safety, and the more time he spent with Peter…all the way from Germany to the Vulture incident to beyond the Vulture incident…their lab days…movie nights…their weekend together, the more he came to care about the kid and to want to support him and be there for him. He didn't think much of it. Perhaps, there were a few times, especially during the Vulture situation where his actions confused him but only because he never acted like that before. All in all, Tony never once thought to make himself a parental figure or a legal guardian…to Peter. He just sort of did everything he did…all because he cared about the kid.
"That's why I want to do this," May finally said. "He trusts you, Tony, and I know he cares about you just as you care about him. If…anything happens, I want you to be the one, who's there for him."
Tony looked at May for a long minute before looking away in deep thought, and May could see that he was heavily considering what she said. "Please, Tony," she said. "There's no one else…but you."
Tony gave her a small smile and nodded. "I'd be honored, May," he said.
"Thank you," May said reaching forward and hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much, Tony." She pulled away. "I'll tell Pepper and my lawyer, and then we can take care of that once you and Peter are back on your feet. I-I only ask that we not tell Peter…at least not now anyway. I don't want to worry him."
"Absolutely," Tony said nodding. "I think he's been through enough as it is. He needs a break."
"Well, we'll be here for him…and for you," May said. "We'll get you both through this."
Tony smiled even wider. "I have no doubt about it, May," he said.
Two Weeks Later…
"In the event that I pass away before my nephew by marriage Peter Benjamin Parker reaches the age of 18, I hereby appoint Anthony Edward Stark and his wife as his legal guardians."
"Tony?"
Tony was jolted out of his thoughts as he looked up from reading May's will seeing May, Pepper, May's lawyer, Michael, and his and Pepper's lawyer Larry looking at him. "Oh, sorry, I was just reading this," he said. "Say that again."
"I was saying that if there's nothing else," Michael said with a raised eyebrow, "then you and Mrs. Parker are good to sign."
"Of course, absolutely," he said taking a pen.
With that, May was the first to sign, and then it was his turn. As he signed, Tony couldn't help but smile. It felt as though he was officially keeping his word to Peter…that he wasn't going anywhere and that he was in it for the long haul. Not that May was going to die anytime soon, but no matter what happened, he was always going to be there for Peter. No matter what happened, he and Peter would always be there in each other's corners, protect each other, and support each other, and signing May's will made it more official, which he had no problem with. After what happened with Hammer, this was one of the best things that happened to him…like a light at the end of the tunnel.
Author's Note: Annnnnnnnnnnnnd that's all for now, boys and girls! WE HAVE FINALLY REACHED THE END OF THE KIDNAPPED ARC! I CANNOT BELIEVE WE MADE IT! I have been planning for this for MONTHS, and now it's completed in The Many Adventures! Thank you for all the support on this arc, especially to my internet bestie SuperHeroTiger, who has listened to me blab about this and helped me plan this for months! So, there we have it, for all my Raise Me Up readers, this is the kidnapping incident that led to Tony becoming Peter's back-up guardian in May's will, so I really hope you all enjoyed it! The next story will cover the AFTERMATH, and it's based on that one interview RDJ did and walked out of. Only this time…Peter will be there, and someone from Tony's past will be doing the interview. Anyway, don't forget to read and review! Thanks, guys!
Also, small PSA, but I know that NWH recently came out, and I did see it. I don't think I need to say it, but I do want to remind you guys to refrain from NWH spoilers in reviews. There may be some people who haven't seen it! But I will tell you that NWH will be addressed as well…just not completely. It will be mentioned, but that's all. How, you ask? I'm not telling because spoilers and because we got a long way to go before we get there!