Homecoming/Civil-War Arc: Final Part
"Good Morning, Peter. Nice to finally meet you. Are you ready for your training?" greeted by a charming voice as soon as Peter secured his mask in place.
Recognition dawned on Peter's face as he remembered who the voice sounded like,
"Tadashi! Oh, my god, it's nice to finally meet you too," he exclaimed with surprise.
"But wait, what? Training?" Peter's voice echoed as he stepped into the vast three-floor training room arena,
"Dad, you remembered."
His father had teased him during the Ultron crisis, to integrate the TADASHI UI into Peter's future suit if ever Peter decided to design one. To Peter's delight, truthfully enough, his father had kept his word.
"Of course, bud," Tony replied, his grin widening as they met halfway at the center of the arena, "Tadashi, take care of my Peter, will you."
"Will absolutely do, Sir," Tadashi assured in speaker mode.
"Excellent. Tadashi, launch training wheels. Friday, prepare the arena." Tony's command resounded through the space.
Within moments, the arena transformed, its structures rising from beneath with precision-engineered posts, custom-made to enhance Spider-Man's training regimen.
"Training wheels? Ugh, Dad, seriously? What's the point?" Peter said, his brows furrowing in disbelief.
Tony only smirked in response as Spider-Man's HUD (Heads-Up Display) powered up, projecting an augmented reality view onto Peter's screen through his mask. This advanced technology provided him with a comprehensive set of features, an analysis of his surroundings, an extended depth of field, enhanced radar detection, and a display showcasing all 576 combinations of web shooters and supplies. Moreover, it offered options for enhanced reconnaissance mode, enhanced combat mode, and even enhanced interrogation mode.
"Whoa. Dad, you really overdid it." Peter exclaimed, his eyes widening in amazement as he analyzed his webbing options.
"You need to learn all of that before you step into the field. Cause I—"
But before Tony could finish his sentence, Peter activated his web-shooters and swung toward the opposite end of a column. However, instead of the usual webbing, only a small web projectile shot out, causing Peter to crash flat on his face.
"—don't want you falling flat on your face." Tony's laughter rang out as he reached out to steady Peter.
"Easy now, spider," he teased, his laughter infectious. "Can't have our Spider-Man tripping over his own feet."
Peter let out a grunt, rolling his eyes playfully. "Oh, ha-ha," he retorted, managing a small grin despite the heat rising to his cheeks, "What the hell just happened? Tadashi, what was that?"
"Rapid-fire was the default and is your current selection, Peter. Do you want us to try something else?" Tadashi's calm voice replied.
"You good?" Tony asked as Peter scrambled back to his feet. "This is what I was telling you. Complete the training and then we'll talk."
The remainder of the day was spent with Peter memorizing and refining his web shooter combinations, testing each one within simulated scenarios in the training room, facilitated by Friday and assisted by Tadashi.
He also took the opportunity to familiarize himself with all the additional features integrated into his suit.
Once Tony saw Peter making progress, he returned back up to his office. His expression hardened upon walking in, as he was greeted by no other than Secretary Ross projected as an interactive 3D hologram, lounging smugly on the conference table.
"Uh, Friday, who said we can let him in?" Tony's voice held a note of irritation.
"I scheduled a meeting 'cause you keep putting me on hold, Stark."
Tony suppressed a smirk.
"You seem to have no care whatsoever on where Rogers had gone with the murderer. Apparently, Romanoff tagged along with them, stealing those weapons." Ross stated, fixing Tony with an intense glare.
"You don't have to micro-manage me, Ross. Already got the GSG-9's on the borders. Recon's flying 24/7. They got a hit, we'll handle it. What more do you want?"
"It's clear you can't be objective, if you were, you would still be in Germany handling this yourself instead of flying to New York when the trail hasn't even gone cold yet."
"I don't suppose you have any family, do you?" Tony probed, his gaze unwavering, "Ah, Betty. Met her years ago, Columbia. Oh, that's right. Heard she disowned you. Now, I have a better understanding of why."
Ross rose to his feet, holding in discontent, "I'm putting Special Ops on this."
"All due respect, you're not going to solve this with boys in bullets, Ross. We need to sort this out ourselves."
"And what? Do what you did the last time?"
Tony held his immovable countenance, none of his expressions suggested that he might've just blown his cover. Ross knows nothing, and will know nothing.
"I will bring them in, 72 hours, guaranteed."
Ross derisively chuckled as if belittling, "It would've been easier if none of you would just disobey, wouldn't it? And if you ever, have you heard of The Raft, Stark? I'm sure your boy won't be able to visit you in a cell underwater. Would he?"
Tony bit the inside of his cheek, trying to contain his wrath and refusing to let it spill over. Of course, he had heard of the supermax floating ocean prison. It was a place for maniacs, that none of them deserved to be imprisoned into just because they didn't want to sign a document.
He walked closer to Ross, levelling with a gaze held firm, defiant and unyielding in the face of the opposition,
"Is that a threat, Secretary?"
"36 hours. Barnes. Rogers. Wilson. Romanoff. Or else…"
"Or else, what?"
Ross closed in and whispered into Tony's with a raspy voice,
"The Avengers."
The 3d call ended at that instant, the hologrammed Ross gone. Tony drew a sustained breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it.
A rueful chuckle escaped him, perceiving the irony of the earlier conversation,
"Good luck defending Earth without your mightiest heroes, you bastard."
He sat and swivelled on his office chair, reclining it far back as he propped his feet onto the table. With a deep sigh, he pressed his fingers against his tired eyes, momentarily masking his fatigue. The anxiety of finding a solution for all these government problems wasn't allowing him to get any good night's sleep.
Friday's voice broke through his thoughts, "Boss, incoming call from Steve Rogers."
"Secure the line and patch him through," he instructed, straightening up with a determined air.
"Tony." Steve greeted in a serious tone.
"This better be good, Rogers. I just had a one-on-one with the tyrant. I have 36 hours to bring you all in, cause if not, he threatened to put us all in The Raft. I guess you don't know what The Raft is, but it's an underwater prison with no contact with the outside world, ever. We need a plan and we need it fast. We need to get out of this situation." Tony's voice was laced with urgency and tension.
The weight of responsibility bore down on him, threatening to crush everything he held dear— his company, his team, and above all, his family, especially his son. Losing any of them was simply not an option.
"We're sorry for bringing you into this, Tony," Natasha's voice broke through the tense silence.
"How'd you do it? This double agent thing? Cause I swear, I thought I almost blew my cover."
Steve explained, "The psychiatrist who interrogated Bucky, he's behind all of this. We got a hunch that he has a plan to wake up five more Winter Soldier's sleeping in a Hydra facility in Siberia."
"A hunch? I can't go with a hunch right now, Cap. And more psycho-assassins? Are you sure this is the bigger problem right now? Cause I just mentioned underwater prison."
"Those soldiers were created from the replicated super soldier serum made by Howard, Tony. Bucky—"
"Stole it when he assassinated my parents. That right, Manchurian Candidate?" Tony interrupted, fully aware he was likely on speakerphone. They're lucky it's a phone call between them or else he might go for round two without even batting an eye. "Do you even remember them?"
"I—" Bucky's voice trailed off but Steve interrupted, cutting him short,
"Tony, these soldiers were the most elite death squad, capable of infiltration, assassination, and destabilizing entire governments. They could bring down a country in a single night, catching us completely off guard. If we deal with this threat, we'll demonstrate that there are dangers beyond what the government can monitor. We need to make people see that the Accords are a facade. Eventually, the truth will come out, Bucky wasn't responsible, and we're stopping the real criminal behind the Accords bombing. Maybe, they'll forgive us."
"That's a big 'maybe', Cap. This is Ross we're talking about— the fucking Ceasar of the military. You and I both know all hell will break loose once we proceed with this. He'll brand us as criminals, tarnish our reputation, strip us of everything. I've got a lot on the line, Cap."
"I know. Maybe even more so than the rest of us." Steve acknowledged, his tone carrying a hint of apology, "But we got to try, Tony."
It's a crucial gamble that Tony wouldn't want to wager on. It would be easy to simply arrest the rest of his team, locate them right now, and hand them off to Ross on a silver platter. But then, that would also mean he'd be betraying them, these people he's considered as friends over the years, maybe even part of their little family.
It would hurt the team, destroy it, and even hurt his son in the process. The hardest part of all this is trusting and hoping that everything will work out for all of them.
"You said so yourself, every time someone tries to end a war before it even starts, innocent people die. How is this any different?"
He had learned enough from creating Ultron not to try to end a war again before it happened. But isn't that exactly what they're doing now?
"Yes, I can see the irony of that now. But I'm afraid the war has already started with the bombing, Tony. He wanted to see an empire fall."
Tony let his intrusive thoughts win,
"You know, I'd actually like to see that shrink try. Let those soldiers destabilize nations without us. Let Ross handle it on his own. Let's see how he crumbles on his knees."
There's a very low probability that they will arise from this with everything intact, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. A nervous snicker escaped him, betraying his inner anxiety, because he knew deep down he would always be choosing the greater good,
"Alright, how do we play this?"
It was after dinner that night when Peter and Tony were sitting, playing on the grand piano, that Peter learned the truth concerning his grandparents.
He didn't know how to respond at first. He simply watched as his Dad continued playing, his fingers harmoniously gliding through every key, the melancholic music reflecting in Dad's eyes.
Peter understood the grief and how it had broken his Dad. He recalled a piece he had read once, perhaps the most beautiful interpretation of grief he had encountered:
Grief is all the unexpressed love we never got to give. It is love persevering beyond time.
He began to play Grandma's favorite piece, Clair de Lune
Only the sound of music filled the space between them, conveying what words could not. Soon after, all the anguish poured out like a cascade, and Peter held his father close until the sea of pain began to recede.
"Dad, I was thinking of pincers and glider wings to add to the suit. What'd you think?" Peter's voice filled the lab as he strolled in, his gaze fixed on the Starkpad. It displayed the initial sketches for their IronSpider suit, a project they'd been brainstorming together, once Dad finished perfecting the nano-tech design.
As seconds slipped by without a reply, Peter lifted his gaze to find his dad focused on multiple computer screens, while the bots worked in the distance,
"Dad?"
"Yeah, sure, bud. Just keep adding on our initial notes," Tony casually rose from his seat, making his way over to the freshly repaired suit. With practiced ease, he slipped into his Mark 47, double-checking his heads-up display to ensure everything was in order.
"New laser system, armour summoning," Peter grabbed another chair, reading one of the screens, "Life-support system, upgraded superhuman strength."
Peter knew how Tony Stark always preferred to anticipate and plan for the future by upgrading his suits. But when the upgrades came in quick succession, Peter couldn't help but ask,
"Are you preparing for a fight?"
Tony stepped out of the suit,
"I'm heading to the compound in an hour. Gonna assemble the team."
As Peter leaned back in his chair, he observed his dad stroll around the station, double-checking protocols and making sure nothing slipped through the cracks,
"Can I join?"
Tony turned to see Peter's hopeful eyes and cheeky grin staring back at him,
"Ah uh, no. That trick might've worked on me when you were a baby, but, nah uh, nope."
"Dad, I can help. You know, I've got superhuman strength now," Peter said, his grin widening as his brows danced mischievously.
"You are, but you haven't been on a field mission before. You never had any experience with team combat. And let's not forget, you're still on your training wheels," Tony said with a dismissive tone.
"Wha— Dad, I already memorized everything. Well, sort of…" Peter shrugged his shoulders, "Almost. But remember Vulture?" Peter asked, hoping it would ring a bell and convince his father, "I also pretty much had stopped every mugger in Queens."
"Peter, this is not just a fight with petty thieves and criminals. This fight…" Tony sighed, levelling with Peter, placing his hands on Peter's arms, "You know how Cap with his super-strength had years of tactical training, right?"
"Uh-huh," Peter nodded.
"Imagine that turning into a psycho-operative killer— that's the Winter Soldier. Now, we might fight five more of that, only more monstrous and out of control."
Tony saw how none of it scared Peter, saw how his son only expressed agreement with a slight smile.
This kind of fearlessness reminded Tony of the expo years ago when Peter as a kid stood bravely in front of a killing drone without an inch of fear.
Tony exhaled surrender with a sigh, stepping out of the lab. He couldn't decide whether to feel proud or worried.
"Dad, please. You know I promised nothing bad's going to happen to me. I mean that," Peter pleaded, trailing behind his father.
"Yeah, nothing bad's really going to happen if you stay here at the Tower. Going with us, that's where something might happen."
"You might need all hands on deck," Peter insisted.
"We'll manage," Tony casually reassured.
Peter quickened his pace and came to a stop facing his dad, "Dad, please. I just want to help. I won't even get close to the bad guys, I'll just assist, I promise."
"A wise king never seeks out war, Peter," Tony said, surprised at himself for quoting Thor's father, Odin, from Peter's Norse mythology books.
He didn't even think it was wise that they were coming to Siberia for something that might not even happen. If Cap's speculations were wrong, they'd be in much more trouble with the government afterward. He couldn't let his son go down with him if that happened.
"But he must always be ready for it," Peter finished the quote.
Yes, they must always be ready. And for them to do so, he must place his trust in his team. Perhaps, finally put into action the faith he has in his son and believe in a positive outcome.
Vision greeted them with a smile the moment Peter and Tony crossed the compound's main entrance foyer,
"There's our spider," he said, his tone laced with fondness.
"Spidey!" Wanda's smile lit up the room as she stepped forward beside Vision.
Peter's grin widened, but confusion knitted his brow,
"How'd you guys know?"
Wanda tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes as if to say, There are no secrets in this compound, Peter.
"Our Iron Father and Son." Clint greeted with a grin as he strolled towards them, "Or should I say, Spider-Son now. Not such a kid anymore, huh, Peter?" giving Peter a hug, while seeing Tony completely disagreeing.
"We retire five minutes and everything goes to shit. Can't catch a break, can we?" Clint chuckled, pulling Tony into a brotherly embrace.
Tony's smile held a hint of nostalgia as he returned Clint's hug, "Well, clearly retirement doesn't suit us. Thanks for coming in, Clint." their hands naturally fell into their brotherly grip afterward.
"Yeah, well, I also brought the guy you mentioned Sam and Cap were talking about. We might need all the help we can get." Clint gestured towards someone behind them and introduced, "This is Ant-Man."
"Scott Lang." Scott greeted, shaking Tony's hand, "So nice to meet you, Mr. Stark. Call me Scott. I had quite the tour of the compound. Thanks to Mr. Rhodes," He glanced at Rhodey, who was now engaged in a light chat with Peter, "Very very cool." Still shaking Tony's hand a beat too long, Scott added, "I always knew we could trust you, contrary to what Pym had said."
Finally releasing Tony's hand, "Glad you could join us, Scott. Are you referring to Dr. Pym? Does he still hold that grudge towards my father?"
"Still does," Scott confirmed with a sigh, "He might never forgive me after this."
Rhodey then pulled Tony into a conversation, leaving Scott to be introduced to the rest of the team.
"I know you, you're great, powerful." Scott complimented Wanda, earning a warm smile from her.
"Hi, Mr. Scott. I'm Peter," Peter said as Scott shook his hand.
"Oh, I know you as well. You're Peter Stark— the Boy Genius, Stark Legacy, Stark Scion," Scott listed, prompting Peter to laugh, those are his magazine cover titles from before.
"Are you also part of the team?" Scott asked, hesitating slightly before continuing, "But aren't you still a kid?"
As Tony stood near them, Peter intended his next words to be within his father's earshot, stating, "Don't have dad's blessing yet. Just assisting." prompting Tony to raise a brow.
"So, Antman huh, can you control ants at your will Mr. Scott? Cause that would be so cool."
"Sure do, Peter. I could also grow tall as a building." Scott affirmed proudly, piquing Peter's interest.
"That's awesome, man. How'd you— How'd you do it? Is it because of the suit?" Peter gushed, bombarding Scott with more questions as all of them walked following Tony and Rhodey toward the conference room.
"Are you really sure about this, Tony?" Rhodey's stride matched Tony's as they walked side by side, "You realize we'll be treading outside the law if we go through with this. Me and Vision, we're still bound by the Accords."
"Why don't I see you arresting us then, Rhodes?" Tony shot a glance over his shoulder at Vision, who seemed inseparable from Wanda lately, "And Vision, apparently had switched sides already."
Evidently, Rhodey's loyalty to The Starks can surpass any document he'd signed,
"This will be a court martial for me, you know that," he said, his voice laced with concern.
"Won't let that happen," Tony assured him, though he couldn't be entirely confident.
As they settled into the room, Tony stood at the forefront, with Friday chiming in, "Priority upload from Berlin police, boss."
The hologram flickered to life before them, revealing an analysis of Barnes' photograph of bombing the accords, proving to be falsified and there was indeed another man behind it.
Friday continued to explain, "The Task Force called for a psychiatrist as soon as Barnes was captured. The UN dispatched Dr. Theo Broussard from Geneva within the hour. He was met by this man. The fake doctor is actually Colonel Helmut Zemo, Sokovian Intelligence. Zemo ran Echo Skorpion, a Sokovian covert kill squad."
Tony eyed Rhodey validating his standpoint,
"Okay, you guys might be onto something," Rhodey finally admitted.
"Make sure T'Challa receives this as well, Friday," Tony instructed.
Wanda whispered behind Peter,
"Peter, it's your first mission, and it's a big one. Are you excited?"
Peter swivelled his chair to face Wanda, a wide grin spreading across his face as a spark danced in his eyes,
"Definitely! I'm finally stepping out from behind the computer screen."
They both giggled. At twenty, Wanda was a few years older than Peter, but his passion for pop culture had sparked an instant connection with her years back. Ever since then, they had formed a strong bond during their visits to the compound.
Tony cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the kids of the team, Peter and Wanda.
"Okay, Listen up," he announced, proceeding with a brief rundown of the impending fight.
It wasn't his usual role, typically, Cap took charge in these situations. Tony's approach tended to lean towards attacking first without much of a plan.
But with Cap temporarily absent and himself serving as the de-facto second in command, he found himself stepping into the leadership void, declaring
"Okay, Avengers, suit up. Let's finish this, once and for all."
When they touched down at the Hydra base, a Quinjet had beaten them to it, its ramp already lowered.
With the massive underground complex potentially nestled within an entire snow-capped mountain, they agreed to split up.
"See you later, guys," Peter called, giving a wave as Wanda and Clint veered off in one direction, while Rhodey, Scott, and Vision headed another. They're all tracking each other so it wouldn't be difficult to get to one another once they got news.
Tony observed as Peter smiled and tackled this mission as if they were just going through an amusement park, while he felt the complete opposite.
It's incredible how he could look into his son's eyes and see the innocence and vigor radiating from them, somehow subtly easing his strained feelings for the entire mess the team's entangled in.
Together, they moved silently through the abandoned corridors of the facility, detecting any heat signatures.
"I'm going to ask for Pepper's hand, Pete. Is that okay with you?" Tony's unexpected announcement left Peter momentarily speechless.
Behind his mask, Peter's eyes widened in astonishment. He blinked, trying to process his father's words.
"Dad, you can't see the look on my face right now, but my mouth literally hung open when you said that."
"Yeah, already kind of imagined that." Tony chuckled briefly.
"Of course, Dad. You don't even have to ask for my permission, you know. You two have been acting like a married couple for as long as I can remember."
They reached a closed metal door, Tony tried to break it open while Peter stood back waiting,
"They said it's bad for kids to see their parents argue. But it never bothered me anyway. To be honest, I even enjoyed you guys bickering. It's cute. Anyway, when are you going to do it? And where?"
"Cute?" Tony asked with an exasperated expression, finally managing to pry the door open, "We never argue in front of you, bud. Did we?"
Their attention snapped back as the sound of a clearing throat reached their ears. Instantly poised for action, they tensed, only to relax moments later,
"Oh, it's just Capscicle and Robocop. Great." Tony quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Tony's mask dismantled and Peter followed suit, removing his own.
"Our Iron Spider, good to see you, guys," Steve greeted them with a warm smile. "Hey, Spider-Man."
"Hey, Captain." Peter greeted as he walked towards them, his curiosity piqued, "and Mr—" His attention was unexpectedly snagged by something fascinating,
"You have a metal arm." intrigued to examine the technology behind it.
"Cool, cool, cool..." His words dwindled down inaudibly awkward as he saw his Dad, and remembered this was the same arm used by the man who had killed his grandparents. Oh, shit. Peter mentally chastised himself for his thoughtlessness.
Luckily, Dad didn't seem to notice as Steve skillfully redirected Tony into a conversation, allowing them to catch up on recent events.
"It's a cybernetic implant made of titanium," Bucky said, attempting to strike up a conversation as they followed Captain America and Iron Man from behind. "I'm Bucky."
"Peter," he replied sheepishly, still unsure whether to be friendly or not.
"Yes, Steve told me about you," Bucky smiled. Peter couldn't help but notice how easy-going that smile was. How could an assassin be scary with that smile.
He didn't seem frightening nor scary, not scary at all.
He couldn't resist asking, "Does the arm grant you powers?"
Bucky chuckled in response, "It merely gives me added strength. No powers, just enhanced abilities."
They reached an elevator, which was the only way to descend to another level. They all stepped into the small space without any other choice. As if it couldn't get any worse, the tension inside the elevator was so thick that one could almost taste it, and the taste would be nothing but lethal.
Peter didn't even know where to look, wondering if the ride could drag on any longer.
Bucky's voice pierced through the silence, "I remembered them all."
Steve closed his eyes in disbelief, in his mind, Why'd you have to open your mouth, Buck.
Uh, oh. Peter saw how his Dad struggled to mask a rising anger. He exchanged a knowing glance with Steve, ready to interfere in case of a fight, although he couldn't fathom how they could stop one in such a small confined space.
Bucky continued, "I know I didn't have a choice but I still did it."
Seconds elapsed before he finally uttered,
"I owe you an apology, Stark… I'm sorry."
The elevator dinged and Tony was the first to go out followed by Peter. Tony exhaled a shuddered breath trying to walk it off.
"Dad, I'm here," Peter said catching up, but Tony did not slow down. That's when Peter sped up and stopped before his Dad,
"I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay," Peter said softly, his hand resting gently on Iron Man's chest, hoping the familiar mantra would weave its soothing spell once more. It was always their comforting phrase that never gets old whenever something troubled the other.
Tony's racing thoughts gradually ebbed away as he anchored himself to those reassuring words. He smiled cupping half his son's face, ever thankful to have Peter around.
In a heartbeat, the distant sound of gunshots reached them. They both restored their masks and zeroed in on the source of the noise.
As they closed in, Bucky's head began to throb with an intense headache,
"Rusted." the faint Russian word echoed from a distance. "Furnace."
"Fight it, Buck." Steve's face was etched with worry.
"Seventeen." Bucky dropped to his knees, hands pressed against his ears, resisting with every ounce of his strength.
Peter quickly caught on, "I think he's turning Badcop now."
Tony summoned a metal ear muffler from his arsenal that assembled, fitting snugly into Bucky's ear with perfect precision. Straight away, the world muted to deafening silence, calming Bucky's senses.
"You good?" Tony's voice crackled through the built-in comms of the muffler, linked to the rest of the Avengers.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Thank you." Bucky replied, catching up and getting back on track.
Steve gave Tony a grateful nod.
"Save it. We're not done yet." Tony replied as all of them raced to the entranceway.
Steve asked, "How many heat signatures?"
Tony paused, squinting at the display. "Uh... Twelve," unsure if he was seeing things correctly.
As they reached the vast atrium filled with yellow mists cascading from the cryostasis chambers, Tony couldn't help but mutter,
"Son of a Bitch."
Steve typically took charge of reprimanding the team for their language, especially with Peter around. However, even he was taken aback by the scene unfolding before them.
There was a gun pointed at the back of Zemo's head as he knelt, reluctantly reciting the Russian trigger words, his hand dripping with blood.
"Homecoming."
"One."
"Secretary Ross." Steve interrupted, reckoning the situation.
Zemo stopped his Russian recitation as the special ops team closed ranks, forming a protective circle around their leader with guns now pointing at them.
"About time," Ross said, his own gun steady on Zemo, "I told you my special-ops were top-notch at tracking. We arrived just five minutes after you, Stark, and already had this guy in our sights before you even got here."
"So you're tracking us?" Tony asked.
"I knew you can't be trusted."
Steve interjected, "You found your guy. He instigated the bombing. Why aren't you arresting him?"
Ross cackled, the sardonic laugh echoing around the chamber, "Can you believe this trash was going to kill those sleeping soldiers? After all that planning, just to make you, Stark, watch a videotape of your parents' assassination as if you don't already know about that. Am I right?"
Tony and Steve exchanged glances, finally perceiving who their true enemy was.
Ross pushed the gun further into Zemo's skull, "You can't make an empire fall from within when they've already made amends. I have a better plan. Eradicating the empire. Now, say it."
Steve flung his shield, attempting to stop the imminent threat, while Zemo shut his eyes tight before grudgingly muttering,
"Freight Car."
A soldier awoke and emerged from the capsule, catching the shield before it struck Zemo and Ross.
One by one, the remaining assassins stirred from their decades-long slumber, a silent menace awakening in the dimly lit room.
The four Avengers tensed, readying themselves for the impending combat.
Tony's gaze swept over his son, his heartbeat pounding in the face of the overwhelming odds. A fact that hung heavy in the air as they were clearly outnumbered.
"We knew you want absolute authority, Secretary. But that death squad can also be your death sentence," Steve warned, but Ross remained unbending.
Switching to Russian, Ross aimed his gun at the assassin. "I have a mission for all of you. Kill—" Before Ross could finish issuing his orders, the male assassin who had previously saved them snapped Ross's wrist, eliciting a gut-wrenching scream. Special ops agents attempted to come to their boss's aid, but the assassins easily evaded their gunfire, dispatching them by snapping their necks within minutes.
Tense breaths escaped each of them, bearing witness to the chilling act of murder. Tony's instinct drove him to shield Peter's eyes from the gruesome scene, but before he could react, the assassins had already mercilessly completed their ruthless deed, leaving behind fallen special ops soldiers.
A faint pang of sorrow enveloped them as they mulled the soldiers, mere instruments of orders now lost to the brutality of their mission.
"Josef," Bucky called out to the familiar assassin.
Josef flung back the shield to Captain America, his grin carrying a hint of menace, "You might need that."
"What's their play?" Tony asked, locking eyes with the advancing assassins.
"Destruction in their path. They obey no one," Bucky responded, his arm at the ready, "They'll most probably want to get out of here and do what they do best."
"Then we don't let them," Steve declared as the assassins closed in, attempting to encircle them.
The four heroes stood back to back. It's five assassins versus four of them. As the assassins tightened their circle, the tension in the air thickened. Each of them braced themselves,
"Uh, Dad. I don't think I'll be assisting anymore, aren't I?" Peter asked, casting a worried glance at his father. Before he could receive a response, a swift attack from a female assassin interrupted him.
"Peter!" Tony and Steve exclaimed simultaneously, their concern mounting. They moved to assist but were quickly thwarted by the sudden onslaught from the rest of the assassins.
"I've got this, Dads," Peter called out confidently, his words punctuated by the sound of webs shooting out to deflect each incoming attack.
By then, the Black Panther showed himself, "We're not done with you yet," stopping Zemo and Ross in their tracks before they could escape into the chamber.
"Oh good, Bagheera's here." Tony quipped over comms while fending off two assailants trying to break him back and forth, "Paging the rest of The Avengers, not really a good time to be MIA."
"We're coming." Natasha, Clint, and Rhodey responded in unison.
"god fcking damn it. This place is a fucking maze." Sam grumbled.
"Language." Steve retorted even while busy fighting. Tony smirked knowingly, Clint and Natasha sneered as well, reminding them of the good old times of fighting battles together.
Peter successfully subdued his opponent, entangling her limbs with webs before rolling her into a corner. He then swung over his Dad to help, using his webs to trip an assassin and suspend them upside down.
The Iron-Spider duo had their backs against each other while their enemies soon easily recovered surrounding them. They both smiled behind their masks. Who would've thought they would be able to fight side-by-side.
Peter knew it might not be the right place, but he just couldn't help himself,
"This is awesome, Dad. I finally get to fight alongside you."
Tony grinned, his heart swelling up with pride, "You and me both, Pete."
They continued to fight. Iron Man unleashed a barrage of blasts, targeting the two assassins who attempted to attack him. He analyzed their fighting patterns with precision, while Peter swung over to flank them. The female assassin, fueled by fury, furiously pursued him.
As he traversed the battlefield, Peter's keen eyes caught sight of Cap's shield hurtling through the air towards him. With lightning reflexes, he snatched it from the air, his muscles reacting instinctively.
Observing Captain America's agile maneuvers and dodging incoming attacks, Peter realized a golden opportunity to lend a hand.
Without hesitation, Peter flung the shield with precision towards a metal support post, strategically positioned beneath a walkway looming over Cap's opponent. With a resounding crash, the walkway collapsed onto the unsuspecting assassin, effectively neutralizing the threat.
"Great job, Queens," Steve commended, his eyes alight with pride as he turned towards Peter.
Peter responded with a proud salute, a grin spreading across his face. "You're welcome, Brooklyn," he quipped, before turning his attention to the approaching female assassin, ready to face her head-on.
Peter's webs proved ineffective against the blonde assassin, easily shattered by her strength. Dodging her strikes, he racked his brain for a new strategy,
"Missed," he joked as he narrowly evaded another punch. "Missed again. You're really angry now, huh?"
Creating distance between them, "Uh, lady, do you have a name? I don't want to call you Ms. Angry Lady in my head all the time."
Peter attempted to disarm her by aiming his web shooters at her wrist, intending to subdue her. However, his plan backfired as she deftly caught his webbing and turned the tables on him, swiftly pulling him into a chokehold and plowing him to the ground.
"Victorya," she breathed triumphantly, a victorious smile gracing her lips as she forced all her strength to Peter's throat.
Despite the tightening grip around his neck, Peter still managed to muster a response, "Nice—nae— name…" he gasped, his words strained as he struggled for breath.
"Peter!" Tony sprang into action, darting toward his child, but an assailant seized his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground.
Meanwhile, Bucky got close to the blonde, grabbing her hair, then by the neck, and dragging her away from Peter,
"You okay, doll?" Bucky's voice came from behind Peter as he threw her, now facing two opponents who were preparing to strike.
Coughing violently, Peter struggled to catch his breath, his face stained in crimson, sucking in all the air he could as he removed his mask.
"Yeah, yeah."
The rest of the team arrived. War Machine and Hawkeye engaged Iron Man's opponents, while Ant-Man and Black Widow supported Captain America. Scarlet Witch and Falcon joined forces to assist the Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, Vision pursued an escaped assassin who had fled the atrium.
"We're getting even, Barnes," Tony said, as a way of saying his thanks as he grouched over Peter checking if his son's okay.
"Oh, hey, Dad. That was scary," Peter said hoarsely, a faint smile returning to his face, his complexion regaining its usual hue, but still heaving breath trying to get up.
"Stand down, Pete," Tony said with worry, gently inspecting the bruise on his son's neck while TADASHI reassured them that Peter's vital signs were stable.
"No, I'm good. I can still help, Dad." Peter insisted.
"You did good, okay. You're done." Tony said firmly, his tone carrying a mix of concern and finality.
As he moved to assist Peter, a deafening explosion erupted from behind them, engulfing the whole area.
Reacting swiftly, Tony summoned a protective shield that materialized within seconds, enveloping Peter and whisking them away from the danger. Together, they soared towards safety, witnessing the chaos unfolding below.
They watched as flames consumed a truck, illuminating the figures of assassins caught in the blast.
Meanwhile, Wanda's force field sprang into action, shielding the team from harm.
"Jesus. How bout we try not to destroy this whole damn dungeon with us still here?" Tony announced as he and Peter settled on a railing away from the others.
"Sorry, thought it was a water truck," Scott replied sheepishly smiling.
Steve commented, "It's good. We finally got two unconscious. Let's hope Vision got the third one outside. These guys don't tire."
Wanda noticed, her tone urgent, "The other two's escaping."
"We're on it." Rhodey and Sam darted towards the source of the heat signatures, with the rest of the team close behind.
Clint aimed his arrow at the opening where the assassins sought to escape, sealing it shut with a single shot.
Meanwhile, Barnes, Natasha, and Steve engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the assailants who had fallen to the ground. Sam and Rhodey tackled the remaining foes, subduing them without killing them.
They managed to restrain the assassins. But even still, they managed to break free of it.
Knowing these assassins wouldn't stop, Wanda tensed, hovered to end the threat once and for all by snapping their necks, but it was Bucky who eventually did it. With a precise shot, he drilled bullets into the assailants' heads before they could rise, a calculated move to ensure that bloodshed had only spilled from his hands.
A moment of quiet filled the space, only broken by Sam whispering beside Steve, "Goddamn. Remind me again not to make an enemy of your other best friend."
Tony removed Peter from the scene just before Bucky executed his plan. While Tony recognized the necessity of the act and felt a slight tinge of respect for Bucky for having the strength to do it, he also felt that another kind of cold-blooded violence wouldn't be appropriate for his fourteen-year-old.
Emerging from the facility, Tony noticed Black Panther had already apprehended Zemo and Ross, who were now on their knees with hands tied behind their backs inside the Quinjet.
Tony peered down at Ross, with an expression of disappointment, "Guess who's heading to The Raft now, huh?" he said, shaking his head.
He then turned to T'Challa, his attempt to mask his sarcasm fell flat as he uttered, "Really appreciate your help back there, your highness.'"
"I knew all of you could handle it, Stark." T'Challa remarked, "Besides, I've already made my work while you're all finishing it off. The Task Force is already on their way here to take these two into custody. I've decided to open Wakanda to the rest of the world. We've already announced our withdrawal from the Accords, and our neighbouring countries, as well as the rest of Europe, have followed suit."
"That fast? Wow." Tony felt relief flooding in. Finally, a positive outcome, "I knew the most powerful nation in the world had some pull. We appreciate it, Baghee— King T'Challa."
Peter stifled a laugh, averting his gaze as Dad almost slipped up. Dad's funny habit of giving nicknames to everyone could really backfire if not careful.
The rest of the team emerged, and Vision flew in to join them.
"Well?" Steve asked, his brow furrowed with concern as he turned to Vision.
"I accidentally…" Vision hesitated, his usually composed manners faltering, "sliced the guy in half."
There was a collective awkward silence from the team that hung heavy in the air.
"Okay, that's brutal," Rhodey mumbled beside Sam.
Sam struggled to maintain his calm, his lips twitching with the effort to suppress a laugh. He glanced at Rhodey, whose expression mirrored his own disbelief, "Hard not to imagine that."
Steve nodded at Vision, a silent acknowledgment of the situation, his eyes reflecting understanding,
"Well done."
He approached T'Challa and Tony with a curious expression, "Okay, what'd we miss?"
"Your plan worked, Cap." Tony smiled, relying on T'Challa's earlier remark.
"Because we trusted each other, Tony," Steve replied, offering his hand for a handshake, but Tony opted for a brotherly hug, pulling him close.
Smiles lit up their faces as they embraced the moment.
"So, who likes shawarma?" Peter asked, sparkling laughter from them all.