Chapter Text
Tony Stark had been having the best night of his life.
He had made pasta using his mother’s recipe. He had never touched her cooking book since she had died but he had the sudden urge to grab the leatherbound book and make pasta. There were dozens of Italian recipes, things Tony remembered having but couldn’t bear to make so he had gone simple.
Pasta.
He supposed the biggest reason he had wanted to use her cookbook was that he was having a family dinner. He had known his family had consisted of three people these days: Pepper, Rhodey, Peter, and May - though Peter’s aunt was at work at the moment.
Today would be the first family dinner where all of them would be here.
Peter was only allowed in the Tower on Fridays through the weekend. Pepper came in during her breaks and it happened to be her break today on Friday. Rhodey had been given a vacation day and Tony? Everyone had bullied him out of the labs to cook.
They had all been together many times but today would be the first time they would be having dinner together.
“Then May went into the shop, right?” Peter laughed. “Ned was working there at the time and she was complaining about her lawnmower. Ned was freaking out and then she realised it was Ned and they both freaked out.”
“You live in an apartment, why would she even need a lawnmower?” Pepper asked.
“I have no idea? Something about ravioli.” Peter shrugged.
“Dear lord, how did you survive with her cooking?” Rhodey asked.
“Takeout.”
“I see why we both get along.” Tony grinned.
“Nah, I don’t think that’s why.” Pepper grinned.
“I think it’s because you’re both nerds ,” Rhodey added.
“I take no offence to that.” Peter and Tony said in unison.
They were both wearing matching t-shirts saying ‘Peter Borker’ with a puppy under it. They weren’t the usual science puns but it brought out the same reactions from everyone: Peter giggling, Tony being exasperated, Pepper being sweet but secretly either hating or loving it, Rhodey would love them if they weren’t science puns.
Before anyone of them could speak, Rhodey’s head hit the table. Tony watched as his best friend’s head landed with a thunk and everyone one went to him. Tony shook him but the man would not wake up and before he knew it, Pepper had mirrored Rhodey by falling asleep and not waking up.
“Mr. Stark? I think I should go to bed…” Peter murmured and Tony whipped his head around fast enough to see the boy crumple. Tony wasn’t fast enough to catch him, his movements were sluggish, and his own eyes filled with sleep.
✤✤✤
Peter woke up sitting in a foreign room.
His senses screamed at him that there was something dangerous but as he looked around, there were bodies.
For a moment, he thought he was surrounded by the dead.
The scream died in his throat as shock took over when one body sat up. The figure rubbed at his eyes and Peter honestly thought that they were a zombie.
So he hit them on the head.
“Pete, seriously, why did you do that so hard? You have fucking super strength!”
“Mr. Stark?” Peter’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, I thought you were a zombie!”
“ Why? ”
“Gee, I wonder, I guess all these bodies mean nothing,” Peter mumbled.
“Holy shit, why is she green?” Tony looked at a woman with violet hair and green skin.
“What do we do now? Wake them up or find a way out?” Peter asked.
“You wake them up. Most of these people hate me and don’t know you. I’ll go find a way out.” Tony said after looking around.
“No, I’ll help you. If they saw a stranger, they’d think I kidnapped them.” Peter said.
“The question is, who kidnapped us?” Tony asked.
Peter walked alongside his father-figure as they walked around the cavernous room. At the front, there was a large screen taking up the expanse of the wall whilst the three other walls were blank. The lighting was dim like a dying heart and there were no doors.
“Petey, try and find out if the walls are hollow,” Tony said as he decided to start knocking on the walls.
The knocking must have broken through the sleeping beings’ minds as they slowly all woke up. There were a few groans but Peter was too busy knocking on the walls to care.
“Peter? What are you doing?” Pepper asked.
“Tony, have you cracked?” Rhodey groaned.
“Who are all of you?” A man with ginger hair asked. “And where’s my gun?”
“Peter, can you stop fussing about?” The green woman asked.
“I’m actually trying to find a way out,” Peter said from where he was knocking on the door.
“She was talking to me, dipshit.” The ginger said.
“My GPS isn’t working.” Vision said which earned a very confused look from Tony.
“Petey, there’s no hollow walls. Try to hit the wall with all your strength.” Tony said.
Peter fisted his hands and struck the walls. There were no cracks. Peter looked at Tony, alarmed, and the billionaire had the same look.
“Rogers, hit the wall with Peter,” Tony said numbly
“ He’s here?” Peter groaned.
“Play nice,” Tony smirked at the young boy.
Peter watched with uncertain eyes as the blond superhero walked next to Peter. His eyes were as blue as ever and Peter had the urge to mention they looked like the ice he had been trapped in. He kept it back. Peter was a polite boy and Tony had also told him to stand down.
“I don’t understand why he has to do it, too," Steve said about Peter to Bucky. Tony had moved in front of Peter and the teenager understood why. Peter instead moved to stand next to Tony and held his hand firmly.
“Is he helping as well?” Peter asked about Bucky.
“Sure is, he’s enhanced.” Tony shrugged.
Silence fell as all three of them took position to strike the wall and they did just that however there were no cracks through the room did shake under the impact.
“What are we meant to do now?” Bruce asked and Peter watched as his father-figure’s eyes brightened at the sight of him. “Nice to see you, Tony.”
“It’s always nice to see me,” Tony dismissed it quickly. “But it’s amazing to see you . Where have you been?”
“You know...space?” Bruce answered vaguely.
“Holy crap you’re Bruce Banner! I love your work on radioactivity!” Peter gushed at the sight of the scientist. “You’re my second favourite.”
“First is me,” Tony said smugly.
“Who are all of you?” said one alien with antennas.
“We’re the Avengers, man,” Peter said.
“No, we’re the Avengers and some children.” Tony corrected.
“Are you the child?” Natasha asked Tony.
“Can I have your arm?” A racoon asked Bucky.
“Quiet!” Steve said in his authoritative voice. Peter noted Tony bristling at it but the billionaire remained silent. “Before we all introduce each other, get into groups with the people you know or trust.”
Peter quickly took a step into Tony’s direction along with Pepper and Rhodey. Peter realised how tense Tony was, that no one else came to him but it made Peter realise that these were the people he could trust at the moment.
Peter watched as the rest grouped together. Bruce stayed with Thor, Peter understood why since Bruce had been away for two years and didn’t know if he would be welcomed. Natasha, Sam, Scott, Bucky, Vision, Clint, and Wanda grouped with Steve. The blond looked at Tony with hard eyes as if he couldn’t believe that Tony wouldn't walk to him. Two similar looking people- siblings? - grouped together and the rest were in a circle.
“We’re the guardians of the galaxy.” Said the green-skinned woman. “I’m Gamora, this is Drax, Mantis, Groot, Rocket, and Quill.”
“Tony Stark, member of the Avengers, this is Peter, Pepper, and Rhodey.”
“Steve Rogers, leader of the Avengers, this is Natasha, Sam, Scott, Bucky, Vision, Clint, and Wanda.”
The others in the room must have noticed how far apart Tony and Steve were. It must have been strange, Peter supposed, that two people of the same group were glaring at each other and were standing away.
“T’Challa of Wakanda and this is my sister, Shuri.”
“Thor Odinson and my friend Banner.”
“Bruce.”
“Yes, Bruce.” Thor grinned.
Before any of them could get further into their introductions, the screen lit up.
A movie was playing.
“Sweet. I want to watch Moana.” Peter said as he jumped onto one of the couches.
He grinned when Tony huffed and sat with him along with the other two. They all squished together on the one couch but none of them complained. They all fit together like a jigsaw, no limb out of place or hurting any of them. Tony had his arm around Peter and it also managed to extend around Pepper. Rhodey had lifted his feet and draped it along the three of them. Peter was leaning against Tony whilst Pepper had her arms linked with the teenager.
“We watched that last week and I doubt we’re here to watch that kind of movie,” Tony said.
“Why are you getting comfortable? We should be doing something.” Steve said as everyone but his group sat in their cliques. The guardians sat on a few beanbags whilst Thor sat on a couch with Bruce. T’Challa and Shuri sat on the floor together, looking at the screen like they were children.
“If three enhanced humans can’t break a wall and none of us have our equipment, what can we do?” Pepper asked.
“Three?” Bucky echoed.
“Enhanced humans?” Quill asked.
“If we’re watching a movie, do we get to have snacks?” Peter asked. It was his subtle way of asking if he and the other enhanced people would be okay as they need a lot to eat to sustain their metabolism.
As if on answer, food appeared in Peter’s hands.
“You got your answer there, kiddo.” Tony ruffled his hair.
“I bet he’s Stark’s son,” Clint whispered to Bucky but Peter heard.
“I’m not his son!” Peter said because he didn’t want Tony to be burdened with him. Tony already had enough on his shoulders.
“This technology is cool,” Shuri said. “It’s a bit outdated but nice. It pauses whenever we speak.”
“Like at home? Sweet.” Peter grinned.
Everyone stopped talking after that. Steve’s group found themselves a spot on the two other couches and got comfortable. The screen continued to play the movie. It started off with the normal jazz that Peter was used to but there was something that was different.
“I don’t know any company called Marvel,” Peter said.
“I trust you with that head full of references.” Rhodey murmured.
“I also have nothing on it in my databases.” Vision added which earned much more trustful looks than Peter’s had.
Rock music starts blaring from the speakers as a scene showing a few vans heading through a deserted land. The caption shows that they are in Afghanistan. The scene shifts inside of one of the vans to show a stereo playing the music.
“This seems familiar.” Tony murmured which earned him a look.
“You watched this before? Why didn’t you watch it with me?” Peter asked.
“I don’t know what movie it is but it looks…”
“Making you feel deja vu?” Pepper asked.
“Yeah. It said Afghanistan and…” Tony shivered but none of the others noticed except for those on his couch.
“I doubt it’s a movie about that but you can always look away., Rhodey suggested and Tony hummed in agreement.
A soldier in uniform looks at the back of the van nervously.
“Oh…” Tony murmured, recognising the man.
There is a hand holding an alcoholic drink, vodka. It shows Tony Stark in his three-pieced suit and sunglasses protecting his eyes. His famous facial hair is intact as he looks about the interior of the van.
“I feel like you’re driving me to a court-martial. This is crazy. What did I do?” Tony asks to ease the mood.
“Sorry for jinxing it, Mr. Stark,” Peter said. “But how did they get this off you?”
“Tony, are you serious?” Pepper groaned.
“We should be questioning what Peter is saying.” Vision piped up.
“Really?” Quill asked.
“Not you, the other Peter.” Gamora smacked him on the back of the head.
“He’s a Peter?” Peter asked. “Peter-ception.”
“I feel like you’re going to pull over and snuff me. What? You not allowed to talk?” Silence. “Hey, forest!” Tony called to the man next to him.
“Forest?” Rocket echoed.
“We can talk, sir.”
“Oh? I see. So it’s personal?” Tony asked as he went to face the window instead of the inhabitants of the van.
“No, you intimidate them.” The driver commented.
“Good, God. You’re a woman.”
“That sounded worse than I meant it to be,” Tony commented.
“Yeah, I have to agree.” Pepper nodded.
“So you were always a piece of shit?” Clint asked.
“See, this is what I thought a Stark would be like. But you and your son were a bit more polite now than what this movie is saying.” Scott said.
“I’m not his son.”
“He’s not my son.”
“Is Peter in the movie?” Bruce asked.
“Gee, no, I wish, though. I would want to be there to help him out. I was actually being scared out of my mind.” Peter said.
“Awe.” Rhodey teased.
“Don’t act like you weren’t scared, either,” Pepper said to Rhodey.
“Yeah? You were crying.” Rhodey mocked.
“You locked yourself in your room!” Pepper quipped.
“Well, I refused to go to school and fought everyone that said Tony was dead!” Peter said, winning the contest,
“How old were you?” Wanda asked.
“Eight.” Peter shrugged.
“I honestly couldn’t have called that.” Silence. “I mean I’d apologise but isn’t that what we’re going for here? I thought you as a soldier first.”
“Smooth.” Shuri snorted.
“I’m an airman.” The woman said.
“You have excellent bone structure there,” Tony said, trying to ease the atmosphere.
“You’re trying your best.” Peter comforted.
“His best could have been better,” Steve said.
“Who says you could talk? We’re watching a movie.” Peter said shortly.
“I’m kind of having a hard time not looking at you, now,” Tony said nervously. “Is that weird?” That earned a few laughs from soldiers, including the woman. Tony eased in his seat, sensing that it would no longer be so tense. “Come on! It’s okay, laugh.”
“Sir, I have a question.” One soldier asked. This soldier had been repeatedly seen looking at the billionaire nervously. It seems he has finally built up the nerves to speak.
“Yes, please,” Tony said.
“Is it true you went twelve for twelve with last year’s Maxim cover models?”
“That is an excellent question,” Tony said as he removed his glasses. “Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins.”
“You are on thin ice,” Pepper said.
“I’ve changed,” Tony said and Pepper nodded.
“That’s debatable.” Clint shrugged.
“Anything else?” Tony asked around. One soldier raised his hand shyly. “You’re kidding me with the hands up, right.”
“You couldn’t have been more polite?” Steve inquired.
“Is it okay if I take a picture with you?”
“Yes,” Tony said. “It’s very cool.”
The soldier smiles and hands over a camera to the soldier at the front. Tony leans in to be in frame with the soldier next to him as the soldier raises his two fingers in a peace sign.
“I don’t want to see this on your MySpace page,” Tony commented. “Please, no gang signs.”
The soldier puts his hand down.
“No, throw it up, I’m kidding.”
“You would be the shit customer in a cafe that changes their order every two seconds, aren’t you?” Shuri asked Tony.
“Believe it or not, he isn’t.” Rhodey laughed.
“It’s Pepper that does that,” Peter said.
“Are we watching your life story?” Quill asked. “Because, no offence, we have better things to be doing.”
“I am Groot.”
“Don’t sass with me.” Rocket sighed.
“You should teach him some manners.” Vision said.
“You understand him?” Drax asked. “I’ve given up long ago.”
“I think it’s in my programming.” Vision explained.
“I, too, understand!” Thor said, giddy. “He said -”
“Language.” Steve interrupted.
“Seriously?” Everyone in the room groaned.
The soldier held up his peace sign again and had a smile plastered on his face. “Yeah, peace, I love peace,” Tony said conversationally. “I’d be out of the job with peace.”
“Oh, yeah, that department.” Tony groaned.
“I remembered wishing that you’d get rid of that department,” Peter said.
“So were we,” Rhodey said and pointed to himself and Pepper.
Peter noticed Wanda shifting in her seat. He remembered Tony saying something about one of his weapons getting into someone’s hands after he had stopped the R&D department and they killed her parents. Apparently, Wanda had hated Tony ever since.
Peter was going to make her see sense.
Well, maybe not him since this movie was going to do it for him.
The soldiers messed about with the camera, saying to hurry up and not to change the settings.
“Weren’t we in a car with a camera?” Peter asked Tony.
“Yeah, well, what’s going to happen now didn’t happen then,” Tony said and sank into his seat.
He stared at the screen numbly. Peter knew it was Tony’s pride that allowed him to continue looking at the screen. Peter knew about Siberia so he understood why Tony felt the need to prove himself strong in front of Captain America.
Tony’s comment earned odd looks from everyone not on their couch.
The car blew up.
“Shit,” Shuri whispered and was earned a smack on the head by her brother.
Rocket whistled lowly which earned a glare from everyone in the room.
“What’s going on?” Tony asked calmly as the van shook. The soldiers were screaming over him, ignoring him. The woman soldier had a gun in hand as she exited the van. “Jimmy, stay with Stark!” Said the other soldier in the front before leaving. Jimmy was the last soldier with Tony, the one that the billionaire took a photo with.
“Lay down!” Jimmy ordered and put his hands on Tony’s shoulders to guide him down. He didn’t stay down.
“And you say I’m bad with safety,” Peter said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Well, it’s different with you.” Tony shrugged.
“Why is that?”
“You’re -”
“Shut up, we’re watching.” Quill interrupted.
“This is very interesting.” Mantis commented. “And sad. I hope this is not giving you bad feelings.” She said to Tony.
“Like he has any.” Steve scowled.
Jimmy was leaving the car when Tony said, “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.”
“Stay here!” Jimmy said through the closed doors.
Bullets hit the car, puncturing holes into the metal and glass. Tony looked out the windows in a calm sort of panic, his breathing audible. The scene shows the soldiers falling.
Tony gets out of the car.
“They say stay in and you couldn’t do that?” Pepper sighed.
“I might have a small problem?” Tony said defensively.
He stumbled as the ground shook, hitting the side of the van. He quickly got stable before running through the wreckage, plumes of smoke filling the air. The billionaire leaps behind a few large rocks just in time as another explosion occurs and bullets could be heard.
Tony takes out his phone.
“Seriously?” Quill asked.
The phone starts beeping as Tony types. His eyes never leave the phone until a missile lands next to him with the label that belonged to Stark Industries.
“Irony Man.” Peter snorted. “Sorry,” He said to Tony.
“None taken,” Tony said, accepting it when Peter tried to lighten the mood.
Tony tucks his phone away before getting to his feet and trying to run away. He didn’t make it as the explosion occurs and sends him flying. He lays on his back as he tries to catch his back, everything about him his dirty. He looks down at his chest to see a few drops of blood but he could feel that the injury is worse. The scene shows the blood seeping into his blue shirt. Tony rips the shirt open, the buttons flying off.
The scene fades out with foreign voices.
The scene shifts to a sack being taken off of Tony’s head. His face is bloodied and he’s unwashed. There are armed people behind him, brandishing their weapons like trophies. The billionaire blinks against the harsh lighting as the foreign voice continues to speak.
There are a few more seconds where Tony almost drifts to sleep before his eyes widen at the sight of the gun. He looks to the side to see men behind a camera. The light was red.
The screen zooms out as Tony faces the camera head-on. People with scarves are surrounding him. One is reading from a piece of paper, the source of the voice.
Tony Stark, a billionaire, has just been kidnapped by terrorists.
The title of the movie comes in with all capital letters and in gold: IRON MAN.