Iron Boy [Peter Parker x Male Reader]

Chapter Twenty Four

"So you like cats?" Sam asked.
I snickered.
"Sam." Steve said.
"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat, you don't wanna know more?"
Out the window, I could see we were pulling up to a large facility.
"Your suit...it's vibranium?" Steve said.
"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" T'Challa said.
Steve clenched his jaw and looked away, just as we began to pull up to the building.
We stepped out of the vehicle and into a large building. I turned to see Bucky in a glass holding cell, being loaded into a large cement room.
We walked over to where Everett Ross was standing next to Sharon Carter.
"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked.
"Same thing that oughta happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition."
"This is Everett Ross deputy task force advisor." Carter said.
"What about a lawyer?" Steve said.
"Lawyer, that's funny...see their weapons are placed in lockup. We'll write you a receipt."
Several men walked by us, with our suits and weapons in hand. I saw someone walk with my suit, folded into a case, in hand. They were dangling it loosely.
"Hey, watch it!" I snapped. "You're holding billions of dollars worth of technology right now."
"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam said pointing to his suit.
We began to follow the men further into the building. Steve cast a glance over his shoulder, looking to where Bucky was being rolled into the highly secure room.
After a while of walking, Everett spoke up.
"You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Do me a favor? Stay in it." he said to T'Challa.
"I don't intend on going anywhere." he responded.
I saw Natasha's familiar face as she briskly walked up to me and Steve.
"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like. Really, Y/N? You too? I was hoping I could keep you out of this."
I met her eyes and didn't let go.
"He's alive." Steve said.
She didn't respond.
Somewhere ahead of us, I could hear a familiar voice speaking.
"No. Romania was not accords-sanctioned. Colonel Rhodes is supervising clean up." Tony said.
Nat turned to us. "Try not to break anything while we fix this."
She looked to Sam, then Steve, and finally me, her gaze lingering.
"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences." Tony continued. "Obviously you can quote me on that, because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir."
"'Consequences?'" Steve said.
"Secretary Ross wants all three of you prosecuted." my dad said, his eyes landing on me and a tinge of anguish passed them. "I had to give him something."
He began to walk away.
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve said.
Natasha whirled around as she fell into step next to Tony.
"Technically, it's the government's property." she said. "Wings, too."
"That's cold." Sam said.
"Warmer than jail!" Tony called over his shoulder.
After a while I was led into the glass room in the middle of the building.
I sat down at the table and began to drum my fingers.
Steve was pacing.
My drumming came to a dramatic cease as my dad walked in. Steve sat down.
"I pulled something from my dad's archives. Felt timely."
He slid a small black box in front of Steve and opened it. There were two fountain pens.
"FDR signed the lend-lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the allies when they needed it most." he said.
"Some would say that it brought the country closer to war." Steve said.
Tony took a breath and looked to the ceiling.
"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to...what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"
"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her." Steve said looking around.
"We're kinda...Well, not kinda,"
"Pregnant?"
"No. Definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."
"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know." Steve said.
"A few years ago I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up Hydra, and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then. I never stopped. Because the truth is, I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference...In her defense I'm a handful. Yet, dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom made it work."
I reached forward and picked up a pen to examine.
"I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single." Steve said.
"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you."
I decided it best to stay out of it.
"I never meant to make things difficult."
"I know, because you're a very polite person."
"If I see a situation headed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could.
"No, you don't."
Steve sighed. "No, I don't."
"Sometimes...sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an american psych-center, instead of Wakandan prison."
Steve reached forward and grabbed the other pen, standing up and walking around the table.
"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards."
"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated."
"Wanda? What about Wanda?" Steve said.
I furrowed my eyebrows and turned to Tony.
"She's fine, she's confined to the compound currently. Vision's keeping her company."
"Oh, god, Tony. Every time I think you see things the right way..."
"It's 100 acres with a lap pool, it's got a screening room, there are worse ways to protect people."
My mouth dropped.
"Protection?" I said.
"Stay out of it. You'll get your turn" Tony said holding a finger, but not giving me a glance.
"Protection? Is that how you see this? It's internment, Tony..."
"She's not a US citizen." Tony said.
"Oh, come on, Tony."
"And they don't grant Visas to weapons of mass destruction."
I rolled my eyes. That's it. Calling my sister a nuke is the line. I set the pen back with a sigh.
"She's a kid!"
"Give me a break!" Tony shouted. "I'm doing what has to be done. To stave off something worse."
"You keep telling yourself that." Steve said, he set the pen back down. "Hate to break up the set."
Steve walked out of the room, leaving me and Tony alone.
      "You're a Stark, kid." he said.
      I nodded.
      "You are a Stark and everything that comes with it. And that means the sarcasm. The money, the brains, the charm, and the looks...But it also means the stubbornness. I know you'll stick by Cap no matter what. I know you'll stand by what you believe in. All I ask, is that you play your cards right. Don't just do everything he tells you to do. Use that head. Okay?"
      I nodded slowly, then he got up and left.
      Several minutes later Steve and Sam came back in. Bucky's evaluation was being conducted. Steve started at the silent monitor in the room. Sharon came in and dropped a file in front of Sam.
      "Bird costume? Really?" he said.
      "I didn't write it."
      He scoffed.
      Sharon looked around then reached forward and pressed a button on the desk. Audio began to play out of the monitor. Steve looked to her and she nodded. I sat forward in my seat as the man questioned Bucky.
On the corner of my eye I saw Nat look over her shoulder.
The interrogation continued for several minutes longer. I sighed and leaned my head on my hand. Closing my eyes. I drifted into that state of not being fully asleep, but being conscious.
I only opened my eyes when I suddenly heard the audio stop.
Steve turned away from the screen and faced the table. He picked up the picture of Bucky that was released.
"Why would the task force even release this photo to being with?" Steve said.
"Get the word out, involve as many eyes we can?" Sharon said.
"Right. It's a good way of flushing a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the winter soldier."
"You're saying someone framed him to find him?" Sharon said.
"Steve, we looked for the guy for two years, and found nothing." Sam said.
"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads."
"Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him." Sharon said.
"You're right," I said. "It guarantees that you would."
Everyone looked to the monitor in the room.
"Yeah." Steve said.
A few moments later all the lights in the room went off, spare a few flashing red lights.
People outside began to rush around.
"Smoak?" I said.
"Working on it." he said.
Steve and Sam turned to Sharon.
"Sub-level five, East Wing." she said.
Steve and Sam rushed out of the glass conference room and out of the control center.
"The power outage is city wide, Mr. Stark. It's been difficult without anything to tap into, but I believe that the outage was caused by an EMP explosion at the local power grid."
I stepped out after them and fell into step next to Natasha and my father.
"Please tell me you brought a suit..." Nat mumbled.
"Sure did. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three piece, two button." We were jogging at this point. "I'm an active duty, non-combatant."
Sharon came up beside us, "Follow me."
We followed her deeper into the hallways.
After she led us to get what Tony needed, we heard commotion out in the central atrium.
I followed my father into the room.
Bucky was fighting all of the men in the room, tossing them aside as if they were nothing.
I hid behind a pillar just as my father did.
"We're in position." Nat said over comms.
I watched as my dad pressed a button on the wrist band he was given, and a smaller version of the Iron Man gauntlet constructed around his hand.
He swung out from around his pillar and faced Bucky.
"Stay out of it." he told me.
"You know me better than that."
He sighed as he shot a sound wave out of his glove. Bucky stopped what he was doing.
My dad rushed forward and shot a blast of light then initiated a fist fight with Bucky.
I closed my eyes and counted the seconds in between my breaths.
When I turned to look again, I saw my dad get thrown into several chairs and tables, just as Sharon ran up to Bucky to begin throwing punches and kicks.
Sharon was tossed aside easily as Nat ran in. I came out of hiding and rushed Bucky's other side. Nat and I fought flawlessly together, using each other's movements to assist our own. That is, until Bucky kicked me in the gut, forcing the air out of me, and throwing me to the ground.
I watched as Bucky picked up Nat and threw her on a table. He wrapped his fingers around her throat.
"Hey!" I shouted trying to get up, but failing.
I saw T'Challa rush Bucky and begin to kick him.
I staggered over to Nat who was still on the table.
"You okay?" I said.
Her hands rested on her throat and she was breathing heavily.
She nodded slowly.
I cast a glance up to the exit doors. Then back down to her. She gave me a knowing look.
"I love you, but I have to. I'm sorry. Catch you later." I said jogging towards the exit.
I fell into the crowd of running people and saw Sam standing amongst them. I fell next to him.
"He got away."
"We'll get him." I said.
"C'mon. We gotta get outta here. We'll catch up with Steve later."

After an hour, we had met up with Steve and were hiding out in an old warehouse. I was at the door, scouting and keeping watch.
Steve showed up next to me.
"This is not how I envisioned my week turning out..." I said.
"I know, kid. Me either. I don't mean to be rude, but I wish you hadn't gotten involved. You're too young to be wrapped up in all this."
"You know, about three months ago, I was living my life, it was great. And then, I ended up fighting killer robots with a rifle I had made. And then, I was fighting with none other than Captain America. I get hurt, I wake up, and I end up being reunited with my father who I hadn't been with for years. Then, I fall in love with this amazing guy, and then he manages to talk me into becoming a hero. So I do, and then I end up getting involved with fighting an entire mob. I ripped down a building and wiped someone's mind. I become a member of the Avengers and now I'm a fugitive, running from the government with my Avengers Uncle. Life is one hell of a crazy ride, but we don't get off when things get rough. We keep going. I'm not getting off the ride just because tensions are high, Steve."
He sighed and met my eyes.
"Well, if the smarts don't work out, you've gotta way with words, kid."
I smiled and scoffed.
"Steve." Sam said from inside the warehouse.
He turned to go inside, and I was about to follow, but he told me stay and keep watch. I nodded and stayed at the door, with a sigh.
"Anything from Peter, Smoak?"
"No." he said. "Although, I did catch your father on a security camera heading into Mr. Parker's apartment."
I sighed.
"I miss you, Pete." I mumbled.
I watched as a helicopter soared across the sky.