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"Shit! FRIDAY, track the phone call." Tony commands FRIDAY out of distress.
"Affirmative, boss." FRIDAY follows the order, and tracks the phone used to call Tony.
Morgan has been kidnapped by some unknown terrorist gang. Fortunately, the gang didn't have the intentions to hurt her. In fact, the least they did was tie her up on a chair and that's it.
The caller hadn't texted yet, only a call has been made and Tony is trying his best to track it down. He's been searching for two hours in the cabin's basement waiting for FRIDAY to finish tracking the phone.
Peter, his recently adopted child that he didn't even know why he's mentioning the fact that he adopted him but he wants to since he thinks of the boy as his son at the end of the day, yawns and goes down to the basement with a mug of espresso and a mug of orange juice. He immediately saw the distressed look on Tony's face so he placed the mugs on the table nearby.
"Dad! What's going on?" Peter rushes to Tony out of worry.
"Hey, Pete." Tony forced a smile, but he didn't have enough time to hide the hologram because his super hearing heard the red beep.
Tony looked behind him. "FRIDAY, switch to the notifications panel."
The hologram switches to the notifications panel. Tony opens a text message from te same number used to call him about Morgan.
'Your other son's life for hers. No negotiations approved. The location is XXXXXXXXXXXXX. Come ASAP.'
Tony's eyes widened in shock, so did Peter's. He knew how stubborn his kid is so he just tightened his grip and Peter unfortunately tried to move.
"Dad—"
"No, Pete. You're not doing this." Tony tightened his grip.
"I need to save Morgan."
"Pete."
"I need to—!"
"PETER!" Tony's shouting voice made Peter come back to reality. "No one's going to exchange their life for another. No one is doing that. We need to think of a better plan that doesn't involve exchanging a thing for another thing, hm?"
"But— but— but— b—" Peter tried to protest.
"Shh." Tony placed his index on Peter's mouth. "Shh, shh, shh. Shhh! The adult is talking. No. Nuh-uh. The adult is talking." Peter grumbled as he gave up protesting.
Tony lowered his voice as he leaned closer to Peter. "Me and the Avengers are going to think of another plan, okay? So, you stay put, maybe help around the house, do whatever you want, but.. Just don't exchange your life for Morgan's, okay?"
Peter reluctantly nodded, but he could only look at the message at the hologram.
...
Steve walks in the meeting room of the Avengers compound, and the other members followed inside. They each took a seat and sat down silently.
"So, what's the meeting about, Tony?" Natasha glances at Tony.
Tony opens his mouth and stands up. "Well, as you can see, my daughter Morgan is kidnapped, and the kidnappers want Peter's life for hers in which I can't allow that. So, I need the help from everybody sitting in this room so I can rescue Morgan and not give Peter up. Also, if you think I should, fuck you. Anyways.."
...
Peter tossed and turned in the bed, his dreams switching to Morgan getting hurt and blaming him for being unable to exchange his life for hers. His setting changes to Tony grieving for Morgan and blaming him for it as well.
'I wish I didn't adopt you.'
'I wish I didn't have you as a brother, Petey.'
'You are the reason why she's gone.'
'You are the reason why I died.'
He wakes up in a cold sweat, and sits up immediately. He glances at the camera. "FRIDAY, where is Dad?"
"Boss is staying at the Avengers Compound for a meeting. You can contact Real Boss at SI if you need anything, Peter." FRIDAY replied.
"Thanks, FRI." Peter starts to plan about saging Morgan in his own way. He knew what he had to do—exchange his life for Morgan's. It was the least he could do.
After all, Peter isn't Tony's biological son. At the back of his mind, he knew that Tony adopted him because he didn't have anyone else to stay with. His parents are dead, Uncle Ben is dead, May died during the blip, and Tony is just his final option. Now, he had to pay him back for it. He had to pay him back for putting up with him.
So, he leaves the web shooters in the bedroom which had the iron spider suit inside, and he quietly goes to the basement to see the hologram turned on automatically by FRIDAY.
"Welcome, Mini-Boss. Although I advise you to go to bed, I can assist you at the moment. What would you like to do tonight?" FRIDAY's voice automatically speaks to the boy.
"FRI, open notifications panel." Peter said as he stares at the hologram.
The hologram switches to the notifications panel, and Peter sees the location. He hesitates for a moment, but Morgan being in danger because he was a scaredy cat is enough to convince him to get on with this.
"FRIDAY, record a message for Dad." Peter looks down at the ground, and a beep tells him that it's recording. "Hey, Dad. I know you and the Avengers are planning to save Morgan without me intervening, but being the stubborn little shit that I am, you don't have to continue. I'll do it myself, I'll go over there, and this message is my final goodbye to you."
There was a beat of silence, Peter tries to push the tears back, but his shaking voice is obvious. "I know that this is going to hurt you, but in the back of my mind, I've been thinking. Maybe you pitied me for some reason, and that's why you adopted me. That's why I would rather have myself be there than Morgan be there. After all, I'm not yours biologically, and Morgan is. I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. I know that you and Mom have been stressing out about her, but I know that this choice is right. Maybe because sacrifices had to be made, just lie what you said before."
He takes a deep breath. "I'm saying this, because.. I love you, dad. I love you, and mom, and Morgan. That's why I'm doing this, for everybody's sake. She doesn't deserve this treatment more than me. FRI, end recording."
Peter goes back to his room and puts a hoodie on. He walks out and looks back at the lake house cabin before turning away for good.
He waits at the location, before he gets taken into a van without even expecting it.
...
Tony had been planning with the Avengers the whole night and they are currently resting in the compound after.. (*checks watch*) approximately 14 hours since they started.
Tony, with his insomniac bitchy self, tinkers in his own lab. Until, the volume of his favorite AC/DC song lowers in the speakers, meaning that FRIDAY speaks at that time.
"Voice recording from Peter, boss." FRIDAY chirps.
"At 11pm??? Is this kid about to remind me to go to bed or something???" Tony looks at FRIDAY with confusion.
"You are unfortunately incorrect, boss." FRIDAY replies.
Tony has a bad feeling about this. He reluctantly plays the voice message.
No.
No, no, no.
Tony didn't even realize that he collapsed until his hands reached the cold concrete. The Avengers immediately rushed in to see Tony breaking down on the floor.
"No, no. Not my Peter. Oh, my Thor, why did Peter do this?!?" He was trembling, sobbing, shaking. He can't believe this.
To make matters worse, he gets a message on the hologram. He opens the notification panel and his heart broke into a million pieces seeing an insulting message from the kidnappers.
'Didn't realize that you'd give up your son easily, Stark. Guess he wasn't that important to you after all.'
'We'll be bringing the girl back by tomorrow.'
A photo had been attached with Peter's face all bruised already. Oh God, Tony was about to crumble apart.
"What's going on?!?" Pepper exclaimed along with Rhodey who entered the lab beside her. The War Machine suit is still on meaning that Rhodey flew Pepper to the compound as soon as FRIDAY alerted them that Tony is in distress.
"I-I.." Tony shook like a distressed father (because he is, obviously, a distressed father), and Pepper hugged him tightly. It led to Tony sleeping in his room in the compound.
Unfortunately, the Avengers had to drop the bomb. Steve walks in front of Pepper.
"Peter, he.. He gave himself up in exchange for Morgan's life." Steve said in a solemn tone.
Pepper just sits down and thinks, asking why? Why did Peter do that?
...
"Petey!" Morgan's devastated tone as she was about to be placed in the car was heard as soon as a taser was roughly placed on his side. Peter could only grunt in pain.
"Well, seems like the Peter Parker is weak after all. Without the Avengers, who will save you, Spider-Man?" Leader (it's a codename) continues shoving the taser on Peter's side.
"PETEY!!" Morgan cries as the car drove off.
...
The kidnappers' car arrived at SI, then Morgan was shoved off the car, and Rhodey caught her just in time with a glare towards the kidnappers.
"Thanks for the little Spidey. We hope this offer is fair." Kidnapper 1 laughs and goes back into the car before driving off.
Rhodey heard Morgan's cries, and immediately tried to calm her down.
"Petey.. Petey is hurt.." Morgan sobbed.
"I know, I know he is. We'll save him, okay? You don't have to worry." Rhodey prepares to take off. "Hold on tight."
...
Pepper rushes towards Rhodey in the compound, and hugs Morgan silently. Tony also comes and hugs his wife and child. Morgan sobs even more.
"Petey.. He is hurt.." Morgan said between sobs.
"How hurt is he?" Tony reluctantly asked.
"Very bad! He had big wounds and a taser keeps getting on his side! Is he going to die, daddy?" Morgan sobbed even more.
"No. He isn't. We won't let him. FRIDAY, track the suit." Tony looked up at the ceiling.
"His suit is located in his room at the lakeside cabin." FRIDAY replied.
Tony cursed under his breath. "His phone? His watch? Anything else that has at least Karen inside?"
"His watch is located at Queens, New York. His phone is located in the same area. However, it seems that these items are not located in an alleyway or May Parker's old apartment room but located at an abandoned warehouse farther from it." FRIDAY reveals the information.
"Oh, shit. Wow. Great. Our plan B should be in motion, then." Tony stands up and taps on his arc reactor so the nanobots spread across his body for the suit to form.
"I'll be back, Pep and Morguna. Love you both." Tony says goodbye to them before looking back at the Avengers. He then takes off alongside Rhodey and Sam while the other Avengers entered the Quinjet to take off as well.
...
Peter yelps in pain as he gets a small cut on his arm. He was fighting another enhanced human, and he is NOT loving it. It was a pretty unfair fight since this motherfucker has a knife and he doesn't. He's fighting for his life here, you know!
"Surrender now, Spider-Man. You have no one to save you now." Enhanced (another codename) starts charging again.
"You know that Spider-Man never surrenders. I'm a hero! I'm strong enough to fight you right now." Why even is he holding back?
The boy's ears picked up the sound of two repulsors and the Quinjet landing. The Avengers are here!
Tony charges inside of the warehouse first, and shoots his repulsors at Enhanced and he does because Tony decided to just finish the job after hurting his boy.
"Tones, that's enough." Rhodey stops him and Tony calms down. His focus immediately moves to Pete, who is unconscious from exhaustion and being inspected by Bruce.
"FRI, scan him." Tony kneeled, his helmet quickly going down to look at Peter. God, his poor boy suffered this much.
"Scanned 12 broken bones, taser wounds, burn marks, 64 cuts and bruises." FRIDAY finished scanning. Tony curses under his breath.
"Take him to medbay, now." Steve commands, and Tony carries Peter back to the Quinjet.
...
Beep. Beep. Beep.
...
Beep. Beep. Beep.
...
Peter's eyes reluctantly opened to the light. He finds himself in the private room located in the Tower medbay.
"Pete, you're awake." Tony enters the room and sits beside him to a chair beside him.
"... Is.. Is Mo okay?" Peter looks at Tony's face.
Tony chuckles. Peter never changed when it comes to checking up on others even if his situation is worse that them. "Of course she is. You saved her, that's all."
Peter nodded. Tony tries to push the tears back. "Pete.. I got the message that day. Don't ever do that shit again, okay? We already finished the plan. You don't have to do this just for us, Pete. You didn't have to."
"I know, but—" Peter tried to protest.
"No. Never again. God, I was devastated when you gave your self up all because you thought that I pitied you, or that Morgan is my biological child, because I don't give a fuck." Tony takes a deep breath. "I don't care if we adopted you, I don't care if you didn't come out of my dick or something. All I know is that I love you, bambino, and I would never ever let you give yourself up for anyone's sake ever again."
Peter started sobbing, and Tony just hugged him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"No, no. It's okay. Just don't do it again, bambino. God, I was so devastated when you sent that message." Tony pats the boy's back.
"I thought.. I thought I was going to pay you back for putting up with me."
"I would rather put up with you than lose you completely, bambino. You know that."
Just then, the door opened. "Petey!" Morgan runs and jumps on Peter's lap.
"Hey, Mo." Peter softly places a hand on Morgan's back.
"I missed you! I thought you were going to die!" Morgan was about to cry.
"I'm here now, Mo. I'm okay. Spider-Man doesn't give up easily." Peter's smile widened. "Speaking of which, where are the kidnappers?"
Tony chuckled. "Oh, Natasha and Clint did the job for me."
"Woah. This is why they're my favorite heroes." Peter giggled.
"Hey, what about me?"
"You're my number one favorite, dad."
Pepper enters and places some pizza on the coffee table. "I'm allowing this just once. You're still recovering."
"Thanks, Mom." Peter was about to reach out but Tony shoves a slice in Peter's mouth.
"You're too wounded to move right now, bambino." Tony ate his own slice.
Peter eagerly chews on the slice and eats it completely.
For now, Peter is happy, because Morgan is safe, and he is back home with his family. That's all there is to it.
fin.