Rhodey And The Mystery Boy

Interlude 1

To be completely honest, it was a relief long-term speaking that Peter was just a random kid, a nobody, to Rhodey. He was only Tony's employee, and May was just the parent of an underage employee, so Rhodey needed to do nothing further to get to know them. No adjusting towards them. It was nice. Rhodey was polite, but a boss. Because that was who he was. He could go ahead and ask the kid for coffee (which he did occasionally) instead of asking about his best friends. He could make sure papers were copied (which had only happened once or twice in the next few weeks) instead of thinking about a school event. He was the perfectly polite boss to a teenager, teaching work atmosphere and responsibility.

Sure, the idea of having a nephew was something Rhodey missed, and the kid had seemed nice enough. But there was no need in caring for anything. If the kid was in danger, it was no more his responsibility than any other boss. He would not be the kid's babysitter.

Some part of him wanted to have the role of Uncle Rhodey back and looked at Pepper, Tony, May, and even Happy as part of a family. But that was not true, as disappointing as that was. Why else should the kid call them “Mr Rhodes, sir” and “Miss Potts” and “Mr Stark”. As far as Rhodey could tell, the only reason why Happy was not called in an official title was because the child did not know Happy's real name.

But it was a different life. From one day to the other, Rhodey could just turn in bed when breakfast woke him up, ignore the child's excessive chatter that used to be endearing in a nephew, but was just annoying in an employee. He could just tell the kid to quiet down! There was no conversation unrelated to work anymore, at least not started by Rhodey, and if the child tried to indulge Rhodey, Rhodey felt safe to tell the kid he needed to concentrate on his paperwork (One should think being off military duty meant he had no work, but since his mind worked perfectly, he still had constant work to do), or to go back to do his homework. After all, Rhodey was not this boy's keeper.

It was Saturday and as was ordinary for Rhodey by now, Peter stayed over. This time he would be there until Happy drive him to school on Monday. As Rhodey was used due to his military and PT schedules, he woke up early. He took his time preparing for the day, showering, putting on clothes, and walking to find Tony in the kitchen, cooking up a feast as ordinary.

Rhodey could not understand this fully. Now that he knew Peter was a random child and not Tony's kid, it made no sense to Rhodey why he would be here, overnight, and Tony would be cooking this extensively. Maybe it was just a Tony thing. Rhodey knew about Tony's eccentrics and his unusual times in the lab. It was almost ordinary to expect. He probably just tried to be responsible considering he forced the child to work through the weekend. But it still was not something Rhodey could easily understand.

Either way, Rhodey enjoyed sitting at the table, eating his portion from the huge feast, and conversing with his friend in a way he had been missing.

“Ross is getting on my nerves.”, Rhodey complained.

“What he do now?”

“The usual. Called me yesterday in my PT time and did not allow me to return to it until about two hours later, when the therapist already left.” Rhodey really hated that constant annoyance. “Said all this stuff about getting shipped to the raft if I don't tell him where to find Natasha and how to take her down.”

“Yeah, I know. He has been getting up in my grill about her increasingly ever since she got away from this explosion sight last week. But you know Nat. She is not gonna get caught, even if we would tell him everything.”, Tony explained, flipping a mango pancake. “Not that there is much to tell. She always seemed well able to hide all weaknesses from me. If she even has any.”

Here, they chuckled together. Nat was definitely not Miss Perfect, but catching her? She might as well be!

“You got any idea what she was doing in Russia anyway?”, Rhodey wondered aloud. He wished he would have been on the team checking out the sight.

“No. But Ross keeps insisting she blew up something civilian.”, Tony answered dejectedly. “I am not sure whether she blew it up or somebody else, but I know it was not civilian. But Ross does not listen when I tell him it looks like a flying HYDRA base.”

Rhodey frowned. “A flying HYDRA base, you say?”

“Yeah. At least that is how it looked to me. Like, you know, the Triscalion? Such a giant complex, but with the interior designed similar to Strucker's lab, and flying. Above an empty field. Nothing looks like a civilian anything. There were weapons and explosives, and the bit of data I got looked like human experimentation.”

“Like with Wanda and Pietro?”

“More like Barnes.”, Tony corrected. “Chemical composures meant to alter brain function on command. Lists and lists of names from people – girls and women mainly – that are supposed to be dead. I'd say it was the Red Room, but I contacted Clint.”

Rhodey sat up straighter. “And?” Tony just shrugged.

“Says must be an imposter or something. Or an imitator. He was sure they took it down. Either way, Ross isn't budging.”

“Well, Ross has been sure we are all nothing but criminals from the start. Went to push charges on me for Loki's attack on New York if I don't arrest Steve by last month, remember? Had to remind him I was not even there!”

Both snorted. “Yeah, I had to pull footage and military contracts to get him off.”, Tony added. “Annoyed me for three days!”

“Seriously? And I thought he just realized his blunder!”, Rhodey laughed as Tony put the plate of pancakes on the table.

“Morning, Mr Stark! Mr Rhodes, Sir!”, came the sleepy voice of Peter from the door as the boy went to sit down next to Rhodey.

“Good morning”, Rhodey answered politely, nodding and smiling. The boy would probably go down to a lab soon. Rhodey was still unable to find where they disappear to, but he knew it had to be a lab. Where else would Tony go with an intern? Only problem was that Rhodey had looked at the intern labs before he even knew Peter was just an intern. He had looked at all labs in the almost two months since. The only labs he had not checked was Rhodey's private lab (to be fair, it was almost always locked), Bruce's private lab (which has been locked since it was finished a week after ULTRON), Tony's private lab (which was a ridiculous idea to bring anyone in, never mind a kid intern), or the two empty labs on the same floor for future science interested Avengers. Rhodey had heard something from Tony about wanting to give Spider-Man one of them and giving the other to visitors from Wakanda.

“Spider-Man sounds young, I don't think he finished college yet, Tony. Maybe not the best idea to give him his own lab. Better to have you supervise him for now, if he has to use a lab in the Compound at all!”, Rhodey had argued. “The Wakandens may be a better idea, though I doubt our technology and equipment will be sufficient. Better to give them the basics and ask for their input what they could need in case they ever want to use our lab!”

Then, they had a conversation about whether the Wakandens would visit any time soon. Tony had said something about T'Challa potentially coming with his sister to help with some Avengers tech, and that they had visited before when they still had the tower and Tony had invited him there. Rhodey had assumed that was why one of the previously empty labs was now closed. Wakandan technology. They would never allow entrance to outsiders.

Or maybe it was Spider-Man who closed that lab. Rhodey doubted that child would get an own lab. How old must he be, twenty-two, younger? No way Tony would give that kid a private lab! Not to forget that in the two-something months since Rhodey came back, Spider-Man had not made an appearance at the Compound. As far as Rhodey knew, the kid took Tony's tech and disappeared. Not hard to find should they need to, but still a no-show. Too bad, Rhodey liked how Tony and Pepper had talked about him, never mind the great work in Queens and all of Manhattan. Rhodey had wanted to meet the kid, maybe take him on as his successor. Would be nice to mentor a kid, instead of waiting for Beck, Pepper or Tony to make him an uncle.

Rhodey just went along with his thoughts, knowing that there would be no continuation of this conversation. Rhodey sighed. It was always that way, and it bothered him. This nobody would appear, and Rhodey was a ghost. That was probably why Rhodey had thought of Tony being the dad. Why he had not only entertained the idea, but loved it. Tony did not exactly neglect him. Rhodey had all his attention when they were alone (unless he went into his lab), but Peter seemed to be like an attention magnet. Somehow, he caught May, Tony, Happy and Pepper in this vacuum where Rhodey was but a side thought. Irrelevant, almost. Rhodey loved to see this responsibility in Tony, he wanted Tony to believe he could be a dad. To be there for somebody.

But why did he prefer a nobody intern over Rhodey?

The kid and Tony just rambled on and Rhodey took his tablet, deciding to work on some paperwork. They occasionally had asked him something, like always, but it seemed tense. Rhodey hated it. So, he had decided to go ahead and work instead. Let them all live separately. It was okay, Rhodey thought. He could wait until he got Tony alone. It was fine. He was still his brother in the way that mattered. And Beck would be visiting next week. He can do it. He can let Tony be like a mentoring boss or whatever the hell this is. He can have a bit of time just being Rhodey, living a normal life. Trying to find his way back.

Soon, Tony excused himself and Rhodey finished his food, fully concentrating on his work ... Or trying to. Peter kept shifting in his seat, moving around annoyingly, requiring attention. It was frustrating. Rhodey hated it completely. It was always about this boy. He would get all of their attention. A random kid! Pretty worthless for them from where Rhodey was standing. A nice kid, sure. And he was probably having a nice future. But a nothing to this family. Irrelevant. Peter did not belong. Yet, everything was about him. Rhodey hated it, wanted the way it was back. He had a safe haven with his family. He was there for Tony and Pepper, and they for him. But of course, this stupid kid had to come along and take Rhodey's happiness.

Rhodey was but a tag-along with Peter here. If they had a movie night, it was always with Peter. Rhodey would hardly be invited. Going out meant going out with Peter to celebrate Peter or to do something Peter liked. Time with Tony and Pepper had to fit in their schedule with Peter. ‘How about going out after I brought Peter back to his aunt? We can drive together, and then do something!’ ‘I'm sorry, that is Peter’s school conference. Maybe next time? How about tomorrow?’ Gosh, Tony, Pepper, he is a nobody! Stop catering to the child!

Rhodey wanted the child to be gone. Stop taking Tony and Pepper and Happy from him.

“You know, Mr Rhodes, sir!”, the fidgeting boy finally started. Rhodey tried to concentrate on his paperwork, but the kid kept rambling. “I think we should ...”

‘The mission was a partial success...’

“... And I believe we ...”

‘... Three people injured, one ...’

“... And I guess that is my ...”

‘... Significant damages to ...’

What had he just read? What was this part about? Rhodey did not remember.

“... So, I suggest ...” Gosh, will this child ever ...

“Shut up! I am currently working. I need to concentrate!”, Rhodey said more curtly than he meant to, but it was not so bad. The boy was here for work, too! Might as well understand that his bosses are not going to listen to his ramble for attention. That work was important.

“I'm sorry, sir!”, the boy said, Rhodey hardly noticed the dejected look on his face, the tear glistening in his voice and the voice dropping in emotions, and an octave. Rhodey just sighed, took his tablet and left. The kid could ramble to someone else! Rhodey had work to do!

---

“I’m sorry, Mr Stark!”, Peter cried in Tony’s arm. “I’m sorry! I tried, I really wanted to have the conversation like you told me to! I did! But it did not work out! I’m sooo sorry!”

Tony held his boy close, rubbing his back. Almost two months, and Rhodey was hardly talking to Peter anymore. Tony had tried to give his friend the benefit of the doubt, but the way he behaved around his kid, this coldness! It was unbearable!

‘He is just a kid!’, he wanted to scream. ‘Stop hurting him! Just talk to him!’

Any time Tony, Peter and Rhodey ate breakfast together, Rhodey would clam up, speak no word, ignore their conversations and the prompts they give him to talk. They had tried it with Pepper, May and Happy, but Tony felt the distance increasing. They invited him to movie nights, and Rhodey would decline. They invited him on outings, he would avoid Peter and May. They tried to just spend time with him, but as long as Peter or May were there, Rhodey did not accept. It was frustrating! Tony had thought he got his family, he had finally been open to Rhodey, and he shut down!

What had Tony done wrong?

“Well, I remember that happening at MIT! Rhodey, what did you do after?”, Tony had joked with Peter, hoping Rhodey would talk with them.

“Hmm, yeah, sure. Funny.”, Rhodey had answered, ignoring them.