|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 149• Poor Peter Parker

A rookie mistake in Tony's eyes. He is experienced. He knows. "You never have them until they're dead at your feet!" Peter stared at him – suddenly, unsure if he should have admired him as much as he had for most of his life. Even the bad guys did not deserve death straight away. The two stood pressed close together until Peter released the man's shirt.
"Beck told her he needed her help. They want to use her machine to... to do God knows what! But Y/n would go there and sabotage them. To put an end to all of this." He lowered himself right onto the middle of the couch. "We hacked into one of their computers, the camera was turned on, and it already seemed like a setup. They tricked us. Beck brought her there, but it was a hologram. He appeared and... he put the thing... the thing in her neck." Thinking back to it, there are so many things that he would have done differently. But that's always after. "In her neck? What were they- Parker, what -" Tony openly struggled to understand what the boy was saying. Trying his best to keep the horrifying images out of his mind as well. It was for the better that he did not see it. It was like something out of a horror movie. A dark figure appears behind the girl and takes her. She never saw it coming – none of them did. "I should never have allowed her to go." This was stupid. How could he have even for a second thought this would work out the way they wanted it to? When has it ever been that easy? No matter who they stood against, it has never been easy. "No, you shouldn't have. Why did you let her go!? Sending my girl to the lion's den?! I could kill you for this!" This was the second time Tony had mentioned death or murder. That's unlike Tony.

Peter looked at him intently. "Mister Stark?" Tony hummed, irritated, and barely looked at the boy. "Do you remember... what you told Nick Fury? About the Edith glasses?" It's not like him to be so definitive about the fates of others. Tony Stark bettered his life, didn't he? He went from selling weapons that harmed the world to becoming the weapon this world needed to be safe. He saved lives. "What are you getting at? I'm trying to think about Y/n right now!" Tony barked at him. The hairs on the back of Peter's neck were standing up straight. "Mister Stark...." He was ready to shoot webs and take him out. Be prepared. His muscles tensed as the man in front of him moved.
Tony would slowly turn around and smirk at him, say something sinister like Toomes had done, then disappear like Mysterio before Y/n was taken. Peter did not want to be part of that horror movie.
None of that happened. A sad and tired Tony Stark turned to face him. "Fine! I told Fury to give those damned glasses to you because I expected you to be responsible. And you weren't. You've proved that yet again!" That wasn't enough yet. Beck knew that, too. "Not that. I meant the other thing." Fury knew, Peter knew, and Tony knew. Beck did not. "Heavy lies the head that wears the crown. And I said you wouldn't get that because it's not a Star Wars reference, and I was right. You clearly don't understand the responsibility that comes with it! With anything!" Tony was furious, but Peter could let out a relieving sigh that had built up a tight pressure in his chest. It was really Tony and not Beck or one of his drones impersonating him. This is insanity. He can't keep going like this for much longer.

Tony was not an idiot. He figured out why Peter asked him those questions a few seconds later. Better to be safe than sorry. "Testing me again?" He seemed just as irritated and on edge as he was. Tense with every bone and muscle in your body. "You didn't sound like yourself," Peter mumbled. "I know I don't! I'm panicking!" How could he not be? The boy barges into his home to tell him Y/n has been taken. "My daughter is out there. You were supposed to look after her. You didn't. This was supposed to be done years ago. I thought you handled these guys." It was not fair. Peter couldn't help it that they came back. Tony knows that, too. His fragile girl is stuck with two villains who have done more bad than good in their lives. And Peter? Peter felt more guilty than ever before. Y/n convinced him, and he shouldn't have agreed. His gut was telling him the most terrible scenario had already become a reality. Y/n was gone. Dead. Her life was robbed from her by these men. And he allowed it to happen.
"You know where they are. I'll get my suit." Tony said. Peter rose out of his seat. He wouldn't allow him to leave just like that. "Barge in there like you did last time?" He questioned. "Imagine what they'll do to her when they see Iron Man show up on their porch again. Or crash through the ceiling." As a fan of Iron Man, Peter, being the nerd that he is, would love to see that. It would end terribly. Tony did not appreciate his comment very much, but wouldn't say that he was right. "Like they'll be happy to see you, Spider-Man," Tony said. "They don't like anyone. Not you, not me."