Strings Attached

All Fall Down

The world has just found out about the break-up of the Avengers as well as the final fall of Hydra. Tony Stark, a self-proclaimed genius was sent to clean up the mess as his alto ego, Ironman. He was currently on the little plastic flip phone Mr. America gifted him.

"And you know what you're looking for?" Steve asked.

"Yes. I know how to do my job" Tony deadpanned

"I wasn't implying-"

"Yeah, I get it" Tony interrupted. "I'm going to go now"

"Ok, bye then'' Steve said awkwardly. They hung up and tony let out a sad sigh remembering the day the band was disbanded.

...

Steve had gotten some new crew members among them, Wanda, Clint, Ant-man, Sam Wilson, and later Nat, who betrayed Tony and switched Sides. They were gathered outside at the airport. Tony had tried to explain to Steve the consequences of what they did.

"You've been busy" Steve noted. He was talking about Tony keeping the members (Wanda) locked in the tower"

"And you've been a complete idiot" Tony replied frustrated "Dragging in Clint, rescuing Wanda from a place, she doesn't even want to leave. A safe place.

Steve went to defend himself but Tony continued before he could. "I'm trying to keep... I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart" Tony's voice broke but Steve didn't react in any way shape or form.

"You did that when you signed"

"All right we're done. You're going to turn Barnes over, you-re going to come with us because it's us" Tony choked on his words. He knew Barnes might not be guilty, but he needed to go through the system and prove it like the other people who weren't friends with Captain America himself.

The fight broke out then. Rhode y ended up paralyzed and the newfound rogues escaped. Tony couldn't find it in himself to be mad yet just hurt, not enraged just.......disappointed.

Until... Tony found them, Steve and Barnes in an abandoned building fully intent on helping Steve, who he sometimes thought of as a brother, but when he got there a tape startedplaying on an old worn-out TV. It was that night on that street. 

"I know that road," Tony said aloud. Steve looked nervous. "what is this"

The familiar car was tipped over like the car accident version of his parents death Tony knew. Two figures walked up to the car. They tore off the handles of the car in a synchronized pattern.

"Help my wife" the man, Howard begged the two men. "Please... help"

Upon further inspection, the dawn of recognition clouded Howards features, "Sergeant Barnes?" Tony glanced at the two super soldiers before drawing back to the TV.

"Howard" His mom screeched when the smaller man yanked Maria Stark from the car. Howard looked horrified his hands fighting against Bucky's tight hold. "Howard" She screamed again. Tony watched in horror as Maria got the life choked out of her and the moment her legs stopped moving and her body went limp in the man's chokehold.

Flinching when his dad was shot 10 times. Barnes faced the security camera that was recording the scene before slowly lifting his metal arm and shooting the camera efficiently ending the video. Tony's eyes were still glued to the TV.

"Did you know" Tony asked, slowly, calmly, much too calmly.

"I didn't know it was him" Steve lied.Tony whipped around then, "Cut the bullshit Rogers, did you know?"Then, a small "yes"

...

Tony shook himself from the memory turning back to his holographic screen. He didn't forgive Rogers and they talked in secret-keeping it strictly professional. Just because the Avengers broke up didn't mean NYC Shouldn't be protected from threats, so they worked out an agreement. Tony did the public threats and Steve kept it on the down-low, serial killers and whatnot. Sometimes coming in secret to inspect Hydra Bases they took down.

Tony pulled himself from his chair, picking up his Scotch and dumping what was left into his mouth. The familiar alcoholic twinge warmed him.

"Jarvis, drop my needle" Tony instructed as his favorite version of Jingle bells came on and his new nanotech suit wrapped his body up in a cocoon of metal. "let's get this party started"

...

Peter knew Hydra was falling, but he didn't expect it to be so... Soon. His hydra family was leaving, dying even, but he was still alive along with the doctors and guards that were instructed to protect and him to protect them.

"SHIELD is here" Peter whispered as they crept through the balls their hands touching the cold walls were their only guide. in the pitch black hydra tunnel that went right under the building.

"You know what to do?" the first security guard, Peter found out his name was Nathaniel pretty early on, and he was the nicest guard. Sometimes he gave Peter extra food on the weekends. Since the spider bite, Peter had felt more like a science experiment than a human.

"Yes, Sir" Peter replied obediently sauntering up to the front and peeking around the corner because sticking his palms to the wall and attaching himself there. Slowly he brought his foot up using his palms for balance as he stuck to the wall and climbed onto the ceiling.

"What do you see?" Nathaniel questioned the Spyder.

"All clear" Peter called down scurrying along the ceiling He'd done the math and knew that not many people looked up when they entered the room, and played a handful of pranks on fellow HYDRA agents. He was confined to the white room for days after but never pulled another prank. 

A loud yell interrupted his thoughts as three shots fired Dr. Greene, Nathaniel, and Max all dropped and a pool of blood expanded underneath them. The owner of the voice jumped out from an overhead vent clearly not seeing the other form in the room. Vent man - that's what Peter called him - brought two-fingers to his ear.

"Hall 25 Cleared" an intercom, Peter assumed. Were the other Avengers on the line? Maybe... No, Peter though vaguely wondering what life was like out the hydra facility. The man left and Peterlanded back on the ground with a smooth backflip. He checked the three agents' pulses. All three dead.

Peter wandered around for a bit his two fingers hovering above his web-shooters. He wasn't used to being alone having quickly got used to having a guard with him ever since the bite. 

"Down here" A voice abruptly shouted and Peter was frozen in place as two Avengers appeared in front of him, who he quickly defined as Ironman, and Vision.

"Big Fan" Peter murmured laughing a bit at his joke before using his webs to propel himself away from the awkward encounter. Behind him the two men wereabsolutely baffled.

As soon as Peter found, what he deemed, the safe place, he held his head in his hands.

"Why did you say that" he mentally scolded, the voices of the former bosses of HYDRA ringing in his ears. "what would any good agent do? Kill them...?"

Frustrated and slightly nervous he made his way out of his hiding spot fully intent on facing the two head-on. What he didn't expect was to found the whole lot of them standing, their guns at the ready.