C464 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
In the heart of Tony Stark's sprawling workshop, bathed in the soft glow of arc reactor-powered lights, the genius inventor was engrossed in a complex task. His gloved hands deftly manipulated tiny nanobots, refining the latest upgrades for his Iron Man suit. The room hummed with the mechanical symphony of progress, and Tony was in his element.
Just as Tony was about to make another breakthrough, Jarvis, the ever-watchful AI, chimed in with a sense of urgency. "Sir, we have a breach in the building."
Tony frowned, his focus shifting from the delicate task at hand to the monitor nearby. He watched as Jarvis displayed security camera footage of a red and silver blur streaking through the lobby, defying the laws of physics with its incredible speed. The figure effortlessly evaded security guards, leaving them bewildered in its wake.
"What the hell is that?" Tony muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the chaotic display on the screen.
Jarvis replied promptly, "Unknown, sir."
Tony's expression turned more serious as he realized the potential threat. "Lock down the stairwell, Jarvis."
No sooner had he issued the command, the monitor showed the panels beside the stairwell doors turning crimson, sealing off the path of the intruder.
As Tony continued to monitor the situation, the blur of red and silver abruptly came to a halt in front of a door. The camera zoomed in, revealing a young teenager, who appeared frustrated as he struggled to force the metal door open. It was evident that his incredible speed alone wasn't enough to overcome the door's robust security.
Pietro, realizing he was being observed, stared up at the camera and unleashed a torrent of colorful language. "Stark, you f#cking p*ssy! Unlock this door you coward! Face your death like a man!"
Tony raised an intrigued eyebrow at the mention of his name. "Jarvis, who is this kid, and why does he hate me so much?"
The AI promptly initiated a background check, and within seconds, a holographic screen displayed information about Pietro. "He is Pietro Maximoff, a student of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Originally from Sokovia, he possesses the metahuman ability of super speed. There is no specific information available regarding his grievances against you, sir."
Tony contemplated the situation for a moment, stroking his chin. He needed answers, and he wasn't one to back down from a confrontation. In fact, he was known for seeking out the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
"Jarvis, draw him up to my workshop. I've got a little welcome gift for our speedy friend," Tony declared, his mind already whirring with ideas.
As Jarvis initiated the process to lure Pietro to the workshop, Tony moved swiftly, gathering an old dusty book as well as a selection of odd ingredients from the nearby shelves. He had every intention of getting to the bottom of Pietro's animosity and hoped that their meeting would shed light on the mysterious vendetta against him.
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In the dimly lit stairwell, Pietro Maximoff found himself at an impasse. The metal door that had previously barred his path suddenly creaked open, allowing him to continue his ascent toward Tony Stark's workshop. His confusion and suspicion was obvious, but curiosity pushed him forward as he ventured deeper into the tower.
As Pietro maneuvered around the building, a growing sense of unease gnawed at him. It was as if the tower itself conspired against him, guiding his steps. Elevators pinged open at opportune moments, doors swung shut behind him, and mechanisms blocked off hallways, directing him relentlessly forward like a rat in a maze. He felt like a puppet in someone else's hands, unable to escape the inexorable pull toward his destination.
His heart raced as he pressed on, determined to kill the man responsible for his and his sisters horrible childhood. No matter how suspicious this situation was, he just kept telling himself, ‘Even if I’m walking into a trap, no one can catch me…’
The corridors seemed to stretch endlessly, and there was no turning back. And after what felt like forever, Pietro finally found his target. At last, he reached an open door, offering a glimpse of Tony Stark, who stood waiting on the other side, wearing a smug expression.
Tony waved toward Pietro, an infuriating grin on his face. “Hey, there. What was it you called me again? Oh that’s right, you called me a ‘f#cking p*ssy’.” He gave his guest a taunting look. “Well, are you coming in? Or are you a f#cking p-”
Pietro knew he should have been more cautious. Tony was most certainly goading him and he wasn’t even wearing his armor, but Pietro’s anger blinded him to the potential danger. With a rush of adrenaline, before Tony could finish speaking, he transformed into a blur, hurtling into the room with the intent to kill radiating from his very being.
However, his plans were thwarted before he could even reach his target. As he took a single step into the room, the floor beneath him illuminated, revealing an intricate spell circle painted into the ground. It was a trap, and Pietro had walked right into it without a single thought.
Before Pietro could react, his rapid speed came to a jarring halt as if he'd collided with solid brick wall. As he tried to run out of the circle, an invisible barrier blocked his path. His body recoiled, and he crashed to the floor, gasping in pain. The spell circle had ensnared him, trapping him inside.
Tony Stark, who had been watching Pietro's approach with a bemused expression, now wore a self-satisfied smirk. He strode forward, standing just outside the boundaries of the spell circle.
"Hello again," Tony greeted, bending down to Pietro's eye level. "Now, care to tell me why you decided to break into my building and kill me?"
Pietro clenched his jaw, his blue eyes burning with anger and frustration. He wanted answers, but Tony's trap had left him vulnerable, unable to make a move. "Why do you think? You ruined our lives, Stark! You and your weapons!"
Before Pietro could say more, a sudden portal rippled into existence beside Tony. The rift revealed none other than Peter Parker, dressed in his Spider-Man attire, and he appeared ready for a battle.
Peter had arrived, anticipating a dire confrontation between Pietro and Tony. However, what he found was Pietro trapped within a spell circle, and Tony standing outside of it, completely unscathed.
"Oh…" Peter grunted as his stance turned much more relaxed than before. “You already handled it…”
Tony, still wearing that smug grin, gestured toward Pietro with a casual wave of his hand. "Yeah, I take it you knew he was coming here?"
Peter nodded as he walked over and admired Tony’s handiwork. "Yeah, his sister didn’t want him to ruin his life, so she asked me to help.” Pietro’s eyes widen with a sense of betrayal. ”I rushed over to stop him, but I guess I came for nothing… Nice work with the boundary spell by the way. It’s not perfect but It should hold him back with ease."
Pietro, still trapped and fuming, turned to Peter with a glare. "There’s no way my sister would betray me! She hates Stark just as much as I do!"
Peter shrugged as he eyed Pietro. “Well, that may be true, but she seems to love you more than she hates him. And she knows that killing Iron Man, will make you the most wanted man alive. You’d be hunted to the ends of the earth until you’re either caught or killed. Actually, you’d be hunted to the edge of the universe. After all, we have space ships and all sorts of off-planet connections.”
Peter continued, his voice firm. "Besides that, did you even think about what could happen to your sister? Because you aren’t just sacrificing yourself here. First of all, she’d be losing a brother and since you’re her only family, that would leave her alone for the rest of her life. And let’s not even get into the punishment that she’d get if she was even remotely involved in the death of a beloved hero."
Pietro glanced up at Peter, his anger still smoldering but his resolve wavering. “…” He wanted to refute Peter’s words, but he knew it was the truth. If he really went through with this, his life and even his sisters life would be irrevocably changed, and it wouldn’t be for the better.
Even if he knew in his heart that Tony Stark deserved it, he couldn’t just kill the man. ‘Do I really have to let it go?’ The thought alone left a bad taste in his mouth, but Pietro couldn’t think of another way.
“Umm, can either of you please explain why he wants me dead? I’ve never even seen this kid before…” Tony asked, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.
Peter turned to Tony. “You sold weapons to the Air Force and they used them to bomb the city he and his sister lived in as children. They blame you for ruining their lives.” He quickly explained, which brought a sad frown to Tony’s face.
Unable to contain himself, Pietro spoke up to add more details. “He didn’t just ruin our lives. He ruined everyone’s lives! His bombs killed and displaced countless Sokovians. Even our friends disappeared over night. They either died to the bombs, starved to death afterwards, or left with a group of refugees, never to be heard from again.” Pietro turns to stare Tony dead in the eyes. “And before you make any excuses, you might not have dropped the bombs, but you share just as much blame as those who did.”
Tony pauses for a moment before speaking. “I’m sorry, kid.” He said wholeheartedly. “I truly am-”
“Whatever,” Pietro shrugs off his apology without a care. “Get me out of here. I need to get back to school before Wanda starts worrying too much.”
“Sure,” Peter nods, knowing he won’t try this again. “Tell your sister I’ll be visiting her later.”
“Huh?” Pietro didn’t like the sound of that, though he didn’t have time to ask any questions because a portal opened up under his feet. “Agh!”
Remembering that he needed a DNA sample, Peter closed the portal just in time to cut a few of Pietro’s hairs as he fell and disappeared from the room.
Walking over to the boundary spell, Peter tapped it with his finger, shattering it with ease.
“Now you’re just showing off…” Tony muttered in annoyance.
Ignoring the pouting man-child, Peter walked over and grabbed a few of Pietro’s hairs. “Here,” Peter hands them over to Tony. “Make yourself useful and run those hairs against the DNA we have from Magneto.”
“Huh? Why?” Tony asks.
“I have a hunch…”
A/N: 1814 words :)