Drowning In Oxygen [2] {Sequel}

~ Prologue ~

"Hey."

Peter's smile was strained, before it fell completely. He didn't bother faking it again.

"I - I know - or rather, I hope - that you guys are missing me. I get why you did it, I know I'm less important than - than the world, but it still hurts."

His eyes were glistening, but he made no move to wipe them, instead turning around to check nobody was there.

"It's not your fault," he continued. "I know it's not, and you mustn't believe it's yours, because it's not. Okay? Just - just think that through, for a second."

He turned around again, taking in his surroundings. Maybe he was searching for somebody, ready to turn the camera off.

Tony didn't know. He just wanted to find the address of where this video was taken so that he could get his boy back.

He just needed his boy back.

This was his fortieth time watching it. He hadn't gotten any closer.

He hadn't been able to bear watching the end. Maybe it had a clue, maybe it had Peter being hurt.

He just couldn't risk it.

"I - I wish you guys didn't have to do that, though." Peter tried for a smile again, but it was strained.

He went for a frown instead.

"It hurt. It really did. I - I got sold out by my own teammates, my own father. It would hurt anybody. Especially a person who doesn't have any original family left."

Those sentences always made Tony feel bad.

Only because they were true. True. And doesn't that make him a bad father?

"I know they were bargaining with Steve. I know that it was about me, Steve can't hide anything. And I know that you tried to stop him."

Peter looked down, fiddling with his hands, before he looked up again.

His eyes were bloodshot, Tony noticed. He had deep bags under his eyes, and there was a wound on the side of his head.

He was bleeding.

Peter didn't bother to wipe the blood away. It was like he knew it was useless. There would just be more to come later.

"And when I realised that, I didn't bother to run. I couldn't run. If I ran that could mean that innocents might lose their lives, and I can't be responsible for that."

Tony could still remember when they'd finally told Peter the plan they'd made, Tony with tears rolling down his face, and Peter had made no resistance when they took him to them.

He didn't even know who they were.

Or maybe he did.

(Maybe he said it at the end of the video, but Tony didn't look, he couldn't look, it was too painful, what if he got kil -)

"And I know that maybe these hurt you, these words I'm saying, but they had to be said." Peter's eyes were earnest. "I'm going to quickly say a few notes for each of you, okay? I don't mind if you listen to them. It doesn't matter."

Tony listened intently, whilst simultaneously getting FRIDAY to scan Peter's surroundings.

Even though he'd already done it the other forty times and it hadn't helped at all-

"So, first for Clint. I, um, I know you protested against it. Maybe because you had a wife and a kid, maybe because I'm still just a kid in your eyes, I don't know. Maybe I bring out your paternal instincts?