Chapter Text
The day before your birthday, Tony finally had some time to himself.
In true Stark fashion, he was spending this time watching news reports on his own announcement with the mayor. From what he could see, the reviews were surprisingly good.
"Hey, JARVIS. We got any comments on the event?" He asked.
"Plenty, sir." The AI replied. "66.4% of people on social media show positivity, 20.2% are negative, and the remaining 13.4% approve but appear to live too far to attend."
"Hmm. If only people listened back when I told them New York is where it's at."
"If only indeed."
With an amused smile now softening his features, Tony continued to mindlessly scroll through various news reports until one in particular caught his eye.
CHAOS AT CROSS TECH!
The photo appeared to be of a trashed lobby which was easily recognizable as the Cross Technology building even without the upturned state of it.
"J, put this up for me."
On his command, the article increased in size and formed a hologram in front of him. It made it much easier to read and sort through the information. He noticed a video accompanying the report and told JARVIS to play it while he skimmed over everything else.
To the side of the main hologram, the video opened with a jarring cut to a soaked news reporter standing beneath a black umbrella, her hair plastered to her cheekbones.
"Good morning. I'm Mary Venn with Channel 8. We're outside the Cross Technologies building in San Francisco where late yesterday evening, a violent event tore through the building's main lobby during a torrential downpour. Three individuals were confirmed to be inside at the time. What caused the destruction is still unknown - no seismic activity, no explosion, no breach. Just... Collapse. We'll be speaking with CEO Darren Cross shortly to get his take on the matter."
The feed cut to shaky footage from inside the building showing marble tiles shattered like ice, lights hanging from the ceiling, ruptures exposing steel ribs and dangling wires, and even a car stuck between two walls. While this was shown, rain still poured through the breach and soaked everything in a surreal, glistening sheen.
"This footage was taken just moments ago." The reporter explained. "No signs of forced entry. No fire or flood. Just... Ruin."
The next scene showed her standing beside Darren Cross himself in a temporary press tent outside the ruined building.
Darren looked immaculate, not a drop of rain touching his clothes or skin. His suit was charcoal, his tie blood-red, and he smiled like someone who had already rehearsed every answer.
"Mr. Cross, thank you for joining us." The reporter began. "First question - can you confirm what caused the collapse?"
"I can confirm that the lobby is no longer structurally sound." He answered. "As for the cause... Well, nature is unpredictable. The rain was heavier than expected."
"But no other buildings in the area suffered damage. And there are reports of strange sounds - like impacts - moments before the destruction."
He tilted his head, apparently amused by the accusation. "People hear what they expect to hear in a storm. Thunder, shifting beams... Panic makes poets of us all."
Tony frowned as he watched Darren's eyes. They were too steady. Too rehearsed.
"There were three people reportedly inside at the time, yourself included. Are the others safe?" The reporter asked.
Darren nodded without hesitation. "They are accounted for. I won't speak any more on that out of respect for privacy."
"Fair enough, but some still speculate this wasn't a natural collapse. They say something else happened inside."
His smile didn't waver. "Speculation is the luxury of those outside the event."
Tony scoffed as the footage cut back to the destroyed lobby. "Rain doesn't twist steel beams, Cross. That's not collapse, that's... That's a fight."
He instructed JARVIS to pause the screen just as it cut back to Darren once more, freezing his face mid-smile. There was something behind his eyes. No fear or grief or satisfaction. There was... Nothing.
Even as he talked about the consequences of destruction and how he would handle employee payment in the coming days while the building was under construction, he never reacted. He barely seemed human.
"There are rumors one of the others inside the building at the time was Hope van Dyne - a personal assistant of yours. Can you confirm her safety? What does she think about this? No one seems to be able to reach her for comment."
That question finally garnered a reaction - if that was what it could even be called. While Darren barely blinked, he finally hesitated. He truly thought on the answer and yet still almost stuttered when trying to speak it.
"Because she is taking time off." He said. "I told her to go home after the disaster and that I would take care of everything, which I have done to the best of my capability."
Tony didn't like that answer.
He turned the video off and minimized the hologram, pondering his thoughts before a fresh surge of curiosity overtook him. He was about to ask JARVIS to locate Hope when a very loud and very abrupt sneeze startled him. He turned in his chair with furrowed brows and saw Hank wandering into the room.
The older man looked awake but in dire need of a coffee or some form of breakfast food. And, once he saw the look Tony was giving him, he frowned.
"What?" He questioned. "Can't an old guy sneeze in peace?"
"Not when he sounds like somebody needs to call a priest." Tony shot back. "Seriously, that echoed."
Hank grumbled something snarky in reply as he moved to the small kitchen in the room to make himself the coffee he needed.
"Did you hear about Cross Tech?" Tony asked.
Hank glanced over his shoulder. "No. Why?"
"Well, it looks like things got messy over there for Darren Cross."
"Oh, yeah? Did they finally arrest the bastard?"
"No, but it looks like a hurricane hit. And something was off."
"You seen that guy? Everything is off about him."
"More than usual." He corrected. "Cross's answers were drier than a motivational speech from a tax auditor. And they mentioned Hope."
That caught Hank's attention. He almost spilled his coffee over the sides of his cup as he quickly turned.
"What about Hope?"
Tony raised an eyebrow, surprised by the reaction. "Cross said he sent her home after everything but I think he's lying. I mean, he's gotta be right? The whole 'replicating your suit for evil' thing gave it away, you know?"
"Yes, yes. What else did he say about her?"
"Nothing. He was vague. I wanted to ask JARVIS to find her."
"Why?"
"She's a friend. And I happen to care for my friends." He ignored the scoff Hank gave him and continued to speak with a glare directed at the old man. "I just wanted to make sure she's not been held hostage in Creepy Cross's basement or something."
Hank looked away. "She's fine. If she wasn't, someone would've called."
"You sure about that? You think estranged daughters keep emergency contact lists with their absentee fathers at the top? Are you willing to risk it? I know you're working on the scepter and all, but saying hello to your kid once in a while might do you good."
He sighed. "Stop, Tony. I don't need parenting advice from you of all people."
Tony flinched, and the silence that followed was sharp enough to slice through anything.
Hank faltered once he realized what he'd just said. "I didn't mean-"
"You did." Tony said, now avoiding eye contact. "And you're not wrong. I didn't get to fix it, and I have to live with that. Every damn day."
"I know. I'm sorry. But Hope, she... She hates me."
"And? You think you're protecting yourself, but avoiding the issue is just hiding. And trust me, the regret doesn't knock. It floods."
Hank took a long sip of his coffee, thinking about the words and what they meant.
"I know Cross is bad." He said. "But Hope is strong. Stronger than me anyway. And the flooding, I mean... Well, she's used to it over there. She's probably cursing over the construction if anything. We've all been there. Remember Malibu?"
Tony looked over at him at the mention of his old home - the only one he ever shared with you. He remembered the destruction and the stress of trying to rebuild what remained before he decided to simply move to New York instead.
"Are you sure you won't go?" He asked in a much quieter voice than before. "She's still your kid."
He would never confess it aloud, but as well as his own concern for his friend, Tony just didn't want anyone else to suffer what he had. He wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not the silence or the birthdays he remembered too late or the videos he kept replaying from years ago just to hear your voice.
"You think you're protecting yourself." He muttered, mirroring what he had said earlier. "But it's not about you, Pym. It's about Hope, about showing up before it's too damn late."
Finally, more emotion stirred within Hank's eyes as he lowered his head to stare at the contents of his morning coffee.
"She's okay." He insisted. "She's going to be fine.”
“And you know that how exactly?”
“I have a bug watching her as we speak. It'll send a signal if anything happens."
-
Back in the present day, Tony and Hill were staring at the woman inside the ugly old van now sitting in the laboratory.
She was still tied, her eyes still covered by a blindfold, and headphones still disturbing her hearing. It was impossible to tell if she was asleep or awake. But what they could tell, solely from the office clothes she wore and the haircut they'd seen on countless articles, was that this woman was Hope van Dyne.
They immediately looked to Hank who, while he had been smug when presenting the van, now looked confused as to why his daughter was tied up in the way she was.
"When I told you to check on Hope, I did not mean kidnap her and throw her in a van." Tony said, his voice sharp and judging.
"How did you even pull that off?" Agent Hill asked, bewildered. "No, why did you do it in the first place?"
"You said she was safe!" Tony exclaimed as he looked at Hank. "What happened to the 'bug' watching over her?"
"If you'll let me speak-" Hank spoke up in a tone much louder than their outbursts. "I know what you're thinking. I'm insane. I'm stupid. I'm a crackpot old fool. It was a rushed plan, I didn't get the luxury of thinking peacefully."
"I'm gonna ask again." Hill told him. "Why?"
"Those twins - the Maximoffs. The witch showed me something I couldn't ignore."
"That doesn't warrant kidnapping your own daughter." Tony argued. "Most people just appreciate a simple check up, personal AI bots not included."
"Yes, but most people haven't seen their worst nightmare become reality. I had to make sure she was safe no matter the cost. Even if she didn't want me to. You know how that feels, Stark. You know what a man would do to keep his little girl protected."
Instinctively, Tony's hand went to the necklace resting over his chest. He knew what Hank was trying to say and he understood where the former hero was coming from, even if he still didn't approve of the methods used. If you were still alive, he would stop at nothing to keep you that way.
"You could've talked to us." Hill said, distracting his wandering thoughts. "The Avengers could've helped. At least they know what they're doing."
"Maybe. But the Avengers would be easily noticed. I needed someone who wouldn't." Hank explained, only to then glance at his daughter again. "But I wasn't expecting all of this. I never asked for her to be tied up."
After he said this he turned to the bot standing at his side, the thing's towering form shrouding them in shadow.
"What happened?" He asked.
Ultron remained quiet for a moment as he pondered a response. "On the way to New York the van encountered a problem. It was low on gas. I remembered your warnings on the matter and immediately stopped to 'top up the tank' but I was unaware of which pump was considered valid."
The others listened in awed silence as he continued to tell his story.
"Soon Miss Hope awoke in the back of the van but her erratic behavior indicated fear and stress so I intended to calm her. However, she retaliated in an aggressive nature. I used a second dose of your sleep-inducing gas and then borrowed some rope from a polite customer at the gas station."
Tony frowned, perplexed. "Some random person just happened to have rope in their back pocket? You ever hear of stranger-danger?"
Ultron only stared, his expression blank.
"Apparently not." The billionaire muttered.
"He's still young." Hank confessed, looking away from Ultron. "We'll work on the naïvety."
But then Tony's mind drifted once more. He found himself thinking back to the interview he'd watched the day before. Darren had claimed that Hope was safe and sound at home.
"Hey, Feels.exe." He said, clicking his fingers to get the bot's attention. "Darren Cross was on the news yesterday. He said Hope was at home. Why did he lie? Does he know she's missing?"
"It was not Mr. Cross." He stated simply. "I used a complex duplication system and nanotechnology to mirror the characteristics of his voice and body."
While that revelation of the bot's sheer skill startled Tony and Hill significantly, Hank only sighed.
"You're telling me this thing can mimic a human?" Hill questioned as she glared at him. "That's insane, Hank. How the hell can it do that?"
"I happen to own a photostatic veil." The man confessed. "The rest, as he said, was done using duplication and nanotechnology."
"But the veil was SHIELD-issued for level seven agents only. How did you find one?"
"Selwyn."
She stared, bewildered. "The Dr. Selwyn?"
"Yes. We met at a convention in California. It was a gift."
Hill struggled to believe the words. Not because she doubted Hank, but because a man as brilliant as Dr. Selwyn - the inventor of the photostatic veil - was not someone who gave out his most prized creation to just anybody.
She had only ever met him once when she was with Fury and you, and that was also the day he gave SHIELD the blueprints for the nanomask. Unfortunately, she heard Dr. Selwyn had been murdered a matter of months ago by HYDRA agents.
"Selwyn made the tech, right?" Tony asked.
Hill looked at him. "You know him?"
"Not personally. But Romanoff and Barton loved pranking the team with those masks of his. (Y/n) met him once. You were there, too."
FRIDAY, unbeknownst to the group, was still listening intently. She believed Hank when he claimed he didn't steal the tech, but she still couldn't quite process how he had managed to steal Ultron without her knowledge.
"Okay, back to business." Tony then said, focused on Hank once more. "If your robot impersonated Cross, where's the real one gone?"
Hank shrugged. "Couldn't tell you."
"Sorry, what? This guy, the same one stealing your tech and trying to mess with your suit, is just skipping around unchecked?"
"Look, my job was getting my daughter back and making everyone else think things were fine. I didn't ask for details at the time." Silence filled the space between. It was almost daunting, charged with tension.
"What happened?" Hank then asked Ultron, knowing the others would want answers sooner rather than later. "Did you fight Cross? Where is he?"
Ultron looked at him, slowly. "Mr. Cross was reluctant to accept my mission. I had to-"
Before he could finish, a sound from within the van caught their attention. It resembled a muffled whimper - the sound of someone stirring from a deep sleep.
They looked into the back of the van once more and saw Hope twitch as a low groan slipped from her lips.