Meanwhile...

[tyrants_son]

WHO: Act I: Beck and Lord Felwinter and a Spider; Act II: A Spider, Three Metal Men, a Mediator, A Victim and A Culprit
WHERE: Here
WHAT: Winter is coming...
WHEN: In that nebulous timeframe between the end of the storm and now
WARNINGS: Felwinter


There are only so many people who have made exclusive use of the communications data point. There's only one other than himself that has actively delved deeper into what the expertise had to offer. And then 'mysteriously' that person's data-trail has vanished. Except not.

It seemed pointless for someone like Tony Stark to try to erase his own existence. The man would probably trace his name on the moon to show his name to the world. He wouldn't destroy his own hard work in the forge, and Felwinter couldn't deny that when he'd seen what the other Exo had reported for his own eyes, for once he'd felt the burn of some stirrings of true emotion within his metal frame. Someone will pay for their crimes. Someone will be brought to justice.

And he knows who that someone is.

He'd seen him come to the foot of his tower. It's not really his tower, but no one has chased him off or ever comes up- perhaps no one knows it's where he's chosen to dwell. But it's where he is, and in the wake of the storm he stood by the large windows and looked upon the quiet, empty city below. And there came a man. His purpose was clear, his path unhesitant as he made his way towards the data point below. It was done without fanfare, and then the man was off again. And Felwinter thought it strange.

Now the warlord comes to Beck's dwelling place in the eastern quarter. It seems only fair to visit in turn.

Comments

[itsamysterio]

Things were starting to come to a head. Beck had been prepared for this though. He had the Winter Soldier on standby, and after speaking with Peter he was debating whether or not the sic the assassin on him or take care of the problem himself. He liked the kid, he didn't especially want it to have to go this way. Maybe it wasn't normal to have such a casually disappointed outlook on potentially killing a child he claimed to like, but Beck's emotions had never been entirely normal. There was definitely some (entire) truth to Stark's claims that he unstable.

He stepped outside and paused inside the doorframe at the sight that awaited him, eyes narrowing cautiously. "...Can I help you with something?"

[tyrants_son]

Beck was greeted by a figure who looked like he could have stepped out of medieval times, save that his greatcoat was of a more modern fashion, yet somehow still worked together with the light armor that the warlord wore. He was not a large figure but he wore an imposing presence like a mantle. The faceless visor of his helmet was turned ever so slightly that one knew they were being stared at from something on the other side.

"Quentin Beck," Felwinter said, his voice tinny, perhaps because of the helmet. "I require your expertise."

[itsamysterio]

"...And which expertise would that be?" Beck returned, still stiff, not leaving the relative safety of the door frame just yet.

A frown tugged at the corner of his lips. Something about this felt...wrong.

[tyrants_son]

Expertise with a capital 'E' would have been the implication. Felwinter pulled the communications tablet out, flicking through to bring up a window of code. He held it out towards Beck.

"I've found an aberration in the network's coding. It is unfamiliar, but seems to be blocking access to certain information," he replied. "It is most strange."

[itsamysterio]

Beck frowned, attempting to feign seeing the familiar code for the first time.

"Really?" he reached to take the table, wondering how long they would keep up this charade of pretending. "And you...want me to fix it?"

[tyrants_son]

The warlord betrayed nothing, not that it would change even if he wore no helmet. He was practically a statue, still as the previous storm, shifting with neither breath nor anxiousness.

"I wanted your insight," Felwinter said. The code was familiar, yes, but Beck would see that there's been an additional 'target' worked into things. His own name.

[itsamysterio]

"..." Recognition slowly washed over Beck's face, and he swallowed, expression stiff as his mind raced to the next steps. The Soldier was supposed to keep a general eye on him, but there was no guarantee he was nearby. The drones weren't programmed for this sort of security detail...

He pushed the tablet back towards Felwinter, and attempted to duck back inside the relative safety of the shop - turned house, without a word.

[tyrants_son]

His other hand shot out like a viper to grasp at Beck's wrist before he could fully retreat, a grip as firm as a metal clamp should he grab hold, stepping after him to close the distance. The shop wouldn't have kept him out, but Beck didn't need to know that. He quite casually tucked his tablet away.

"Your very response condemns you," Felwinter said quietly. "What have you against a single man that would prompt you to act so viciously?"

[itsamysterio]

"Nn-" Beck gave a single tug against the grip before he stilled, eyes narrowed, knowing there was no way he was going to get himself out with brute force.

"You can't prove anything," he growled softly.

[tyrants_son]

"Your own words are enough to suggest that I am not wrong." The Exo's words were devoid of any anger. It was probably that calmness that made it even worse as his grip tightened, if only to hold Beck fast as he moved to grab the man's collar with his other hand, hoisting him up with ease.

"You know what you have done. That makes you a threat. I will take care of the matter here and now."

[itsamysterio]

None of Beck's planning had accounted for someone like Felwinter deciding to play judge, jury and executioner, and there was a momentary look of panic in his eyes as he was hoisted up into the air.

"...Peter!" he called, pulling a desperate move with little time to think through the consequences.

[tyrants_son]

"You would drag others into this? Coward."

Felwinter swung his arm and Beck out to hurl the man outside where he could not hide behind walls. He wasn't sure if the man possessed any supernatural capabilities as some here, but he wasn't going to allow him to hurt anyone else. He raised his hand, a ball of black and violet voidlight building in his palm as he stepped towards Beck.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter had been in the back and resting because he'd early accused someone of murder and then realized how crazy and outlandish his accusation had sounded. There was a reason he was a superhero and not a detective, he supposed.

He's woken up by noises he doesn't place immediately and just waits a moment to try and get an idea of what's going on. And then he hears some alarming sounds and scramble out of bed. He's just yanking the door open when he hears Beck call for him. It spurs him to move faster.

"Hey!" Peter calls out, more in attempt to get Felwinter's attention off Beck than anything else. He fires his webs, aiming quickly for his hand and yanking back sharply so he'll miss the target.

"What the fuck is going on here?" The confused fifteen year old demands.

ACT II

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter's trying to keep is pace brisk while also listening to the conversation behind him. It's a lot more focus than he'd realized. He's so focuses on listening in that it almost doesn't register that the person he's running to check on is not far ahead at all.

When it does, he gives up his eavesdropping and picks up the pace to close the distance as quickly as he can.

"Mr Stark!" He greets cheerily, dashing up and skidding to a stop before he can accidentally tackles the man. "You're okay!"

Up close he notices several key differences in this Tony Stark and the one back home. The biggest, of course, being that he's not nearly the same age. Which is weird. Is this how everyone else feels about him being fifteen? "Um, hi everyone!" He greets the other's casually.

[in_extremis]

It is shockingly bright on the surface, back in the city, after Tony's stint in the hole and the dissipation of the unsettling fog. The squinting and the tired ache, like his whole body is bruised, doesn't slow Tony's intent stalking toward Beck's house, though, hugging himself and keeping the Iron Man at the corner of his eye to make sure Jon didn't fritz out again, but determined.

He almost starts running as well when he realizes who that is approaching them. It's not such a shock for Tony to see Peter like this--more like a dose of nostalgia, for how incredibly young and soft he is, a kid Tony didn't realize he had forgotten as he grew and sharpened. Tony straightens his shoulders, slow to drop his hold around himself, and restrains himself enough to let Peter close the gap, watching him with an intense, calculating stare like he is searching for every anomaly. He looks fine. He's fine. Don't freak him out.

None of this stops Tony from reassuring himself with an affectionate touch to Peter's cheek, then quickly squeezing his shoulder with an irritable, "It's Tony, please," the other hand waving away any argument. "Of course I'm okay, I'm always okay, kid. What are you doing out here, where's your roomie?"

[beholding_archivist]

Jon, still piloting the Iron Man, isn't far behind Tony, the armor's steps less determined than those of its maker and maybe more on the less elegantly labored side. He gives an acknowledging nod in Peter's direction but leaves it to Tony to reassure himself that the boy is unhurt.

"Cayde and I got him out of the hole Quentin Beck tossed him into." Jon comments grimly. "As far as I'm concerned it's Mr. Beck's turn down there."

[deal_me_in]

"Hey kid!" Cayde greets Peter with equal cheer, but then he's willing to embrace the moment. It's like they'd all come out on a picnic and not just fished Tony out of a pit of potential death.

He coughs into a fist at the subsequent questions and information that his buddies dole out, not that he can blame them, really. As they do, he looks past Peter for his fellow Exo and the guilty man in question. He even gives both an enthusiastic wave once he sees them. Look, they're all here. Oh frabjous day!

[alphabeticalplans]

Biggs lagged behind the rest, though only a few steps, and more out of respect for their connection and his status as an outsider than anything. Normally, his role in this spent in the delivery of first aid supplies (and nearly dying), he would have split, but tensions were high here, and he wasn't really even sure what was going one. He'd gotten bits and pieces, someone named Beck had abandoned Tony down a hole and left him for dead, which seemed pretty cut-and-dry, but there were still a lot of questions to be answered.

Why being the most prominent.

Looked up and catching the exchange, though, he quickened his pace to catch up with Cayde.

"Is that the guy responsible?" He nodded in the direction of Quentin and his imposing keeper.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter doesn't move any closer to Tony as he would really rather avoid another 'that's not a hug' moment and really, honestly, they barely know each other. "Roomie, he's more like a guardian." He says quickly before moving off the next subject and launches into a story about why he's out there.

"Okay so, When I got my powers back everything felt kinda weird and then I heard about you missing and I thought it was-" He's interrupted mid rant as Jon blunts gives away the reveal and Peter sort of freezes over and stares at Jon-who's apparently in the Iron Man suit. "Wait. What?" he looks back to Tony as if wanting him to confirm what he's hearing.

[itsamysterio]

Beck briefly felt something cold run through him at the sight of Stark, alive and well. It was like seeing a ghost.

He still hadn't worked out his next move by the time they caught up to Peter, but he did reach to touch the kid's shoulder, intent on keeping him at least on his side.

"Peter-" he started.

[tyrants_son]

The warlord's hand closes on Beck's own shoulder, a silent warning emphasized by a slight squeeze. "Leave him be," he suggests after, just above a whisper. So far as he was concerned, Beck had clouded Peter's head enough.

To the others Felwinter offers the faintest of nods. This is quickly becoming more socialization than he's used to, but short of throwing Beck down the hole he'd tried to dispose of Tony in, the warlord otherwise has no better option than to make sure the man tries nothing funny, himself.

[in_extremis]

Of course Jon was going to freak the kid out, Tony should have been more prepared for that, and as Peter froze up, Tony turned his shoulder toward Jon to shoot him a flat look of irritation, then raise his eyebrows--come on, man. That did summarize where they were all standing now fantastically succinctly, though, so he had to accept that Jon wasn't wrong, as usual, with a tired nod to confirm for Peter, and hand starting to raise to try to leave it at that before they all got too excited. The 'more like a guardian' thing was already clenching around Tony's heart, he didn't really want to talk about it, just fix it.

What they didn't need was Beck putting any hands on the kid, and in the time it took Felwinter to give his warning, Tony had hauled back with a punch aimed at Beck's face, intent to lay him out. "Stay away from him." They each had their own ways of delivering a warning, Tony's would just smart for a little longer.

Just as quickly as he snapped, Tony was raising both hands in surrender, his message delivered, he was done and stepping back with a steadying breath. Now they could all try not to get too excited.

[beholding_archivist]

Jon settles with standing near Tony, arms crossed and having the suit of armor stare down at Beck and making no move at all to prevent Tony from punching the man. As far as Jon is concerned, that's Tony's good right. If anything, Jon would have offered a gauntlet for added effect.

His attention shifts slightly towards Peter. "This man is hardly anyone's guardian, Peter. I'm sorry he abused your trust."

[deal_me_in]

"-yep," Cayde replies to Biggs, somewhat belatedly as everything unfolds, a hand at his mouth. Ooh. Yeah, that'll smart and then some.

He steps around the others so as not to leave them all bunched up, not that he thinks Beck will be able to get very far between any of the assembled.

[alphabeticalplans]

Biggs didn't quite follow the situation, but there were a few things apparent. This 'Beck' and Tony had a history. Tony was protective of the kid, Peter, and Peter seemed...impressionable, as boys his age tended toward. He'd keep an eye on Beck, it seemed like the man was pretty well under lockdown.

"Do you know anything about this situation or are you as in the dark as I am?" He glanced toward Cayde again before turning back to the situation at hand.