Chapter Text
Wolves rule New York City.
Perhaps that was why Tony never liked New York City. Along with the giant empty mansion filled with his ghosts and the massive tower that, yes had his name on the building but never felt truly his.
Too many wolves in one place made everyone itchy- for a fight or well… a fuck.
Tony makes his way to the top of the parking structure and heads for his car. His was starting to hurt and all Tony wanted to do was drive straight to the airport where he could go back to his Malibu home (where witches and vampires ran the town instead of wolves) but there is just so much in the air that makes Tony become slightly dazed and light headed.
He could smell everything- and so aware of his surroundings.
“Keep it together, Tony,” Tony told himself and shook his head and walked briskly to his car. Once he got in the safety of his car the scents and noise died down, just a little- Tony could feel his skin feeling too tight on his body and a thin layer of sweat forming on his skin.
Everything felt cold and Goosebumps rose on his skin. Chills ran up and down like elevators at the empire state building down Tony’s back and he felt just over all… sad.
“Shit,” Tony cursed and quickly opened his glove compartment where there was a sleek black case, no bigger than a case for glasses. Tony opened the case where a syringe and 4 tiny vials containing some form of liquid sat quietly await their use.
Tony grabs the syringe and one of the vials. He pokes the vial with the syringe needle and draws out a full drawl. Tony quickly taps the syringe for air bubbles and squirts a little to test the needle and simply jabs himself in the leg gracelessly.
A few seconds later he feels the chills down his spine to calm down and his surroundings much warmer.
“Jesus, I hate New York.” Tony muttered as he drew out the syringe from his leg and placed it back in the case. He tosses back in his glove compartment and slams it shut. He picks up the vial he drew from and looks at the label.
“Bicalutamide Casodex Finasteride Propecia Proscar Trelstar Depot Triptorelin. Jesus what a mouthful,” Tony reads and chuckles humorlessly. He tosses the small vial on the passenger’s seat and with a heavy heart groans and leans back into his chair.
Then a sudden rush of anger fills him, “God. Fuck!” he screams as he hits the steering wheels with his palms as his voice fills his compact car. He closes his eyes as he releases a shaky breath. His head falls slowly to the steering wheel until his forehead hits is pressed against the steering wheel.
‘
1, 4, 1, 5, , 2, 6, 5, 3, 5, 8, 9, 7, 9...’
When Tony was a child his mother had taken him to a therapist to deal with his... everything. He remembers telling the therapist that he was okay. He was fine- just special. He remembers telling her that he feels like any other kid- just better, different but not in a bad way-
All lies.
Bless her heart, he didn’t need to tell her about how he felt like he was choking in the inside- he didn’t need to tell her how he felt like he woke up on certain nights thinking he was dying- she had simply told him,
“When you feel ill, when you feel like you can’t breathe- just think of things you like and keep thinking of them till the feeling goes away. Okay?”
Tony knew that she wasn’t supposed to say something like that. He had read books about psychology and psychiatric practices before he had to come to meetings- he knew any decent psychiatrist was never outright supposed to give directions... but she did.
A week afterwards Tony had found out he no longer had to go see the psychiatrist. It wasn’t good for company image if the public found that the heir of Stark Industries was seeing a shrink.
Tony remembers the fights his mother and father had for months afterwards- After that he simply thought of things he liked when he felt like he was feeling like he was chocking, drowning, dying... and he simply became better at well... hiding.
‘3, 2, 3, 8, 4, 6, 2, 6, 4, 3, 3...’
Tony opens his eyes and looks down at the shaking hands in his lap. He looks at the red angry mark starting to bloom on his palms felt a little better after clenching his fists and letting the hot pain throb a little more.
“I hate New York,” Tony says again, because he feels like it bares repeating. He takes his hot hands and rubs his face and massages his temples. The injection was kicking in and his headache started to die down.
“Thank God for modern medicine,” Tony thinks then remembers there were only three vials left in his car. He sighs and pulls out his phone and presses 2 on speed dial.
Only after a few rings a woman picks up on the other end.
“What?”
“What, I can’t call?” Tony asks feigning hurt
“You can. What do you need?”
“What no hello?”
“Hello. What do you need?”
“You wound me, Pepper.”
“Hello, Mr. Stark, how can I help you?” Pepper said coolly but Tony could hear a smile.
“I hate New York.”
“You’ve said many times before you left. Is this a whine call, Tony?”
“No. I only have three left.”
“Jesus, Tony- Already?”
“I don’t think I can hold off another week- its getting worse,” Tony explains gravely with no humor in his voice.
“You know there is a reason why those suppressants aren’t working any more. Also they are damaging your body- you’re-“
“Okay. If I don’t take these they harm my body and I’ll be sick and I can’t run the company and go to these meetings you keep forcing me to go to. If I don’t take them I’ll be in heat induced by choking on all these over compensating male alphas of New York and I wont be able to do my work. Take your pick.”
“I’m not saying I won’t order you more, but you started out with 20, it hasn’t even been 2 weeks and I’m just wo-“
“If the next word isn’t impressed, I don’t want to hear it.”
There is a huff from Pepper’s side of the phone.
“You’ll have a new set of 20 in your office tomorrow,” She says not sounding so happy.
“Thank you Ms. Potts, I knew I could count on you to cock block me for the good of the company.”
Tony swears he could hear Pepper’s eyes roll.
There is a definite smile in her voice this time as she speaks, “Is that all, Mr. Stark?”
“That is all Ms. Potts.”
The phone clicks to an end. Tony’s hand limps down to his lap as if he was a puppet and some had cut his strings. He was so tired. Tired was these endless meetings with rich assholes and world dominating thugs who wore a uniform and justified themselves with their medals; both demanding Tony to build, build, build, make and create things that do the exact opposite. He’s tired of their leering eyes and their judging smug faces.
A sighs escapes Tony’s lips as he brings a shaking hand to the bridge of his nose. He squeezes his eyes shut and continues counting the decimals of pi (because math, math he can do. Math is easy, familiar, safe). He breathes in deeply letting the drug take its full course and then lets out an equally long breathe out, opens his eyes and readies to face the world again.
Tony starts the ignition to his car- usually he’d take a driver, but the idea of having someone watching him while he was so unstable didn’t seem like a good idea. The car starts and roars pleasantly. He backs out of his parking spaces and makes his way down to the exit. At the exit two of the garage toll workers greet him with a smile.
Both human, one was a woman who had a stoic face which on a better day Tony would have charmed the pants off, and a younger man which a cheery face that reminded Tony of an enthusiastic puppy.
“Mr. Stark!” The young man exclaims with a wide smile. Tony could practically see his tail wagging.
“Evening,” Tony replies gushing out his usual charm.
“Leaving for the evening?”
“Sure am,” Tony says and nods to the woman, “Evening Miss.”
“Good evening Mr. Stark,” she replies, her stoic expression cracking a little at the corner of her lips.
“I just wanted to tell you Mr. Stark- that I just so excited about the new model of- of-of the engineering! The new car you’ve made for the formula 1 races? I mean I’m no engineer, but gosh when I was reading the specs on that thing I was just blown and I-“ the young man excitedly announces making his female counterpart roll her eyes and nudge his side. He stops and blushes.
“Oh gosh, I’m probably keeping you!”
“No problem! I’m always happy to hear someone who likes my work gushing over me- its what I live for!” and throws the kid a smile which makes him laugh nervously.
“I know you’re in a hurry, but um… is it okay if-“ the kid blushes eve harder and he fidgets a little.
“Okay if what?” Tony asks.
“Well, if I could have a picture?” Tony laughs a little and says okay and places his car into park and steps out of the car.
“Don’t change any settings, just click it-“ he hears the kind tell his female coworker who smirks and goes, “yea, yea, yea.”
Tony stands next to the kid and flinches just a little when the kid makes contact with his side.
“Oh wow, you smell nice-” the kid says startling Tony. The kid sees the look on Tony’s face and quickly adds, “SORRY! That is such a creepy thing to say, its just really nice cologne. What is it?” the kid asks, but before Tony can deflect and the female toll worker can click the camera they are greeted with a loud boom, which was followed by scorching heat and darkness.
I Feed It To The Wolves.
Needless to say Nicholas Fury was not having a good day.
Actually, he was pretty pissed. His right hand man, Coulson had just informed him that One Ms. Virginia Potts had called in on behalf of Stark Industries and is currently flying over from California to New York after informing SHEILD of last night’s attack and kidnapping of one Anthony Stark, billionaire genius playboy.
“
Why
are we
just
hearing of this?”
Coulson, god bless his god damned soul calmly explained, “Stark Industries was hoping for a ransom call. They were going to pay it.”
“Dealing with terrorists?” Fury asked nonplussed, raising a dubious brow above his good eye.
“They don’t see it as a terrorist act, they claimed that a parent would do the same for a child.”
“Stark’s not a child,” Fury’s tone not amused “And the fact that the man makes weapons for a living definitely makes this a terrorist act. Do we have any idea who is responsible for this?”
“Stark is worth breaking the law against dealing with terrorists in the eyes of the board members. They were all willing to pay if a ransom was demanded,” Coulson explained and continued in the same calm brisk tone, “Our Intel tells us it is an anti-O.B. group of the name Ten Rings. Recent reports say that their biggest target is to gain territory over Brooklyn.”
Fury feels a migraine coming along at the mention of Brooklyn. Nothing good ever comes out of Brooklyn.
“Brooklyn…” Fury echoes. Coulson does nothing but silently nods, understanding his employers’ worry.
“Then how safely can we assume the Ten Rings have taken Stark to Brooklyn?” Fury asks Coulson.
“Judging by the Ten Rings track record we can be 82% sure that the Ten Rings have taken Stark to or near the Brooklyn area.”
“Making the Alpha pack of Brooklyn look very,
very
guilty once Stark’s dead body is found.” Fury concludes. Coulson nods and adds:
“That is one theory we have.” Fury sighs.
“We want to find this Ten Rings before the Alpha pack finds the Ten Rings. We want them in
alive,
” Fury stresses the word alive to Coulson. Coulson nods in agreement.
“Affirmative,” then pauses, “If we don’t find Stark alive, then this ties our hands. There is nothing SHEILD can do for-“
“I know the outcome, Coulson. That means we just have to work faster. Get someone to pick up this Potts and bring her to the headquarters. Get every available agent out. Get our eyes up in the air in the shadows, and bring me the best scry you can find.”
Coulson nods and quickly heads down the hall, simultaneously pulling out his phone and placing calls.
Fury rubbed un-patched eye and sighed, “The wolves are
not
going to be happy about this.”
Steve wakes with a slow yet heavy release of breathe.
He can’t remember what he’s just dreamt but its not like his other dreams- it feels… fresh, but he doesn’t remember- just sounds of explosions ringing in his ear and a heavy breathing of a stranger- and heat- hot, searing heat in the middle of his chest.
The wolf in him stirs- it wants to shift and run-
Where? Steve’s not sure, but it makes Steve feel like there are pins and needles all over his body.
He sits up on his bed, throws his legs over the bed and plants his bare feet on the carpet of his bedroom. His elbows are on his knees and his back hunched. The screams are still ringing in his head.
The wolf howls inside- its angry and… and something else…
It doesn’t matter though. It’ll pass like everything else, he thinks- then he laughs to himself ruefully and wonders when was the exact moment he had become so callous.
Steve’s not sure when he started to change. Hell, he’s not even sure when he fully even realized.
The wolf in him is no longer gentle and meager. It is now full, and colossal… and angry.
So angry
It feels like that’s all he is now, angry. The wolf in him snarls and wants to run and tear through the night. Steve doesn’t want to, but the animal inside him wants to sink his teeth into flesh and feel the gush of warm, hot blood flow into his mouth.
Steve recites to himself,
“Size of his heart. Size of his heart. Size of his heart…”
and the grumbles of the wolf eventually settles down and waits for the opportunity to be released so he can sink his teeth into an opposing flesh.
The details are blurry, but the sensation is fresh- the feeling of making someone bleed. To tear out the enemies throat, and howl in triumph while standing on a mount of his fresh kills. Justified kills, Steve tells himself. They were bad men. They were bad wolves.
There is a knock at his door. Steve lifts his head and looks up at the door.
“Come in.” The door then opens letting a beam of light to cut through the dark room. It’s Natasha. He can never hear or smell her coming. She has a grim expression on her face and already Steve’s wolf perks his ears and stands and readies himself.
“Something has happened.” Steve looks to Natasha to continue, but for some reason Steve can feel that whatever has happened is important. He can feel it in his skin, under, all around-
The wolf snarls and snaps.
“Tony Stark was kidnapped last tonight.”
“Tony Stark?” Steve vaguely remembers the name flashing here and there on the news- but Steve paid little attention to things that did not affect him directly. He looked at his advisor and asked, “What does that have to do with us?”
“Rumor has it that he’s been stashed somewhere in our turf,” Natasha paused, “By the Ten Rings.”
Steve sat a little more straighter. The Ten Rings were a new threat to Steve’s pack. It was a new itch for Steve’s wolf to scratch and gnaw and snarl at but he’s never faced them directly.
”Why are we hearing about it right now?” there is a slight growl in Steve’s voice but Natasha knows better than to take it personally. She knows what troubles her Alpha; she knows what haunts him.
“Happened at Stark Industries,” and then quickly added, “its one of the largest and successful tech companies. They kept a lid on it in case the kidnappers asked for a ransom- they were willing to pay, since the man they kidnapped was the owner of the company, but no random in the last 24 hours. They went to the authorities.”
“Do we know why the Ten Rings took this guy?”
“Not sure, but one can guess. He’s a brilliant engineer, they probably want him to build something” Natasha says with a shrug “Or to simply send a message to other borns. What better way to send a message to the world that they are serious other than killing one of the richest other born in the world? It’ll also send a message to the mobs.”
“Don’t say that,” Steve said harshly.
“What? Other born?” Natasha asked, undisturbed by Steve’s harsh tone.
Steve doesn’t reply, he knows how silly it will sound.
‘Don’t say mob. I’m not like them… I’m not like him…’
Steve says nothing and stands from the edge of his bed and makes his way over towards Natasha.
“Tell Clint to get his team ready and go find where the Ten Rings are keeping the engineer.”
Natasha raises a brow almost surprised at Steve’s choice of order, but she does not say anything. Instead she simply asks, “Do you want me to join them as well?”
“No. I need you to do something else for me.”
“Oh?”
“I need you to get me Nick Fury.”