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“When the children dreaded the night, when the sleeping hours brought visions of horror. The dark times, when those terrible sea beasts would ravage our shores, and no ship was safe on the sea.” The child turns the page, soft candlelight flickering over the faces of his younger audience, watching in awe, in folded paper pirate hats and soft nightgowns. “But those days are over, thanks to the hunters. Today, these valiant warriors battle the beasts far beyond our horizon, risking their lives to rid the seas of those nightmare creatures. And the greatest of these ships is the Inevitable–”
“And the greatest of the hunters is Captain Crow!” A child in a paper hat and a rickety wooden sword jumps up, swatting at one of the pillows on the bed next to the reader.
“Hey! Who’s reading this story?”
“Oh my word!” The children turn. “What’s this? Lights-out was an hour ago! I swear, you’ll all be the death of me!” The children move back to their beds. “Come on, off you pop, back to your beds!” She turns. “And Mr. Parker, the king and queen care for you hunter orphans out of their kindness. When you disobey their rules, you disrespect them. So we’re not going to have any more attempts, now are we?”
“Absolutely not.” The woman hums, retreating back through the door.
Peter sits up, pulling his shirt and pants over his night clothes, lacing up his shoes. He places his book in his bag, and a few of the older kids, closer to Peter’s age, haul over a dresser for Peter to climb to the top window. Peter tosses a coin to one of them, who slips into Peter’s bed.
“Remember, lads. Live a great life, and die a great death.” He bursts through the lock on the window, moving down the building and into the night.
“Come here.” The captain tells him after a failed hunt. He follows, pulling himself from his chair, chasing the captain through his quarters. The stitches of his newest wound pull and stretch under his movements, but it doesn’t matter. “You made a good call today, honoring the code.” The captain tells him.
“I almost forgot the code, chasing that damn bluster for thirty years.” The captain continues on.
“I’ve been a hunter all my life. So was my father, and his father before him. For generations, We’ve filled the pages of this book, logging courses and captain’s logs. There ain’t a plank, ain’t an oar, canon, or mast on the Inevitable that ain’t been replaced before, yet she lives on.” The captain pauses.
“There will be a day I don’t, after we get the Red Bluster, and I knew from the moment I pulled you from those waves, the moment I saw the fire in your eyes, you’d be the new captain of the Inevitable. You’d carry on our legacy.”
“So I ask you, Tony, my son, do you accept?”
“It would be my honor to carry the Inevitable through as many battles as fate permits me.”
Tony smiles to himself. Captain of the Inevitable did sound pretty amazing. Their run this time was quite successful, hauling in horns from more than ten gigantic monsters, more than enough gold to buy drinks for the entire city. They’d party tonight, and repair the ship tomorrow. Not him, though. He’d go with his captain and first mate to the castle, and trade their wears for coins.
He stands up to get a refill on his drink from a passing bartender when the window next to him bursts open.
“You’re Tony Stark!” A child’s voice says over the cheers and talking inside the tavern. He’s got brown hair and bright eyes, filled with childish glee.
“Aye.” He resists the urge to roll his eyes. He’s never liked children.
“Is it true you killed four beasts in two days?” The child asks, leaning so far through the window he tumbles inside.
“Don’t believe everything you read, lad.” He winks, standing up and walking into the crowd. “It was five.” The sound of footsteps follow him.
“I heard there was a time where the beasts came right up to shore and would pluck ladies right out of their veggie patches. But not anymore, because of the hunters! There’s not a nobler profession, I’d say.” The kid’s hand’s curl over the strap of his bag, slung over his shoulder. “I come form a long line of hunters myself!”
“Is that so?”
“Aye. My parents were lancers. Served on the Monarch.”
“The Monarch. So they’re…” Tony trails off.
“That’s the life of a hunter, isn’t it? You live a great life, and die a great death.”
“Alright. Come on.” Tony leads them up to stools, ordering a drink for himself. “So who’s looking after you, then?”
“I live in a children’s home in Guelston, up the way. Not anymore though, I’m on the run.” Tony hums, sipping his drink. “‘Cause I’m gonna join your crew.” Tony spits his drink out.
“You’re not. A hunting ship ain’t no place for a kid.”
“But you joined the ship when you were my age, and look at you now!” Peter takes out a book. “You’re a weapon of nature’s darkest design. It says so on page ninety-two!” Tony takes the book from the kid’s hands, eyeing the colored picture over.
“Look, I’m clever with a spear, but I’ve been lucky more than a few times. There’s no guarantee you’re making it to page ninety-two. Trust me.”
“Right then, I’ll talk to Captain Stane. That’s a man with real authority.” The kid slips off the stool and into the crowd, asking for the captain.
“Hey, I have authority.” Tony reasons.
“You ain’t captain, are you?” Peter asks, with a raised eyebrow.
“No, but I am captain material.”
The kid laughs. “‘Captain material’? Sorry. It just sounds funny.”
“I will be captain. Someday.”
“Well, I intended to get on that ship, so I’ll take it up with Captain Now, not Captain Someday.” Tony hauls the kid up, taking him out of the tavern, tossing a coin to a man with a cart, asking them to drop the kid out as Guelston, setting the kid down and closing the doors.
“Hey! Let me out!”
“This is me saving you. You’ll thank me when you’re older.” He makes his way back into the tavern as the cart sets off.
“Kids are trouble, ain’t they?” Natasha raises her glass.
“You can say that again.” Tony clinks their glasses together, spilling foam between the two. Tony catches sight of the tattoo on his arm. The Inevitable’s sigil makes pride swell in Tony’s chest.
Tony wakes up the next morning after a nap on the way to the castle. The sun has risen, Tony can guess it’s about eight. Natasha rests beside him, hat covering her eyes, arms crossed over her chest. The castle looms over them on a tall mountain, gold tips of the towers reflecting the morning sun. People lean out their windows, and children gather with fake toys of red monsters and green beasts.
“If it isn’t Captain Stane and his loyal mates.” The king bellows as they make their way across the throne room.
“Your majesties. As you can see, the ocean has offered abundant prey.” Captain Stane says, as one of the king's servants bring the cart full of horns forward.
“The horns you bring are worth quite a bounty. But there’s something I don’t see.” The queen narrows her eyes. “The horn of the Red Bluster.” A man steps forward from the shadows. “Admiral Horngaurd states of a rumor that you had the Red Bluster in your pursuit, but abandoned it in honor of a certain code.” The queen spits the word like it’s distasteful.
“The royals do not pay you to honor such codes. How many ships will be lost since you let the bluster get away?” The admiral leads them out of the throne room, showing them a large ship docked in the royal port.
“The Imperator is the most heavily armed ship to ever sail. With her about, the crown will no longer support the hunters. She will sail deep into the unknown, and eradicate every sea beast in her path.”
“Not that thing.” Captain Stane rolls his eyes. “She rests too low, them fixed cannons are useless.” He turns to the admiral. “And her captain is an ass.”
“It’s time for you to leave, Captain.” The admiral turns on his heel.
“Don’t send your sailors to die in a ship like that. She ain’t built for hunting. Neither are you.”
“I assure you, I am not afraid of those beasts.” The admiral says stiffly.
“Then you’re a fool! And you’ll take a lot of good men down with you!” Captain Stane shouts.
“General, see them out.” The queen orders. The general starts forward, hand on her sword. Tony watches Captain Stane lose it.
“Hunter’s shed blood for years while you hid behind walls, and drew lines on maps! You’re cowards, the lot of you!”
“General, the captain is to be placed under arrest, and the Inevitable decommissioned.” The queen shouts over the commotion. Natasha reaches for her gun.
“Wait, wait!” Tony moves in front of the general, blocking Captain Stane. “I think the world still needs the hunters. So, prove me wrong.” He ducks under one of the drawn guns. “Give us one more try for the bluster, and if we deliver, you keep your promise. If the Imperator takes the bluster, you can arrest us, and tear the Inevitable down for scrap."
They plan once they’re out on the open sea, plot courses and ready weapons. They drink the night before they meet the bluster, a party to remember before they win a war gone on barely two days.
They break into barrels of beer, ready to start the night.
“Ow!” One of the barrels cries. The cheering stops. Hushed murmurs rise through the crowd. Slowly, Tony opens the top of the barrel. A familiar face pokes out.
“You stowed away?”
“I… yeah.”
“We’re dropping you off at the nearest port.” Tony tells him.
“What? Why?”
“We’re going after the bluster. We can’t have a kid mucking about.” The kid looks ready to protest when a voice comes over the argument.
“What's all this then?” Captain Stane walks over.
“The… the name’s Peter Parker.” The kid whispers in awe. “But you need no introduction! You’ve been swallowed whole, cut to pieces, shot through the heart, and the sea won't take you, and hell won't take you, so here you are!” Peter gestures, awe still in his voice. “The proud captain of the second-greatest hunting ship that ever sailed!”
“Second-greatest?” The captain raises an eyebrow. “Which then may I ask, is the greatest?” Tony can almost feel tattoo of the Inevitable's sigil burn his arm. This is the greatest hunting ship, and Tony’s proud to be on it.
“I’m partial to the Monarch, for it’s the ship my parents served on.” The captain is quiet for a moment.
“I see. And they died heroes, didn’t they?”
“Aye.” Peter nods.
“I like this kid. He’s all vinegar.” Captain Stane begins to walk away.
“But, Captain-” Tony starts.
“Natasha, be good enough to take her in, would you?”
“Aye, Captain.” Natasha says, clearly exasperated. Peter smiles, taking a drink from the table next to him, colliding it with Tony’s own.
“Congrats, Captain Someday.” Before setting the drink back on the table and following Natasha.
“We passed Rum Pepper Island in the night. We’ll be at the Dreggmor Sea soon enough.” Captain Stane says.
“I wonder if I might need something a little… larger?” Peter asks, holding up a dagger.
“Where’d you get that?”
“Natasha gave it to me! ‘Cause I’m a hunter now.” Peter jumps up excitedly.
“A hunter who needs to go to sleep.” Captain Stane says, leaning against one of the ropes. Peter nods, excitement burning in his eyes. He disappears down the stairs, away from the hull.
“The hunter’s code binds us all, those who come before, and to those who come after. I see a fire in her, same one I saw in you.” He smiles at Tony.
The ropes creak beside them, wind whistles in their ears. Tony looks up at his captain. Seagulls fly overhead.
“Beat to quarters!” He shouts. It’s begun.
“Tony? What’s happening?” Peter asks. There’s an explosion, the ship tilts left. Peter stumbles.
“Peter! Get back to your room!” Tony grabs the kid, taking him the short distance back and placing him down in the small room. “Stay away from the window.”
They fight. They launch cannons, and then the spears from the bow, latching themselves to the back of the beasts, which dives over the waves, taking the boat with it.
It swirls, creating a vortex that sets the ship almost vertical. Tony can see the men struggling to hang on. He doesn’t blame them, he’s having a hard time too.
“The ship can’t take it! We have to cut the lines!” Tony tells Captain Stane. Water splashes up across his face.
“I’ve never run from a fight, and I won’t start now!” The mast Captain Stane stands on jerks downward. “Peter Parker, cut those lines and I’ll kill you for a coward!” Peter hesitates, but jumps back to cutting the lines.
“Tony! Stop him!” Like a call to action, Tony maneuvers his way down the vertical deck of the ship, grabbing Peter’s hand to stop him. The crew’s screams fill his ears and it hurts because Tony can’t do anything about it. Peter yanks his hand back and starts on the lines again. Tony can see the angry red marks the rope left on Peter’s hands. Despite his captain’s calls, Tony doesn’t stop Peter. The ship snaps backwards, sending Peter and Tony flying overboard.
They slam into the water, cold biting at Tony’s hands. He swims towards Peter, who’s so still Tony fears he’s dead. Peter slowly raises a hand to point behind Tony. He turns, watching in terror as the red face of the bluster stares right back. Then, it disappears into the murky depths. Peter and Tony swim up, gasping for breath at the surface. A dinghy is already out there, and Tony helps Peter over the edge before pulling himself over.
“Bring him to me!” Stane shouts. Tony freezes.
“What are you going to do?”
“I said bring him to me!” Stane draws a gun. Tony shifts his stance to obscure Peter from Stane. Peter shivers, hands clinging to his waterlogged clothes.
“He’s a child!”
“I’m giving you an order!”
“Please, Captain!”
The beast shoots out of the water, mouth open, grabbing the dinghy before diving back under again.
It’s pitch black. Tony can feel Peter clinging to his side. He finally get the lantern lit, and looks down at Peter.
“Are we gonna die here?”
“No.” the monster growls. Tony hesitates. “Well… yeah.”
“Will we get chewed? Or die slowly, disgusted with acids?”
“I don't know, Peter. This is all new for me.” Tony ties one end of the rope to Peter, and one to himself.
“What if it swallows you?” Tony shrugs.
“Cut the rope.”
He walks for a bit, finding a place where he can see out, and once he deems it safe, slowly tugs Peter up with him. He finds little resistance from the other end, and moments later, Peter joins him.
They’re underwater still, fish and coral and sea life swell around them. The monster tilts up, spitting them out onto land. Peter’s end of the rope catches on something, sending Tony swinging as Peter is suspended high above ground.
The monster doesn’t make any move to attack, just stares at Peter. When Peter tilts his head to the side, the monster follows. It raises one of its flippers, unhooking Peter from whatever he’s stuck to, gently setting him on the ground, then walking up shore and leaving them behind.
Growls and shouts of giant wildlife surround them. Peter’s eyes grow wide with awe.
“We should find shelter.” Tony says, leading Peter into the forest and away from the beach.
It takes most of the day, but they find a large shell to hide away in for the night. Tony scavenges for food as they walk, finding a fruit he’s familiar with along the way.
“What if the monster’s aren’t as bad as they say?” Peter asks when Tony hands him a fruit. “The sea is their home, after all.” He tries to follow Tony's actions, taking his knife to the top of the fruit, but it slips out from under the knife. Tony stands up, cutting through the hard shell for Peter.
“We hunt them because they kill us. Need I remind you that one of those things killed your parents? They died heroes.” Tony argues in a hushed shout.
“I want to believe that. Maybe you can be a hero and still be wrong.” Tony groans.
“Look, I don’t want to argue with you and attract the multitude of monsters on this island that I wouldn’t be on if you hadn’t cut them lines! Now, I’m going to go get more supplies. You stay here.”
“Don't die out there, okay?” Peter murmurs.
“I won't make any promises.”
“Please. Promise me.” Tony wants to shout at him. Wants to scream, Did you not hear what I just said? But Peter is a child.
“I promise.”
Peter wakes up the next morning to scuttling in the bag of food Tony had. A little monster pops out, trying to eat one of the hard-shelled fruits. Peter uses Natasha’s knife to cut a bit off one of the fruits he ate last night, but the little monster scuttles off once it notices Peter, who follows slowly. Tony’s still asleep next to the bag, blissfully unaware.
Tony looks around, blinking awake. The first thing he notices is the kid’s gone.
Oh shit.
What if something got him? What if he’s lying dead, cursing Tony for not saving him?
Tony rushes out of the large shell he spent the night in, chasing in the direction something may have gone. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he finds the kid in a clearing in the forest, alive, and whole. Now he’s just angry.
“What are you doing?” The kid turns, and there’s a monster in his arms. It’s small, about the size of Peter’s torso, and looks a bit like a large axolotl with a glowing antennae at the top of its head.
“Jesus fuck-”
“It’s exactly what it looks like.”
“We’re not keeping that.”
“What? Why not! He’s so cute!”
“You and I have very different ideas of cute.” Tony carefully steps forward, eyeing his surroundings.
“I’ve already named him though!” Peter protests, tucking his face over the top of the little creature’s head. “His name’s Blue!”
“Well, when I take you back to Guelston, you can have a cat, and name it “Gray” or “White”. Maybe even “Ginger”, if you’d like.” Tony grabs the monster, tossing it into the forest. Peter cries out.
“I’ve seen those monsters lay eggs in your mouth and burst out your chest cavities. Nothing good comes of monsters, kid.” They walk out to the beach, stepping into the boat they left on shore yesterday.
“We’re in dangerous territory, Peter. But if there’s a monster within a mile of us, I’ll know.” a shadow sets over the small boat, and a giant crab grabs the boat in one of its talons. “I’m a bit off my game today.”
Peter screams as he falls off, catching himself on the monster’s back. Tony is lowered into the monster’s mouth, getting a full view of the many rows of pointy teeth the crab has. A different shadow, bigger than the last shows. Tony leans back, catching eyes with the Red Bluster. The crab drops Tony and the boat, who are quick to right themselves.
“Hang on, Peter!”
The Red Bluster attacks the crab, biting and head bashing, Peter is thrown about. The crab finally knocks Peter off, sending him barreling into the water. Tony sees the crab moving, and spots a tender spot where the crab’s claw meets its body, tossing the spear. Like almost every other time Tony tosses, it hits its mark, distracting the crab for long enough that the Red Bluster can bite its arm and throw it into the ocean.
Tony rows around, calling Peter’s name. For a few heartstopping seconds, there’s nothing.
Then, a few bubbles pop up below the water, and Tony sees Peter’s arms wrapped tightly around Blue. Through his coughs Peter manages “He came back.” Tony gives Peter a soft smile.
“Get to bailing, We need to get back to shore to repair the boat.”
“We’ll never make it!”
“Start bailing. We have to try.”
“We should ask Red! She saved us.” Tony scoffs.
“Ask Red? The monster? I think I did most of the saving!” Peter raises a brow.
“Oh, never mind, just keep bailing.” Peter ignores Tony
very good,
in his opinion, advice, and turns to the Red Bluster.
“Hey! Can you give us a lift?” Tony rolls his eyes. The beast tilts its head, and Peter lifts up Blue. “This is you, and this is our boat!” Peter holds up a cracked fruit shell from inside the bag.
“Yout putting on a puppet show?” Peter sends him an eyeroll, placing the shell on Blue’s head.
“And I was wondering if you could lift us?” The beast sniffs, diving under the water.
“Bright side, she didn’t eat you. Get bailing.” Peter sits back down, reaching to grab the pail. He gasps, sitting back. They’re lifted up, Red moving them through the ocean on her back. Peter scrambles out onto Red’s back, looking back to the island, and out into open sea, letting out a yell of triumph. Tony smiles, taking out a map.
“If we keep going like this, we’ll be there in three days.” He ties a rope to the end of the boat, moving down to face the eye of the beast.
“Can you turn? I need you to turn starboard.” Tony points. “Turn.” Tony drags out the word, but the beast just stares. “Turn, you dumb beast!” Tony throws his hands up in exasperation.
“You can shout all you want, but she wont understand you.”
“Oh, she understands all right. She’s just being monstrous.” Tony glares. Peter rolls his eyes, tying himself to the boat, climbing down the opposite side.
“Can you turn a bit, please? Like this?” Peter braces his legs against Red, tilting his upper body. Red makes a noise, tilting to follow Peter. When Peter straightens, so does Red.
“See? Not so hard.” Peter tells Tony once they’re back up on Red’s back.
“Yeah. She ain’t no pet.” He says, throwing Blue off the boat, and onto Red’s back. “Don't let your guard down, alright?”
‘You can relax, Captain. She’s a friend.” Peter says, exasperated.
“Until she gets hungry.”
“Oh will you just…” Peter trails off, staring at the long spears stuck in Red’s back. He walks up to one, wrapping his arms around it before tugging. It comes out with some resistance, and Red growls, but then relaxes more than she was before.
Peter spends his day pulling spears and lances out of Red’s back, though there’s still a few more, the sun has set, and Tony calls Peter over for dinner. The boat’s sail is now a tent, sheltering them from the cold rain. Peter hand’s Tony half of his fruit, and they watch Blue jump up and down, trying to catch raindrops in his mouth.
Late the next day, they run out of food. Tony ties the rope to one of their spears, Peter watching carefully. Fifteen minutes later, they still don’t have any food.
“I’m use to a bigger target, okay?” Peter nods, a smile on his face. Red tilts her head back toward them, then begins to spin slowly, like she had the night of the attack. Fish jump up out of the water, and Peter fumbles to catch one. He shows it proudly to Tony.
“Dinner time!” Before Red rights her course, birds dive low to grab some fish for themselves. Tony’s always wondered why gulls follow the beast.
They eat their food, starting up a small fire with leftover sticks from the spears and Tony’s flint and steel, quickly discovering fish happens to be Blue’s absolute favorite food. After dinner, Peter goes back to trying to tug some of the remaining spears from Red’s back. Tony goes over to help him after he hears Peter struggling, and never quite gets back to his boat repairs.
They settle for the night, Peter leaning up against the boat, running a hand over Red’s back. Tony sits in the boat, reading over Peter’s book. Blue sits next to Tony, light at the end of his antennae providing blue light for Tony to read.
“It says here that during the dark times, the beast destroyed a town on the coast of Kra’Zoul, but we’ve been up and down that coast and I ain’t ever seen no town, destroyed or otherwise.” Peter looks up at Tony. “And every other page we’re shouting “Yar!” we don’t say “yar” half this much. I mean, this is just nonsense.”
“Says you. The book says otherwise, and that’ll outlive the both of us. So people will believe the beasts destroy towns that don't exist, and that hunters like to say “yar” a lot.” Peter says softly.
“But if that ain’t true, how are you supposed to know what is?”
“And how do we know the sea beasts ever plucked ladies out of their veggie patches, or that there really were the dark times? Maybe they didn’t start this war.”
“Yeah, but if that’s true, why would we?” Thunder rumbles in the distance, shaking them from they’re thoughts. Tony stands, and Peter curls his hands around Blue, lifting him up.
“Looks like a real shipwrecker.” Peter says, moving outwards. Tony gathers their things.
When Red dives underwater, Peter and Tony are safely stowed away in one of Red’s nostrils, which… isn’t the weirdest place Tony’s ever been. The boat Tony spent so long repairing is probably long destroyed, hard work and effort gone, just like that. All their things are packed up into a bag, Blue lighting up the otherwise totally dark hiding spot.
“Nicer down here, I’d say.” Peter says softly. The water almost mutes the sound of crashing thunder, soft purple flashes light up the water
“Aye. Nicer down here.”
It’s quiet as Red weaves through a forest of kelp, Purple light shining around them as gigantic jellyfish rise up like purple fireflies.
There’s a drop, signaling the stop of the Dreggmor Sea, and Tony has to brace his hands against his knees. Hundreds of ships litter the ocean floor, along with the scattered bones of the once mighty titans that are the beasts. If Tony didn’t know any better, he’d think there were more beasts than grains of sand.
Tony catches sight of the tattoo on his wrist. There’s no pride, or swell of happiness. All he can feel is shame.
Five beasts in two days.
It’s not a prize Tony holds dear anymore. It’s a curse.
“I don’t know how the war started.” Tony turns, looking at Peter. “Maybe all that matters is how it ends.”
They’re back on Red’s back for the rest of the trip, they’ll land on the island today, leaving Red and Blue behind. Tony can’t think about that. He watches the picture in Peter’s book, willing it to change.
It’s him, a spear aimed at a beast. Peter looks down from where he’s standing. “That ain’t you anymore. You’re not Tony Stark, who killed four of those beasts in two days.”
“It was five.” Tony replies shamefully.
“You’re Tony Stark, who befriended a beast, saved my life, and led us all the way to Rum Pepper Island.”
“This is as far as Red goes. We can’t let her out of the Dreggmor. We’ll flag a passing ship.”
“Then what?” Peter asks.
“I’ll take you back to Guelston, won’t I?”
“What about you?” Tony can’t respond.
“Guelston is a place. It’s not a family. I’m not going back there, and you’re not going back on that ship. So… all you have is me.” The admission stings. Tony knows he’s not going back on the Inevitable, his monster hunting days are over. He knows what Peter’s going though. The feeling of uncertainty, the scary reality of asking someone to join your family, to be with you. It’s a scary thing. “And all I have is you. And that doesn't sound so bad.” Peter adds after a moment. Tony freezes. “You want to… give it a go?”
“You mean like, a family?”
“Yeah. Sure, I dunno.” Tony must be quiet for a bit too long, because Peter shakes his head. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”
“I just don’t think–”
“Have you got something in your ears?” Peter snaps. There’s hurt in his eyes Tony longs to fix, but he’s not quite sure how.
“Alright, alright.” Tony stands. “We should pack up.”
They land on Rum Pepper Island thirty minutes later, hopping down onto solid land.
“Thank you, for all you’ve done for us.” Tony tells Red. “This was really…” Tony pauses. “Uh, I hope you understand this but,” He raises his spear over his head, bringing it down on his leg. It doesn’t even crack. It hurts, but Tony walks it off. “No more monster hunting.” He tells Red, casting the spear aside, hoping it conveys the same message. Peter gingerly lets Tony take Blue, placing him back in the ocean next to Red. Peter walks up and hugs Red, one last time.
“Go on, girl, go home.” Peter whispers. Red doesn’t budge. She makes a noise, like she’s confused, before sitting up slowly, eyes trained over the hill. She growls, marching forward. Tony and Peter rush up the hill, shouting desperate attempts to stop Red.
“Don’t do this!” Tony shouts at the top of the hill. The Imperator behind them. “It doesn’t have to be a fight.” Red stares at the Imperator, then down at Tony. A shot fires from the direction of the Imperator. Red charges.
Peter leaps after her, scrambling down the steep hill. Red knocks over a tree, pinning Tony to the floor. The sounds of cannons fill Tony’s ears, and he completely panics. “Peter!” But he’s already too far down the hill to hear him.
Tony rolls out from under the tree, dodging bullets and fallen brush, rushing to Peter’s side. He’s collapsed, dust and leaves matted in his normally soft hair. “Is Red okay?” Peter asks. Tony looks out over the sea, watching Red growl at someone on the ship's deck. She’s split it in half with the force of her head, there’s fire and smoke all around.
Tony raises a gun one of the royal navy’s men left on the beach, and fires, knowing the bullet won’t even pierce skin. Red turns, growling, as if to ask why Tony gave up on his promise so soon. Then she sees Peter. She crawls forward, and Tony draws his sword, inching back towards Peter.
“Stay back.” Red growls, and a flare explodes over the sky, tinting it red. Red turns, growling at the ship. The Inevitable. The ship that has taken so much from Red.
“She doesn’t have to do this.” Peter rasps. Tony turns, watching Red go.
“Yes. She does.” Peter doesn’t say anything else. Tony feels something on the hand supporting Peter’s back, and moves it to look. Blood paints his hand.
“Oh shit, shit. Okay. You’re gonna be okay.”
When Red gets close, the ship fires a harpoon that makes her collapse almost immediately. Tony doesn’t know what it was, but he’s not sure he wants to know. He grabs one of the royal navy’s rowboats, rowing out to the Inevitable. Peter needs help. And he needs it fast. Peter’s eyes close.
The crew moves to tie down Red, ropes and tight knots cover her skin. Tony can hardly care, because Peter is bleeding out in his arms.
They sit below deck, Peter lying almost dead next to Tony as he recounts their adventures.
“That’s quite the story, Tony. the hunter that befriended a beast. The beast is what took my eye. What am I to make of you, Tony?”
“It wasn’t… we had an understanding.”
“A truce. You can’t have a truce without war. And what happened out there is nothing on hundreds of years of war. So I ask you, Tony, my son, are you my enemy?”
Peter throws the covers off him, attempting to stand. He stumbles, falling into Tony’s arms. “Let her go.” Peter says softly.
“He’s all vinegar.” Stane says, walking off. Tony carefully lays Peter down on the bed.
“You have to help Red.” Peter murmurs, just before sleep takes him. “She's our friend.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll take you back to Guelston, you’ll live a good, long life.”
“But first we’ll pay a visit to the king and queen.” Stane says. “I imagine you could use a drink?”
“You’re getting your strength back.” Natasha says, dropping off food for Peter.
“Too late.” Peter responds.
“Maybe.” Natasha turns to leave.
“It’s not right. You have to let her go. She saved us, please, believe me.”
“I do.”
“Then help me stop them!”
“I’ve been fighting all my life, and I’ve seen things that will never go away. This ship is all I know.”
“There’s no first mate more loyal than Natasha Romanoff.” Peter says bitterly. She still leaves.
“The whole world will know what we’ve done, my boy.” Stane says when they arrive at the castle. “This ship, your ship, will live on.” Tony smiles. He can’t help feeling like this is all wrong. Red should be free. She doesn’t belong here. “Nothing can stop this.”
Peter’s locked in his room. He can’t get out, no matter how much he pushes on the door. He’s locked in, and that means something is happening to Red.
The wooden patch to the window is pulled off it’s hinges. Peter whirls around.
“Blue!” He cries, pulling in the familiar little creature. He looks out the window, spotting the royal family's crest at the top of the bridge.
He’s seen it before.
He pulls out his book, and the same crest is at the bottom of the page, as with every other book Peter tears from the shelves.
“It was them.” Peter realizes. Peter leaps out the window, pulling himself across the ropes to get to the one he needs.
“I’m gonna get you out of here, Red. Don’t worry.”
He can hear the captain giving some speech, but he doesn’t care. He keeps sawing at the ropes.
“Captain.” That’s Tony's voice. He says something else Peter can’t hear.
“You dishonor me, boy.” he can hear the crowd yell, and the sound of swords.
“I should’ve given you a bigger knife.” Natasha says. She slashes through what remains of the rope. Red growls, shifting. she rises, taking down the Inevitable, only to fall again, taking down a tower with her.
She turns, moving underwater towards the castle where the king and queen were standing. Stane grabs a lance from a statue, but Red knocks him over by hitting the platform he stands on. Red growls, opening her mouth, ready to destroy Stane.
“Stop!” It echoes over the destroyed royal port. Villagers and old crew members freeze. Between Stane and Red stands Peter.
“If you do this, it never ends.” Peter says.
Tony grabs the lance that Stane was planning to kill Red with, noticing the wooden handle. He brings it up to his knee, snapping it in half. Red bows her head, letting Peter and Tony climb atop.
“You did good, kid.”
“I ain’t done.” Peter turns to the crowd.
“Our history is a lie. The monsters never threatened our shores. It was all a story. A story told by them!” Peter points to the royals. “The books we read are all published by the castle. They control the truth. For generations, they taught us to hate the beasts. And the beasts learned to fear and hate us, too.”
“Who are you to accuse your king and queen of such falsehoods? You have no right to speak.”
“I have every right! I come from a long line of hunters that died your great death, in your battle!”
“General, fire!” the queen demands, but the general still holds. Peter meets her eyes.
“Now I’m done.” Peter turns to Tony, who holds out his arms for a hug.
“Alright Red, we best go.” Tony tells her, and she turns, leading them out of the kingdom.
Peter and Tony live out in the forest, in a small cottage on the beach. Blue lives with them, and Red often comes to visit. No one goes beyond the Dreggmor Sea, but Peter doesn’t think about it much. Red is safe, and there isn’t anywhere he’d rather be.