❝I am Iron Man❞

Tony Stark | Smarter than you

[frstavcnger-a]

Up until this point, Steve had done his best not to encroach on Tony’s life until he was ready. Really. He’d sent the phone and the letter, he’d kept his distance, and he’d done his best to give Tony the time he needed to recover from Siberia. If recovering from that was even possible for them. But things have changed. Between this supposed cure, Bruce’s warning, and now the disaster at the festival. It’s time to set their issues aside and deal with this as a team.

Before it’s too late.

He’s not entirely sure how he gets past the compound’s security even with his own cautious approach and stealth skills he’s picked up from here and there (mainly Natasha, of course), but he wants to hope it has something to do with Tony letting some of them down. Letting him through. It’s the only real way to explain that he makes it past every single security measure to face Tony inside. To face him for the first time since Siberia - something that feels like a lifetime ago. Something he regrets more than he can say. As much as Steve knows he was doing his best to protect Tony from the information about his parents deaths, he knows it was the wrong choice. And now he has to face the consequences of that. Again. [ @anthonyxstark ]

“Thanks for letting me in.” Steve opens softly, watching Tony to try and gauge his reaction. Truth be told he has no idea how Tony might react to him being here, but - he’s about to find out. “I thought about ringing the doorbell but I didn’t think it’d end so well.”

[anthonyxstark]

         tony wants to start picking up the pieces of the disaster he made. of course there’s those who keep telling him that it wasn’t his fault, that anyone with any sense would do the same in his position. the avengers needed to be held accountable, someone had to answer for the liberties they took in the name of freedom. but it didn’t matter, because it had cost him everything. and isn’t that the thing? that if you are to think back -after the bad, and the ugly- that you are supposed to pick doing it all over again? there are times when tony is weak and wants to take it all back. 

         the security system beeps, not the intruder alarm, but the announcement of someone coming into the complex. tony brings up the screen and is surprised to see steve. it makes sense that steve would be the more mature, always thinking of the common good, and it hurts tony to think that if it wasn’t for the impending end of the world -universe- that they would’ve stayed at odds. hell, he’s not even sure if they won’t remain at odds after whatever this is about to be. but at least they are going to talk.

         ❝yeah well...❞ tony is unable to finish the sentence, he had been practicing -in his head, and sometimes out loud- the things he wants to say to steve. but in this very moment the words are not coming. ❝this place was built for you, for all of you, everyone❞ tony says with a dismissive hand gesture. it was supposed to be their headquarters, a place they could all call home. ❝i don’t think i could’ve- you know... even if wanted to...❞ tony lets out a sigh, why couldn’t he just bring himself to ask the one thing he had wanted to know since siberia, why? instead he says, ❝so the end of the world uh?❞ 

[anthonyxstark]

( @wspstngs said: ❝ You mean my job as an amazing detective/genius? ❞ )

                 ❝is that what that was?❞ tony said in a playful tone. as far as old friendships went, the one he had with jan could be traced back decades. tony might have been an only child, but jan was like the annoying sister he never asked for. aside from rhodey, jan was the one who called him out on his bullshit. when tony had pushed everyone away, there was jan. when tony got a new family -the avengers- jan was there. ❝you know i’ll give you genius, but detective? dressed like that you’ll get made three blocks away. and this is coming from me, who i will have you know has been called the most conspicuous person... by several people❞ tony said with a fake tone of seriousness. 

[anthonyxstark]

( @spoiderwoman said: ❝You mean my job as an amazing detective/genius?❞ )

           tony smiled at the choice of words, ❝that is exactly what i was talking about❞ he said letting out a small laugh before his features turned serious. it was hard for him to stop joking about everything, it was a coping mechanism, or at least he guessed that’s what his therapist would’ve said if he had seen one. ❝you know i’ll pay you well. i-... please jess❞ he said looking at the ground, ❝i just want to know if they are okay. this stays between us. i- i’m not even going to reach out to them, i just need to know...❞

[anthonyxstark]

( @realwhenitsuseful )

           tony felt like he was sinking in quicksand, no matter what he did, what he said, tried to fix, nothing seemed to work out. and it didn’t matter if he knew he had done the right thing, he still felt guilty for everything that had happened after. all he wanted was for the avengers to be the best version of themselves, and he had ended up causing the end of the team. there were few left to tony to trust, pepper, rhodey, and tony loved them, but he knew they were biased. if he wanted advice he would have to visit an old friend. one that no matter how close they were, and how much they’ve been through would not sugarcoat things for tony. it seemed like a lifetime ago when toddler tony who could barely run without falling would follow bruce around. at times the memories felt like they belonged to someone else. maybe they did. to boys who didn’t grow up to become what they had become. 

           ❝i need advice❞ tony said with a long sigh, he was known for having a flair for the dramatic, and short of throwing himself across the sofa, ❝bruce❞ he said almost sounding like a toddler again, ❝how do you do it? how❞ he couldn’t even put it into words, ❝how do you keep everyone’s at arms length. i- i want to stop feeling this like this...❞ tony said burying his face in his hands. 

[anthonyxstark]

( @hawkoyed )

         to say that tony had not lost things after the disaster the accords brought upon would be an understatement. and yet people were always quick to blame him for it. as if he didn’t know he was guilty. it didn’t matter how much pepper and rhodey tried to convinced him it wasn’t just his fault, that there was plenty of blame to go around, tony would not stop feeling like the one responsible for everything that had happened. and the repercussions it had on everyone around him. perhaps the thing that hurt the most was realizing how quick everyone turned against him. he had been a fool to believe his teammates -he should’ve stood firm on his position of not playing well with other- were his friends. maybe it was the imminent threat of death and destruction, but after what happened at the street fest tony decided it was time to make amends. even if he had a feeling his apologies would not have the desired impact, he still had to try.

          ❝hey barton❞ tony said with a smile, ❝your uh sidekick? protege? what is the deal with you and bishop? anyways she said i could find you here❞ he shrugged, ❝she also said not to say it had been her that told me❞ tony said with a dismissive hand gesture. ❝you do know you are still welcome to the complex, right? i- uh i built that place for you... all of you.❞

[thegreatestmarksman]

[anthonyxstark]

        clint ❝i call tony stark in the middle of the day to help untangle wires❞ barton                &  tony ❝i dropped probably a lot of things to go help disaster clint barton                                                                             untangle wires in the middle of the day❞ stark

                                                                                          ( @hawkoyed )

[anthonyxstark]

part i. genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist;                                                                                a tony stark playlist

show me the way to the next whisky bar. alabama song - the doors || let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars. get lucky - daft punk || the only thing you see, you know it’s gonna be, the ace of spades. ace of spades - motörhead || … and at once i knew i was not magnificent. holocene - bon iver || life gave me some lemons, so i made some lemonade. bubblegum bitch - marina and the diamonds || i am the son and heir of nothing in particular. how soon is now? - the smiths || we are the warriors that built this town from dust. warriors - imagine dragons ||  it took a little time to get free. it took a little time to be me. courage - villagers || do you wonder what will we become. lightsick - zola jesus || am i losing touch? did i build this ship to wreck? ship to wreck - florence + the machine || i’m strong on the surface, not all the way through. leave out all the rest - linkin park || i was a hero early in the morning; i ain’t no hero in the night. you are a runner and i am my father’s son -wolf parade || do you like the person you’ve become? the weight of living pt. ii - bastille || but which one am i, the man or the one behind the mask? the courage or the fall - civil twilight || there’ll be peace when you are done. lay your weary head to rest. don’t you cry no more. carry on wayward son - kansas

[anthonyxstark]

( @amcnds )

         tony had been keeping a close eye on whatever unfinished business the disbandment of the avengers had left behind. the accords had originally been about making amends, but whatever good intentions that had carried had been lost along with his friends. the things they had to account for, the responsibilities they should’ve taken, still sprawled across his work table.

         after ultron things like s.h.i.e.l.d. and hydra had moved to another plane. somehow they had lost sight and focused on the big things, but it had been the fact that hydra thrived under their noses that made it impossible for tony to let go of. so instead he had been reading files, trying to find assets -weapons, building, people- all across the globe. a surprise had popped in new york, so he obviously had to find out more. 

        now he had never been good at spy work, or at subtly. tony was brash, direct, and it had landed him in trouble. but really would he have it any other way? ❝umm excuse me❞ tony said approaching the young man, ❝i couldn’t help but notice you’ve been spending an awful lot of time around my friends❞ former friends, they hated him now, but for dramatic purposes that what he called them, ❝i don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before❞ tony said with a smile before offering his hand, ❝tony stark❞

[anthonyxstark]

cfblackwidow‌;

“No wonder aliens are constantly trying to take over,” she muses as she turns to look at him.  “we’re a goddamn mess.” she’s not surprised to see tony here, but she is surprised that he’s alone and far back in the crowd. she figured he would be on stage making a speech about peace and pledging a donation to the family’s harmed by the destruction. she cocks an eyebrow at his question. “no, i’m not alone,” she admits. “the others are here somewhere. incognito.” she leaves the ‘because they have to be. because we’re fugitives now.’ hanging in the air between them. “and you, tony? are you here on your own?”

         tony smirks at her words. it would be a lie to say he hadn’t miss her jokes. to say he had not missed her. he has missed all of them. but she was right, she was always right. they were a mess. and they had always been. not as a team, but as their own individual mess. tony had been foolish enough to believe that coming together as a team would fix that. it didn’t. the mess only grew in size. tony couldn’t do much aside from nodding. he felt guilty that his friends, the people he had believed were his friends had been forced to be on the run. of course pepper and rhodey had tried to rationalize with him, that it wasn’t his fault. but it didn’t matter, tony felt responsible, he had broken up the avengers. ❝yup. i uh i’m alone❞ he said looking at the ground. ❝are we going to work together on this?❞ this being the chaos around them, depowered heroes, a mad titan on his way to destroy the planet.

[anthonyxstark]

starter call

hello lovely people! i’m so sorry i went away for so long!! but i’m so ready to jump back into action! so please give this a like for a starter from tony! ( if you have multiple muses let me know for which one! )

ps. i posted what i had on my drafts so feel free to wrap/drop the threads if you feel time has passed and wanna do something else!!

also if you want to plot or talk about connections&relationships hmu!

[minsvnshine]

[hallowedmuses]

She stands, candle in hand, watching the memorial for those who lost their lives during the metaction festival. the environment is calm and somber as the mayor speaks of resiliency and strength. he promises that changes are coming. she knows this will not go well for heroes as a whole. changes made out of fear were often changes that curtailed civil liberties and freedoms. and with depowering ammunition it would be easy to stop anyone opposed to these promised changes. “so, this is how the regime falls…” she mumbles softly to herself. “not with a bang but with a whimper. will they ever learn?”

[anthonyxstark]

          ❝that’s the thing about humans romanoff, we never learn❞ tony says in a soft tone, he wishes pepper was at his side, he cannot do this, he has never been good at this. every time he’s made a public appearance he has only made things worse. but he wanted to be here. his name had popped up amongst those who had partaken in the festival incident. his argument of ‘is not a weapon! it’s part of me. i can’t just take it off and leave it home’ was not really working. this was a reminder that lives had been lost and without those that had intervened the body count would’ve been bigger. ❝you here by yourself?❞

[anthonyxstark]

kvvagner‌;

‘ herr stark! i am very happy to see you here — ’ like with other groups of powered individuals, the x-men had had their … complicated history with the avengers. kurt understood that those things will take time to resolve, if ever. however, as an individual, kurt saw tony stark – the iron man – as a man of great honor and moral judgement. witnessing his actions after the explosion and seeing him jump into their aid without hesitation right now only affirmed kurt’s opinion of the man.

‘ ja, ze teachers need time to evacuate zeir students. if we can hold zem off —- ’ he looked back at the youngsters still being ushered away by their x-men guardians. if only he had … — mr. kurt !! somebody yelled his name. he turned to the source of the voice, and before he consciously registered what happened, his hand had caught the handle of the sword thrown to him. it was made ad hoc, composed of various materials — tin cans, plastic, nylon fabric from a folding chair — torn to shreds and reconstructed into the form of a single-edged longsword. kurt locked eyes with the one student responsible for this little creative solution, a young mutant with the ability to manipulate materials by turning them into shreds and restructure into a different form. however the new form will only hold for a certain period of time before falling apart, like …

— you got an hour with it, mr. kurt!

‘ danken, cinderalla. ’ kurt smirked fondly at his handy weapon and nodded at his student who gave him a big thumbs up before running off with the rest of the teens. he then turned back at stark, with an anxious but determined twinkle in his eyes, ‘ sorry i cannot teleport us outta here. but i promise not to be a burden to you, mein freund. ’

          tony was on the edge of a breakdown, but then again he had been on the edge of a breakdown ever since one of his own weapons almost cost him his life. from the moment he step foot outside of that cave his entire life changed. and yet that seems like a lifetime away. it’s not like heroes -or superpowered individuals- had not existed before he cockily announced to the world that he was iron-man, but that’s when his life, his new life had started. 

          he wished he could say that from then on it had been smooth sailing, but it had been more trial and error than anything else. thankfully there were others who had done it long before he ever thought about saving the world. the x-men for example. and while they often had more disagreements than collaborations, when it came down to protect the innocent and save those who could not save themselves, every argument was put aside and they fought side to side.

          everything around tony was chaos. people screaming and running from the attackers. how could this happen? tony’s paranoia was ever-growing and the reason why despite pepper’s and rhodey’s opposition he had the arc reactor again, but he honestly had not seen a family friendly event turn into this.

          ❝f.r.i.d.a.y. set phasers to stun❞ tony said with a cheeky smile, knowing full well that if the ai had a body it would be rolling it’s eyes at him. tony watched as kurt got a weapon, he would never stop being amazed at all the different mutations from kurt’s students, ❝i don’t think it’s possible for you to ever be a burden kurt. hold the line ‘til everyone gets to safety? should we also perform some civilian arrests?❞ 

[kvvagner]

‘ GET THE KIDS TO SAFETY! ’ kurt yelled, grabbing the nearby young teacher’s shoulder and shoving them toward the opposite direction of the anti-mutant insurgence, ‘ vait vait vait … take off the badge ! ’ he stopped one of the students and ripped the METACTION volunteer badge off his shirt, ‘ —- everyone! ’

he turned around to secure the premise, only to see a team of armed terrorists approaching. ‘ oh no … ’ kurt gasped, running in the path between the retreating students and the threat. he had to make sure his students had time to get away.

[anthonyxstark]

        tony would be lying if he said his first instinct had not been to look for the other avengers. because in that moment, when all hell broke loose the first thing he did was to look for his team. he had promised pepper he was going to stop, but then powered individuals had started to lose their powers, and bruce banner came back home with a warning. earth was unprotected, so he had to become iron man again. truth to be told he had never stopped, not really.

        but none of that matters now, people are screaming, everyone is running, scared, worried. how could this happen? tony should’ve seen it coming. is it too late? there were after all explicit instructions about carrying weapons. 

               luckily tony is not one to follow rules. 

       while his relationship with the x-men had never been stellar, tony reached out once it was clear a big number of mutants had been affected. he spotted a few of them, volunteers -because of course they would volunteer for this event- he tried to get to them as soon as possible, stepping in front of a very depowered kurt? facing a group of armed terrorists. 

        ❝put your weapons down❞ tony tried to sound commanding, the effect might be lost since he wasn’t wearing the full suit, the nanotech concentrating around his hand, blaster ready. ❝kurt everything good back there?❞

[anthonyxstark]

         Invincible Iron Man, Volume 2: The War Machines